Edgardo Fariña is a 20-year-old central defender from CA Independiente (Panama). The Panamanian defender played for Panama U23 in the Tournoi Maurice Revello and a few minutes for his current team, CA Independiente. So far, he has only played nine matches for CA Independiente in the Panamanian league. However, I think he is a very interesting player.
Standing at 1.94 meters with a small to normal build, you’d think that Fariña is a slow defender. But, surprisingly, Fariña is pretty quick on the first meters and on the turn, while he is also capable of increasing his speed over long distances. He will always have a disadvantage on the turn against quick, agile players, but he can certainly hold his own.
Edgardo Fariña is a mobile defender and does not panic under pressure. He is composed on the ball and generally has a good passing technique. In the build-up, it sometimes happens that he plays a loose pass, but he is also capable of playing out of pressure with quick decision-making and accurate passing.
When defending, Fariña likes to step out of the defensive line and it can be said that he is a proactive defender. He seemed quite capable to play in a high defensive line, especially because he can successfully play the offside trap. His defensive vision and awareness is quite good, but he sometimes struggles with his positioning when dealing with crosses. Fariña often pushes his opponent to the ground in duels far from the goal.
It is quite hard to predict Edgardo Fariña’s future, especially because he rarely plays for CA Independiente. I think he deserves to be a regular starter in the Panamanian league. Considering his tall frame in combination with his composure on the ball, mobility and athleticism, I think that Edgardo Fariña could be an interesting long-term target for MLS sides. There is work to do, but with the right guidance he could develop into a decent central defender in North America.