With the 2023 Copinha well underway, the next generation of Brazilian talent begins to emerge. Last year, Endrick Felipe grabbed all the headlines with some unbelievable performances, and now, the 16-year-old has earned a €60M move to Real Madrid. Other football legends like Cafu, Kaká, and Neymar were also born in the traditional U20 Copa São Paulo de Futebol Júnior. In this article series, we will identify some young stars in the 2023 Copinha. While some of these will emerge throughout the competition, others will have been on some people's radars before the competition. Nonetheless, the objective of this series is to use the Copinha to highlight some bright talents in Brazil's youth academies.
The first player up is Breno Bidon, a 17-year-old midfielder from Corinthians. The São Paulo-born midfielder was born in February 2005 and has yet to make his professional debut. At any rate, Breno is slowly emerging as one of the more promising players in Corinthians' youth academy. Since the age of 15, the left-footed midfielder has impressed for Corinthians U17, and now Corinthians U20.
Breno Bidon is as much of a Segundo Volante (second defensive midfielder) as they come. While he is a deep-lying midfielder, he is not primarily defensive. At just 174 cm (5'9"), he does not stand out for his physical stature, or his defensive presence. On the contrary, he is an extremely technical midfielder, reminiscent of the likes of Thiago Alcântara and Enzo Fernández. He is best partnered with a more defensive player alongside him, like Enzo and Thiago are in their respective clubs.
As Bidon continues to develop, it is clear he is a volume player. He looks to get on the ball early on and dictate the tempo. He is essentially an orchestrator in possession, initiating and progressing his team's possession. His passing ability is excellent, and it only continues to improve. This begins with his positioning, coming deep to get on the ball early in the possession.
This behaviour can be illustrated in this short clip against São Paulo. As Breno gets on the ball early on, he carries it forward instructing his teammates to move and create passing lanes. While this is a small example, it demonstrates his willingness to orchestrate and organise his team's attack.
In this larger compilation, we can see a few examples of Bidon's ability to retain and orchestrate possession, both through his work with and without the ball. With it, of course, he looks to find his teammates and circulate possession. Without it, he is constantly making himself available and supporting possession.
In addition to the passing in these instances, his awareness and technical ability stand out. Every touch on the ball, especially in tighter spaces, is extremely conscious, with the goal of manipulating and/or beating the defender. As he develops this part of his game, he is becoming extremely press resistant and essentially a crucial piece for his team's possession.
As a matter of fact, his dribbling is another significant resource. As he gets on the ball and dictates possession, his dribbling ability and ball control allow him to maintain possession as he looks for options. He is able to attract and/or beat defenders with this weapon, making his job much simpler.
Again, the conscious touches on the ball and tight control allow him to find time where there is none, to create both space and time. Therein lies the ability to truly dictate the tempo. Both through his passing and dribbling, Breno introduces his own order to the chaos around him.
With his incredible technical ability, he is also able to progress forward. In certain instances, Breno likes to burst forward with progressive runs, leaving multiple opponents behind. His intelligent change of pace and direction allows him to manipulate his opponents to his liking. He is not the quickest but with intelligence and technique, he is able to go on these sorts of runs.
Finally, he is also capable of playing further up the pitch. His movement and positioning in these more advanced roles allow him to penetrate and find key spaces within the defensive organisation. He creates effective passing lanes before finding teammates and creating chances in the final third. This ability not only makes him more versatile positioning-wise but depending on the type of game, he can adapt and perform multiple roles from the same position.
Breno Bidon is a truly exciting prospect rising out of Timão's academy, and in this year's Copinha, he can certainly make a case for some senior opportunities under Fernando Lázaro. The 17-year-old is an extremely technical midfielder, and as he continues to develop, his potential only gets higher. His style is very reminiscent of the likes of Thiago Alcântara and Enzo Fernández, or even Xavi. The future is bright for the young maestro.