2023-09-02 09:12:19
Barcelona is a blessed place at the altar of football. The flower buds that spread the fragrance of genius on the lawn are magically blooming. A playground that nurtures creativity and celebrates authenticity in the realm of play.
It is a team where creativity, quality and motivation are present in equal measure in every player. They know better than anyone how to nurture geniuses. The Academy of La Masia becomes the perfect arthouse of the game because of its poetic movements. In the fertile soil of the academy, which has been hatching countless talents since the beginning, there are many stars who bloom like spring all the time.
It is from this multiplicity of talent that the star-studded new wonder at Nookamp is born. A sixteen-year-old who learned to dance like a ballet dancer at La Masia Academy. Name is Lamin Yamal. The world is amazed to see the teenage boy batting the ball with the toned male Kesaris without the help of a newcomer.
Lamin Yamal Nasraoui Ibana was born in Mataro, Barcelona. Father Munir Nasraoui is Moroccan. Mother Sheila Ibana is a native of Equatorial Guinea. It was only natural that the boy who had a bad relationship with the ball in his childhood came to La Masia. Soon he was named as one of the best prospects of the academy. It didn’t take long for Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez to catch Yamal’s eye. Training with the first team in September 2022 was a testament to Xavi’s impressive ball-handling before his debut. Yamal was only fifteen years old then.
The La Liga match against Real Betis on April 29, 2023 lasts 82 minutes. Coach Xavi withdraws Gavi from central midfield. Lamin Yamal will take the field instead. He is now 15 years, nine months and 16 days old. The youngest ever player to debut for Barcelona’s first team. It was also a great start for Lahm in what could be an eventful career on May 14, 2023 when Barcelona lift the La Liga title.
2023 August 20. Barcelona’s match against Cadiz at the Estadio Olimpico Luis. His name was in the starting eleven of the star-studded Catalan line-up. At just 16 years and 38 days, he became the youngest ever player to make Barca’s starting line-up. The teenager was named man of the match in a thrilling 4-3 win over Villarreal on August 28, scoring two brilliant goals. He also became the youngest player to assist in La Liga.
Just a couple of games in the starting line-up with the senior team! The world is watching Lamine Yamal’s performance in disbelief. Many have started comparing the boy’s prowess to the real Lionel Messi, who grew up from La Masia and conquered the world as one of the best players in history. The dribbling, passing and scoring skills of the teenager, who can hook the ball on his left leg, are eye-catching. Lamin is ready to play as a center forward, attacking midfielder or a winger with the help of his amazing movement. What makes him dangerous on the field is his ability to play in any position and outsmart any defence.
Dribbling is one of his diamond weapons. Lamin’s one-on-one dribbling magic is difficult to contain when he gets into inaccessible areas. What sets him apart is that he knows exactly when to leap past defenders and when to create moves with his teammates. Against Cadiz, the star showed off his welcome with quick one-twos and well-timed acceleration.
With a gameplan overloaded on the left flank and long spells in the possession game, Barcelona’s traditionally right winger will have relatively less opportunity to control the ball. However, it was the smartness and responsibility in overcoming those prejudices that the boy showed against Cadiz and Villarreal. He entered the field of La Liga after creating three scoring chances against Tottenham in the preseason match and winning applause.
Xavi Hernandez has a lot of respect for players who play an excellent creative game in the wings. Ousmane Dembele and Rafinha were Xavi’s favourites. With Dembele going to PSG and Rafinha being suspended, the coach had full faith in the 16-year-old and released him. Lamin kept that belief brilliantly. Successful dribble three times out of four against Cadiz and three out of three against Villarreal. The 16-year-old has the distinction of having the most dribbles at 85 percent accuracy.
Players with the most chances/shots created following a ball carry in La Liga this season:
– Lamine Yamal: 5 in 175 minutes
– Vinicius Junior: 5 in 187 minutes
– José Gayá: 5 in 267 minutes
– Mingueza: 5 in 270 minutes— @OptaJose pic.twitter.com/dtUuIMRamq
— Barça Universal (@BarcaUniversal) August 29, 2023
In addition to being an electric dribbler, Lamin is on the verge of perfection in playmaking when combined with crisp crosses, defense-shredding passes and diagonal runs in the box. Those nimble movements of the left leg give the creative department so much energy to take the helm of the movement. The rookie created three big chances in the two games he was in the starting line-up. Gavi’s cross to score against Villarreal had the signature of Yamal’s genius.
Yamal, who can score and strike, is ahead in striking power. Twice his shots deflected off the post against Villarreal. Lewandowski netted from a rebound in one of them. Six shots hit the net in two matches. Yamal has proven at the junior levels that he is a versatile finisher with weapons like one-on-one moves, close range shots, long rangers, etc. The player opened more than ten chances at the U-17 Eurocup and was one of the tournament’s joint top scorers with four goals.
▪️ Youngest player to record a La Liga assist in the 21st century
▪️ MOTM in Barcelona’s win
▪️ Applauded by the Villarreal fans when he was subbed offThe future is bright for 16-year-old Lamine Yamal ???? pic.twitter.com/fLYfArtwit
— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 27, 2023
Xavi’s main advice to his young protégé when he is going to take the field against the strong players who have played a lot of games is ‘don’t be afraid of anything’. ‘Fortunately I was not afraid at all. I am confident that I can play football well, so I go on the field and play my game. Mother is scared when I enter the starting line-up. But they will support me a lot’ – says Yamal. Yamal’s father is an ardent Real Madrid fan. Therefore, there are speculations from many quarters that the new star may join the ranks of the arch-enemies. However, Yamal has repeatedly made it clear that he will remain at Barcelona. Moves to sign a contract with the Catalan club until 2026 are also in the background.
The young star had opportunities to play for Morocco and Spain at the national level. Yamal’s decision was to stand with Spain. With this, coach Luis de la Fuente has included Barcelona’s new star in the Spain squad for the EuroCup qualifiers. Now ‘Chorathillap’s game’ to the international playground…
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#Lamine #Yamal #Ballet #Dancer #Arts #Play