Robert Morales – Cerro Porteno’s rapid striking prospect
As a teenager, Robert Morales was beginning to see professional playing time with Paraguayan giants, Olimpia as his family were fans of the club. He would then decide to take a leap of faith and move to another of Paraguay’s footballing institutes in Cerro Porteno as the young striker has come to the fore this season. He has scored goals in the league while also opening his account in the Copa Libertadores as his country will participate in the Copa America this summer as if he continues in this vein of form, he could earn his place in the squad. Increased outings in the Copa Libertadores as well as with his country in their Copa America campaign could make him a viable candidate for a work permit as he could be an intelligent piece of business for a side in the UK.
Darwin Nunez moved from Penarol to Almeria to spend a season in the Spanish Segunda Division, adapting quickly as an integral player and a goal-scorer before being signed by Benfica for a club-record fee and showing there is life after Edinson Cavani and Luis Suarez for Uruguay. He will be in the set of strikers below Erling Braut Haaland as Benfica could sell him for a profit after an intriguing first season. With the same care and career development, Morales could be a similar prospect as he is Nunez-like in some aspects of his game with potential as a multi-faceted striker, capable of shouldering the physical burden of the central striking role as well as having the pace to make runs in behind and stretch defences. The 22-year-old Paraguayan is hulking and towering striker from Concepcion who is experiences a fine run of form in league and continental football as he is his side’s top scorer, veering closer to double figures in goals.
Making timely and deadly runs in behind is an art-form for strikers as this allows them to run onto through balls which are one of the best modes for creating high quality opportunities as there is a popularity of teams playing high lines. It can be quite rare for strikers to make the volume of runs in behind that Morales does with the success that he is able to at his age. When a teammate is making a burst behind him, Morales will contort his body to see where his teammate is driving the ball before looking to clear space to open a running lane while he thrives at setting his feet in a vertical body shape before making a last moment spring forward to make a run in behind to receive possession and have an opportunity on goal. There are moments where he will drop into the space in front of a defensive line before swivelling and springing forward to make a run in behind to receive possession. The 22-year-old prefers making runs in behind rather dropping deep to receive possession which is unique for a young striker in modern day football.
Morales dropping into space in front of the defensive line before making runs in behind allows him to remain on-side while he continuously looks down the line to keep an eye on the opposition defensive line as well as his teammate on the ball to ascertain the perfect moment to make his dart in behind. During attacking moves, even if he is positioned on the ball far side, he always has his body shape facing the ball, staring at his teammate in possession and analysing the gaps in the opposition defensive line before calmly moving them as he also possesses a fantastic change of pace over short distances. The regularity with which Morales looks to make runs in behind and his ability to not get caught offside is interesting and shows the mental focus he utilizes in ensuring that he remains onside when he looks to get in behind an opposition defensive line.
Morales’ runs in behind are not just limited to creating goalscoring opportunities for himself but also allow him to create opportunities for teammates in attacking moves or on the counter-attack. His runs into the channels to chase loose balls and receive possession are very strong as he has the pace to make runs into the wide areas to receive possession, the quick feet and directness to beat a marker and drive into the box to have a shooting opportunity of his own or cross for a teammate making a run into the box. He can also make runs into the channels to receive possession, hold up the ball and work a pass for a teammate while he has the pace to stimulate counter-attacking moves. His blend of physique and pace allow him to add different dimension to an attack while he is still improving on the technical aspect of his game.
In modern day football, young strikers lack the anticipation and hunger to move in the box, especially with regards to knowing when to hold their runs from crosses or moving towards the wide player delivering the ball from crosses to make it easier for the wide player to deliver the ball in the box. Morales takes initiative with his movement in the box as he loves to fake runs to the near post or the central pockets in the between the centre-backs in the six-yard area to receive crosses at the top of the box with cut-backs to have high quality shooting opportunities. The top of the box is one of his favourite zones to take shots and score from as one of his favoured moves is receiving a pass from the left flank, allowing the ball to roll across to his right foot before hammering a shot home.
If he plays in a team that prefers to hold a greater amount of possession, receiving the ball at the top of the box and managing to take shots from tight spaces would be crucial to him having opportunities as he would have the potential to do this. However, one touch finishing would also become a more crucial facet of his game as he would need to improve in this area, especially in adjusting his body to guide deliveries on target from crossing opportunities in the box. The 22-year-old does not only have the ability to make more direct and straighter runs in behind, but he can also make runs in behind from deep, jogging forward before he identifies space to have a turn of pace for a short run in behind where he can receive the ball and have a shooting opportunity. Meanwhile, he also makes vertical darts in behind from the wide areas as this allows him to create angles for runs and passes which are not readily identifiable by the opposition defence.
In the fourth minute, away to 12 de Octubre, he was occupying a centre-back as he dropped into space as if he was going to receive possession before dropping his front shoulder and making a run behind to receive a lob behind the last line of defence to take down the delivery and drive a shot past the goalkeeper and into the net. Much like Darwin Nunez at Almeria, Morales prefers to work connections while facing the opposition goal rather than with his back to goal as he would receive a knock-on from his strike partner to flick the ball back to him as he spread the ball to the flank. Morales’ pace allows to not only be efficient at running in behind but also be as strong when his side are out of possession, in pressing the opposition as Cerro Porteno would lose a long pass down the line as Morales would move into the wide areas to apply pressure on the ball as his man beat him initially but Morales chased back to make a lunge and regain possession.
The 22-year-old would score his second towards the end of the half when a pass was played to him from the left flank which allowed him to allow the ball to roll across his body, set his feet and drive a shot past the keeper at the near post. He would then work a one-two with his right winger to play him in behind for a shooting opportunity. In the second-half, Morales could have had a hat-trick with his constant runs in behind as in the 53rd minute, a teammate received possession in the left half-space as Morales quickly identified some space in behind to attack, dropping his shoulder to make a run in behind the moment his teammate received the ball. Morales would receive the pass in the left channel on his left foot to scoop a shot at goal with his weaker left which the keeper saved. The Paraguayan being able to shoot confidently with both his right and left would be transformative for his game as he is not as accurate with his left as he is with his right, but this sequence showed some potential. In the next sequence, instead of making a run in behind, he would drop deep to lay a pass off to a teammate who would spread the ball to the flank.
Cerro Porteno normally play with two strikers as Morales is partnered with 35-year-old Mauro Boselli who consistently guides him and has acted as a mentor for him in the early stages of his career. Morales is also tasked with doing the leg work for the duo as away to 12 de Octubre, he would retreat to midfield to mark an opposition player’s blind-side before pushing up to close down a centre-back after a back-pass as he lunged to regain possession and burst forward to thread a pass for Boselli who shot wide with only the keeper to beat. He would continue to receive possession in the nine space and work lay-offs to teammates before he would have another great opportunity for a hat-trick. Cerro Porteno regained possession from an opposition corner to drive the ball forward on the left while Morales was on the right flank for his teammate to cut inside as Morales timed his run in behind to perfection to receive possession for a 1v1 with the goalkeeper as he opened his body and placed his shot past the keeper for it to cannon off the outside of the right post.
At home to Sol de America, he was on the right flank but the moment he saw the opposition left-back push up, he gestured for a pass into the vacated channel and made a run to receive the ball and work a pass to a teammate in the half-space. The 22-year-old would then show his movement in the box to get on the end of low crosses as Boselli was positioned in behind the defence while Morales was in the ten space as the Paraguayan striker would drive into the centre before turning and making a run towards the cross from the left flank at the top of the box to receive the delivery and hammer high and wide with his weaker left foot. Strikers making near post runs to receive high quality low crosses are needed as Morales has shown he has the intelligence and movement to do this. He will need to improve at finishing with his weaker foot as well as knowing when to allow the ball to roll across his body to his right foot and flick the ball past the keeper when he is in the six-yard area.
Morales would nudge his way in behind from the left channel to drive the ball into the opposition box where he would have his first crossing opportunity blocked before he would attempt a cut-back which was cleared away from goal. In another sequence, Cerro Porteno worked a wide combination where the Paraguayan striker had a teammate making a run into the half-space so he could hold his run at the top of the box and move more central while his centre-back moved into the wide areas to win the ball as Morales would receive possession with his left foot to hammer a shot off the crossbar with his right foot. He would then score a goal similar to the goal he scored against 12 de Octubre where he received possession at the top of the box, allowed the ball to roll across his body to his stronger right foot to shimmy to earn a yard of space for himself and fire a strike past the keeper at the near post.
Morales has developed a measured first touch in tight areas within the opposition half as he then chest a goal-kick to swivel and thread a pass in behind for his winger. The Cerro Porteno attacker would then make a run in behind on the left channel to receive possession and have another cut-back blocked by the opposition defence. However, he would manage to create an opportunity when he received possession on the right flank to thread an immaculate through ball in behind for a teammate to cut inside and send a shot wide of the goal. He would instigate another counter-attack when he received possession to thread another pass for a teammate before he made a run to open a yard of space for his teammates to work a one-two which nearly led to an opportunity on goal.
At home to Libertad, he would exhibit his unrelenting pressing, tracking back to close down a midfielder before pushing up to lead the press when the midfielder back-passed to a fullback before he would eventually make a tackle on the fullback for a throw-in. He would exhibit his penchant for fine combination play by playing a cross to his teammate with his chest for the teammate to lay the ball off to another attacker to have a shot saved. Morales would make one of his most intelligent runs in behind to date when his left winger received possession while he was positioned on the right as once the winger received the ball, Morales would start with a light jog before a change of pace which was perfectly synched with his teammate lobbing a pass to Morales whose run was perfectly timed but an errant bounce took the ball out of his trajectory.
Morales would receive possession on the counter-attack to beat an opposition centre-back on his way into the opposition box as a late lunge from his centre-back led to him winning a foul. In the second-half, he would receive a long pass from his right back in the channels to chest past his marker and drive the ball into the box to send a cross across the face of goal with none of his teammates being able to get a touch on it. In a 3-0 loss, Morales would spend the latter stages of the game on the right flank, but he has the ability to not only be a goal-scorer but a chance creator with his initiative around the opposition box as well as his continuous charges down the channels.
Morales has the potential to be a high-level striker and could embark on a meteoric rise from South American football to high level European football in a matter of years. His intelligence at running in behind to create passing lanes for teammates, being a constant threat in the channels as well as having the tools to play on a possession-heavy side and a counter-attacking side could make him an unearthed diamond in the summer. He will need to improve his combination play to work better moves in the deeper areas as well as around the opposition box, especially when he is charging into space in the channels, so he can ease transition and be able to create opportunities for teammates in those areas. He will also need to improve his dribbling, especially when he stands defenders up in 1v1 situations in the wide areas as some moves have collapsed with him being unable to beat his man. He will need to continue training on his finishing with his weaker left foot as being able to finish with both feet will make him a nightmare in the box. He will also need to have more aerial opportunities inside the opposition box to properly assess his heading.
The 22-year-old striker is a ball-watching centre-back’s worst nightmare as he thrives on centre-backs watching the ball, waiting for the perfect time to make his run in behind while they are stationary or when they react to the ball instead of marking him. Developing his all-round play would make him a well-rounded lone striker as earlier in the season, he was left out of some of the Cerro Porteno starting line-ups. His aggressive and relentless pressing will also win him many fans among coaches as he will frequently chase the ball as it is moved around the opposition defensive line to regain possession while he is more than capable of leading the press from the front very effectively.
“The truth is that it is a dream moment, I am happy. Well, it is what I had been working on for a long time, and now it was given to me, thank God. This is not easy at all, I had already been working for a long time. To thank the coaching staff and my teammates, it is a moment that I had been dreaming of, and it only remains to enjoy, “said Morales after he came off the bench to score against Defensores del Chaco to make it two goals in two games for him.
It was a difficult decision for Morales to move to Cerro Porteno from Olympia as he played in the youth side, but his decision has paid dividends as he is one of the most efficient strikers in Paraguayan football. Brighton and Hove Albion will be searching for a striker to ease their goalscoring woes as Morales has the abilities to be a cost-effective candidate while Southampton could also use his abilities in Ralph Hasenhuttl’s high pressing system. Morales would also suit a La Liga side as he should be a target for any of the mid-table sides in the top five European Leagues as well as any of the top sides in the middle rung of European football. In a summer which could see a demand for high quality strikers, Morales could prove to be a bargain with astronomical fees being spent at the position.
