Thiago Borbas – River Plate Montevideo’s commanding striking presence

Thiago Nicolas Borbas Silva owes the women in his life immense gratitude as his fledgling professional career is progressing. The 19-year-old has never been interested with academics as even in high-school, he would choose to play with the older boys at recess instead of returning to class. He would shadow his grandmother while working at the Maciel Hospital in administration as after he dropped out of high school, his mother preferred that he finished with his education rather than embark on a footballing career. Due to his strong moral spine, Borbas never drank or smoked once he dropped out of his high school, showing focus while creating a deadly strike partnership with Matias Arezo at youth level which translated to professional level.

Borbas’ father moved to Buenos Aires to be a bus driver when Borbas was young as he has since returned to Montevideo, operating as a taxi driver. Borbas’ career has been a career of chance and opportunity, spending his whole footballing career with River Plate Montevideo as he only spent 2 days with the Reserve Side in the fifth division before being called up to the first team for pre-season. He was with his mother when he received the call that he was promoted to the first-team as he did not even bother carrying clothes when training with the first team as he thought it would be temporary as he would have to call his mother to bring him more clothes and personal things. Borbas has since become a fixture with the first-team, developing into an all-round striking presence, scoring his debut goal against Defensor Sporting last year as he sharp instincts and movements in the box led to him becoming a mainstay with the first-team.

His partnership with Arezo has become a massive part of his career as Borbas has had the opportunity to sharpen his combination play and decision-making in a wide role while Arezo occupies the central spaces, Borbas will tuck inside when Arezo drops deep. Borbas is tall and physically imposing, possessing a fantastic burst of pace as he has all the makings of a high-level striker. In the wide role, he has perfected the craft of running in behind, especially making vertical runs in behind from the wide areas to the central spaces to receive through balls and apply his finishing touch to opportunities. He has the physique to hold off markers and drop deep as well as the pace to stretch defenders with his running in behind as Borbas has had the opportunity to use his experience as a winger to develop into a more well-rounded striker. His hold-up play and vision for passes is excellent while his ball-carrying has grown as he has the movement and instincts to finish opportunities in the box as well as developing into a striker who can create his own opportunities. Arezo has been linked with a move to Atletico Madrid with a European loan which will give Borbas to prove his exploits as a central striker.

When Borbas began to gain minutes, he impressed with his sharp and instinctive movement in the box to score goals while he has since moved to the right flank where his vertical runs have been a constant threat for his team. Against Montevideo Wanderers, Chory Castro threaded a pass into Borbas who made a vertical run in behind from the right flank to receive possession with a poor first touch as he recovered when the ball was momentarily stuck under his foot for the 19-year-old to drive the ball forward and place a strike past the keeper. He had the opportunity to score a second with another phenomenal vertical run in behind Lucas Monzon to a take a better touch than his first and have a lob saved by the goalkeeper. Borbas is intelligent at connecting play as well as making runs into the channels and in behind as he has the size and quick feet to dribble out of tight situations.

In the home match against Montevideo Wanderers, Borbas would come off the bench, managing to get two opportunities on goal in quick succession as for his first, he would cut inside and drive the ball from the left to send a shot straight at the goalkeeper from the top of the box. For the second, he headed a Matias Arezo cross straight at the goalkeeper as the 19-year-old is strong and mobile, moving into the nine-space to receive possession, using his physique to hold the ball before spreading play to the wide areas. Away to Rentistas, Borbas and Arezo would trade positions with the latter receiving possession in the channels and the former making a terrific double-movement to evade his marker, dropping into space before making a circling run around him. Borbas had a difficult task, playing against Joaquin Sosa as the 19-year-old striker was deployed in the centre for the first half before moving back to the flank in the second half.

His first-touch is excellent, receiving the ball to lay-off while also being able to move into the channels and receive possession as he had a moment where he cut inside from the left flank and had a shot saved. He then made a run into the channels, flicked the ball past his marker Sosa to then have an opportunity smothered. Situations like this show why Borbas’ improved ball-carrying allows him to create opportunities for himself as he has the power to hold off defenders in shoulder battles, the turn of pace to surge away from markers as well as the quick feet to dribble out of tight situations to fashion shooting opportunities for himself. The 19-year-old also made one of his trademarked runs from the wide areas to the central areas which was timed perfectly but he never received possession.

At home to Villa Espanola, Borbas was tucking inside from the right flank, making darts into the channels as he was very good at receiving possession and connecting play. The 19-year-old would lay off a pass for a long-range strike for Tiago Galletto to have a shot at goal. He would also lay-off a pass for a teammate to surge into the box and have a shot blocked as he is good at receiving possession in the channels and holding the ball up but his movement inside the box was not sharp enough. His strength and size allow him to win aerial duels while he was moving into space, playing little one-touch passes to facilitate transitions before making runs to the back-post. In the wide areas, he is very good at shouldering his defensive responsibilities, dropping deep to cover and support his fullback as a winger. Due to his responsibilities in the wide areas, his all-round play has grown to a high level as he would drop into space to receive possession before switching the ball before moving into the nine-space to execute a lovely dummy when receiving the ball.

He also has the ability to receive possession with his back to goal to draw fouls before he would would receive possession on the flank to drive the ball forward and have a shot tipped wide. The 19-year-old is capable of creating his own opportunities as well as making intelligent double-movements when he moves into the nine-space. Borbas would drop into space to receive possession and lay the ball off before making one of his phenomenally timed trademarked runs from the flank to the nine-space to get on the end of a cross as he was fouled to win a penalty for his team. He then received possession on the flank to beat his man, using his pace to surge past his marker before using his body to hold off a defender as he squared a cross into the box for Arezo to smash into the side-netting. Borbas’ all-round play is so proficient that he rarely loses the ball, unless he is taking a shot as he received possession on the flank, used his body to hold possession before laying off a pass to a teammate.

The teenage Uruguayan attacker would then surge past a defender, using his ball-carrying to beat a defender with long strides before he was tackled and eventually won a corner. At home to Sud America, would be one of the few times that he played exclusively as a central striker in the past season. After a kick-off, the teenager would receive a lobbed pass by making a vertical run from in between his two centre-backs into the channels where he jumped to take a cushioned first touch with his right foot and fire a strike at the goalkeeper. This has been an area where his first-touch became a more integral part of this game as in the central striker position, it allows him to receive possession from weird angles to have opportunities on goal. The 19-year-old would also show brilliant movement in the box, positioning himself in the left half-space, backing away from his centre-back partner and positioning himself in his blind-side as once the ball was played into the wide areas, the attacker made a dart in front of his defender to towards the near post which was his opposite post as he then backtracked about three steps to find himself in a pocket of space where a cross to him was cleared.

The 19-year-old dropped deep to receive possession in his own half after a turnover, he turned and rolled the past an opposition player before holding off another opposition player to play a pass to a teammate to facilitate a counter-attack. He would then show more impeccable movement, after a turnover in his own half, surging forward with a straight run, engaging his centre-back marker while the ball was progressing on his left as he took a few steps inside the opposition box where he made a run to the near left post to receive a cross as his movement was timed a second too late for the delivery as the ball rolled in front of him for a teammate to finish at the back-post. It is also important to notice that he engaged the back-post defender’s attention with his movement which allowed his teammate an extra second of time and an extra yard of space to ghost into the back-post to apply the finish. The 19-year-old would then win an aerial duel from a goal-kick to flick-on to a teammate to instigate a quick attacking move.

Borbas then moved into the right half-space to receive possession and roll a delicate pass to a runner in the central spaces as his mobility and combination play can disorient a defence from the central striking position. The 19-year-old would then show more hold-up play when receiving possession from a throw-in with a back to goal and a defender on his back to use his physique to turn away from his marker to earn a yard of space as he worked a back-pass to a teammate who was unable to control the ball. Borbas’ size and mobility also allow him to be effective in pressing the ball as well as defending as he would be pressing from the left in a flat 4-4-2 shape, chasing a pass back to force a pass into the wide areas as an opposition player tried to play a back-pass but Borbas was closing down the passing lane to make an interception.

Borbas would then be able to win a penalty with his physique and ball-carrying, receiving possession in the channels as he would make a perfectly timed run in between a highly-placed fullback and a centre-back to receive possession while using his body to hold onto possession before using a turn of pace to burst to the by-line and cut inside his marker as he drove into the box as the 19-year-old was fouled. The 19-year-old made another run into the channels to receive possession and play a delicate pass to a teammate making a run into the channels. He then fashioned his own shooting opportunity, controlling a lobbed pass with his chest to use his left foot to skip past a marker as he sent a strike over the bar from range. The young striker received possession in the channels to stand up his fullback, roll the ball back and thread a well-weighted pass for a teammate to poke the ball past the goalkeeper and have a shot cleared away from goal by an opposition defender.

Borbas is so confident and authoritative when he receives possession in the channels as his decision-making is impeccable, being able to create opportunities for himself and teammates as this is one of the areas of his game that has come to the fore with his experience as a winger. The 19-year-old received a clearance in the right channel to hold-up possession and lay-off to a teammate. His combination proved pivotal when he received a clearance to nod down a lay-off to a teammate before making a run in behind as he received a lobbed pass by controlling it with his outstretched right leg, taking it in stride as he had a 1v1 with the opposition goalkeeper as he poked his opportunity straight at the keeper instead of placing his shot. It should have been a certain goal for the 19-year-old as if he showed more poise and calm, it would have been an easier opportunity to score as the goalkeeper was well-positioned but had already committed to one side when Borbas raised his leg to shoot as the attacker could have faked a shot and rolled the ball into an empty net or taken more care in placing his shot.

Borbas would squander another 1v1 opportunity, making a perfectly timed run in behind as the player in possession took too long to make the pass but Borbas showed great awareness in maintaining his position in the last line of the defence and forcefully gesticulating for the ball as he made the run in behind and finally received possession as his first touch was poor, dragging him away from the goal as fired the ball just wide of the far post as it was another phenomenal goalscoring opportunity for him. Out of possession, in a low block, Borbas would look to push forward and apply the press as a back-pass would be played to the opposition’s deepest-lying midfielder for Borbas to attack his blind-side and make a tackle to regain possession. In the defensive phase, after another turnover he would receive possession to spread the ball to the left flank as he would make a run forward before dropping into space when a teammate in the zone behind him received possession before moving into the half-space and side-stepping back into the nine-space where he was in ample space while a teammate had the ball on the right flank to lob a shot over the keeper and into goal.

The 19-year-old chested down a lob after a turnover to surge forward and drive into the opposition box where he had drove a shot into the arms of the goalkeeper at the near post. Borbas then received possession in the right channel where he laid off the ball to a teammate to instigate an attacking move. In the final game of the season against Uruguayan giants, Nacional, Borbas made a run from the right flank to the centre to receive a pass from Arezo and apply the finish at the near post. He then won an aerial duel on the right flank as he tucked inside while Arezo dropped deep as he would eventually ghost into the nine-space before possession was lost. He received possession from a throw-in to work a one-two before having a cross caught by the goalkeeper. His movement, especially when the ball was on the opposite flank or when Arezo dropped deep was impeccable as he would move next to his strike-partner, allowing him to drop deep while finding pockets of space in the opposition box. In the second-half, he dropped deeper to receive possession and thread a pass in between the lines to Arezo in the nine-space.

Borbas is in the early stages of becoming a well-rounded striker, capable of stretching and manipulating opposition defences with a wide array of movement and tactical intelligence. His mastery of vertical runs, long and short, from the nine-space to the wide areas or from the wide areas to the nine-space is impressive. As a central striker, he frequently darts from the nine-space to the channels to receive possession and connect play, having the dribbling ability and decision-making to create shooting opportunities or chances for teammates while also simply holding up the ball to facilitate attacking transitions. As a winger, he has mastered the art of ghosting into the central spaces from the wide areas, either with quick darts to receive passes in behind or more gradually to occupy space and utilize subtle little movements to get into position for deliveries. This gives the 19-year-old a lot of range as a central striker being able to occupy a variety of positions in the front line and show intelligent movement to get into position for high quality deliveries.

He also possesses the essential two-way ability of dropping deep to receive possession as well as having the turn of pace to make well-timed runs in behind. His knowledge of assessing the defensive-line has come from developing his ability to make runs from the wide areas to the central spaces as he is aware of his positioning and the positioning of the defensive line. His ball-carrying allows him to receive possession in a wide variety of areas to manoeuvre out of space to ease transition and it also allows him to create shooting opportunities for himself in the final third. Even when he receives possession in the deeper areas he has the physique to hold the ball up, the quick feet to weave away from defenders and the passing range to play shorter lay-offs or longer switch balls.

In terms of his defensive ability, the 19-year-old has the size and mobility to be an effective pressing player, he can close passing lanes to make interceptions while in 1v1 situations he can win possession. His experience in the wide areas have increased his aptitude for defensive work as he is capable of dropping back to make tackles and force interceptions while he can operate in a higher line, applying pressure to regain possession as well as in a lower block where he can close down passing lanes and look to push forward with the use of pressing triggers. It is also important that in the press when he is beaten, and the opposition move the ball into the next line, he will chase the ball to win possession while also looking to close down passing lanes to make interceptions as Borbas possesses a lot of defensive potential.

Borbas will need to improve his finishing, especially the placing of his shots as he tends to direct a lot of his shots straight at the goalkeeper instead of being more diligent with directing opportunities into a higher percentage area of the goal. In 1v1 situations, he will need to be calmer with using his eyes to manipulate the keeper while also looking to place his opportunities while also taking better touches to drive at goal. With shots from tight angles, he will to need to look up to assess if he can place opportunities in other areas of the goal besides the near post while with more practice, he could become a much cleaner finisher. In terms of crosses, Borbas has shown the potential to develop into a near post finisher with his intelligence for vertical movement while he could be more commanding when finishing headers as there have been situations where he has ducked below heading opportunities in the box.

“Cavani, Suarez and Forlan are a reference for me. In the world, I like Lautaro Martinez, Haaland, Lewandowski, but I always stick with Suarez and Cavani, they have Uruguayan blood and tremendous dedication. The attitude is not negotiated,” said Borbas in an interview with Marcelo Decaux from El Observador from February last year.

Borbas has a contract until December 2023 as with Arezo likely to move with the 19-year-old taking up a central striking role, he should begin to become one of the leading strikers in Uruguay. He will be a cost-effective option with a lot of opportunity for growth in the summer transfer window as could be an option for many clubs. The New York Red Bulls could be an option with their high-pressing style and use of a two-striker system as Borbas would be a brilliant replacement for the recently-departed Fabio. If Feyenoord sell Robert Bozenik in the summer, Borbas will prove to be a fantastic replacement as he would suit Arne Slot’s style, stretching the opposition as a striker. Bundesliga teams like Eintracht Frankfurt, Stuttgart and Mainz could utilize a multi-functional and collaborative attacking presence like Borbas as they have all developed a track-record for developing attacking talent. Hamburg in the German 2nd Division would also be a good move for Borbas as Tim Walter would be able to utilize his movement, combination play in transition and ability to receive possession in between the lines. Brighton and Hove Albion could sign him and loan him to one of the aforementioned teams or their feeder team, Union Saint Gallen to develop him as a long-term attacking presence while Brentford could do the same as he has the potential to develop into a Premier League striker before the age of 25. Tracking Borbas’ development over the next year will provide an interesting sub-plot to the Uruguayan Primera Division.