Alejo Cruz – Danubio’s rapid wide playmaker
Almost a year ago, in July 2022, Alejo Cruz made the courageous decision to cancel his contract with Penarol and moving to Albion in the Uruguayan Second Division. Despite the departure of Facundo Torres, first-team opportunities were difficult to come by as the 22-year-old attacker new that he needed first-team football. On a previous loan spell with Albion, the young attacker scored 4 goals and notched 2 assists in the first six games, taking part in 50% of his team’s goals. At Albion, the player received a phone call from an unknown number which he normally does not answer but he decided to pick up the phone before hearing static on the other end of the line. The number called him again as it turned out to be Danubio’s first-time Head Coach, Esteban Conde who called to ask him to join his side. The prospect of first-team football and the opportunity to share the left flank with Kevin Lewis who he had developed with in the Penarol academy proved too good to turn down.
Alejo Cruz is from Montevideo as he began his career in baby football with Arapey Mendoza, Tacaurembo and Siete Estrellas, where Fede Valverde began his footballing career as he also continued with his education. He did not play football for a year as he was in secondary school with Liceo No. 7 as he was not free in the afternoons and could not train. At the age of 13, he was scouted by Juan Ahunchain who was Coordinator of Youth Football for Penarol and future Director of Football for the club. He had a two-week trial before he signed for the club as he made his professional debut in 2022 in the Uruguayan Super Cup against Plaza Colonia. First-team football was difficult to come by after as he realized he would have to move elsewhere to progress in his football career.
Alejo Cruz possesses searing pace, immaculate close control and a vision for penetrative passes which leads to the concoction of a multi-functional attacker who can play in a variety of positions and systems. He loves to trade positions with teammates, receiving possession in between the lines to drive the ball forward and connect play. He normally plays on the left flank as he can receive possession near the touchline as his first touch allows him to evade markers, cutting back to drive the ball inside or to work connections while he is so quick with his first touch that he can draw fouls. He can move into the half-space to receive possession, work connections and interchange positions with teammates. With his combination play in the wide areas and half-spaces, he will normally work direct passes into the nine-space as he is known to work combinations and make runs into the nine-space. He can be creative with his through balls but also with his crossing as he can curl crosses onto the foreheads of teammates from set-pieces, the wide areas and the half-spaces.
Away to Boston River in the Uruguayan Primera Division, he tucked into the central spaces to receive possession, taking a touch on the half-turn to drive the ball forward and thread a pass to the nine-space. The 22-year-old then tucked into the central spaces to receive a deep pass in between the lines, turning to drive the ball forward and switch possession to the opposite flank with a pass before the young attacker would tuck inside and push forward to force an inaccurate pass in the pressing phase as he dropped into the ten space to receive possession in between the lines, playing a one-touch flick on to Franco Gonzalez who applied the finish. In an attacking sequence, he tucked inside, receiving possession to swivel and drive the ball forward before threading a through ball to the flank for a cut-back as a shot was deflected into his path as he had his shot blocked. The attacker worked a one-two with Franco Gonzalez before looking to make runs into the channel to receive possession.
Alejo Cruz and Franco Gonzalez would work connections with the former tucking into the central spaces, receiving possession and playing the ball to the latter in the wide areas as he made a movement in between the lines to occupy a pocket of space to receive possession once more, looking to lay the ball off to a teammate. The Uruguayan received possession in the central spaces once more to thread a through ball to Gonzalez on the flank which was intercepted as he recovered to make a challenge and regain possession in the counter-press. The 22-year-old received possession in the wide zone to loft a cross to the back-post as a teammate was unable to redirect the ball goalward. Alejo Cruz moved to the right flank to receive possession, driving the ball forward before he cut inside, threading a through ball to a runner who had his pass intercepted. During a counter-attack, he received a switch ball, cutting inside to work a one-two with a teammate and fire a shot straight at the goalkeeper.
Alejo Cruz played another through ball when he dropped into space, receiving possession on the left flank while facing his own goal to spin past his marker while nonchalantly flicking the ball through his legs and driving the ball forward to play a through ball to the left half-space as Danubio had a cut-back blocked. The attacker made a run into the right channel to receive possession, lofting a cross into the box which an attacker was unable to get on the end he tucked into the half-space to receive a pass, controlling the ball with his right foot before releasing the ball with left for a progressive pass to a teammate. The Uruguayan attacker received possession near the touchline, driving the ball forward before releasing a pass to a teammate in space before he made a run to receive a pass in the central spaces, controlling the ball with the outside of his left foot to evade one marker as the ball bobbled behind him meaning he was unable to get a shot away.
At home to Deportivo Maldonado, he made a run into the channels to receive possession and square a cross across the face of goal as a teammate was unable to divert the ball past the goalkeeper. Alejo Cruz was positioned on the left flank, near the touchline where he received possession, taking a touch and flicking a pass through to a runner in the half-space. On the counter-attack, he received possession on the left flank once more, switching a pass to a teammate on the right flank before making a run into the centre of the box to receive a delivery. In the build-up phase, he received possession near the flank with his back to goal, flicking the ball past his first marker before he tackled in the opposition half. After a turnover, he received possession as he used a burst of pace to drive the ball away from two opposition players as he feinted and drove in between two players to drive the ball into the centre before skipping past a third challenge and threading a through ball for a runner in the channel. In the build-up phase, he received another switch ball near the touchline, controlling the ball with his chest, driving into the centre to play a pass for a teammate.
In another build-up sequence, Alejo Cruz received a pass near the touchline, dummying the pass for his fullback making a run on the overlap as his ability in between the lines allows him to influence build-up play while he can also act as an outlet on the counter-attack. The 22-year-old lofted a corner into the box as it led to a deflection to the near post as a teammate drove a shot across goal for a teammate at the back-post to apply the finish. The attacker should have scored an opportunity when he tucked into the ten space to receive possession, playing a one-touch pass to a teammate in the nine-space before making a run into the box to receive a through ball and have a shot saved. He was positioned in the left half-space when he received possession, swiveling as the ball rolled to his feet to thread a pass to the nine-space.
Alejo Cruz had another corner from the left flank, lofting a looping delivery into the box that was headed over the bar. The Uruguayan had another goal scoring opportunity when a cross was deflected into his path as he skipped past a defender and drove a shot wide from the top of the box. After a turnover in the defensive phase, Alejo Cruz lobbed a pass into the left channel to start a counter-attack. The 22-year-old lofted another corner into the box which looped over a teammate’s head as he can be accurate when delivering the ball from set-pieces. Alejo Cruz received possession on the left flank as he worked a line-breaking pass for a runner in the central spaces which was too heavy. At home to Emelec in the Copa Sudamericana opening game, he was involved in a goal in the first five minutes as he lofted a corner into the box for a teammate to have a header cannon off the crossbar for Juan Andres Millan Santacieri to score the rebound.
Alejo Cruz received possession in the centre, using his body to evade one marker before driving past a second defender to thread a pass down the line. The attacker would tuck into the centre with Franco Gonzalez moving into the wide areas as the duo worked a one-two for Gonzalez to play a cut-back as Cruz had a shot saved. He dropped deeper to receive possession, flicking a progressive pass to a teammate as he had a volley blocked at the far post before driving the ball past two defenders to have a cross blocked. He was constantly looking to thread passes into Gonzalez who was a threat running into the channels as he would create an opportunity when he received a switch ball on the left flank, cutting inside to play a cut-back for a right-back who sent a shot wide from range. The 22-year-old won a turnover before receiving possession near the right touchline as he cut back to beat a defender to swivel and thread a pass to his right-back for a crossing opportunity.
At home to Huracan in the Copa Sudamericana, he received possession on the left flank, cutting inside to thread a forward pass before making a run into the nine-space as his teammates were unable to find him. He received possession again, using his first touch to skip past a defender who brought him down for a foul. He moved to the wider areas to receive possession, playing a one-touch pass for a teammate in the centre before moving to the right flank where he cut inside on the counter-attack, threading a brilliant weighted penetrative pass to the right channel. He received possession to evade his marker with his first touch as he attempted a progressive pass which was intercepted. He received possession near the touchline, threading a pass into the central spaces for a teammate before he received possession again as he tripped on the ground. The 22-year-old was stringing together counter-attacking moves as he laid off a pass to a teammate before making a run into space to receive possession again, poking a through ball to a runner as the delivery to him was blocked.
On the right flank, Alejo Cruz flicked a through ball for a teammate before surging forward on the break to cut back a pass for a teammate who shot high and wide. The 22-year-old received possession on the left flank, taking a touch and threading a pass to the 9 space from the left flank before cutting inside from the flank to loft a cross which sailed over the head of a teammate by a centimetre before the attacker regained possession and sending a shot over the bar. During another counter-attack, he received possession to cut-back for Kevin Lewis who sent a shot wide before he led another counter-attack, receiving possession to surge forward as he had no teammates to play the ball to, deciding to hold possession and spread a pass to the wide areas. Alejo Cruz moved to the right flank, receiving possession to flick a pass to the nine-space as the ball was not played back to him. He moved back to the left flank to receive possession, taking a touch to play a slide-rule pass to a teammate as the 22-year-old drew a foul, as he managed to control a pass that was played behind him, skipping past a defender who fouled him. Alejo Cruz finished the game with a 93% pass succession rate in the final third, 2 chances created, 2 interceptions and 4/4 takeons.
Alejo Cruz can operate on the left flank, right flank and in between the lines in the central spaces as his playing style is akin to fellow Penarol youth product, Facundo Torres. He can move into the wide areas, playing closer to the touchline, receiving possession to work passing combinations with teammates making runs into the half-space or to cut past his defender and drive into the centre. In the build-up phase, he can tuck into the central spaces in between the lines to receive possession and swivel, driving the ball forward to instigate attacking moves. His vision for through balls and progressive passes is phenomenal as he can drive the ball forward before releasing possession to a teammate. However, he thrives in passing combinations in tight spaces as he can work pass and move sequences in and around the box to generate high quality shooting opportunities for himself and for teammates. He creates a lot of goal scoring opportunities from these situations as he will need to improve his finishing in these sequences.
Defensively, he is astute at pressing and recovering possession as in the counter-press, he always chases back to force a turnover while he can cover for his fullback in the defensive phase. He understands pressing triggers well, especially when tucking into the centre and pushing forward to close down centre-backs. The 22-year-old will be able to play in a counter-attacking system due to his pace, ball-carrying, progressive passing and creativity on the break while he can also play in a possession-based system, tucking into the central spaces to receive possession as a build-up conduit and connecting things in the final third to create opportunities. His ability to work connections and make runs into the nine-space is an aspect of his game that could lead to more goals in the future.
Alejo Cruz’ loan to Danubio expires in December while his contract with parent club, Albion expires in the middle of 2024. He could be a cheap option for clubs in the summer as Facundo Torres who he is similar in style to could leave Orlando City SC for $20M to $30M while Cruz could be available for less than $5M. If Real Sporting Gijon switch to a 4-3-3 under Miguel Angel Ramirez, Alejo Cruz would be a great option for the club. He would also be a good option for Paulo Pezzolano’s Real Valladolid and Liam Rosenior’s Hull City. The 22-year-old would also be a good option for whichever club Francesco Farioli moves to in the summer. In Serie A, Bologna, Sassuolo, Torino, Lecce and Lazio would be good clubs for him while in Spain, teams like Girona, Cadiz, Celta Vigo and Almeria would also be good clubs for him. His style of play also suits Ligue 1 teams as Reims, Montpellier, Toulouse and Brest would be good clubs for him. The Uruguayan will certainly be an undervalued prospect on the market in the summer.
