Atletico Madrid: Matthews Cunha challenge: earning starting position

Matheus Cunha was one of the surprising deals that Atlético de Madrid made last summer. After the departure of Moussa Dembele, who came to the team on loan from Lyon, the goal of Rugeblanco was to include a footballer capable of competing with Luis Soares, who came from being a key player in achieving the title. previous season.

Now, with the Uruguayan national team leaving and finding a guaranteed striker difficult, Cunha has a golden opportunity to become a key player for Cholo Simeone.

adaptation period

Winning Simeone’s trust is not easy, and for this reason, all new deals usually go through a period in which they have to acclimatize to his way of understanding the game. Cunha, who made his debut in the 80th minute of the third round of the League Championship against Villarreal, was always willing to work hard in training to earn a starting place.

Before his first start, she accumulated minutes and experience, contributed two goals and assists to the team. Already in December, they made their debut in the starting team in La Liga against Real Mallorca, a match in which they scored a goal despite the fact that Atlético ended up losing (1-2). Simeone himself, at the press conference after that match, wanted to assess the adaptation that the Brazilian striker was going through: “He is doing well, doing well, participating in what the team needs and achieving the goal.”

On the other hand, Cunha suffered a major knee injury in front of Levante, which left him off the field for several weeks, making it impossible for him to be available for Simeone.

The importance of pre-season

Cunha has reached the Rogblanco team with the league championship already started. In fact, the Brazilian came to play two Bundesliga matches with Hertha Berlin before landing in Madrid. This situation caused Cunha to commit to adapting as quickly as possible to the team and Simeone’s way of playing.

But this season is different, because Cunha will start the preparatory season starting next July 10, in addition to that he will be able to travel to Los Angeles de San Rafael with the rest of the team. This means that the young Brazilian striker will play pre-season games and be able to start the season at a higher level compared to last season.

Qatar on the horizon

Cunha is not only intended to be a major player in Simeone’s scheme. Next November, the World Cup kicks off in Qatar, a competition she doesn’t want to be absent from. Before signing for Atlético, Cunha won the gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics after defeating Spain (2-1) in the final, and scored the first goal in that match.

During the last season, the Brazilian was called up by the Brazilian national team for the first time in his career. It was in September, against Chile, while the South American World Cup qualifier was taking place in Qatar. Since then, Cunha has played six more matches under Tite, half of whom are part of the starting team. Being the same, in an interview with GQ BrazilReferring to the possibility of attending the World Cup: “It has always been and will always be a dream come true. Representing Brazil is the culmination of an athlete’s career.”

prove your worth

Atlético Madrid, at the moment, has a problem in the center of the attack. Suarez has terminated his contract, and it appears that Morata, who returned after his loan to Juventus de Turin, does not guarantee his continuity in the rank. In addition, it will not be easy to go to the market.

This situation might be the perfect scenario for Matthew Cunha. The Brazilian scored seven goals last season and provided six assists, although he had a substitute role. However, the current situation in the attacking area opens up the possibility of being able to convince Simeone that the striker the team needs is already in the squad and his name is Mateus Cunha.