With Enzo Fernández, Julián Álvarez, and Thiago Almada all making appearances during this international break, Argentina’s future generation is already becoming a reality. In 2022, there has been a significant number of young players making the move from Argentina to Europe. From UEFA Champions League clubs such as Celtic and Man City to smaller clubs such as K.R.C. Genk, European sides have been going to Argentina for the next generation of stars.
Juan Sforza is one of the newest players to attract international attention. The 20-year-old midfielder has cemented himself in Newell’s Old Boys starting eleven, and with consistent performances, has become one of the most promising midfielders in the South American country. Similar to Benfica’s Enzo Fernández, Sforza is a technical midfielder capable of dictating possession and providing defensive support.
In this scout report, we will conduct a statistical and tactical analysis to provide an in-depth look into Juan Sforza’s playing style. Considering Newell’s Old Boys’ tactics, this analysis aims to explore the 20-year-old’s characteristics and strengths.
Statistical overview
Before dissecting individual aspects of the Argentinian’s profile, we can contextualise his role and tendencies through data. This season, at the time of writing, the left-footed midfielder has featured in 27 matches, amounting to a total of 1,999 minutes. While Newell’s Old Boys have been fairly inconsistent, currently sitting in 10th place, Juan has been extremely regular with his performances.
The deep-lying midfielder features in a double pivot, where he and his partner have distinct roles and characteristics. In such an important position, the 20-year-old is tasked with playing a key role in and out of possession. This has not been a problem for Sforza as the young midfielder possesses an extremely well-rounded statistical profile. As he operates much deeper, he excels in everything except actions in the final third.
Defensively, despite not having a significant physical stature, he is able to effectively protect the backline and provide cover in a high press. Overall, he averages 10.81 successful defensive actions per 90. More specifically, however, we are able to see where these come from. Most impressively, Sforza has an incredible ability to read and anticipate passes with 5.31 interceptions per 90. Additionally, he averages 7.34 defensive duels per 90, winning an impressive 65.64% of them. Finally, the 20-year-old wins 56.04% of his 4.1 aerial duels per 90, a relatively high figure.
In possession, Juan Sforza is a pass-first midfielder. Similar to the likes of Thiago and Xabi Alonso, Sforza plays a key role in his side’s construction and ball progression. Despite Newell’s only averaging 46.4% possession, the 20-year-old averages 41.42 passes per 90 at an 83.26% completion rate. These are balanced in verticality, with 15.26 of them being forward and 15.67 being lateral. On the other hand, Juan rarely resorts to carries or dribbles. The Argentinian only averages 0.59 dribbles per 90 and 0.23 progressive runs per 90.
