Team of Tomorrow Tuesday: Antunes

April 29th, 2008 | By: Greg | 5 Comments »

antunesEnough of the wingers and forwards, let’s check some defense. Today’s featured player is Vitorino Gabriel Pacheco Antunes, more commonly known simply as “Antunes.” He was loaned by relegation-fighting Paços de Ferreira of the Portuguese SuperLiga (or bwinLiga, however corporate you prefer to be) to AS Roma in the Italian top flight before this season began.

He hasn’t gotten much burn in the left back position there, having played less than thirty league minutes total and only being used a handful of times as a sub. The sentiment among Romanistas seems to be that they like his game and think he can be a left back of their future, as was evidenced by their selecting him as Man of the Match in his debut against Manchester United in the Champions League this past December.

He’s been capped once for the Portuga national team and has featured for the other various “sub (Fill in age here)” teams as well. He’s got a fantastic left foot (see evidence below) and great overall defensive ability.

While I would say it’s a good thing for his development that he’s playing at a club such as Roma, he isn’t actually playing much at this point. On the other hand, coming back to Paços de Ferreira would mean, as it stands, that he’d be playing second division Portuguese football. Not the ideal situation either.

With our defensive players’ propensity for getting injured, keep an eye on this kid for the near as well as not so near future.



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Comments
Username By Chris | April 29th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
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One of my favorite moments of the season came through Antunes. It was late in the game and he was brought on with Roma comfortably ahead. When the Roman Clusterfuck started forming at the opposing, someone knocked the ball to him out on the left, which usually means beat the defender towards the line and cross it into the box or simply find Totti. Instead he just fucking uncorked one which was blocked by a defender ten yards off or so and Simone Perrotta (I think it was him) just had the most perplexed look on his face. It was a mix of “what the hell are you doing, kid?” and “holy shit”. Good times from iTunes.

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Username By Greg | April 29th, 2008 at 3:55 pm
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Swinging, curving shots always look cute as the keeper dives helplessly by them. However, nothing makes me want to drink Schlitz, hunt deer, and grow a beard more than when I see an absolute howitzer pound the net. Antunes is that howitzer.

Posted from United States United States

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Username By Ceasar | April 30th, 2008 at 9:52 am
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Had the pleasure of watching him in Toronto playing for the U20 and he looked very very good. Composed, solid and looked like a veteran on the team. I’m looking for him to anchor that leftback position in the future.

Posted from Canada Canada

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Username By Steve | May 1st, 2008 at 8:02 am
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Antunes is definitely the future LB of our NT, I think if he went to a smaller Italian club he would have made this Euro 08 squad.

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Username By pedro | May 1st, 2008 at 1:30 pm
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If he does get some playing minutes in his legs, maybe he´s the answer to our LB prayers.
One day, if in the meantime he doesn´t get old, retire, and move to south of nowhere, I hope…

Posted from Netherlands Netherlands

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