Jose Juan Macias – Chivas’ mobile attacking prodigy
Jose Juan Macias is a striker who will be on the shortlists of most European clubs as a move to PSV Eindhoven, Borussia Dortmund and now Lille has been touted. He came to fame on loan with Club Leon, scoring six goals in eleven matches to help the side on an unexpected run to the top of the table. Interest in him accelerated in Europe towards the end of Borussia Dortmund’s documentary on Amazon when a clip showed him on the screen of a director prompting rumours of a move to Germany. The striker made his way through the youth academy, being called up to the first-team squad by Matias Almeyda as a 17-year-old. He is still only 20-years-old, a few months shy of his 21st birthday as it seems a move to Europe is in the offing this summer.
Born into wealth as the son of one of Mexico’s foremost oil entrepreneurs, he worked his way through Chivas Guadalajara’s academy as a homegrown youth product, much-like Javier Hernandez who has had a successful European career. He was also a constant for his country at youth level while in the 2019 Clausura, he was the top scoring Mexican as a 19-year-old. His fee is rumoured to be $10 million which would present a mouth-watering bargain for a young striker with so much experience under his belt, especially with the current COVID-19 pandemic impacting the summer transfer market.
Although, him and Chicharito were both born in Guadalajara and came through the same youth academy, that is where the similarities end, especially in their style of play. Macias’ goalscoring record at Leon attracted interest but his ability as a multi-faceted attacker who is comfortable with his back to goal, will surely be the more interesting facet of his game. He plays on a side with 2012 London Olympic hero, Oribe Peralta who is 16-years his senior as well as Alan Pulido who is 9 years his senior. He has managed to continue to earn minutes and develop within the last year as his all-round game makes him a different prospect to his competitors.
One of the 20-year-old’s favourite moves is a flick-on with the outside of his right foot when he drops deep and has a centre-back closely following him as he uses this manoeuvre to play quick flick-ons for runners in behind or to his closest teammate. In the defensive phase, JJ Macias will drop extraordinarily deep to act as an out ball for long clearances, controlling the ball and trying to work passes for runners or clever one-twos with teammates to create counter-attacking situations.
Macias’ movement off the ball in dragging players out of position in counter attacks and opening passing or running lanes is exemplary. The young striker is also a keen dribbler when the ball is at his feet, venturing into the wide areas and showing a fleet of foot to get past players but he can dribble into congested zones to lose possession in some situations. His dribbling works best in counter-attacks when he receives possession with a man close to him as he can skip past his marker and work a pass to a teammate to earn a yard of space. The Mexican talent is also intelligent at shielding with the ball with his body to hold-up possession before working a pass to a teammate or earning a foul in the higher areas to earn a free-kick in a good position.
Macias has a lethargic and nonchalant running style, but he is a hard-working striker and astute presser, forcing centre-backs into making long-balls as he leads the Chivas press or regaining possession from an opposition centre-back. When he loses possession, which can be quite frequent with his penchant for dribbling, he will chase back to make a tackle and regain possession in the counter-pressing phase. If he is ahead of the ball when the turnover occurs, he will chase back to regain possession from the man in possession.
Macias is a modern striker in that he is comfortable in moving into the channels to receive possession as in some crossing situations, he will make runs to the back-post creating space for another attacker to move into the centre. When the ball is in the wide areas and he is awaiting service, he will constantly move around in the box, holding his run to earn a yard of space in the box, timing a movement closer to the ball-near wide area or moving to the top of the box. His goal against Juarez was indicative of this as when it seemed like the winger was driving to the by-line, he faked a run towards the by-line allowing him to subtly shift onto his centre-back’s blind-side, before standing straight to receive the ball at the top of the box to control with his weaker left foot before finishing with aplomb.
Macias’ dribbling ability and mobility allows him to fashion a shot from the tightest areas as he can skip past a marker and have a shot on goal. At home to Leon, he moved into the channels to receive the ball in the wider areas of the box, taking a touch and then smashing a shot past the keeper from a tight angle. Macias is deadly on his stronger right foot as he can fashion shots from any angle and body shape while he has confidence in his stronger foot, constantly shooting from audacious ranges and areas. The 20-year-old is a threat in the centre as well as in the channels, allowing him to have more touches in and around the box while influencing the game from different areas.
“I do not want him to leave, it is clear that he is a great player, he is a scorer with a great mentality, but we have to be prepared because if a good offer comes the club and the same player will take it,” said Chivas Head Coach, Luis Manuel Tena to Mexican media recently.
The attacker’s multi-faceted traits will translate well to European football as a deal with Lille is rumoured to be close as he will be a bargain in the modern-day market at $8 million. PSV Eindhoven have also been touted but with the club having Donyell Malen returning from injury, Sam Lammers and Maxi Romero, a move to Holland is unlikely. Erling Braut Haaland is Borussia Dortmund’s striker for the present and future as the Mexican will present an interesting proposition for clubs in the middle rung of European football.
