Facundo Torres – Penarol’s orchestrating attacking playmaker
Facundo Torres was born in the Cudam del Barrio in Colon, Uruguay as he would move to La Paz when he was 16-years-old. His career has been shaped by the legends of Uruguayan football such as Carlos Aguilera, Edgardo Alcides Ghiggia and Diego Forlan who would manage him as he made his early steps into professional football. He has been playing with the Penarol first-team for over 10 months but has managed to accrue minutes with the Uruguayan National Team, with some transformative cameos during the Copa America as well as becoming the highest paid player from the youth academy in Penarol history after extending his contract before joining up with the Uruguayan National Team. His rapid ascent is intriguing as his parents assumed that he would not be interested in football as a youngster as his cousin played with Juventud while little Facundo would play with dirt and make little mountains in the middle of the field or prefer to escort his mother to fetch water.
He went to La Paz Wanderers with his father as Torres would be interested in other things while his father played with his friends as he would eventually join the Defensor Sporting youth academy. At the age of 10, he was a top scorer in youth tournaments which would prompt representatives from Penarol to approach to ask him if he would like to join one of Uruguay’s biggest clubs. At one tournament, Egdardo Alcides Ghiggia handed him a trophy as he never knew who he was at the time but once he did his research, the photograph of the Uruguayan legend handing him a trophy as a youngster became one of his most prized possessions. At Penarol, he would join Federico Valverde, Diego Rossi and Santiago Bueno on an excursion to Brazil where he would finish as the best player in the tournament.
By the age of 16, Juventus approached Penarol to acquire the youngster as his parents felt that it would be too soon for him to depart Uruguay as they expressed disappointment with Penarol for negotiating with Juventus. As a young player, he played as a striker, winger as well as in a deeper-lying midfield role which has formed the basis of his game as he is an elite interpreter of space while his ability to receive the ball and connect play in tight spaces while playing predominantly as a winger is one of the reasons he is seen as a young player who could be the future of the Uruguayan National Team. Towards the end of his youth career, Torres would experience frustration due to minor injuries stifling his progression while other talented prospects at Penarol such as Diego Rossi, Valverde and even Facundo Pellestri were progressing.
Rossi’s mother is a psychologist who worked with Torres and taught never to express frustration on the pitch as well as healthier methods to deal with issues while maintaining his focus and motivation in the face of obstacles. The 21-year-old has now developed into one of the leaders of the Penarol team as the sense of calm he brings to a dressing room has now become one of his most endearing qualities. When he first joined the Uruguayan National Team, he was walking onto the team bus when he saw a seat open next to Luis Suarez as Torres decided to walk to another seat so he would not bother the Uruguayan striker. Suarez would ask him to sit next to him where he would tell Torres that it seemed like he had been with the Uruguayan National Team for 10 years as he would also state that he had heard a lot of good things about the youngster 13 years his junior before giving him words of encouragement and advice. Torres and Suarez also became fast friends, playing FIFA in the Uruguayan team hotel.
At home to Boston River in August last year, Facundo Torres came off the bench for Matias de los Santos to receive possession on the edge of the opposition box, to take a touch and fire past the keeper to give Penarol a lead and open the scoring. Torres would occupy spaces in between the lines, receiving possession in central pockets before laying the ball off and looking to make runs into the box as the 21-year-old was playing as a second striker and occupying the half-spaces. Away to Danubio in January, Torres beat Jose Luis Rodriguez twice as the first time, he sent a cross into the arms of the goalkeeper while the second time, he chased the ball to the touchline to stand up Rodriguez to beat him to lob a cross for David Terans who headed the ball as Agustin Alvarez Martinez could not get on the end of the ball.
Despite playing as a left-winger, Torres has the technical ability to operate as a central playmaker is even when he is deployed as a winger, he is more like a wide playmaker-type. He is gifted in receiving possession in between the lines with his constant forays into the central spaces, as he worked a one-two with Terans to set-up a shot before he received possession in a tight space to lay the ball off and set-up a shot for a teammate. The 21-year-old also loves to drop into the deeper areas with his fullback overlapping him where he can orchestrate play as one of his favourite manoeuvres is to thread a through ball for a runner into the channels to create a crossing opportunity for a teammate. In the second-half against Danubio, he spent most of his time playing in the centre as he threaded a wonderful through ball for his left-back Joaquin Piquerez to square for Matias Britos to apply the finish at the back-post for Penarol’s winning goal.
In an away match in the Copa Sudamericana against Corinthians, Torres began the game on the left flank, weaving past a glut of players to work a pass inside. Penarol were consistently switching the ball to him as his first touch was impeccable as the 21-year-old received a switch to thread a pass to Piquerez who had his cross blocked. There are so many ways that Torres can impact a game, be it with his dribbling and connections on the flank, moving into the centre to receive possession and connect play to create opportunities or dropping deeper to look to orchestrate play with line-breaking passes into runners. Against Corinthians, his one-touch combinations were excellent, flicking passes to teammates with the outside of his boot while drawing fouls in key positions in the opposition half. Penarol would work another switch to Torres who controlled the ball perfectly to cut inside and work a pass for a teammate to have a shot blocked.
The 21-year-old is so gifted at taking the ball in stride while riding challenges as he glides on the pitch while being extremely comfortable and smooth on the ball. He then participated in Penarol’s second goal as he cut inside to play a back-pass to a teammate before receiving possession again to play another back-pass to facilitate a lobbed switch to Piquerez who crossed for Terans to tap into an empty net. Torres finished the game with 2/4 takeons as well as 10 ball recoveries as he constantly made interceptions in the pressing phase. Away to Fenix, he received the ball in a vertical body shape in between the central lines, allowing the ball to roll across his body onto his stronger left foot and beat an opposition defender and be hauled down to earn a foul for his team. He then lobbed a pass for Piquerez to cut-back for Agustin Canobbio who was unable to make contact with the ball.
Torres received a pass in between the lines with the same manoeuvre he used earlier in the game as this time, he would allow the ball to roll across his body to flick a pass to a teammate. He would then drop into the deeper areas to receive possession and flick another pass to a teammate in between the lines. `The 21-year-old would move into the ten space as he was constantly showing for the ball and looking to thread passes in behind as he had a cut-back to Agustin Alvarez Martinez who sent a tame shot wide. The striker would then thread a pass in behind for Torres who skipped past a man to thread a pass for Canobbio. The Uruguayan’s first-touch to set himself to beat a marker is also phenomenal as he skipped past a marker to thread a pass in behind for a counter-attack.
In the Copa America, Torres came off the bench against Chile as he was playing a roaming playmaker role, moving into space to receive possession and connect play, especially in the half-spaces. The ball would bounce to him in the ten space for the 21-year-old to lash a strike wide from the top of the box. He would then play a hand in Uruguay levelling the score when he lofted a corner onto the head of a teammate to flick-on as Suarez was on-hand to tap-in from point blank range. Against Bolivia, he would come off the bench for another cameo as Uruguay would have a breaking situation where Torres made a run from the left flank and into the box to get on the end of a delivery but he put his chance agonizingly wide when he could have scored. The 21-year-old would have another chance on goal, receiving possession in the left half-space to chest past an opposition defender before cutting past another defender to roll a tame shot at the keeper with his weaker right foot.
Torres would eventually be involved in his side getting on the scoresheet when he received a cross-field pass on the left flank to drive the ball forward and angle a perfect cross for Edison Cavani to apply the finish. He would continue to take up good positons in between the lines to receive possession and connect play, receiving possession in the left half-space to take a touch and work a pass to Suarez at the top of the box to flick a pass for Cavani in behind who was unable to get a shot on goal. The playmaker would receive possession on the right flank from a throw-in as he drove the ball to prod a pass for Suarez to beat his man and have a shot blocked. Torres would frequently move into the ten space as Uruguay would apply pressure in a diamond formation while the Penarol attacker would receive possession in the ten space from a counter to spread the ball for Cavani on the left flank before continuing his run into the half-space to receive possession and lob a pass to Suarez on the far side of the box.
Paraguay would prove another opportunity for the 21-year-old to show his skill-set off the bench as he would make a run from the right flank to the ten-space to receive possession and elegantly back-heel for Suarez to have a shot saved. Torres received a pass in the right half-space to turn and drive into the centre on the break to work a pass to Suarez and continue his run to receive possession from the Atletico Madrid striker to stab a pass into the wide areas for a fullback to have his cross blocked. Torres would gain another cap for his International Team against Colombia in the knockout phase, as there was instance where he rushed back to make a tackle to quell an opposition counter-attack while he continued to receive possession in between the lines.
Once Uruguay were knocked out, Torres was straight back into action as he was on the bench in the Uruguayan Clasico against Nacional. He spent the first-half on the bench with his team devoid of inspiration, so much so that he was brought on at half-time. He started the game by receiving possession and driving the ball forward to win a foul before working a one-two with his fullback to cut past an opposition defender to tee up a cross for Agustin Alvarez Martinez to head wide at the back post. Torres is no stranger to being fouled as three opposition players fouled him to receive yellow cards within the first 15 minutes of him being on the pitch. The 21-year-old was undeterred as he received a switch ball to hammer a strike at goal in a game that his side lost 2-0.
Torres has established himself as the most promising young player in Uruguayan football in 10 months as he closes in on 50 appearances for Penarol. He is a creative winger who can play on the right and left as when he is deployed on the right, he will tuck into the half-space and constantly look to cut in on his left foot. When he plays on the left, he can use bursts to glide away from markers while working connections with his teammates or looking to cut inside and distribute possession with his right. His movement in the final third as well as his ability to receive possession and connect play is one of his stronger suits while he has a terrific range of passing for a player who spends majority of his time on the flank. He will constantly look to play penetrative through balls to runners in between the lines or he can switch the ball to the opposite flank as his one-touch passing in tight spaces is fantastic. He is not averse to spending time on the flank, especially when he is playing on the left, receiving possession and using his dribbling ability to cut inside while having the vision and creativity to create opportunities through crosses or passes. It will be interesting to see whether his long-term role lies as a central playmaker, wide-playmaker or a deeper-lying creative eight.
Torres’ new contract will last until 2023 with $20 million release clause as it is rumoured that the 21-year-old would receive a percentage of his release clause if he moves. His appearances with Uruguay as well as in the Copa Sudamericana would give him the opportunity to gain a British work permit as the post-Brexit rules are tailor made for players like him. Leeds United under Marcelo Bielsa would be the perfect move for him with his ability to play as a winger or free 8 in their 4-1-4-1 shape as the wide rotations would allow him to pick up the ball in good areas and connect play with his teammates. Teams such as Lyon, Monaco, Marseille and Nice in Ligue 1 would also provide good stepping stone for the youngster to show his ability as are clubs in the upper echelons on Portuguese League or mid-level clubs in La Liga. Torres is still in the fledgling stages of his career but has shown a lot of promise as one of the shining lights of Uruguayan football.
