Alan Mozo – UNAM Pumas’ energetic right-back
UNAM Pumas have one of the best academy setups in Liga MX as when Andres Lillini took over in 2020, he looked to utilize players from the youth setup and promote them to the first team. At that time, Pumas had an U17 side who won the Mexican U17 Division but older youth players like Alan Mozo had already begun to make inroads into the first-team. The energizer bunny of a fullback has been one of the standout players for Pumas, coming through the academy, excelling for the first team and playing for Mexico at National Team and U23 level. There have been concerns about his attitude as he was caught in a Mexico City restaurant surrounded by people breaking COVID-19 lockdown measures, but he has begun to make amends on the pitch.
Mexico have a plethora of talented right-backs, so many that Mozo would have to continue his development with the Olympic team in the summer before he stakes a claim for Gerardo Martino’s Mexican Seleccion. The 24-year-old is also subject of interest from domestic sides and European teams as he is an exceptional modern-day fullback. He is a pint-sized pocket rocket that can receive possession in the half-spaces to surge forward while being a threat on the overlap while he is known to go on mazy runs into the opposition half. Defensively, he has recovery pace while being able to put his body on the line in 50/50 challenges as he would have little issue adjusting to the hustle and bustle of European football.
On the right flank, Mozo is normally partnered with winger, Carlos Gutierrez as in a home match against Monterrey, he ran onto a Juan Dinneno flick-on in the half-space to surge into the opposition box before he was barged over to earn a penalty for Dinneno to dispatch it to put Pumas ahead. In the second-half, Mozo would give away a penalty of his own, bringing down Vincent Janssen for Monterrey to level the score. The defender’s ability to push forward and make interceptions to ease transitions with bursts of pace and lung busting runs adds a different dimension to Lillini’s rigid 4-4-2 shape. His ability after turnovers allows his side to break at pace while he has a tremendous connection with Gutierrez as he has the innate sense to overlap when Gutierrez is cutting inside or make an underlapping run when Gutierrez is isolated in the wide zone.
At home to Mazatlan in Pumas’ first match of the year, he regained possession with a wonderful interception to burst forward and drive the ball into the centre before trading passes with Facundo Waller for the Uruguayan to smash a shot past the opposition keeper from close range. In this game, Mozo also showed his ability to regain possession in the opposition half, pushing forward and maintaining touch tight distance to his marker in the pressing phase to make tackles. He is very tigerish with his marking and closing down while having the courage to dive into 50/50 battles as once his marker receives possession, he will push forward to hassle him and clip at his heels.
He can also distribute possession from the right flank but prefers to beat his marker in the pressing phase and drive into the centre before releasing the ball while he will sometimes send audacious switch balls to the opposite flank. He thrives with one-two combinations that allow him to drive the ball into open space. He will need to improve with his distribution in build-up play, especially in sequences which require him to tuck inside, closer to the six-space where he will be relied upon to play accurate line-breaking passes or participate in patient and incisive build-up moves. Away to Necaxa, he was nippy when he regained possession, covering for Johan Vasquez when he pushed forward to regain possession but missed aerial duels as Mozo would regain possession and embark on mazy runs into the centre of the pitch where he would struggle to find passing options.
The Necaxa game was interesting as Mozo struggled with defending opposition wingers as he prefers to push up against opposition players and rob them of the ball once they receive possession. In 1v1s on the flank, he struggled, especially when the opposition winger stood him up before driving to the by-line as Mozo would overcommit with his body shape and over-set his feet before his winger would flick the ball towards the by-line as this would cause him to be a step behind his opponent. However, his opponent would have trouble in trying in defending the 24-year-old right-back as he continued to beat his man and drive into the centre but struggled in finding a progress pass, so he would lay-off the ball to the six-space. He would burst forward on the left flank after regaining possession from a set-piece to lob a pass for Dinneno who was unable to finish.
Mozo would then have a heroic moment as he tucked inside as both his centre-backs were beaten as the opposition striker turned to strike at goal from inside the box as the 24-year-old was on hand to make a crucial block which prevented a scoring opportunity for the opposition. Mozo’s block would also instigate a counter-attack but Pumas would lose the game 1-0 after conceding in the dying moments of the game. Mozo would begin the next game at home to Tigres by putting his body on the line for a crunching 50/50 challenge as moments later, he received possession from Gutierrez in the half-space to thrash a shot past the keeper and into the top corner. His goal was disallowed due to the fact that the ball rolled out of play before Gutierrez could play in Mozo.
Mozo would continue to push forward to win possession while regaining possession to drive into the opposition half and work a pass into the nine space or drive into the centre and switch the ball to the opposite flank. The Mexican would finish the game 5/5 takeons from the right-back role, using his pace to burst past opponents leaving them trudging behind them. Mozo plays with such a renewed sense of passion and energy that fuels his accomplished dribbling and close control as this is one of the facets of his game that makes him unique compared to other right-backs in Liga MX.
Mozo will need to improve his distribution, especially his short and mid-range passing to help his side string together attacks and evade pressure. However, his ability to do this could be limited due to the fact that Pumas play a more counter-attacking style as he would need to hone this area of his game if he moved to a side that held possession more. When he launches his mazy bursts into the centre, he will need to pick his head up in order to work combinations with teammates as Pumas have been able to create goalscoring opportunities when he can combine with teammates. The Mexican’s ability to defend the by-line will also need to improve, especially in using his body to force his winger to the by-line so he can regain possession in a tighter space.
Some of the bigger Liga MX sides could look to sign Mozo in the summer but after only turning 24 this month, the opportunity to move to a mid-table side in La Liga as well as a side in Belgium or Holland would prove advantageous for him. He would also need to mature between now and the summer before making such a move but with his energy, dribbling ability and bursts of pace in the half-space or on the overlap, he could possess value to clubs in the middle rung of European football. PSV Eindhoven could be looking for a right-back to replace Denzel Dumfries as Mozo could be a brilliant replacement with the lineage of Mexican players at the club as well as Mozo having experience in a 4-4-2 shape before the Dutch club could sell him for a profit and replace him with Shurandy Sambo from the academy.
