Real Madrid midfielder Federico Valverde deserves the title of best red card winner in football after being named the Best Spanish Super Cup Player on Monday (1/13).
Valverde became the Spanish Super Cup Best Player was a surprise because the Uruguayan got a red card in the 115th minute after a serious offense against Atletico Madrid striker Alvaro Morata in the final which took place at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium.
The 21-year-old was sent off by referee Jose Sanchez for tackling Morata from behind. Valverde was the last player from the Madrid defense, and Morata was in a position to face one on one with goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois and score.
Valverde’s action saved Los Blancos from Atletico’s goal chances. Without Valverde’s tackles and red cards, it is not impossible Los Rojiblancos ahead and end the match with a 1-0 victory. There will also be no penalty shootout round which Madrid won 4-1.
When red-carded, Valverde did not react much, nor did he protest to the referee. He seemed aware of the risk taken from the swing of his left foot which hit Morata’s left foot so the former Chelsea striker fell on the field.
Before the submission of the 2020 Spanish Super Cup trophy, Valverde first received a small trophy with the words Most Valuable Player (MVP) or the best player in the tournament.
Judging from Valverde’s performance in two games in the Spanish Super Cup, the former Penarol player’s report card is not too special. Valverde’s appearance based on WhoScored’s statistics is quite impressive but not very prominent.
There were no goals or assists created by Valverde in the semifinals and the final of the Spanish Super Cup 2020. In the semifinals against Valencia, Valverde had the highest pass accuracy, 96 percent, with 87 accurate passes out of a total of 91 passes, two of which were key passes.
The Montevideo-born player also fired two shots but was inaccurate. The number of shots like that is decent for a player with an equal position in a defensive midfielder. But Valverde’s shot is still inferior to Casemiro (3) who is a pure defensive midfielder.
In the final match Valverde’s pass accuracy was only 91 percent, Toni Kroos had the best accuracy (97 percent) of 97 passes, for players who performed more than 60 minutes. The shots also remained twice, the most being Luka Modric with five shots.
However, at the top of the match the instinct of attacking Valverde was better than in the semifinals. Valverde recorded eight successful dribbles in nine experiments. That number is the best among Madrid players, including Isco or Luka Jovic who is a striker.
One of the points that can make Valverde the Best Spanish Super Cup Player is his sacrifice to bring up Zinedine Zidane’s champions this year.
With a hard tackle that produced a red card in the 115th minute, Madrid avoided conceding which could lead to defeat. Morata’s golden opportunity is gone.
The 27-year-old striker actually got a bump in the left forehead because Dani Carvajal was trampled with a noisy with Stefan Savic during the turmoil of Valverde’s red card. Atletico’s free kick executed by Kieran Trippier from the offense also hit Madrid’s fence.
Valverde’s action also buried Thibaut Courtois’ chance to be the best player. Because the Belgian goalkeeper played a crucial role in Madrid’s victory in Jeddah. In addition to one rescue on penalties, Courtois made six saves in the normal round and extra time.
Valverde left the field accompanied by applause from the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium. He also received a positive response from Atletico coach Diego Simeone.
Understandably, the Valverde tackle really happened in the right momentum, appearing at the last minute and crucial moment. He is now a new public idol of the Santiago Bernabeu, but could also be the new enemy of Atletico supporters in the next Madrid Derby.
