Rosario Central formed with a 4-3-3 in attack trying to dominate the game and maintain possession of the ball. In defensive phase was formed in a 4-4-1-1, where the wingers are located as wide midfielders.
Rosario Central had 61% of ball possession but was not able to transform that dominance into great opportunities, and was completely open for defensive transitions. Pace of oppositions attackers were the key of the game, especially in the left sector of the defense where Cuero moved and became the man of the match.
Rodrigo Villagra
- Nationality: Argentine
- Age: 19
- Date of Birth: 14/02/2001
- Club: Rosario Central
- Career: Rosario Central
- Position: Defensive Midfield / Right Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
Villagra was placed as a right central midfielder in the attacking phase, when Rosario formed with a 4-3-3. In defence, he occupied the position of defensive midfielder in a duo with Pedro Ojeda forming a 4-4-1-1. He is applied at a tactical level, and does everything the manager asks him to do. He had a strong game despite the defeat of his team.
Rodrigo is a player whose main virtue is based on his defensive strength, and his intensity in duels. He is a physical midfielder, who never get tired of running and sacrificing for the team. He is an intelligent player, who knows how to choose the right moments to pressure or wait for the opponent. In defence, he was attentive to opposition movements and showed great anticipation.
Despite the defeat and the fact that the game was almost over, he continued to encourage his teammates and try to lift the team up. Clearly his mental toughness despite his young age is a highlight.
Regarding the organisation of the team, he prefers to give short but safe passes. He has a high percentage in passing accuracy, but these are generally not long or progressive passes. He seeks to associate permanently with teammates, and in this match he made a key pass that ended in a goal. At times he is positioned as Right Central Defender, when building-up from below. He has great calmness to play the ball in difficult moments. In offensive phase, when he sees the opportunity, he can reach scoring positions thanks to his great physical deployment, either to cross or to finish on goal.
Rating – A2
He is a player who has always had good performances in the first team and was even called up by the U20 National Team. He is very young, and has things to improve. Ball control is a point that he should work on, mainly with his left foot. At the same time, he must improve in aerial duels, mainly in dead ball situations since his efficiency is relatively low. But considering his projection, and his intelligence to get better, I consider that he has the potential to make the jump to better leagues. He should settle for 1 year as the undisputed starter in the team to solidify his game.
Luciano Ferreyra
- Nationality: Argentine
- Age: 18
- Date of Birth: 19/02/2002
- Club: Rosario Central
- Career: Rosario Central
- Position: Left Wing
- Secondary Positions: Right Wing
- Preferred foot: Right
Ferreyra played as a left winger in a 4-3-3 in attack, and was placed as a wide midfielder in defensive phase forming a 4-4-1-1. He was substituted at halftime as it was clearly not his best game.
Luciano Ferreyra is a short and light player. He is a winger who can play on both sides, and he is characterised by being very strong in 1v1s, and has good finishing ability. Recently, he trained with the Argentina team and was a member of the U17 team that was champion in the South American Championship in Peru 2019.
He is a bold player and has no problem in dribbling with both feet, using his pace and skill as his main tool. At times, he rushes into decision-making, and may appear to be too intense. He continually seeks to link with teammates, to find space with his outstanding speed. Particularly in this match, he was almost never able to beat his rival, but I know of his great potential as I have seen him in other games.
He has good control technique and stands out in short and progressive passes, but he will have to refine his long passes and crosses. When he reaches the box, he has no problem in shooting with either foot and he is generally a player who makes decisions quickly. He should improve on the inward diagonals as he tends to stagnate on the side.
In defense he was outmatched in most of the first half by the Coronel – Cuero duo. His defensive weakness is a deficit, and in my opinion he cannot occupy that position in the back, especially against such powerful players as Cuero. He has no problem in sacrificing for the team and being aggressive on defense, but he is easily dribbled and tends to lose a lot of defensive duels. One thing he need to improve is his physical strength.
Rating – B2
Although he had a weak game and was replaced after 45 minutes, in my opinion, he is a player with great potential. He just has 3 games in the first division, and he has many issues to improve. But on the other hand, his young age and his current technique and pace, allow me to believe that he will be able to exploit his potential and clearly transform himself into an outstanding player in the Argentine League.
Lautaro Blanco
- Nationality: Argentine
- Age: 21
- Date of Birth: 19/02/1999
- Club: Rosario Central
- Career: Rosario Central
- Position: Left Back
- Preferred foot: Left
Lautaro Blanco is a left back with great shooting and crossing technique, but in the defensive phase he has some weaknesses. His direct opponent, Mauricio Cuero, was the man of the match and is a very fast and powerful player, which Blanco struggled with. Blanco was at disadvantage, as he is a slow player, whose physical strength is his virtue in defence. He struggled when his opponent exploited his pace. But on the other hand, he uses his body very well to win defensive duels and during this match this was the only way to control Mauricio Cuero.
He didn’t deal with crosses very well and often didn’t position himself correctly. At times, he committed unnecessary fouls when the opponent plays with his back to the goal. Aerial duels are another weakness of Lautrao Blanco, since they usually beat him by jumping higher.
Further, in defensive transitions, he usually returns slow and leaves his sector uncovered. He is a defender that goes permanently to the attack, and makes good use of the lateral and interior spaces. His crosses are usually excellent, as are his long passes. Sometimes, he abuses of his great hit ability, and sends crosses when there were better playing options. His finishing is good, since he has a very good left foot to shooting the goal. On the other hand, his right leg is not good at all, and when he uses he can gets very imprecise.
Rating – C
Considering that he is a player who has just started in the Argentine League, we can say that he has room for improvement, but his defensive level leaves me a lot of doubts. I recommend watching him again.