Rafa Benitez is no stranger to criticism, being a football Coach and all, and since taking the reins at Real Madrid, the fault-finding in his work has only intensified. This has mainly been due to the fact that his style of play thus far has been a lot more pragmatic than what the fans were used to under Carlo Ancelotti, and games contested by Los Blancos this season have not yielded nearly as many goals.
Along with not scoring as many goals though, Madrid have not conceded as many, and perhaps the epitome of the shift to being more defensive has been Casemiro. The Brazilian’s rise to a permanent role in the first team has been a steady one. After signing for Los Meringues from Sao Paulo in 2013, the 23-year-old featured for Real Madrid Castilla for a season, impressing enough to warrant a full 90 minutes against Real Betis in what turned out to be Jose Mourinho’s final campaign with the club. He was then included in Ancelotti’s squad for the Italian’s first year in charge, but appearances were scarce. It became clear that Casemiro’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu had not yet arrived, and after La Decima had been won, he was loaned out to Porto.
A spell in Portugal was just what the holding midfielder needed. It was a season in which he featured regularly in both the League and Champions League for Julen Lopetegui’s side, getting a taste of what competitive European football was like at the highest level. A similar thing occurred for another player from the Spanish capital – Atletico’ Madrid’s Oliver Torres was on loan at Porto too and has returned to enjoy a similar fate, corroborating that the Dragao is an excellent place for young talent to harness their potential.
Due to Casemiro prospering in Portugal, Madrid immediately exercised their buyback option and he has since signed a contract extension until 2021.
“I’m here for longer and my dream remains intact with the same desire,” he enthused after penning the renewal. “I hope to repay the support of the fans in training and in matches as I have done so far. I want to make this dream come true by working hard every day. I want to fight hard to play for Madrid and return the love that the fans are showing me. I want to succeed at Madrid.”
Succeeding he certainly is. It was becoming increasingly obvious throughout last season that Toni Kroos lacked the defensive attributes to play at the base of Madrid’s midfield three against strong opponents, and Casemiro has added a solidity to the midfield that complements the guile and craft of players like the German. In addition to breaking the play up, though, the Brazilian is capable of influencing attacks as he is an extremely adept passer of the ball and drives the team forward by pushing higher up the pitch, helping to pin the opposition in their own half.
The versatility that Casemiro possesses, coupled with his performances this season, will lead to a serious selection headache for Benitez. As James Rodriguez, Gareth Bale and Karim Benzema return to full fitness, will the Coach sacrifice the balance that the midfielder brings to the side in order to accommodate the riches of attacking talent at his disposal? It will be interesting to see how Los Blancos line up for the Clasico on November 21, when Benitez will surely not drop Kroos back into a deeper role against such formidable opponents.
If this was to happen then expect to see a side once again lacking the defensive midfielder that they so crucially need in order for Benitez to be successful at the Bernabeu. Credit must go to Casemiro, therefore, who has taken every opportunity presented to him to become the solution to Madrid’s defensive deficiencies.
