Fluminense may have signed Real Madrid’s most decorated player of all time in Marcelo, but it’s their 35-year-old striker who continues to grab the headlines.
German Cano finished as Serie A’s top goalscorer in 2022 returning a staggering 26 goals in 38 appearances. The Argentine scored five Copa do Brasil goals in eight matches, as well as three in six Sudamericana appearances.
To compare, he scored seven more than Pedro Raul, who finished second in the goalscoring charts with 19.
Still need convincing?
Cano scored more goals than Palmerias’ Rony and Atletico Mineiro’s Hulk combined.
The striker was in frightening form and he’s already on track to beat that record already in 2023.
Fluminense’s leading talisman has already scored 14 goals in just 12 appearances this season, which included four against Volta Redonda just two weeks ago.
A hattrick against Audax on the 5th February started his incredible run of goals, scoring in his next four matches, including three back-to-back-to-back braces.
Of those 14 goals, only two were penalties. He even scored from the halfway line against his old club Vasco which was a moment to savour for the Argentine.
This hasn’t been a one off for him. He’s scored goals wherever he’s been over.
Cano's Colombian adventure
German Cano began his career back in 2007 with Argentine club Lanus, but it was a loan move in 2011 which caught the eye. Nine goals in 18 appearances for Colombian club Deportivo Pereira sparked his career into life.
A permanent move to another Colombia brought him to Independiente Medellin in 2012, going on to score 51 goals in 79 appearances.
Before long, German Cano was on the move again, this time heading north to Mexico, where spells at Leon and Pachuca didn’t turn out as planned, before the Argentine returned to his beloved Independiente Medellin.
A further staggering 66 goals in 84 appearances in familiar surroundings followed and as a result, Cano’s career was back on track, securing him a move to Brazilian club Vasco.
A successful spell across 2020-2021 earned Cano a move to Fluminense and the rest is history.
The Argentine's key assets
The 35-year-old hasn’t lost his pace but it’s his footballing brain which puts him on another level. German Cano has world class ability when it comes to his awareness in and around the six-yard box.
The Argentine can sniff out an opportunity when his teammates collect the ball in attacking position, and his positional sense offers him plenty of tap-ins.
He has such natural instincts in and around the box, which helps him create just the right amount of space he needs in order to put the ball in the back of the net.
On top of his speed, awareness and razor-sharp shooting, German Cano knows how to bully defenders and force them into errors. He’s like a dog with a bone and even at the age of 35, he doesn’t let opponents rest when in possession.
Whether it’s his left foot, or his right, Cano puts so much pace behind the ball, often goalkeepers have very little chance to move before the ball has nestled in the back of the net.
A fox in the box, a menace, a poacher – you can take your pick when it comes to describing Fluminense’s main man.
German Cano is without doubt South America’s most-deadliest finisher right now, and he will be key for Fluminense as they look to progress to the knockout stages of the Copa Libertadores.
First up for the Brazilian club is a trip to Peru where they will face Sporting Cristal on Thursday 6th April.
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