Jose Luis Rodriguez – Danubio’s skilled right-back
Jose Luis Rodriguez has experienced the peaks and troughs of a long career in a matter of years as at 20-years-old, he was coveted by Real Madrid as well as their local rivals, Atletico as a move to Spain seemed highly likely. He then remained on the continent, moving to Argentina with Racing Club who look to sign burgeoning South American talent before selling them at a profit. However, his move to Argentina would not work out as he initially signed on a loan but only played a total of 44 minutes during his stay in Argentina before he would re-join Danubio. The now 23-year-old has looked like a talented ball-playing right-back in the Uruguayan Primera Division as his style fits the needs of the modern-day right-back needed in the higher echelons of European football.
Rodriguez is a proponent of Danubio’s illustrious academy and has played for the Uruguayan club for most of his career except his short stint in Argentina. Ever since he returned from Argentina, he has pieced together his career and developed into a player that is highly likely to make the leap to a European club. He is one of the elder statesmen of his side consisting of fellow academy products while he has become a pillar in the right-back role. His agent, Paco Casal is probably the most infamous and well-known agents in Uruguayan football, representing players like Maxi Pereira and Cagliari’s Gaston Pereiro.
The 23-year-old is an intriguing player due to his ability to act as a midfielder playing at right-back as he fits the mould of the modern right-back in the age of elaborate build-up routines and inverted fullbacks participating in positional play in the final third. Rodriguez is able to pass with both feet, as he can receive the ball facing his centre-back with an opposition attacker pressing him to either drive into the centre with his left foot or work a pass back into the centre with his weaker foot. If he is being pressed, this also allows him to turn out of pressure as he can allow the ball to roll across his body to earn a foul or beat his man before driving forward to work passing combinations.
His sense to play the first pass out of pressure when his side regain possession in the defensive phase is innate. Rodriguez can dig a pass out of the ground with his right foot while he is also able to work a connection with the right-sided centre-back to then move into the six-space, receive the ball and turn out of pressure before playing a pass to drive his side forward. He can drive his team forward with surges into the opposition half, but it is testament to his vision and one-touch passing that he prefers to work clever one-twos to create space and find progressive passes in the opposition half. The 23-year-old could also position himself in the half-space to receive possession with his winger outside of him to turn and work connections before making a run into the half-space or wide area to have a crossing opportunity.
One of Rodriguez’ favoured moves is to receive the ball on his flank and drive inside by working a one-two with a teammate before looking to thread a ball in behind to an attacker from the ten space. At home to River Plate, he made an overlapping run to receive possession before cutting inside on his left foot before flicking a pass to an attacker in the ten space with the outside of his right boot as the attacker tried to work a pass in behind for another Danubio attacker. The interesting thing is Rodriguez continued his run into the centre in the hope of receiving a lay-off as his two-footed ability allows him to weave out of traffic while he can angle through balls with his right foot. Away to Liverpool, he drove inside to work a one-two with the central striker in the nine space before spreading the ball to the ball-far winger who was in enough space, but mis controlled the right back’s pass.
Rodriguez is quintessentially a midfielder playing at right-back, not only because he works combinations to move into the next line but also because of his dribbling and long range passing. In the match against River Plate, he regained possession with an interception as the opposition attackers began to apply pressure as he avoided pressure by rolling the ball behind his body and back-heeling a pass to a teammate. His vision and executing of accurate long-range passes is another facet of his skillset that allows him to be a press-resistant fullback.
At home to Boston River, he had one of his weakest performances as when he tried to work passes down the line, they bobbled out of play and when he tried to evade pressure with his patented passing combinations, he lost the ball to interceptions. However, he had two instances of genius when he received the ball near the touchline to play a pass - that would beat six players - to the striker in the nine space who attempted a flick on to a winger. After Danubio won possession in the midfield line, a pass was worked back to him where he lobbed a pass onto his striker’s chest with his weaker left foot.
There are few right-backs who manage to work as many passes into the box as him as against Liverpool, he controlled a switch ball to then work a cross to a teammate at the near post who attempted to lob a pass to an attacker at the far post. In the latter stages of the game, he cut inside off the flank to make a weaving run past two players before releasing the ball to the half-space before continuing his run into the centre to be on hand for a cross as his teammate crossed to the back-post.
The fascinating thing about Rodriguez is not just that he is skilled in the half-space but is a gifted crosser when making overlapping runs. Against River Plate, he received the ball on his left foot to burst forward before switching the ball onto his right to loft a cross to the back-post to a teammate in space who mis-kicked the volley. Against Liverpool, he managed to get an assist as he received the ball on the overlap after he made a run from the centre to carefully loft another cross into the path of Santiago Mederos who made a diving header to beat the keeper. In his match against Boston River, he utilized a different type of delivery, receiving the ball on the overlap, picking his head up to see his striker making a run to the back-post before he just curled a cross past the defender at the near post and into the path of the striker who made his own curling run past his marker to receive the delivery but he mis-timed his movement by a split second as the ball harmlessly rolled out of play.
Rodriguez is not only effective in the offensive side of the game but in the defensive side of the game as well. The 23-year-old has a knack for being a clean and efficient tackler as the timing of his lunges and challenges are perfect to sweep the ball from the feet of his opponent. When the ball is on the far side, he is clever at anticipating switch balls while he will burst forward to cover ground and make an interception to drive the ball forward. He is very savvy in the way he can use body by getting in between the attacker and the ball to just usher an opposition player out of possession before turning away and transitioning into an attacking move. He uses this move in aerial duels but is clever enough to not bundle over his opponent and risk a foul but track the ball and use his body to shield possession and win the turnover. His recovery speed when he gets caught high is exemplary as he rarely panics, charging back to make a well-timed challenge or getting goal-side of his winger to make a crucial block. His intelligence as an attacking fullback translates to a sense of game management in the defensive phase of the game, winning turnovers and preventing wingers from getting the better of him.
At 23, Rodriguez is still at the earlier stage of his career and away from his prime years so a club in Europe could sign and develop him for a meagre fee then gain a profit off his resale value. Rodriguez is a ball-playing and chance creating fullback who can dominate his flank with his athleticism and technique while being resolute defensively. The last few years of his career would act as a humbling experience for a player who was highly touted at a young age as he could be an asset to a side in the La Liga or Segunda Division where he would not face a language barrier. He is also at the point of his career where he is physically developed which would ease his adaptation period at a higher level as he is a cost-effective player meshing experience and resale value as well as a high level of talent.
