Maximiliano Zalazar 2023/24: The MVP of Barracas Central’s Unexpected Rise – scout report

The Copa de la Liga Profesional is in full flow in Argentina and Club Atlético Barracas Central have surprised many with their fantastic start.

Last season, Los Camioneros finished 13th out of 14 teams with just 10 goals scored and 14 points from 14 matches. However, this season, driven by youth and exuberance, they have finished the league stages in third place with 26 points, just one behind toppers River Plate, doubling their goal tally from last year.

At the heart of their improvement has been on-loan winger Maximiliano Zalazar, who recorded four goals and two assists while playing all 14 matches. The loanee from Boca Juniors initially came on as a substitute in Barracas first two outings but quickly gained manager Alejandro Orfilas trust and started each of their next 12 games.

However, its not only his goal contributions that have stood out. Zalazar has multiple facets to his game, which this scout report will provide a tactical analysis of his playing style and fit within Orfilas tactics.

Player Profile

Zalazar, born March 8, 2001, is still taking his very first steps into professional football. The Argentine began his career in January 2020 with Boca Juniors U20 and reserve side before moving to SC Internacionals B team on loan in March of that year. He spent nearly a year and a half there before returning to Boca Juniors II in July 2021.

Zalazar made his debut for Boca shortly after, but he played just twice before joining Club Atlético Platense on a loan deal in January 2023. He played 23 times for Platense, scoring thrice, including two injury-time winners, before returning to Boca at the end of the year. The forward then joined Barracas Central in January this year and is set to spend the rest of the year with them.

Zalazar has notably won two caps for Argentina U20s as well.

With respect to his playing style, Zalazar is a left-winger in the truest sense of the word. As his heatmap below shows, the 23-year-old tends to operate close to the by-line and in the half-spaces between the right full-backs/wing-backs and central defenders.

He occasionally drops back or switches flanks but is largely out wide on the left, which makes his goal and assist return very promising. A lot of that is down to his activity in almost the entirety of the left-side of the box.

Dribbling and Acceleration

Arguably, the most exciting aspect of Zalazars play is his dribbling ability. At 70 kg, the youngster boasts excellent close control and a burst of speed that has tormented defenders this season, aiding Barracas ball progression.

This season, Zalazar has averaged 4