Peñarol played Corinthians on the fifth matchday of the Copa Sudamericana group stages. The Uruguayans set up in a 4-3-3 with a lot of position changes between the two wingers (Facundo Torres and Agustin Canobbio). They had a possession-based style and even though they did not create tons of chances, they beat Corinthians 4-0. Defensively, Peñarol looked solid and they only gave away one or two chances.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, re-watch
- D – Below average in this match
Facundo Torres
Player profile:
- Nationality: Uruguayan
- Age: 21
- Date of birth: 13/04/2000
- Current club: CA Peñarol
- Career: CA Peñarol
- Position: Winger
- Preferred foot: Left
Facundo Torres played as a left-winger. He changed positions with Canobbio a lot and was the most dangerous from the right side. The Uruguayan youngster had a lot of variation in his playing style. From the right-wing, he either provided width for Peñarol by sticking close to the sideline or he operated in the half-space to receive the ball more centrally. When he was sticking close to the sideline, he would drag the opponent’s left-back out of position which created space for right-back Gonzalez.
Gonzalez made use of this space a lot with good underlapping runs and this even led to a goal. Torres played a through pass to Gonzalez and Gonzalez assisted the 2-0. There were also situations in which Facundo Torres would receive the ball and force his opponent backwards by running (diagonally, cutting inside) at him with the ball. From this situation, he either chose for a through pass to Gonzalez who made an overlapping run, looked for a one-two with Agustin Alvarez or he looked for space to shoot towards goal.
On one occasion, Facundo Torres received the ball on the wing before cutting inside and delivering a perfect cross from deep. The cross was comparable to Antony’s assists in the Champions League. There was a lot of danger coming from Facundo Torres in this game and I was always on the edge of my seat when he got on the ball. He is skilful in the tight spaces, but seems to not use his right foot at all. When dribbling, he only uses his left foot. Occasionally, Facundo Torres played a bad bounce pass.
Physically, Facundo Torres did not look really strong in the duels. He did well to stay out of the duels for the majority of the game, but when he got into the duels he struggled to keep possession of the ball. Torres has a low centre of gravity and is really agile. He can change directions when sprinting very well and has good balance.
Rating – A1
He has been linked to Orlando City for quite a while now and I personally think that a move to the MLS could be a good stepping stone for Facundo Torres. Going straight into LaLiga2 could be a good option for Facundo Torres as well.
Agustin Canobbio
Player profile:
- Nationality: Uruguayan / Italian
- Age: 23
- Date of birth: 01/10/1998
- Current club: CA Peñarol
- Career: CA Fénix, CA Peñarol
- Position: Winger
- Preferred foot: Right
Agustin Canobbio started off as a right-winger in the match against Corinthians, but was mainly playing as a left-winger as this worked better for both Canobbio and Torres. The Uruguayan is a smart player who always seems to have a solution in the tight spaces. Canobbio looked quite strong on the ball and was always moving. His movement caused problems for Corinthians’s defence. He often looked to receive the ball in deep areas on his own half, trying to help Peñarol build out from the back when either right-back Gonzalez or left-back Piquerez took up a high position.
Canobbio’s passing was quite inconsistent. Early in the first half, he played a really good line-breaking pass, but he also gave away the ball quite easily on his own half which created dangerous situations. His defensive vision and anticipation were really good. Canobbio intercepted a few passes and seemed to read the game well. In possession, Canobbio also did the right thing as he opened up passing lanes for the right centre-back at the right time. Canobbio liked to operate in the half-space and always arrived in this position at the right time. The Uruguayan also scored a goal in the second half. He received the ball in the box and finished the chance off very well on his left foot.
His transitioning from attack to defence was good. He did well to sprint back a few times when Gonzalez (RB) was out of position. He worked really hard throughout the game.
Rating – A2
Agustin Canobbio is a talented player but definitely is less talented than Facundo Torres and Agustin Alvarez. I need to watch him again, as I think it was the first time I saw him.
Agustin Alvarez Martinez
Player profile:
- Nationality: Uruguayan
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 19/05/2001
- Current club: CA Peñarol
- Career: CA Peñarol
- Position: Striker
- Preferred foot: Right
Agustin Alvarez played as a striker in this match and scored a hattrick. His anticipation and vision in the attack are what stood out most in this game. He did well to wait a few times before making a run to stay onside and scanned a lot in the box, trying to find space in the box. This was done successfully a few times, as all three goals he scored were scored from inside the box.
His first goal was a good header from a corner-kick. Alvarez got in front of his opponent at the right time and headed the ball towards the near post. The second goal Agustin Alvarez scored was a tap-in from close range. Gonzalez put in a low cross and Alvarez was quite lucky to get on the end of the cross, sliding in without really seeing the ball. The third and last goal for Alvarez was the best one. Corinthians cleared the corner-kick, but Alvarez’s teammate lobbed the ball back into the box. Everyone thought Alvarez was offside, but he was the only one to quickly react and he could easily finish the chance. He showed great anticipation and movement by making that run.
Alvarez was not only good in the final third though. On the ball, Alvarez looked confident and he always stayed calm on the ball. The Uruguayan has good mobility and footwork, this especially showed when he was being put under pressure. He evaded pressure well and managed to stay in possession often. The 20-year-old has good technical ability, he had a really good first touch and even controlled powerful passes very well.
Rating – A1
Agustin Alvarez is a complete striker who has improved a lot since I last watched him (September 2020). He’s definitely ready for a step up, but even though he has been linked with a lot of elite clubs, I think it would be better for him to move to a good club in LaLiga2. In potential, Agustin Alvarez is definitely a player who can play for a good club in the top 5 leagues though.