Arquímides Ordóñez is an 19-year-old attacker, who is currently playing for FC Cincinnati. Having appeared for the first team just a few times, Ordóñez mostly plays for Cincinnati’s second team in the MLS Next Pro. Ordóñez stood out for me in the CONCACAF U20 Cup. Arquímides Ordóñez has a contract with Cincinnati until the end of next year.
Standing at 1.88m according to Transfermarkt (I think he’s around 1.85m) with a normal build, the youngster has incredible acceleration, pace and athleticism for someone of his frame. He is very agile in the small spaces, has good balance and he has good changes of direction. Ordóñez has good turns of speed. His tall frame supports him in physical ground duels, as he manages to protect the ball well before turning away from his opponent. This makes him very good at holding-up play under pressure.
In terms of technical ability, Ordóñez stands out too. The Guatemalan attacker has great close control while dribbling and has good receiving skills under pressure. His passing and shooting technique are quite clean. Arquímides Ordóñez is a very goal-oriented player – he will try to score from tight angles and often manages to get a good shot off. Ordóñez often shows good composure in front of goal. He likes to aggressively take on multiple opponents with the ball at his feet.
Tactically, Ordóñez should sometimes release the ball sooner and look for a teammate in space. However, he has shown glimpses of potential in that area with the first team of Cincinnati. For Guatemala under 20, it was clear that he was by far the best player of the team. This sometimes led to selfish play, which was pretty successful at times. He has a good work rate and stamina – he keeps taking on opponents. Ordóñez likes to drop deep in the build-up to subsequently progress the ball with the ball on his feet. The right-footed attacker also likes to make runs in behind on the blindside of his opponent’s defender. Ordóñez is a good ball carrier.
With Arquímides Ordóñez not playing many minutes for the first team yet and with the heavy competition in his position, it is not likely that he will be a regular starter for Cincinnati anytime soon. He only has 1,5 years left on his contract and might be looking for a new opportunity. Arquímides Ordóñez, with his mix of good phyiscal, athletic and technical ability, would be a great long-term signing for clubs like Anderlecht and Club Brugge. He fits well in a system with two strikers. I think he would not cost more than €1.000.0000.