Player Profile:
- Position: Centre Forward
- Nationality: Chile
- Date of Birth: 28/03/2005 (18 Years)
- Current Club: Colo-Colo
- Former Club(s): Universidad de Chile (Y), Colo-Colo (Y)
- Preferred Foot: Right
- Height: 187cm
Damián Pizarro is a Chilean forward who currently plays his football for Colo-Colo. Pizarro has been the subject of quite a few different transfer rumours of late, including being linked with the likes of Union SG and Brighton.
In terms of his physical profile, Pizarro is a commanding presence up front for Colo-Colo, he possesses a good amount of upper body strength which allows him to hold the ball up well and play with his back to goal. His physicality makes him able to link up well with fellow attackers as they can play the ball into him and then make runs in behind the defensive line while Pizarro holds off the defenders. The Chilean forward has a fair amount of pace which allows him to chase down passes made in behind the defensive line. Additionally, at 187cm he is quite good in the air which means that his teammates can play long passes up to him and attackers can make runs beyond him anticipating that he will be able to win the aerial duel and flick the ball on to them.
Technically Pizarro is a very good player, he is very adept at carrying the ball, naturally his strength means that it is difficult for defenders to win back possession which means Pizarro can carry the ball for a significant amount of time. He has a decent first touch, which can be a little heavy at times but he has great ability to bring the ball under control even if the first touch is a poor one, he is also able to use his dribbling skills to skip past his opponent or to quickly change direction. When shooting Pizarro often opts to take low powerful shots at goal, though he has struggled to find the back of the net recently, he has a tendency to shoot too centrally which can make it easy for the goalkeeper to make the save. Perhaps he sometimes lacks a little flair in the final third as he occasionally looks as though he is unsure of what action to take, especially when one on one with the goalkeeper. The forward is able to execute a good burst of pace when in possession though, meaning he can turn his marker and carry the ball up the pitch easily and effectively.
Tactically Damián Pizarro stands out, he makes great off the ball runs which allow him to either make himself available as an attacking outlet or create space for teammates to exploit. He will often drop deeper in order to receive the ball which makes him an ideal player to link the play with other attackers. Moreover, he seems to be very aware of his surroundings on the pitch as he is a player who is constantly scanning to understand what is going on around him. The Colo-Colo player will also drift into the wide areas to pick up the ball which makes it difficult for defenders to track him. The young striker has shown he is capable of adjusting his positioning, movement, and approach based on the changing dynamics of the game, such as knowing when to drop deeper, when to stretch the play and when to press.
Personality-wise Pizarro appears to be a very hard working player, he doesn’t give up easily and is willing to put in the hard graft for the team. His physical profile and tactical understanding mean that he can contribute significantly to the team’s defensive efforts. By pressing the opposition defenders and midfielders, he can disrupt their build-up play, force turnovers, and help the team regain possession quickly.
On the whole Damián Pizarro has the potential to be a key player at a top level club, he is a physically impressive, tactically intelligent striker who has a great work ethic and an excellent set of technical skills that will only get better as he becomes more experienced. Incidentally, one of the club’s that Pizarro has been linked with is Benfica, my personal opinion is that if Pizarro is heading to Europe, this would be an ideal move for him as he would be able to play at a high level and would also be given the time he needs to develop.