Ezequiel Cañete – Union de Santa Fe’s prodigious midfield schemer

Martin Ezequiel Cañete is Boca Juniors through and through as he was developed in their academy before joining Union de Santa Fe on an 18-month loan at the beginning of last year. The 21-year-old from Puerto Rico in the Misiones Province had a cousin named, Marcelo Cañete who is nine years his senior and also came through the ranks at Boca Juniors to don the club’s number 10 shirt for Claudio Borghi’s Boca Juniors. The younger Cañete who bleeds blue and gold models his game on another Boca Juniors number 10 in Juan Roman Riquelme as he is yet to play for the Boca Juniors first-team but has been a key performer for Union de Santa Fe on his loan. He has an undisclosed fee for a permanent move included in his contract, but it is rumored that his parent club could be interested in fulfilling his dream of playing for the Boca Juniors first-team squad.

Despite adoring and modelling his game on Riquelme as a youngster, it is integral to notice that he thrives as a deeper-lying midfielder or a box-to-box midfield conduit rather than as a traditional playmaker. He can play as the deepest-lying midfielder or push forward to receive possession in the opposition half and stretch the pitch with switch balls or provide accurate crosses from the half-space. As a deeper-lying player, he enjoys receiving possession and pushing the ball forward as he has played with a rotating cast of midfield partners from the end of last year to this year. Last year, he formed a double-pivot with 18-year-old, Juan Ignacio Nardoni where he played as a more out and out deep-lying midfielder while this season, he has partnered 32-year-old Nelson Acevedo.

Partnering Acevedo, has given him the opportunity to explore the opposition half of the pitch, receiving possession in between the lines and being a more crucial facet of his side’s attacking play. However, sometimes he will position himself in the six-space, especially when his side are engaged in attacking moves to provide more incisive distribution at a rapid pace. In both roles, he has shown the ability to thrive with and without possession as he adapted with a managerial change as well as a change in system. The 21-year-old has become one of the most integral players for his side in both positions as he adds to the very deep pool of Argentine deep-lying midfield talent.

In a 2-0 victory against Lanus in the Argentine Primera Division last year, he showed a strong reading of the game to regain possession in the defensive phase, shuttling across to close gaps with key interceptions and tackles in front of his defensive line. He also had the ability to push up and regain possession at the base of midfield while his side were in the pressing phase. In possession, he pushed forward to connect play while dropping in between the centre-backs as the deepest-lying midfielder to progress play. In one sequence, he dropped in between the centre-backs to receive possession before hitting an unerringly accurate switch pass to the right flank for his side to instigate an attacking move. He would receive possession in the opposition half from the left flank to chip a pass to the right where a cross led to Franco Troyansky having a headed opportunity on goal. He would then regain possession when a cross was cleared for Gaston Gonzalez to have a deflected cross that was diverted into the opposition goal for his side to open the scoring. Cañete would shuttle to the right flank to make a timely tackle on the opposition fullback to push the ball forward and work a pass to instigate a break.

Away to Rosario Central, he received possession in the six-space to side-step a marker and thread a penetrative pass to the flank for a crossing opportunity as Franco Troyansky had a headed opportunity on goal. Against Aldosivi, he would push forward to make an interception after a turnover to swivel away from two opposition midfielders, holding off one before he switched a pass to Gonzalez on the left flank. As Aldosivi were stringing together a counter-attack, he made a perfectly timed sliding challenge on an opposition attacker to regain possession. He would also manage to score an incredible free-kick from distance in the game.

At home to Lanus, he regained possession to poke a pass to the ten space to ease transition and initiate a counter-attacking move of his own. He would then control a ball with his chest before threading a pass through to the nine space. He received possession from an opposition goal-kick to skip past two players and earn a foul. The 21-year-old would receive possession in the left half-space to swivel and send an accurate switch ball to the right flank. Away to Newell’s Old Boys, he began the game by playing audacious long range passes as he tried to lob a pass in behind for an attacker which was intercepted as he also had a switch ball intercepted. Cañete would make up for earlier mistakes by receiving possession on the left to spin and switch the ball to a teammate who was in behind his marker on the right flank.

Out of possession, the 21-year-old was brilliant in stepping up to regain possession while working perfectly angled passes to the flank before he would drop into the wide centre-back role to switch the ball to great effect. He would regain possession before threading another penetrative pass to the nine space. However, by the end of the first half, his pass succession rate was a low 69% as he was purely focused on penetration with deep line-breaking passes as well as long balls and switches to put his side on the front foot against a very rigid defence. He also made 2 interceptions and 5 ball recoveries as he continued to be astounding without possession, pushing forward to make timely interceptions before shifting the ball at a rapid and exceptional pace. Cañete had a moment where he dribbled out of a tight space to maintain possession before playing the ball back to the centre-back as his ability to change direction in order to weave past players and out of tight situations allows him to be a press resistant midfielder. He finished the game with a 77% pass succession rate, 4 interceptions and an incredible 14 ball recoveries as he improved his distribution in the second-half while shielding his defense before looking to progress play with possession.

Away to Velez Sarsfield, Cañete would make an interception and thread a pass into the attacking line in typical Cañete fashion. Cañete would then create a shooting opportunity for a teammate where he threaded a pass into the wide areas before pushing into the right half-space to receive possession and lobbing a cross to Nicolas Penalillo who hammered a high-quality opportunity over the bar. The 21-year-old would create another opportunity when he regained possession, as Velez were looking to establish a counter-attack from a Union Santa Fe, before Cañete would drive into the box and have a cross into the box that none of his teammates were able to get on the end of. He also had another opportunity from an opposition corner where the ball bounced to him as he caught it perfectly on the half-volley to have a shot saved by the keeper before the rebound was hammered off the crossbar.

Cañete would get an opportunity to impress his parent club in Boca Juniors as he began the game by receiving possession from his left-sided centre-back and allowing the ball to roll across his body to his right foot before threading a pass to a teammate in the right half-space. He had a hand in Union Santa Fe’s opening and only goal of the game as he dropped into space on the right half-space to demand possession, receiving possession and angling a perfect pass in behind for his wing-back who beat his man and crossed for an opportunity in the six-yard area to be blocked while Penalillo was on hand to put his side ahead with the rebound. In a build-up sequence, he played a pass to his wing-back before moving to the right touchline to receive possession again and thread a penetrative vertical pass to the nine space for his attacker to mis control.

As a defensive midfielder, Cañete has a brilliant range of passing being able to switch the ball to both flanks while having the vision to find players making runs in behind with lobs. He also has the will to move the ball forward with line-breaking passes as once he receives the ball via a pass or regaining the ball with a tackle or interception, he transitions quickly into releasing the ball in penetrative fashion as he could allow his side to establish fast breaking moves. He also has the low centre of gravity and shifty change of direction to skip past players to drive the ball forward or earn fouls. As a box-to-box midfielder, he has the ability to be creative with crosses in the final third while his abilities out of possession come to the fore. He can regain possession in the pressing or counter-pressing phase while being able to facilitate a seamless transition into an attacking move. His ability to spread the ball across the pitch, constantly switching the point of the attack to the weak side is crucial as he manages to play the pass before the creation of a chance from a high-quality cross.

Boca Juniors Head Coach, Miguel Angel Russo has struggled this season with a side lacking attacking invention and defensive resolve. Their midfield play tends to be slow and pedestrian as Boca Juniors could be on the cusp of a youth movement with talent youngsters in the academy and on loan with other Argentine clubs. Their second vice-president, Juan Roman Riquelme and a few members of their directors’ box have shown an interest in bringing Cañete back to participate with the first team in the summer while Union Santa Fe are looking to keep him. Cañete could add some invention and tempo to their midfield as it will be interesting to see where his future lies. As a youngster, Riquelme was the apple of his eye, describing the legendary playmaker as a ‘maximum reference’ while Cañete could currently be the apple of Riquelme’s eye.