Great Read on Pasquato

Juan Manuel Vargas. Eljero Elia. Michel Bastos. The list of wingers, wide players and forwards linked to Juventus over the summer has been endless. For every player ruled out by his current club or agent another two are soon added to take their place. As the search continues, Antonio Conte has been pressed into utilising the players available to him this pre-season, including a number thought to be surplus to requirements and those who, to aid their development, were expected to leave at any moment.

Yet one of those players looks to have begun to cause both the new coach – and by extension Director General Beppe Marotta – a happy but difficult dilemma. Last week Cristian Pasquato scored a stunning goal against Club América to hand the Bianconeri a 1-0 win in their friendly at New York’s Citi Field. Added to his other displays of the US tour, as well as in the most recent match against Cuneo, the 22 year-old has given many their first taste of the kind of performances long expected, especially by those closely monitoring his career to date.

Pasquato joined Juventus in 2003 after starting out with home-town club Padova and Serie D side Montebelluna. Quickly establishing himself as one of the brighter prospects in the youth sector he continually played above his age group, winning the National Under-17 title in 2006 and two Primavera Cups a year later, scoring a wonderful winner against Inter Milan in the final.

His explosive talent already noticeable, by 2008 Pasquato had represented Italy at every age group as far as the U-20 side. After making his first-team debut in May that year, a late substitute against Cagliari for Alessandro Del Piero, the player would make a series of eye-catching displays over that same Summer which would make the Calcio world sit up and pay attention.

Firstly, he would net against AC Milan in the Trofeo Berlusconi, scoring the only Bianconeri goal of the night. He was then given a start for the Senior Team in Juve’s traditional A vs. B match at Villar Perosa. There, despite the presence of players such as David Trezeguet, Mauro Camoranesi and Amauri, the youngster would literally steal the show, netting an incredible six times(!!) in the ‘A’ team’s 8-0 victory.

Pasquato proved that he is a step above the others his age and would just be wasted by spending another year in the youth team.

As shocking as it may be, even Alessio Secco would start paying attention to the young player, and Pasquato was loaned to Serie B side Empoli for the season (the club being no stranger to young Black and White talent, having already had Claudio Marchisio and Sebastian Giovinco in its loan contingent). By then however, the Tuscan club was in decline: freshly relegated from Serie A, they struggled to mount a successful promotion berth despite some early promise, and finished first 5th then 10th in consecutive years. It is reasonable to say Pasquato essentially wasted 18 months of his career at Empoli, before Roberto Bettega intervened and moved him to Triestina in January 2010.

With the arrival of Beppe Marotta and Fabio Paratici, Juventus would take a far more intelligent approach to the futures of many of the club’s prospects. Pasquato would soon join Albin Ekdal, Luca Marrone and a number of others in thriving after being placed in the right environment, and it was at Modena the player would finally deliver on the promise first seen nationally two years before. Starting with a long-range free-kick winner on his debut, he would continue in good form, recording nine goals and eleven assists in 27 starts for the Canarini.

All of which brings us to today. Juventus continues to build and refine, their squad being far more competitive in Serie A than it has been the whole time Pasquato was away on loan across Northern Italy. Irrespective of the actual tactical shape Conte settles upon, it is clear he will require players able to provide width, invention and creative options in attack.

While Stephan Lichtsteiner and Milos Krasic deliver just that from the right, and new arrival Mirko Vučinić will pair neatly with either Reto Ziegler or Paolo De Ceglie on the opposite flank, there is little in the way of a genuine winger. Simone Pepe provides grinta, energy and leadership, Claudio Marchisio offers defensive cover, versatility and tactical awareness, but what is needed is a natural wide player with genuine pace to mirror the flying Serb.

It would clearly be foolish to ask Pasquato to deliver those things as a first team regular, but surely he has done enough to prove he can be a competent reserve without any of the complaining we have witnessed from Giovinco and Davide Lanzafame the last two seasons. In fact, comparing him to those two strikingly similar players also serves to answer the question of experience (or perceived lack thereof).

Despite being two years younger than the Turin-born former prodigies, Pasquato has already played 100 games as a professional, just 13 less than Lanzafame and only 20 fewer than Giovinco. He has also notched only five goals less than the ‘Atomic Ant’ and eight less than Catania’s latest signing. These numbers make quite a strong case Pasquato is not only at a higher level, but also better prepared to wear the heavy Bianconeri shirt than his predecessors were, when their time came.

Pasquato’s ability clearly needs to be nurtured, but where better than in Turin as an impactful reserve? His already excellent set-piece ability could surely only improve with tutelage from Andrea Pirlo and Alessnadro Del Piero, two genuine masters of the craft. At the same time, with Conte as coach there is not a player in the squad who will have doubts over just what it means to play for Juventus. It would be vital that he played sufficient minutes to continue his development, but clearing out failures like Jorge Martinez would allow just that, while the Coppa Italia is an ideal proving ground for a young player.

Sometimes what matters is timing and Pasquato has filled a glaring hole in the squad as well as anyone could expect. While his ability was no secret, the temperament and effort he has shown throughout this Summer has been refreshing to witness. If Marotta and Conte reward that now by investing their belief in him, Cristian Pasquato might be just the man to deliver on the promise of the Primavera.

he would be messi in 2 years if we let him play!

It's quite similar to what I wrote so it goes without saying that I support him.

sciacca wrote:

Despite being two years younger than the Turin-born former prodigies, Pasquato has already played 100 games as a professional, just 13 less than Lanzafame and only 20 fewer than Giovinco. He has also notched only five goals less than the ‘Atomic Ant’ and eight less than Catania’s latest signing. These numbers make quite a strong case Pasquato is not only at a higher level, but also better prepared to wear the heavy Bianconeri shirt than his predecessors were, when their time came.

What a great observation!!!