The Uruguayan Apertura reached its conclusion a few weeks ago with Nacional crowned champions after a dramatic final day victory over Danubio. In their first campaign under Alexander Cacique Medina, the Montevideo giants success was built on solid defensive foundations as they edged past eternal rivals Penarol.
All is going well at youth level for El Bolso too after the club won the U20 Libertadores earlier in the year. Although the likes of Juan Manuel Sanabria, Thiago Vecino, Facundo Israel and Brian Ocampo are all highly rated, arguably the breakthrough young player of the year for Nacional has been surprise package Christian Oliva.
Seemingly out of nowhere, the mixed midfielder was selected for the Libertadores qualifying stages ahead of some more experienced players but has rapidly formed a good relationship with Santiago Romero in the centre of the park and has established himself as a vital player for Medinas team.
All in all, its been a meteoric rise for Oliva. As a youngster, he had to travel two and a half hours and take three different buses just to get to training and was even let go by the club at one stage. He continued his development at Bella Vista for four and a half years before returning to Nacional in 2016 and has quickly made up for lost time.
Coached by Medina in the Reserves, Oliva was promoted to the senior squad when the young manager was given the first team job and has rewarded the faith shown in him. The midfielder, who turns 22 in June, has now played 21 times in all competitions, scoring three goals, and was widely considered one of the driving forces behind Nacionals title win. Furthermore, fantastic displays in the Clasico against Penarol and in crunch Libertadores matches have also helped cement his place as a budding fan favourite.
Here at Total Football Analysis, we decided to take a closer look at just what makes Oliva such an interesting prospect&
BALL RECUPERATION
One of the aspects of Olivas game that makes him such an effective central midfielder is his ability to win the ball back and provide a defensive shield for his centre backs. He is aggressive, presses well and is strong in the tackle, allowing him to break up opposition attacks and protect the back four.
Nacional conceded just 8 goals in 15 games during the Apertura and this excellent defensive record is in part testament to the superb protection offered by the deep-lying midfielders like Oliva. Seven clean sheets in the nine Libertadores games that Oliva has played in acts as further proof of the solidity he offers.
Already one of the top ball winners in the Libertadores this year, Oliva displayed his defensive capabilities perfectly in the game versus Santos where he won more duels than anyone else on the pitch. As a result, the Brazilians never got a foothold in the game and their threat on the counter was nullified.
