Published on 4 December 2024.
Santino Andino is a 19-year-old left-winger who plays for Godoy Cruz and Argentina U-20. He made his debut for Godoy Cruz this year after a successful campaign with Godoy Cruz II. Thus far, he has played 13 matches for Godoy Cruz and contributed to four goals (2G+2A). He is also part of the Argentina U-20 squad and recently both scored and assisted a goal in the friendly match against Bolivia U-20. He is right-footed, but is also reasonably strong with his weaker left foot.
Standing at 1.75 meters with a slightly slim build, Santino Andino uses his body efficiently in physical duels to hold off his opponent. He is quite strong under pressure in shoulder-to-shoulder duels and displays relatively good strength in duels with his back towards the goal. Santino Andino has a quick and powerful burst over short distances. He is also quick over longer distances. Andino is very agile, changing directions and shifting his body weight quickly.
Santino Andino often hugs the touchline while Argentina U-20 or Godoy Cruz are in possession. At Godoy Cruz, he plays in a team that likes to play on the counter-attack and his starting position is usually deeper on the pitch close to the halfway line. For Argentina U-20, he plays in a more possession-based style in which his starting position is a bit higher up the pitch. Andino displays good variation between coming short and attacking the space in behind. He uses the space in behind quite well and stretches the defence with his runs. Santino Andino’s first touch is inconsistent. He occasionally has a good first touch but his first touch is also sloppy and bouncy sometimes. His short passing is also sloppy occasionally, especially for Godoy Cruz in a counter-attacking situation. Higher up the pitch, Andino works well together with the full-back. He sometimes waits for an underlapping run while keeping the opponent busy. Andino’s through passing is often well-weighted.
The Argentinian winger likes to take on his opponents. He often starts close to the touchline and runs at his opponent with the ball at his feet. Andino occasionally loses control over the ball while carrying the ball at speed. The winger displays a lot of variation with his dribbles, taking on his opponents both on the in- and outside. Andino displays good timing with his dribbles, although he sometimes dribbles with his head down and runs into congested areas. He is composed under pressure and has good close control in tight spaces. Dribbling past his opponent on the outside, Andino does not refrain from using his left foot for crosses or cut-backs. His left-footed crossing and cut-backs are decent to good, with Andino creating a few chances with his crosses and cut-backs. Andino occasionally puts in an in-swinging cross from deep with his right foot. His crossing technique with both feet is good. Andino does not often try to shoot from distance but strikes the ball quite well.
Off the ball, the Argentinian winger sporadically forces his opponent to make mistakes on the ball thanks to his aggressive pressing. Andino occasionally fails to transition quickly from attacking to defending, sometimes getting caught ball-watching and zoning out. However, he is positively aggressive in loose ball duels and dives into tackles to block passes.
I believe Santino Andino is one of the best attacking talents to come out of Argentina in recent years, although he still has a long way to go before he can fulfil his potential. His physical profile, dynamism, ability to dribble past his opponents both ways, decent ball-striking and potentially good crossing is a great mix to have for a winger.
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