NorthEast United has always recruited forwards with a high reputation, and in turn, they have always delivered. Some of these names include Bartholomew Ogbeche, Juan Masia, Asamoah Gyan, Kwesi Appiah, Idrissa Sylla, and so on. For this season, The Highlanders have signed Martiniquais forward Mathias Coureur who was seen in action for Samsunpor last year. Here is all you need to know about Northeast United’s latest signing.
Who is Mathias Coureur
Mathias Coureur plays primarily as a center-forward, but he can also show his trickery on the flanks. He began his career as a player for Beauvais in France. The 2008 season marked his professional debut with Nantes B. Coureur has played for various clubs throughout Europe. Outside of Europe, he made his mark in South Korea, where he played for Seongnam for a year.
Earlier this season, he spent time with the Bulgarian club Cherno More, where he scored 18 goals in 25 games. He joined Samsunspor in Turkey after his brief stay in Bulgaria, and scored one goal in four appearances before moving to NorthEast United FC.
Mathias Coureur’s style of play
Matthias is a versatile forward capable of playing both in the middle and on the flanks. He can be a perfect fit for NorthEast United since he is proficient at scoring off counterattacks. With Gallego feeding him chances up front, the Uruguayan-Martinique duo has everything they need to strike fear into the hearts of opponents. He is also good at holding the ball and passing in tight spaces, which Northeast will highly benefit from.
He is not an orthodox goal-poacher, as he searches for better options surrounding him before deciding on a shot. In many ways, Coureur is the perfect No.9; he drops deep to create chances as well as makes sure to be always present in the box to finish them. Players like V.P. Suhair and Deshorn Brown can also benefit from his link-up play.
Despite being right-footed, he is equally good at shooting with his left-foot alongside being good at scoring headers too. With numerous free-kick goals to his name, Coureur has emerged as a lethal set-piece specialist for whichever team he has played for.
Mathias would very well like to be listed among the elite strikers who has played for the club. In addition, NorthEast United would also be relying heavily on Mathias to score goals and potentially boost their attack. Khalid Jamil has all the ammunition he needs with Deshorn Brown, Fede Gallego, and Mathias Coureur, but it will be their performance on the field that determines NorthEast’s fate. Bengaluru FC will host the Highlanders in their first match of the ISL season on November 20.