Luciano Gondou – Sarmiento’s relentless striker

Luciano Emilio Gondou Zanelli or Luciano Gondou as he is known is one of the talented young Argentine strikers who is on the cusp of breaking through as he has already accumulated first-team minutes with Sarmiento. The 20-year-old also led the line for a Sarmiento Reserve side that won the Argentinean Reserve Division as the club that recently gained promotion to the Argentine Primera Division is one of the more intriguing projects in the country. The club based in Junin, birthplace of gilded first-lady, Eva Peron have managed to piece together a sustainable youth development strategy on a shoestring budget with one of the sparsely populated football communities in Buenos Aires as they could be in the Primera Division to stay.

Gondou was their top scorer and one of a few standout performers on the team as it seemed like he could have joined Argentine giants, River Plate at a point in time. In 2019, in a game against the River Plate youth team at their Ezeiza training base, his Sarmiento side won 3-1 as Gondou scored a goal and created another for his teammate as River’s youth coordinators quickly decided to sign the then 18-year-old attacker on loan till December 2021. He would score 3 goals in 10 matches while leading the line for a side that made it to the final of U20 Copa Libertadores where they lost to Independiente Del Valle. His ability to make runs into the channels, hold-up play and mobility in the final third made him a constant threat throughout the tournament and one of the standouts with the River Plate youth side. He would eventually re-join Sarmiento as River Plate did not take up his purchase clause, but this has not slowed his upward trajectory as he has spent time with the Reserve Side as well as gaining minutes with the first team.

Gondou’s collaborative playing style is indicative of his upbringing as he was born in Rufino, Santa Fe, playing as a left-winger for his local club Jorge Newbery until the age of 16 when he joined Sarmiento. In a story of chance and opportunity, Sarmiento were without a striker in a youth game, so they moved the lanky blonde-haired youngster up front as he managed to score two goals as he has been playing a striker ever since. He stands at over six feet two as this has made him lethal in the air as he can rise above a defender to redirect a delivery past the keeper like few strikers his age while he is as strong on his feet due to his past as a winger. He has a brilliant first-touch to receive possession with his back to goal to hold-up play and lay-off to teammates, he can also beat players with his strong dribbling ability to create chances for himself while he constantly makes runs into the channels to receive possession and link-up play in the final third.

At home to Atletico Tucuman Reserve Side, his ability to run into the channels would prove dangerous, making a surge to receive possession in the left half-space to dribble the keeper as he was fouled by the keeper for the 20-year-old to win a penalty with the first minute. He would then score a goal of his own for a lob to be played to the left flank while he was positioned in the left half-space as once his winger received the ball, he gestured for a cross and made a run into a pocket of space behind the defender as his winger made the cross for Gondou to rise and head the ball past the keeper to double his side’s lead. Gondou loves to drop deep and combine with teammates as he would drop into the ten-space to receive a lobbed pass from Danilo Actis to flick on for Federico Paradela to have a cut-back bobble across the face of goal.

He would then move to the right flank to receive another lobbed pass to take a touch, turn and play the ball to a teammate on the flank. Paradela and Gondou would eventually combine again when the 20-year-old striker dropped deep, he received a pass from the left to hold possession to thread a pass for Paradela in behind for the attacker to dribble the keeper and lob a strike over the defender’s head and under the crossbar for a 3-0 lead. His link-up play and running in the channels had led to him being involved in three goals for his side as his multi-faceted style will help him become a key player for Sarmiento’s first-team side.

He would continue to be a threat against Atletico Tucuman’s Reserve Side, receiving a pass in the channels on the counter-attack to play a cut-back for a teammate. He would then receive a pass in the channels from Actis to cut-past his man and drive the ball forward to square a cross into the box as he was unable to find a teammate. His runs into the channels are an integral facet to his game and were also crucial in his loan campaign with River Plate as this allows him to add another dimension to his side’s attack while his team can play direct passes to him in the channels for him to chase down passes and hold-up play to connect play in the final third or create chances by crossing into the box. His blend of size and mobility makes him difficult for defenders to close down as he could move into the channels to receive possession and hold up the ball or drop deep and receive early balls in between the lines for his teammates to make runs off him.

In the Reserva Division Quarter-Final, away to Argentinos Juniors, he received a clearance from his left-back in the nine-space to calmly chest the ball, turn and spread the pass to a teammate. The 20-year-old does not just connect play in the opposition half, but he can connect play in the deeper areas as well when he rose high to knock-on a high ball to a teammate to instigate a counter-attacking opportunity, winning an aerial duel against two opposition defenders in the process. He is also astute at pressing the ball, having the size and enough pace to charge at defenders and force them into mistakes while he is workmanlike in dropping deep to regain possession in the deeper areas. An Argentinos Juniors midfielder would make an interception for Gondou to charge behind him and regain possession in the counter-press.

Gondou also aids transition as his side can play early passes into him after turnovers so he can hold possession and lay-off for teammates to string together attacking moves. He would receive a clearance to take a brilliant first-touch, use his body to hold off a marker before swivelling away from him to lay-off to a teammate in the opposition half as two other teammates made runs off him. In terms of having his own opportunities on goal, the 20-year-old would make a run in behind to receive possession, dribble the keeper and smash a strike into the side-netting. He will need to be more efficient in running in behind and playing off the shoulder of the last man as he can make runs too early and be caught offside. He can be effective in running in behind due to his quick burst over short distances and his physicality to hold off defenders in order to get a shot away, especially if a defender is positioned on his right side, so he can generate a shot with his left foot as that is the Sarmiento striker’s stronger foot.

Gondou will need to scan to check where the last man in the opposition defensive line is positioned and adjust by dropping deep and turning to burst in behind, making runs in behind from the half-spaces and wide areas where he is normally positioned or holding his run before bursting to receive possession in behind the opposition defence. He would eventually get his goal as he was positioned at the back-post with possession being held on the far side to confidently stride forward and gesture for a cross which he redirected over a helpless keeper who remained helplessly stationary and into the back of the net to open the scoring for his side. Due to his past as a winger, the 20-year-old has a wonderful passing range, dropping deep to receive possession as he can switch the ball to the far side or look to play through balls in behind.

Against Argentinos Juniors, he received possession from a turnover to turn and switch the ball to the weak side with a wonderful pass as his teammate mis controlled and was closed down. Gondou’s big body and quick feet also give him the ability to carve out shooting opportunities for himself while his first touch allows him to set himself up to have shooting opportunities in tight spaces. He dropped off a centre-back and made a curved run into a vacated space in between his centre-back and fullback to receive possession as he prodded the ball forward as if he was going to take a shot before spinning around his marker, leaving him in a heap as he hammered a shot straight at the keeper. The 20-year-old would receive possession in the left half-space to hold the ball before playing a superb cross into the box for a teammate to tap a shot over.

He would have a similar opportunity away to his former team, River Plate as Ezeiza in the Reserve Division semi-final, making a run into the box from the right half-space to hold his run to remain onside before receiving a cross from Paradela to take a touch, turn and shoot straight at the keeper from point blank range. Gondou will really need to improve his finishing touch once he gets into high quality situations in the box as his first touch is impeccable as if he could add a cold-blooded finishing instinct, he could reach the higher echelon of strikers in Argentina. Gondou would continue to operate in the deeper areas as he received possession from a throw-in to volley a switch pass to a teammate with one-touch. The 20-year-old would find his goalscoring boots when he received possession on the right flank to cut past one man, weave in between two defenders with immaculate close control before firing past the keeper from range in what was a sensational goal. He would follow his goal with an assist as he made run into the right channel to square a cross for Paradela to tap in and double his side’s lead.

Gondou would also show his movement, as he was positioned in front of the opposition defenders before making a run behind the defence for a lobbed pass which he was unable to properly connect with. Against Argentinos Juniors, he had a similar movement to receive a lobbed pass in behind the opposition defence as he was unable to connect with the ball. His movement in terms of making runs in behind is more geared to receiving lobbed passes as he can hold his run-in front of the opposition defence for a split second before bursting in behind to receive the ball. He will need to improve his ability to connect with the ball, by scanning to see where the position of the goal as it relates to him so once he makes his run in behind, he can focus on keeping his eye on the ball and adjusting his shot to get proper purchases on his strike. He is much better with lobbed passes than running onto through balls in behind as it relates to his timing and synching it with his teammate releasing the ball as he will need to improve this as there are many ways that Gondou can create goalscoring opportunities for himself.

Gondou has an ability to not only score goals but to also create high quality opportunities for his teammates, he received a throw-in to hold-off a marker before spinning past him to use a burst of pace to drive away from his marker to cut-back a cross for Paradela to shoot wide. In the Reserva Final against Boca Juniors, he had one of his more anonymous games but had a moment when he received a throw-in to turn past one marker to drive the ball forward and hold off two markers before spreading the ball into the wide areas. The 20-year-old should be in line for increased playing time with Sarmiento during the upcoming Argentina Primera Division season.

Gondou has had an irregular youth career, joining an academy at 16 before changing position and a loan to River Plate in his youth career as this should set him up for a long career. His skillset as a striker is his ability to combine and hold-up play from long-balls while also receiving throw-ins to connect play with his teammates and facilitate switch balls. His passing range with his stronger left foot is exemplary for a striker as he can drop deep to connect play with short passes, work longer switch balls as well as looking to play through balls for teammates making runs off him. As a goal scorer, he is strong in the air and will be supreme from crossing opportunities as well as set-pieces while he will need to improve his ability to make runs in behind to add another dimension to his game while becoming calmer and more precise with his finishing. He has the potential to be a multi-dimensional forward presence who can generate goals from a variety of different areas and angles while having an elite aerial presence.

Gondou’s main focus will be battling for Sarmiento’s starting striker role in order to increase his minutes with the first-team and developing as a goal-scoring presence in professional football. Teams from the MLS, Liga MX, Spanish Segunda Division, Dutch Eredivisie and the Belgian First Division should keep an eye of him as a cost-effective young striker with an immensely high ceiling as well as the grit, resolve and adaptability to develop in unlikely circumstances. Gondou is the type of striker with the technique, physical attributes and intangibles to ensure that his best football will be played beyond Argentinean Reserve level.