Analysis: Maripan ends season nicely despite disastrous defeat
While AS Monaco closed their season with a crushing 1-2 loss against Toulouse to ensure they missed out on a European place in a match that won’t live long in the memory, ASM defender Guillermo Maripan deserves plenty of praise for putting in an accomplished shift.
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Ending his season on a high on an individual level despite the collective failure, the experienced central defender underlined his quality and what an asset he is for ASM.
Executing his actions with clarity and showing excellent decision making, there was much to admire about his polished body of work in the heart of the defence.
Although he was beaten for pace on the odd occasion, his positional awareness and reading of the play ensured he was usually ideally situated to deal with threats.
Constantly adapting his position depending on the situation, the way he picked the right moment when to step up, drop back, shift across, block passing lanes or cover for a colleague was crucial.
Doing a neat job of tracking runners in behind and getting touchtight when they dropped deep, there weren’t too many instances where he was outfoxed.
Assessing situations quickly and typically making sound judgement calls, this, in combination with his ability to smartly time his interventions, saw him effectively break up many an attack in a contest where he recovered the ball 13 times and made five interceptions.
Holding his own aerially, the towering and physically imposing Chilean made life hard for his foes to enjoy much success here on his way to winning all five of his duels in the air and on the ground.
Maripan’s leadership and capacity to help organise his backline by conversing and gesturing with his partners in crime was on show too, for he frequently communicated with them to try and make sure they were well placed to handle impending danger.
The attentive veteran stopper’s recent words on what he brings to the team rang especially true in this one, as there’s no doubting how important his presence is for the many young players around him.
“My placement in the opposing area is something that I have been working on a lot for the last three to four years. Positioning, being there at the right time, finding the right balance and communication with my teammates is a global job. But I knew that with my physical characteristics, I could improve us on this level,” he told the Monaco website.
“It is true that I am now one of the most experienced players in the locker room. I do not hesitate to talk to the young players, to give them advice and, above all, give them peace of mind. They have to show their qualities, and it is part of my role as a team leader to help these talents express themselves in the best possible way.”
Crisp and coherent in possession as well, the 29-year-old’s considered passing warrants mention, for he was valuable in terms of beating the press, switching the angle of attacks, recycling the ball and playing progressive forward passes.
Confident, composed under pressure and accurate with his deliveries over a range of distances, the fact he completed 56 of 59 attempted passes, five of six long passes and made 10 passes into the final third demonstrated his class in this area.
Even though Les Monegasques were ultimately on the losing side, his commanding efforts justify all the praise that comes his way.
Highlighting yet again what an asset he is in all phases of the game and why he’s such a key cog in Monaco’s defence, the man who featured 33 times in all competitions, displayed his impressive scoring prowess by bagging four goals and who expertly guides his more inexperienced teammates has every reason to be content with his personal output.
With coach Philippe Clement parting ways with Monaco and the future of many players in limbo, it’ll be interesting to see what the off-season holds for ASM.
Having now appeared in 125 matches for Monaco since joining in 2019 and established himself as a key figure both on and off the field, Maripan would be an ideal man to help the team navigate this next period of change.
Reliable, durable, consistent and determined, the dogged defender once more illustrated his worth even if his superb efforts sometimes go unheralded.