Anyelo Velásquez is a 20-year-old Nicaraguan left wingback for Diriangén FC who debuted for his senior national team last year, now with 5 caps, primarily as a substitute in World Cup qualifying. In the Nicaraguan Liga Primera, he has scored 1 goal and recorded 3 assists in 19 appearances during the Apertura. Additionally, he started all 4 Central American Cup matches, playing every minute.
Velásquez stands at around 1.75 m with broad shoulders and a wiry frame. He is not imposing but does use his leverage well to box out opponents. Velásquez has elite recovery pace for the level and accelerates in short bursts, enabling him to cut inside on ball and overlap off it. He is quite agile and makes sharp movements, making for quick reactions when pressing or turning to recover. His balance is decent, but due to a lack of press resistance, Velásquez does not absorb contact that well. Aerially, he has excellent leaping ability to win a high percentage of duels cleanly for his size and position. Velásquez has shown a high work rate with his pressing intensity and by making a high volume of runs.
The Nicaraguan left-sided back profiles best as an attacking wingback with versatility to both provide lots of width with his speed/volume on overlaps and cut inside on the dribble. Velásquez is highly active in the final third, often arriving on trailing runs or timely overlaps. His timing when inverting also allows him to open angles to pass into or combine play. He has considerable passing range on his dominant left foot, able to find trailing runners, switch play, and work ground distribution inside. He regularly attempts line-breaking ground passes from wide up the flank and is creative enough to penetrate the box with his passing after cutting inside. He is inconsistent in distribution, though, as he can over-hit progressive passes or show hesitation before delivering it short. Velásquez puts in a notable volume of outswinging crosses, but his quality on those varies. He can create chances with an occasional assist or pre-assist off them, though he must put more consistent curve and placement to increase his success rate. Another part of his limitation as a crosser is that he seems rushed at times on the delivery. This could be because of his consistently heavy first touch, which has already held him back somewhat in possession when appearing for the national team against higher-quality opponents, forcing him to take a back seat. His explosiveness is part of the reason for this heavy first touch, but a lack of technical precision when dribbling and passing exacerbates the issue. Though his athleticism makes him a strong carrier against the large amount of space afforded to him in Central America, his close control on the dribble is a cause for concern if he earns a move abroad. Velásquez also has some finishing chops, using power to strike from distance, although these attempts are low percentage and somewhat wasteful. He restarts possession quickly as a throw-in taker, often going short and rapidly upon picking it up.
Out of possession, Velásquez presses high up the left flank early and often to disrupt the buildup, mostly forcing back passes and hurried clearances. He can be overly aggressive when pressing, leading to frustration fouls that could get him booked. He is generally disciplined to his shape and usually begins defending closer to the midfield line. Velásquez still occasionally allows progression past him to the inside despite being effective at shifting into passing lanes to cut them off. He also shows anticipation of line-breaking passes, stepping in for interceptions. When defending 1v1, Velásquez has strong timing on stand tackles and rarely dives in, using his quick feet while staying patient to force dribblers wide or backward. His tendency to take poor angles on closeouts forces him into recoveries a bit too often, in another part of his game that relies on his pace. He is a vocal communicator with his back line to help keep organized during transitions.
Velásquez is an explosive, attack-minded wingback whose volume of overlaps and crosses helps him be an effective wide option in Nicaragua. His technical limitations, both on the attack and defensively, leave some to be desired if he is to make a jump to a higher level. That said, Velásquez has the ceiling to end up at a top club in the region. Meanwhile, his high floor will keep him in starting lineups for top teams domestically throughout his career.
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