Sven Sonnenberg Scout Report
Scout report attention all! Sven Sonnenberg, the 25-year-old German center back of Heracles Almelo, is making quite the noise this 2023-2024 Eredivisie season. However, his style of play indicates quite an unorthodox, yet effective, defensive wall.
Impressively, Sonnenberg excels at ball retention, ranking within the top 5% of his peers. His ball skills are further reflected by a strong performance in progressive carrying, demonstrating ability to move the play forward. However, surprisingly for a defender, he falls short in ball recovery, landing in the bottom 20%.
Undoubtedly, Sonnenberg stands out for his aeriel dominance, with a near-perfect record common to an elite few of the league - earning a towering 98th percentile. Pair this with his winning rate in general duels, and you have an intimidating presence on the back line. Yet, his relatively low fouls committed contradicts common expectations, a welcome deviation that emphasizes his clean and effective tackling technique.
As expected, his style of play sees most action in the defensive and midfield thirds. However, his lower-than-average chance creation and offensive touches, which linger in the lower deciles, hint at a more conservative, defensive-oriented approach to his game.
Sonnenberg's player stats also reveal a safety-first orientation, highlighted by his low percentile score in progressive passing and limited activity in the attacking third. Despite this midfield-to-back approach, his pass accuracy is laudable, without fading into the extremes, providing an effective, if not flashy, defensive option.
Summarily, while Sven Sonnenberg may not be the all-out attacking wing-back type of central defender, his style of play showcases a player where preservation overrides progression, protective cover eclipses audacious overlapping.