Damian van Bruggen Scout Report
In our latest scout report, we dissect the play of Dutch center back, Damian van Bruggen, for Almere City FC during the 2023-2024 Eredivisie season. Dominating the art of interceptions, van Bruggen boasts a sterling reputation in this area, far surpassing many of his primary position counterparts in the league. The analyst's dream, he regularly anticipates plays, steps in to interrupt the opposition's offensive moves - a strength of notable proportion.
Yet, this incessant engagement has its drawbacks. He tends to be overly aggressive, leading to a high tendency to concede fouls and accumulate yellow cards–this is a red flag that may cost his team crucial matches.
When it comes to controlling and retaining the ball, van Bruggen's diamond-like reliability shines through, demonstrating sturdy ball recovery and retention stats. But Dutchman's offensive contributions are wanting, with his chance creation stat significantly less impressive – an area needing development.
His style of play is typically conservative with fewer touches overall, meaning his potential for assists or shots is reduced. Furthermore, his progressive carrying and passing, as well as overall pass accuracy, fall strikingly low, revealing a weakness in helping his team advance upfield.
Defensively, van Bruggen is a steadfast, holding the fort in the defensive third and midfield third, respectively, but showing little venture into the attacking third. His aerial duels and overall duel win percentile leave room for growth - this limits his effectiveness in physical battles. As the Eredivisie gears up for a new season, the player stats suggest that van Bruggen needs to focus on his passing game, physical strength, and control his instinct to foul to reach his full potential.
