Javier Ruiz is a 20-year-old Argentine attacking midfielder playing for Barracas Central on loan from Independiente. A product of Independiente’s youth system, he made his debut for the senior team in September 2023 and was loaned to Barracas a year later. Ruiz primarily plays as a left-sided attacking midfielder/winger in a 3-4-2-1/3-4-3.
Standing at 1.73 m (5’9”), he possesses a lean physique. Although not particularly fast, Ruiz demonstrates excellent balance and upper-body strength. When being challenged, Ruiz uses both his arms and upper body to hold off opponents. He is difficult to knock off the ball, absorbing contact and maintaining control of his dribble. He is very agile and nimble in tight spaces, making it difficult to tackle him. He glides past challenges due to his ability to change the speed at which he carries the ball. Despite his size, he displays impressive physical strength, holding off opponents with no problem.
At Barracas, Ruiz operates as a wide playmaker. His strengths lie in his ball carrying, ability to create off the dribble, and his vision in the final third. The most underrated aspect of Ruiz’s game is his hold-up play. He usually serves as one of the two outlets for Barracas, mainly due to his excellent first touch and strength. It is rare to see Ruiz not retain possession in these situations unless the pass is overhit or he takes a poor touch. He will usually look to dribble or win fouls to help his team progress into the final third. When dribbling, Ruiz uses stepovers and shoulder drops to beat his opponents. Despite his quality, Ruiz tends to either try to take on one too many players or take an extra touch when he could play a pass instead. He always looks to play through balls to teammates making runs in behind. He can find teammates in space with well-weighted passes after beating defenders off the dribble. His finishing needs work overall. His striking technique is good, getting clean contact and power on his shots. The majority are usually placed right at the keeper or just off target. His decision-making in some of his attempts can be questionable, with some being overambitious or shot with traffic in front of him. His shot from range is very dangerous, especially his curling effort into the far post, cutting in from the left wing.
Ruiz is not very active defensively, though this may be a tactical decision. He does not track back consistently, usually positioned high and wide near the halfway line. He stays high to latch onto second balls or flick-ons from his striker following set pieces or long balls. He sometimes will fake runs in behind to create space from his marker to receive the ball.
Ruiz displays outstanding technical quality, regularly demonstrating his creative talent and composure. His ability to operate in tight spaces and dictate play in the final third makes him a standout attacking midfielder. Ruiz has the quality to play for a team that regularly competes in Copa Libertadores or Copa Sudamericana.
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