Jhilmar Lora – Sporting Cristal’s ball-playing right-back

Carlos Jhilmar Lora Saavedra is a life-long Sporting Cristal fan, joining the club as a 4-year-old as from the age 11, he would speak to former players who would regale him with tales of donning the sky blue of the Peruvian giants as well as the discipline and pride of being a Sporting Cristal player. Lora has become a crucial player for Sporting Cristal, beating as many as three players for the starting right-back role, playing more regularly than he has played in season’s past as he went to the Copa America with Peruvian National Team while also being a last minute callup and starter for the Peruvian National Team against Brazil. Lora is becoming one of the more intriguing modern day right-back prospects in Peruvian football.  

Lora is serious about his craft as well as being detailed and self-critical about opportunities for improvement as he identified increasing his muscle mass as well as being more aggressive about defending opposition wingers. He frequently watches Dani Alves and Joshua Kimmich to improve his game as Alves has spent the latter stages of his career in Brazil being deployed as a central midfielder while Kimmich was deployed in central midfield at the earlier stages of his career. This perfectly encompasses Lora as a fullback as his game is about receiving possession and connecting play in tight spaces while he regularly moves into central midfield during games to work passing connections or to receive the ball in that area. Lora is a modern-day fullback as he is skilled in an inverted role while also being able to stretch the pitch and provide width.

When receiving possession, Lora’s first touch is impeccable as he regularly controls lobbed balls with ease as in the Copa Sudamericana quarter-final at home to Penarol, he received a clearance with a perfect first-touch, to play the ball into the centre and then move in between the lines to a central attacking midfield role to receive possession and lay-off to a teammate before making a run into the wide area to receive possession again to shield the ball from an opposition defender before working a pass back into the centre. The 21-year-old would be tucked inside in a 2+3 build-up shape with his winger stretching the pitch his side would switch possession to the opposite flank as Lora received possession in the half-space to send an accurately curved cross onto the head of a teammate for an opportunity on goal.

Lora thrives in tight spaces and under pressure as a press resistant fullback while also being an incredible ball-carrier capable of lung-busting surges into the opposition half. He would receive a back-pass with an opposition player pushing up to apply pressure on him to execute an elegant swivel to evade his attacker while another opposition attacker was pushing up to press him as he played a lovely pass down the line to a teammate. Defensively, Lora is strong in the air as he rose high to beat Agustin Alvarez Martinez from an opposition free-kick and head the ball to a teammate. The 21-year-old would then show his ball-carrying ability when he received a switch to the right flank before controlling the ball and skipping past Maxime Alonso to drive the ball forward in the centre of the pitch as he got into the opposition half but had no passing options available as he decided to turn and play a back-pass.

Alonso and Lora would have another battle as the Uruguayan was surging down the flank as the Peruvian fullback would make a tackle to regain possession. The 21-year-old would show his passing range by lobbing a long pass to Percy Liza in the nine-space for the attacker to lay-off. In the Peruvian Primera Division, away to Universidad Tecnica de Cajamarca, Lora was in the perfect position to make an interception on a switch ball as later in the first-half, he would receive possession on the right flank in the opposition half to angle one of his trademarked curled crosses into the box which came off the top of a teammate’s head at the near post and resulted in an opportunity on goal at the back-post. Lora is not a fullback with pace, so he lacks recovery speed, but he thrives when he is positioned correctly as he is able to cover small spaces to make tackles. For instance, the opposition played the ball to a winger outside as Lora pushed out to mark him, ushering him to the by-line before blocking his marker’s attempted cross. He would switch a lovely pass to the weak side which would result in his side stretching the opposition which facilitated a counter-attack.

The 21-year-old would rise high to win an aerial duel before playing a back-pass to centre-back in order to regain possession for his side again. In the build-up phase, Lora dropped into the right-back space to receive possession as he turned and played a deep pass to an attacker in the attacking line before making an interception on an opposition counter-attack and driving forward into the centre to curl a lobbed pass onto the chest of an attacker in the box whose first touch was too heavy. Lora is the perfect player for the modern day 2+3 build-up shape as he can receive possession from the centre-backs to work connections while also being able to receive possession from the goalkeeper behind the first line of pressure as he has the vision and technique to construct attacks from the right-back position. He is also comfortable at moving into the centre as he is tailor-made for the fluid positional interchanges in the build-up phase as he is comfortable in moving into the six-space, tucking inside into the eight space to receive possession or moving in between the lines and connecting play from those areas.

He would string together a press resistant sequence from the right flank, receiving possession from the goalkeeper to play a one-touch pass to a midfielder in the half-space before pushing forward and continuing his run and receiving possession to play another one-touch pass to a teammate in between the lines to facilitate a switch ball to the weak side. After a deflection from a cross, Lora would work a one-two with a teammate before playing a pass down the line to instigate an attacking move. The 21-year-old would then thread a pass to Jesus Castillo who played a pass into the channels for a cross and the creation of a high-quality opportunity. The young right-back would eventually notch an assist when he received possession on the overlap to take a touch and square a cross to Marcos Riquelme at the back-post who stopped to redirect the delivery into the net. The cross was so well-delivered that a teammate at the near post could have redirected it at goal as a teammate who was left alone in the six-yard box could have also scored but they both missed the delivery. He would then receive possession in the right-back position to drive the ball forward and thread a pass to a teammate in between the lines.

At home to Alianza Atletico, he would receive possession on the overlap to square a cross into the box that bounced in front of a Sporting Cristal attacker before an opposition defender barged him over. The 21-year-old would receive possession on the right flank to roll the ball back before threading a pass into his winger in between the lines. The Peruvian right-back would receive possession in the opposition half to thread a pass in between the lines to a midfielder before making a brilliant third man run to receive possession in the right-channel to cut-back a lovely cross that a teammate was unable to get the proper purchase on. The 21-year-old received a switch ball from Castillo to take a touch and play another cross into the box for a teammate to have a header opportunity on goal. Lora then received possession under pressure to skip past an opposition attacker to thread a pass to a teammate in space by the touchline to orchestrate an attacking move.

Lora would then receive possession in the right half-space to work a pass to Liza with his weaker right foot for an opportunity that would lead to Sporting Cristal winning a penalty. Lora’s distribution in another goalscoring situation when he received possession direct from a goal kick to lob a pass into the front line as Sporting Cristal would score their fourth goal of the game. Lora would use his long range passing to instigate another attacking move when he received possession from the goalkeeper to play an accurate switch pass to the left-back who moved the ball into the next line.

At home to Carlos Manucci, Lora looked to receive possession and cut inside from the flank to work connections in the centre as in one sequence, he received possession and moved inside to work a pass to a teammate before holding his central position as he received possession in the eight space to drive the ball forward and play the ball wide. The 21-year-old loves to dribble into the centre and tuck inside as a central midfielder as he received possession to play a one-touch pass to Irven Avila in the half-space with his weaker left foot before receiving possession again and playing a nonchalant flick to Avila. Lora can lose the ball in the build-up phase by being too lackadaisical in possession as he had a situation where he chested the ball but was too slow to guide the ball away from an opposition player. He also managed to regain possession in his own box before as he also switched a pass to the opposite flank with his weaker left foot.

Lora also gets caught in between operating as a build-up conduit and orchestrating play from deep while also being a threat in the final third on the overlap as his winger normally stretch play on the flank but will need the support of an overlapping run when cutting inside, especially after a switch ball situation. The 21-year-old, Peruvian struggles in timing his runs as he can get caught deep preferring to receive possession and work a pass to the wide areas before making a run to the half-space while also remaining deep to create a three-chain with his two centre-backs as his responsibilities in build-up play are extensive as this could be an issue with coaching rather than Lora’s decision-making. Defensively, he will also need to improve in his decision-making of when to leave his position and when to hold his position as he vacated his position to chase a marker as a one-two was played past him into the space he vacated as Jesus Castillo was forced to cover him and concede a foul.

In an attacking sense, Lora then showed his immense ability, driving the ball forward from a defensive three-chain to play the ball onto the right flank with his weaker left foot before receiving possession and moving into the left half-space on the opposite flank where he received possession and played a lovely pass for Avila to be fouled and for his side to earn a penalty. Lora mostly operated from the right half-space when he received possession before beating his man by driving the ball past him for his marker to regain possession as Lora should good recovery speed over a short distance to regain possession. In the second-half, Lora vacated his position again to chase a marker into the centre as the second time had a better outcome than the first as he regained possession with a clean tackle.

Defensively, he will also need to be better in 1v1s as he lost a 1v1 while if he operates as a more inverted fullback, he has a shorter space to recover which allows him to be more effective rather than being positioned as a conventional modern-day fullback as in one situation, he was able to recover and make a last-ditch challenge to prevent a high-quality goalscoring opportunity for the opposition. He finished the game with 11 crosses as he can play earlier lower quality crosses from the deeper areas as he managed to find a teammate with 3 crosses while having 2/3 takeons and 10 ball recoveries.

Away to Alianza Universidad, he touched the ball frequently at the beginning of the game, working a one-two before moving into the six-space as he had another sequence where he received possession and connected play in the half-space before moving into the wide right zone. When Lora is positioned soundly, he is able to recover possession effectively but his positioning in the defensive phase can also be a concern as he is only effective in covering short spaces as he will have to have a teammate cover for him when he tucks inside to defend in a narrow defensive line. He had two situations where he was positioned well where he made two interceptions and pushed his side forward with his distribution as he is also very strong in the air when positioned correctly. His defensive issues happen when he is not positioned in the proper area and lacks the pace to recover, even in situations where he is caught too narrow and will have to move into the wide areas to face a quicker winger in a 1v1 situation.

His passing range remained excellent, receiving possession and playing an outside of the boot switch pass to the opposite flank as he remained undeterred by a switch pass he tried earlier which was intercepted. Lora is a strong ball-carrier when he drives the ball inside and can use his body to shield the ball as he is a lesser ball-carrier when he has to beat his man for pace on the flank as he will rely on early low-quality crosses into the box. He could still be a player who can participate in sequences where he makes timed overlaps in the final third as he is capable of using his burst to get into space as well as having the crossing ability to curl higher quality deliveries into the box. He is also effective in receiving possession in between the lines in an inverted role where he can receive possession and link play as well as making runs off the ball into space, especially into the wide areas where he can have higher quality crosses. The 21-year-old was substituted at half-time after earning a yellow card when he was caught out of position and made a foul.  

The 21-year-old right-back would earn a start for his National Team in a World Cup Qualifier against Argentina as the opposition dominated the game, but the youngster would show his talent in some moments. During the first-half, he was tucked inside with a marker outside of him as he had to push to the wide areas in a 2v2 situation which allowed him to concentrate on marking his winger while Peru’s winger marked the other player on the flank as Lora would use his anticipation to execute a well-timed lunge to intercept a pass. As he does at club level, Lora would continue to move into the centre of the pitch to work connections and show for the ball. He received possession on the right flank under Argentine pressure to drive the ball into the centre and flick an outside of the boot pass in between two opposition attackers to a teammate as he received possession in the six-space and drove the ball to the opposite flank to switch possession.

There were also glimpses of Lora’s press resistance in distribution as after a turnover in the defensive phase, he would fire a one-touch pass in between the lines past three opposition attackers to a teammate to facilitate a counter-attack. The 21-year-old was then positioned perfectly to intercept an opposition switch by heading the ball to a teammate who laid the ball off to him to play a one-touch pass into the next line past two opposition players to instigate another counter-attacking move. The 21-year-old was a late inclusion in the squad, let alone the first team lineup as he managed to acquit himself well in a game where he side did not have much of the ball. He came off the bench against Ayacucho at home as he came off the bench to make a block before receiving possession to drive the ball forward before cutting inside as he managed to shield possession from a tackle before working a pass to the nine-space before continuing as his ball-carrying nearly led to an opportunity being created.

In a top of the table away clash to Alianza Lima, he had one of his better performances of the season. The ball was played to Lora who worked a pass to Castillo in midfield before making a good run as he nearly received possession in behind the opposition defence. This sequence falls in line with the point brought up two paragraphs ago which argues Lora is more effective receiving possession and making shorter bursts on the overlap rather than covering larges spaces of the flank. The 21-year-old’s first touch and ball-carrying is fantastic as he also made a good recovery to make a decisive intervention for his side while he continued to show his enjoyment for moving into the midfield area every time he received possession as he moved into the six-space before working a pass in between the lines before receiving possession again in the half-space to drive the ball forward and thread a pass for an attacker in the channels.

Lora then received possession in the wide areas to work a pass for Liza in the half-space before he received another switch from Castillo to cut past his man and play a cut-back for a teammate who dummied the ball. Lora then received possession on the right flank before playing a well-curled cross into the box for a deflection out of the box as Avila fired a strike past the keeper to open the scoring from the top of the box. Lora’s first-touch under pressure continued to be fantastic as he received switch balls and worked passing combinations as in one situation, he received a pass under pressure and played the ball to Liza. The 21-year-old received possession and worked good connections as in another situation, he received possession to play a well-curled cross into the box. He took another switch ball in stride and played a pass to Liza.

Interestingly, he had a moment where he was caught out of position, but the counter-press regained the ball for him as it was a moment that showed that he could be an effective player in a possession-based side with a ferocious counter-press. Lora continued to do well in receiving possession from switch balls as he has a fantastic first touch and passing range as he had a sequence where he controlled a switch, took down the ball as he shielded the ball from a marker to drive forward and lob a pass in behind to an attacker. He then played another pass to a teammate in behind who threaded a pass for a teammate in the channels in an attacking move. The 21-year-old right-back finished the game with a 64% pass succession rate in the final third, 8 ball recoveries and 1 block.

Lora is a press-resistant ball-playing right-back who does not have searing pace but has they physicality and coordination to be an effective longer distance ball-carrier. His ability to receive possession and connect play effectively in the build-up phase as well as in the opposition half is one of his strongest suits. He is perfect for the modern-day build-up structures such as the 2+3 and 3+2 when he can tuck in as an extra centre-back or midfielder as he tailor-made for an inverted role. He can play quick one-touch passing sequences to evade pressure as well as carrying the ball into the next line where he has a strong passing range to play short and long passes as well as having the vision to thread line-breaking passes. He can operate as an inverted fullback which would be the perfect position for him where he can tuck inside and work connections while making late runs into the channels to curl crosses into the box. Defensively, he has less ground to cover while he also has the advantage of having a midfielder cover him in case of a turnover while playing in a counter-pressing system allows him to push forward to defend while also having support from teammates if he is forced to recover.

Lora is not lacking in defensive capabilities as he is strong in the air but in terms of defending inside his own box, he will need to time his jumps better as he frequently misses the ball as well as being nudged out of position by opposition attackers. In terms of 1v1 situations outside the box, he wins most of his aerial duels while he is best when he has the ability to tuck inside and make interceptions or he is positioned closer to the player he is marking so he can make the challenge to regain possession as soon as possible. Lora struggles when he is caught in a narrow defensive position and has to push out against his winger who has already gained momentum with possession as he also lacks the speed to recover from attacking positions. He will need to improve at better challenging his winger in 1v1 situations and be more authoritative at ushering his winger inside or to the by-line as if he manages to get his winger into a tight space or a situation where he shows the ball, he will recover possession more easily. In his own box, he is unafraid of making blocks or last second challenge as he could also be an effective fullback in winning possession in the opposition half.

Lora like Liza signed had his contract extended till the end of 2023 in January as he was reported to be subject of MLS interest earlier this year. Miguel Angel Ramirez and the Charlotte FC would be a good destination for him as the Spanish manager likes his fullbacks to tuck inside and occupy the eight space in build-up. The Jupiler Pro League would also be a great place to sharpen his defensive tools while his abilities in possession could see him thrive in such a league. Erik Ten Hag’s Ajax would also be a good destination for him, but they have Devyne Rensch as back-up to Noussair Mazraoui as interestingly, Lora has accumulated minutes for the Peruvian National Team while being involved in last summer’s Copa America while also accumulating minutes in South American continental competition, reaching the latter stages of the Copa Sudamericana meaning he would be able to gain a British work permit. He would provide a cost-effective option for Marcelo Bielsa’s Leeds United, Ange Postecoglu’s Celtic as he would also be a good option for another Eredivisie club in Feyenoord. Lora could be one of the most sought after young prospects in the next two transfer windows with his unique skillset.