Player Focus: Lucas Lima – The Heir to the Playmaking Throne at Santos

The first pass is all about vision – that most nebulous of attributes that most players aspire to but very few attain. A quick look up in a busy midfield. A runner. A swish of the left boot. Centre-back and full-back sliced apart. Geuvânio scampers through to score the opener.

The second is different. A good pass, sure, but that’s not the main thing. Besides, it doesn’t even go down as an assist. No, the key here is the speed of thought. A free-kick. Everyone relaxes for a second. Some moan at the referee. Opportunity knocks. Ball on the floor, Eugenio Mena released. A simple cross later and Gabriel makes it 2-0. Job done.

He did not score and he did not make the headlines, but everyone who knew anything knew. One man and one man alone masterminded Santos’ 3-1 derby win over Palmeiras on Sunday: 24-year-old midfielder Lucas Lima.

It was not his first telling contribution in a black-and-white jersey. There was the match-winning display against Figueirense in September and the thunderbolt opening goal in the win over Coritiba. He has 6 assists to his name so far this term and makes 2.1 key passes per game – the most in the Santos squad. 

But this, more than any other, was the moment the midfielder announced himself. There are matches and then there are clássicos. They’re called that for a reason. It was, for some, confirmation that Lucas Lima is the heir to Santos’ playmaking throne. 

While the seasiders are best known for nurturing irrepressible, naturally-gifted forwards (Coutinho, Pelé, Robinho, Neymar), there is another bloodline that runs through the club, one whose DNA contains invention, timing and elegance. From the promptings of Pita in 1970s and 80s through to the unpredictable Diego and Paulo Henrique Ganso’s smooth manoeuvres, there has long been a tradition of creativity at the club.

It would be easy to put Lucas Lima down as the overdue replacement for Ganso, whose form for the club dipped long before his exit, leaving the side lacking in spark. He is, after all, another left-footed passer of roughly the same age, thriving behind a forward line made up of pacy forwards. Indeed, some of their statistics this season are remarkably similar: both have a passing accuracy of around 83%; both average around 45 passes per game.

Yet there is a difference in style. Their games, you may argue, are reflections of their respective physiques: Ganso tall and willowy, Lucas more compact, with a lower centre of gravity. While the São Paulo man is languid and flowing, Lucas is more industrious and busy. The latter dribbles twice as much (an average of 2 per game compared to Ganso’s 0.9) and is more prone to passing long (3.4 long balls per game). 

This latter statistic is also a function of Lucas’ role in Santos’ side. He plays as the most attacking of a midfield three as opposed to a natural number ten, meaning he often finds himself in deeper positions; his assist for Geuvânio’s opener at the weekend, for instance, came from inside his own half. 

That ability to create from a withdrawn role could play into his hands, however. With Brazil’s midfield still far from settled in the wake of the World Cup catastrophe, Lucas may find himself in contention for a Seleção call-up – especially if Dunga opts to test out a midfield three. 

The former Internacional man certainly doesn’t lack ambition as far as the prospects of a Brazil place go. “It’s the main objective of my career,” he said this week. “It pleases me when people say I deserve a chance. It’s what I’ve been aiming for since I arrived at Santos.”

He may only be ten months into his Peixe career, but the hard work appears to be paying off.

What do you make of Lucas Lima’s rise to prominence? Let us know in the comments below