Juan Rodriguez is a 17-year-old defensive midfielder who plays for Liga de Quito U-17. The Ecuadorian midfielder also played in the U-17 Sudamericano and U-17 World Cup for Ecuador U-17.
Rodriguez stands at around 1.85m with an athletic build. He is physically dominant in defensive duels. Rodriguez displays good juming reach, good strength and decent timing in aerial duels, winning most of them. He has good acceleration and speed. Rodriguez looks mobile and flexible. He has good stamina and endurance.
Operating as the defensive midfielder in a possession-based style, Rodriguez often acts as the playmaker of the team. He moves between the lines well and displays good spatial awareness, always understanding where the space is and where his opponents are. He has good passing technique over short and long distances. His long passing is still inconsistent, though. Rodriguez is capable of playing good, line-breaking passes. He can also dribble past his opponent in first-phase possession. Rodriguez rarely loses control over the ball. The Ecuadorian midfielder occasionally has the tendency to take too long on the ball and his pass selection can be better. Rodriguez likes to passively carry the ball forward before releasing a long pass. He has the potential to become a more aggressive and commanding ball-carrier.
Defensively, the midfielder is aggressive in duels with his back towards the goal and uses his physique to push opponents off the ball. He sometimes loses the duel against opponents who use their body smartly and efficiently. His timing in defensive transitioning is quite inconsistent, needing to give away fouls. Rodriguez can have the tendency to leave gaps in midfield and he loses 1v1 duels against opponents with good ball manipulation. During the times the opponents have sustained possession on Liga de Quito’s half, Rodriguez displays better discipline defensively. He does well to stay in position and blocks passes and wins defensive 1v1 duels more regularly. His long legs also help intercepting the ball.
My expectation for 2024 is that Juan Rodriguez will become a regular starter for Liga de Quito U-19. Liga de Quito have a great youth academy but they are not doing well at giving players like Rodriguez a chance in the first team. Juan Rodriguez does not have the level to start regularly, but it would have been better for him to be a regular starter at U-19 level this year already. I feel like they are not optimally developing their youngsters this way. Juan Rodriguez has the potential to move to Europe in a few years time.
Target Scouting 