In any transfer acquisition, it's not only about the quality of a player acquired, but how he fits with the pieces of a team that already exist.
In the case of new Nashville SC striker Jhonder Cadiz, the Venezuelan may be an ideal cog in coach Gary Smith's tactical machine, says Portuguese Scout Rodrigo Carvalho.
"He always played for teams that were almost being relegated or were relegated, so for those types of teams that play most of the time in a lower block, waiting for a counter attack, he’s been perfect," Carvalho said during Monday's episode of Extratime Live. "And I know Nashville isn’t exactly like that, but the situation is not that different at the moment."
Nashville have been performing better than a basement-dweller of late, winning twice during a four-match unbeaten run. But they haven't had the majority of possession in any of those matches, perhaps influencing Cavalho's comparision.
And for Carvalho, who previously has worked for U.S. Soccer and in the NWSL, it's not only about Smith's tactics, but also about those Cadiz is likely to face from opposing defenses compared to those he has seen in Portugal's Primeira Liga and France's Ligue 1.
"I think athletically (he) will just be top of the league as you say," Carvalho said. "As I said, he is 6-foot-3, he is used to playing against intense defenders, very aggressive with not as much space as he might find in MLS, with a lot of (MLS) teams trying to press high. ... In those type of games where he’s going to have a little bit more space than he is used to. I think he can be lethal running in behind, just grabbing the ball in midfield and accelerating."
So what should fans expect from the 25-year-old?
"He will never be a striker that scores 20 goals, 25 goals," Carvalho said. But ... he will get you 10 goals, he’ll get you important plays. He makes individual plays out of nowhere because he’s fast, he knows how to hold the ball. His relationship with the players on the field, ability to connect is not always the best, but as a target man, as a player who can create out of nowhere and give them that constant threat in behind and going at defenders, I think he’s a great fit for them."
