Olivier Giroud, 39-year-old striker for LOSC, faced Paris Saint-Germain before the international break, notably their defender Willian Pacho (23). He was able to give his thoughts on the Ecuadorian international to the newspaper Le Parisien, which focused on him this Tuesday.
Giroud “is clearly an intelligent player who is also good with his feet.”
“He’s a very complete and mature defender for his age. He’s always well positioned, doesn’t make many mistakes… With his size and the aggression he brings to duels, you might think he’s often on the edge, but he’s a very clean player.
He’s always where he needs to be, anticipating the ball. He’s clearly an intelligent player who is also good with his feet.” I’d already seen a bit of that while watching the Paris matches, but I admit that this time, he made a good impression on me.”
Pacho will appreciate this praise coming from an opponent. It’s undoubtedly very sincere, and it all seems quite fair. Pacho has great athleticism, but it would be very unfair to reduce him to that.
Giroud emphasizes the intelligence of this player, who very often manages to intervene aggressively without committing a foul. This is far from easy, especially at the highest level. The Ecuadorian knows how to take action at the right time, by being well positioned up front.
Added to this is a very clean pass, always without giving in to panic. It doesn’t matter the opponent’s pressure or the situation in the match. Pacho is a calm force who still has room for improvement, given that he is only 23 years old. We’ve already seen him improve his passing, a little more daring than when he arrived, even if he doesn’t play much long at the moment. Pacho is set to have a great career, and let’s hope it continues for a long time at PSG.
