Zac Sapsford is a 22-year-old Australian forward who plays for Western Sydney Wanderers in the A-League. Sapsford played a starring role for WSW’s reserves in the NSW state league and has made the jump to the A-League as a fairly regular starter this season.
Sapsford is a forward but he’s not really a centre-forward. He usually drops off the main striker or drifts into wide areas to receive the ball. He’s 6’0 (1.85m) with a slender build. He’s reasonably quick but not explosive. Sapsford generates a high volume of shots, mostly through off-the-ball movement though he does have some dribbling ability as well. Though he takes a lot of shots, a lot of them are from the periphery of the penalty box or 10-12 yards out. He does not get many shots in and around the 6-yard box. That’s not to say that he just chucks the ball on goal from anywhere, his shots are mostly inside the box. It’s just that where he receives the ball (at least in his current team) does not lend itself to those high-danger shots. Sapsford is a decent distributor of the ball. He is good at finding wingers running into space in wide areas. He can break lines and set up teammates but not at the rate of an elite playmaker. Sapsford can beat a defender with a quick change of direction but he is not a player who will dribble the ball over great distances. His first touch is a little on the bouncy side but he generally gets it under control quickly. This isn’t a problem at A-League level but it would be at a significantly higher level. Sapsford is an aggressive presser. His speed helps him close down opponents effectively.
Sapsford is a very strong player at the A-league level but I do not see elite potential. If he were 20 instead of 22 I would be more confident that his shot quality and the volume of his chance creation would increase. But at 22 it’s hard to see massive development from here. That said, there is still a little bit of room to grow and I do think he could take a small step up. Lots of A-League players end up in the Scottish Premiership and I think a club like Aberdeen or Hearts would be very happy with him.
Target Scouting 