As I watched Chile’s 1 – 0 victory over Honduras earlier today, a player I have long admired appeared to completely run the show in the centre of the park. Matías Fernández is a small, creative attacking midfielder. He is an ex Villarreal player who now plies his trade in the Portuguese league with Sporting CP after he signed for just over 3 million pounds in 2009.
Fernandez also known as “El Pelusa” one of the nicknames that the brilliant Maradona held, was named South American player of the year back in 2006 – quite a feat considering the talent on show within South America, not to mention he was only 20 at the time! Matias is now at the tender age of 24 and is a regular in the Chilean national team. He’s a free-kick specialist and plays in the hole between the midfield and the attack.
As I watched on, I was very impressed with Fernandez and in particular Chile as a team – who finished 2nd in South American qualifying and are very pleasing on the eye in terms of playing style. Fernandez gave Honduras many a problem constantly picking up the ball and along with Vidal dominating the play. He had a part to play in Chile’s only goal playing in a perfectly weighted pass to cut open the Honduran defence for Isla to cross. In my opinion, Fernandez would be the answer to the creative speak we need and would be an ideal signing for United at an affordable price.
The 21 year old Chilean winger Alexis Sánchez who currently plays for Udinese also looked like he could be some talent. He possesses a great deal of pace and trickery and was a real live wire throughout the game.
Hopefully this World Cup competition will throw up some more talent and give Sir Alex Ferguson options if he does choose to buy in this summer’s transfer market.
@ Martin, hahaha, you call that rinsing some1??? He didnt have a fucking clue where the ball was!!! And being loaned out by Manchester United is completely different, were the best, their a Europa League team at most, if he cant get in their SQUAD what chance has he got of making our team!?!?!?!?! Suppose its a matter of opinions but ive never seen him have a good game, always used to come of the bench for villereal with the commentator saying how highly rated he is in chile and he’s flopped every time!!! And yesterday he was crap!!! Oh and just for the record, danny welbeck has done nothing to suggest that he’s not shit either!!!
Andy..were you another watching the wrong game? Skysports seem to agree he had a good game?! South American Player of the year – a flop?? Dont think so mate!
I’ll step in here and say Welbeck is a very good player. He just needs to play like he knows this. He looked great as youth and reserve player and I have every faith that he can step up at 1st team. Just a touch more confidence/arrogance in his play.
On Fernandez I think he is a very decent player could do a job here could be over awed but that video above was special.
And on Mesut Ozil, as our good friend Jonathan will tell you here at the Busby we called that he would shine weeks before the world cup started:
http://thebusbyway.com/2010/05/25/the-transfer-muppet-mesut-ozil/
who are Foster and Murray??, i dont even take Mark Lawrenson seriously, and at least im aware of that guy.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_15/default.stm
the highlights are here.
WE WERE ALL WATCHING the same game as you Jamie and you must appreciate Chile were playing Honduras.South American Footballer of the Year or not, the general consensus on this thread was that Mati Fernandez was not that great. Previous contemporary winners include veron, riquelme and saviola…Jamie, how would you consider veron’s old trafford career, successful?
he did play well and for a few million he wouldnt be a bad buy, hed probly cost around 7 mill or summat like that. i agree with most of your comments on here that sanchez is the better player but we have better wingers with more end product, and because real madrid want sanchez aswell his price will be ridiculous, bet he reaches around 25 million when he leaves, and the dirty glazers wont cough up that much money
oh ye and all of you saying that hes shite because he couldnt get in the villereal team, valencia couldnt get in the villereal team either or the recretievo team and he was one of our best players last season
Fernandez’s set pieces were average at best for a proclaimed ‘set piece specialist’, very average. The assist as you have credited it Jamie, it was a decent slide rule pass inside the fullback, in my opinion i believe it to be a standard passing skill, nothing brilliant. For brilliant I would cite the Robinho-Elano pass against North Korea (and yes it was North Korea, but they were a better side than I previously thought).
I would personally credit the assist to the player who made the cross across the front of the goal, not Fernandez.I do not take Sky too seriously, we are all journalists nowadays and I hold the opinion of you Jamie, and other user generated opinion in higher regard.Fernandez is a player I would not like to see at OT and i will not be praying for a transfer, I believe all out other central midfield options are better, even carrick, even ando.With regard to the youtube video, anyone want the link to the video of Manucho, we should sign him, he looks a top player….naaaaat?