| Name: Rodrigo Villalba | Date of birth: 02/03/2006 |
| Position: LW – RW – CF | Preferred foot: Right |
| Nationality: Paraguayan | Club: Club Libertad |
| Contract until: – | Competition: Primera División |
| International: Paraguay U-17 | Agency: – |
Report:
Rodrigo Villalba stands at around 1.73m with an average build. It seems like he has built some muscle in the last year(s). He has an impressive on-the-ball burst for someone of his age. Villalba displays above-average speed over long distances. His changes of speed in attacking duels are excellent. Villalba changes directions quickly and is agile. He has good strength in shoulder-to-shoulder duels but occasionally loses balance in duels with his back towards the goal. Villalba displays good footwork in tight spaces. He is combative in physical duels.
Having played as both a left- and right midfielder in Libertad’s 4-4-2, Villalba often provides width for the Paraguayan side. He prefers to receive the ball at his feet but occasionally makes good runs between the opponent’s full-back and centre-back or on the wing. Villalba can use the space in behind more efficiently and needs to recognize the moments in which he can make a run in behind better. His off-the-ball movement in the box is also quite inefficient as he stays on the outside of his opponent. Due to his lack of great off-the-ball movement in the final third, Villalba rarely gets into scoring position. Shooting from distance, Villalba showcases his good shot power and decent ball-striking with his right foot. His shots lack accuracy at times as they are straight towards the goalkeeper. This also happens in 1v1s with the goalkeeper. At youth level, he has been more efficient in front of the goal. The shots with his left foot are average.
Rodrigo Villalba stands out with his dribbling ability. He is very efficient with his dribbling as he has an impressive burst of speed, good changes of pace, good close control and a good touch under pressure. Villalba dribbles past his opponents both ways, displaying his dynamism and versatility. He plays with confidence and bravery. He takes away the ball from pressure well on his first touch. His opponents often need to foul Villalba to stop him. Villalba occasionally takes a heavy touch leading to possession loss whilst dribbling at speed. He uses both feet to dribble and to take first touches. Villalba’s crossing with both feet is quite inconsistent, although he shows potential in this area. He occasionally delivers a good cross or cut-back. Villalba displays decent crossing technique. He puts his cut-backs into dangerous areas but sporadically crosses or puts in a cut-back without looking up. Villalba displays good vision and decision-making in the final third, picking out the right passes and finding runners in behind with decent through passes. His passing technique over short and medium-long distances is good. Villalba plays his passes into the attack with power and is clean with his passing.
I think Rodrigo Villalba is a very exciting prospect due to his excellent dribbles and speed. He needs to improve his efficiency and output in the final third but has shown potential in this area. Villalba has good shot power and decent ball-striking. He often gets into a position to put a cross into the box due to his excellent dribbles. Villalba needs to work on his off-the-ball movement in the final third to get into scoring position more often. Once he gets regular minutes for Libertad’s first team, I think he will naturally score and assist more goals. He has the potential to play for Champions League clubs in the top 5 leagues but should go to a stepping-stone club first. Villalba needs to stay in Paraguay for 0,5 or 1,5 seasons before going to Europe.
Target Scouting 