Assad Al-Hamlawi

Signed for around one million euros, Assad Al-Hamlawi is one of CS Universitatea Craiova’s new faces for the current season. Before heading to Romania, the Palestinian international striker took his first steps in Swedish football and had spells in Thailand and Poland. Turning 25 in October this year, Assad has been one of Știința’s most used players and has a contract until June 2028.

Physically, Assad Al-Hamlawi is a tall and ectomorphic player. He is an athlete with good speed due to his long stride (long legs), but he lacks a little in acceleration – because of this, he is not always able to outrun opposing defenders in deep attacks. For a forward of his stature, he has a very appreciable speed of execution. Although he is a player who can withstand the shock from behind when, for example, playing in support, Assad is still a player who does not win many duels, either on the ground or in the air – yet he has good jumping ability.

Technically, Assad is a mature player. He is a forward who can both step onto the offside line to create space for midfielders and show himself in support (opening his arms to withstand pressure) and make good first touches with either his right or left foot – he usually passes to whoever is facing the game. With good technical ability, he is also a player who can turn when unpressured and face up to 1v1 situations in attack. His finishing technique is very focused on heading – he is mostly served from the air – and this is quite refined: he can place the ball with precision and power wherever he wants just by heading it.

Without the ball, in defensive moments, he is a player who does not opt for aggressive pressure. He seeks to protect himself in front of his teammates, closing spaces and lines in the central corridor. He communicates with them during moments when the team is in defensive organisation, solely to ensure that the central corridor is closed. Still without the ball, but in a phase of reaction to the loss, he is quite aggressive and quick in pressing the ball carrier. In offensive moments, he is a very interesting player in terms of his movements inside the area: he deceives defenders with counter-movements – usually attacking the near post first, then appearing unmarked to finish at the far post. In these situations, he is extremely aggressive and agile in seeking to drag the ball and then change direction. Outside the area, he still loses some challenges when attacking deep, especially if the ball is played vertically rather than diagonally to the wingers.

Assad Al-Hamlawi is a player with a competitive attitude that meets the standards of professional football. He usually keeps himself in reserve when not in possession of the ball, so that he can make an impact when the team has the ball. His communication is more focused on his movements on the pitch than on constantly drawing attention to himself with words or gestures.

Despite a good start to the season, Assad still shows inconsistent performance, which, if it continues, will make it difficult for him to reach the next level. Still, I believe he has plenty of time to get a good-level team in the major leagues of Central Europe, such as the Belgian Pro League or the Dutch Eredivisie.