Franco Orozco – Lanus’ exciting winger
Lanus are producing young players at a rapid rate and giving players from their academy debuts at a larger volume than any other Argentinean club. They have handed 12 players their debut in the most recent season as the next best team have handed 8 debuts as managing league and Copa America or Copa Sudamericana have led to some of the thinner squads in the Copa Diego Maradona giving youngsters opportunities. 19-year-old, Franco Orozco is one of the best performing young players in Argentina as the young attacker is on the cusp of a Copa Sudamericana title as he has already garnered interest from Europe.
Part of Lanus’ successes in producing talented players for their first-team is that Luis Zubeldia has been very courageous in giving youngsters opportunities. Orozco has been a benefactor of Zubeldia’s faith as the youngster was born in Campos de Echeverria but at 11 months old, he moved to the barrio ‘Alla en el Sur’ in Canning. His parents were his pillars as father is a taxi driver at Ezeiza station and his mother worked at a finance company, but he was inspired by his grandfather as he always insisted on buying him football boots as a tradition as if anybody else bought him boots then his father would get angry. Orozco would begin his football career at the age of 6 in San Lorenzo before playing ‘baby soccer’ at the Villa Spinola Club in Valentin Alsina.
In 2010, Lanus scouts saw him and decided to sign him to play for El Granate as the 19-year-old became one of the first players to sign his first professional contract and play in a stadium in the midst of a global pandemic. At the end of 2019, he had gone to Argentine tourist destination Villa Gesell with his girlfriend’s family as Lanus had informed that he would be training with the reserves before the Reserve physical trainer would inform him that he would need to return on the 2nd of January to train with the first team. His progression would be hindered by the COVID-19 lockdown in Argentina but once football returned, he would be playing with both the reserve and first team before officially moving to the first team.
In the opening game of the first phase of the Argentine Primera Division, Orozco would be playing as a left winger, constantly cutting inside to generate shooting opportunities for himself or holding the ball in the wide areas before sliding passes through for teammates to have opportunities of their own. Tomas Belmonte would switch the ball to him on the left flank as his first touch was impeccable as he cut inside and drove a shot wide of the near post. The teenager would then open his account in the season when Pedro De la Vega cut past his man on the far post as he lobbed a cross for Orozco to rise and nod his side into the lead. The teenager is capable of exhilarating and dominant performances on the flank with his dribbling and directness but can also be rendered ineffective with poor decision making and losing possession by trying to dribble one too many players.
A 6-2 thrashing of Bolivar in the Copa Sudamericana was one of the performances where he was effective and electric every time he touched the ball. The teenager would cut inside from the right flank but would add some variety to his approach against fullbacks as he is also capable of driving to the by-line and crossing the ball. In the first few minutes, the youngster would have a shot but also drive to the by-line and cut-back for Lanus’ best opportunity of the game at that point. A pass was lobbed over for left-back, Alexandro Bernabei who cut-back across for Orozco to make a run into the box and finish to level the score at 1-1. His movement and runs in the box are indicative of a player who would be able to play as a second-striker or in a more central role at some point in his future.
Against Bolivar, he made well-timed runs to the back-post to get on the end of crosses as he started the game stretching play as he could only connect with his teammates when they switched the ball to him, but he began to position himself in the left half-space to receive possession from the deeper areas. Orozco would then add an assist to his goal when he cut inside and weaved into the central spaces before being tackled to get up, utilize another dribble to create space for Belmonte to send a drive past the keeper. Orozco also showed an innate sense of sitting a fullback on his backside as he sat down defenders a few times during the game with his ability to cross with his right foot while also cutting onto his left foot.
In the second-half, Orozco would get his second goal as he made a timely run in front of his marker from a corner which was nodded to him for the then 18-year-old to divert past the keeper with a brilliantly driven header. He continued to show his strength in the air when he had another header from the back-post saved before making a brilliant run into the centre to cut back to the top of the box to position himself perfectly for a cut-back as he could not get enough purchase on the shot with his right foot. The 19-year-old also showed his potential as a pressing player, regaining possession with lunging challenges in the pressing phase as he needed to show more effort in covering for his fullback as players nonchalantly glided past him without him showing the same endeavour as in the pressing phase.
The first-leg of the Copa Sudamericana Quarter-final against Independiente would show his ability to be absent from games, not for his lack of effort but for his poor decision making. Orozco would win a foul by lobbing a ball over a marker before beating his marker to work a pass into De la Vega. The 19-year-old is such an accomplished dribbler as he possesses an ability to alter a game when he consistently beats his man and is in his groove. However, he can also be frustrating when he holds the ball for too long, dribbling into congested zones of the pitch and trying to weave past a glut of defenders to lose possession or pushing the ball too far ahead of him for a defender to outmuscle him before he loses possession.
His decision making is most frustrating in counter-attacking moves as the 19-year-old lacks the experience and decision-making to lead counter-attacks, losing possession after hard tackles, holding the ball for too long instead of releasing it to a teammate making a run. His first touch in between the lines can also be heavy and erratic causing him to lose possession in the higher areas of the pitch as these issues can nullify his impact on games. It is a shame as he has the pace, dribbling ability and directness that would facilitate him being an integral counter-attacking conduit as he needs to improve his football intelligence as his career continues.
The home match of the Copa Diego Maradona against Defensa y Justicia was a clear indication of his decision making nullifying his impact on games. He received possession to drive the ball into congested zones, especially in the wide areas where he was tackled before he had the opportunity to create opportunities. At times he would push the ball far to beat his marker with pace while allowing his marker to outmuscle him with a shoulder to shoulder challenge while his first touch in some of these counter-attacking opportunities would allow defenders to regain possession.
At home to Rosario Central, he would score in the tenth minute after Francesco Lo Celso lost possession and Lucas Vera worked a pass in behind to beat the keeper with his first touch and finish from a tight angle. His decision-making issues would continue to plague him as he was not as involved and effective as a player with his skillset should be. However, his movement in the box proved to be as sharp and instinctive as it has always been as toward the end of the first half, the ball was switched to the right flank as he was positioned in the right half-space as his striker made a run to drag two defenders out of position and leave space at the back-post for Orozco to identify and move into that space for a cross that was nodded into his path for him to volley into the ground at the keeper from point blank range. In the second half, he would use his pace to chase a lobbed pass into the channels to beat the defender, turn and cut-back a pass to his striker at the top of the box. He would then receive possession in the right half-space to turn and drive the ball into the opposition half before spreading it to a teammate on the opposite flank who had space to cut inside.
At 19, Orozco has the natural talent to fulfil a role as a winger on both flanks as well as a more central role as second-striker. He possesses pace, dribbling ability and the skillset to cut inside and generate shooting opportunities for himself as well as the ability to drive a fullback to the by-line, beat him and create high-quality goalscoring opportunities for teammates. However, he will only fulfil his potential when he begins to improve his decision-making as he could be effective as a high-level counter-attacking conduit while as a multi-functional attacker who can be positioned in the half-space or wide areas. He will also need to improve his first touch in between the lines and his sense of when to release the ball to a teammate in space as he can be overconfident in his dribbling.
“I think dribbling and aggressiveness. What they mainly ask me is to face it, which is what characterizes me the most. In Reserve maybe there is more space because there are big players, and the category is a little messier and with spaces to play. In First too, but the game is much faster,” said Orozco in an interview with Argentine Football Association as he could have mentioned his adaptation process to first-team football.
Parma and their ambitious new ownership are said to have been in touch with Lanus about the possibility of purchasing Orozco as clubs from Europe will be watching his development. He would have had the opportunities to shine in the U20 South American Championship next month in a highly talented Argentina side but with the tournament cancelled, he will be forced to improve on his natural gifts at club level. After only just turning 19, he would be better suited to another season in Argentina accruing experience and having the opportunity to be the hallmark of a young side while being tasked with improving his football intelligence before moving to Europe.
