2. Bundesliga has been a hotbed of young German talent for several decades now. Since the league started operating in 1974, we have seen some elite players learn their trade in Germany’s second division. Joshua Kimmich, Leon Goretzka, and Marco Reus are just a few examples of players who started their careers in the Bundesliga’s underbelly.
On loan from Eintracht Frankfurt at St Pauli, Rodrigo Zalazar could be another player to add to that list in the future. The Uruguayan-Spaniard has the distinction of growing up in Spain, spending a season in Poland, and now in Germany, after being purchased by Frankfurt in 2019. His growth has been facilitated well by Frankfurt, and St Pauli are currently reaping the rewards. This analysis will look at the player he has become.
The 21-year-old has developed a distinctive skillset for a central-midfielder and has frankly carried this St Pauli team at times on his own. He has produced some magnificent displays for a side that linger around the bottom half of the table. They do not struggle to score goals but keeping it out of their net is another matter entirely. This scout report will analyse how he fits into Timo Schultz’s systems.
In this tactical analysis, we will cover his role at St Pauli, his pros and cons as a player, and just how far he can take his game in the future.
Player profile
Zalazar began his footballing career in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha, with Albacete Balompié, where he was born. He would stay with the club for eight years, before earning his way into the prestigious academy of Málaga CF in 2015. He would stay in Costa del Sol for four years, eventually playing out his contract and joining Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany on a free transfer in 2019. This would earn him a loan move to Korona Kielce in the 2019/20 season, where he experienced limited game time.
So, the 21-year-old is well-travelled for a player of his age, and this should benefit his future when it comes to adapting to new club environments. At St Pauli, Zalazar has been used in a variety of different formations, including but not limited to; 4-3-1-2, 4-2-3-1, 3-4-1-2, etc. He has performed at his best as a central-midfielder, either on the left of a three-man midfield or double pivot in a 4-3-1-2 or 3-4-1-2. As a defensive midfielder in a 4-2-3-1, he has struggled to find that balance between his defensive and attacking instructions.
Standing at 5’10” / 177 cm, Zalazar has the mobility of a box-to-box midfielder, while possessing some of the upper body strength to hold off opponents in possession. Best used as an #8, Zalazar does not involve himself massively in the build-up stages of possession – he only ranks 8th in the squad for passes per match within regular starters at St Pauli – with him preferring to make movements in between the lines and receive progressive passes, before driving at the opposition’s defensive structure with his strong dribbling ability.
Zalazar’s player profile, created by the wonderful Sathish Prasad (@SathishPrasadVT on Twitter).
Zalazar’s assistance in ball progression
Zalazar plays a facilitative role in build-up, rather than an active participator. Operating on the left side of midfield, he spends an equal amount of time in the wide zone as he will in the half-space. He has an innate quality to interpret the space, open up his body, collect the ball, and drive up the pitch. You will typically see the Spanish native carry the ball to the left, before swinging over to the right and taking it past his man.
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