Neicer Acosta – Independiente Juniors’ multi-functional wide prospect
Neicer Acosta has long been one of the most highly regarded attacking players at Independiente Del Valle as he was a part of their U20 Copa Libertadores team and has already gained minutes with the first team. He came through the academy as a natural winger, holding the touchline while having the ability in 1v1s to beat markers and create opportunities for himself and teammates. However, under Felipe Mateos Sanchez with Independiente Juniors, he had the ability to move inside and receive possession in the central positions to show the potential for a well-rounded skillset becoming a more multi-faceted attacker with a treasure trove of tools in his arsenal.
Acosta would receive possession in the central spaces, showing an impeccable first touch in tight spaces as well as having the vision to attempt through balls into runners in behind as well as the passing range to switch possession to the opposite flank and stretch the pitch. He has a phenomenal ball-carrying and dribbling ability which is more impressive when he receives possession in the central spaces, having the potential to glide past players and drive the ball deep into the opposition half. However, the same issues persist as when he was in U20 Copa Libertadores as he needs to improve on knowing when to release the ball as he can carry possession into blind alleys or embark on a mazy run to lose possession with poor decision making. As his season with Independiente Juniors progressed, he showed potential as a deadly free-kick taker striking shots at goal from a variety of angles with incredible precision. His ability to be effective after regaining possession in the pressing phase is another facet of his game as he can surge into the box to create a shooting opportunity for himself or have the vision to work a pass to a teammate to create an opportunity.
Away to Atletico Porteno, he would exhibit his ability as a turnover specialist, closing down an opposition midfielder in the six-space to regain possession and burst through on goal to place a shot under the keeper where it was saved to follow up with a tap-in to score. Acosta would then receive a lobbed pass in behind on the left flank where he would control the ball for a 1v1 with an opposition defender as he executed an immaculate flick over the defender’s head to cut-back a cross for a teammate’s header to be blocked. Acosta created another opportunity when he received possession after a turnover in the opposition half to play a one-touch through ball for Renny Sinisterra to send a shot wide. He received a switch on the left flank to play a cute slide-rule pass for a teammate to have a shot smothered by the goalkeeper.
In the next game, Neicer Acosta would prove his vision for through balls when he intercepted a cross in his own box to drive the ball forward before before twisting and turning from a defender to thread a through ball to Sinisterra with his weaker left foot for the striker to win a foul. The 19-year-old’s ability to tuck inside and operate from the central spaces was exceptional as he also received possession in the left half-space to take a touch and lob a pass to the wing-back on the flank. In another away game, he showcased his ball-carrying ability, receiving possession in his own half, under pressure to skip past his marker to burst into the opposition half to attempt another dribble before poking a pass to a teammate in the opposition half. The 19-year-old then received a switched pass to the left flank where he cut inside and played a pass into the centre to facilitate a switch ball.
In the second-half, he received possession to drive the ball into the opposition box while holding off a defender to have a shot tipped wide of the far post by the goalkeeper. Acosta’s dribbling allows him to be proficient in 1v1s on the flank as he has become more and more two footed, utilizing his weaker left foot to dribble, shoot and cross with efficiency. When he is deployed as a left winger, he has the ability to stretch the pitch by cutting inside and switching possession to the opposite flank. He employed this routine in an away game to switch the ball to Anthony Valencia. He then received possession while hugging the left touchline to try a turn of pace, leaving the ball behind before shielding possession to weave past two players before playing a low cross to the near post with his left foot which was cleared.
Acosta showed his aptitude for defensive work when he dropped back to win possession and drive the ball forward to thread a pass into the middle to start a counter-attack. The 19-year-old received possession from Liberman Torres in the centre of the pitch to drive the ball past one marker and surge into the opposition half before he was fouled to win a free-kick on the edge of the opposition box. Acosta’s potential to be a threat from a natural winger role and in the central role is one of the more intriguing aspects of his game as in another game, he would tuck in from the central spaces to receive possession from Valencia to flick for his wing-back to have a shot on goal. The 19-year-old would then have a free-kick saved from the left flank. He had another situation where he lobbed a pass for Sinisterra on the counter-attack.
The young Ecuadorian attacker would receive possession in the eight space to drive the ball forward by skipping past a marker before surging past another opposition defender to drive into the box and have a shot cannon off the post. Acosta would receive possession near his own box to then play a precise deep line-breaking pass to Sinisterra in order to start a counter. The 19-year-old showed his immense ball-carrying again when he received a lay-off on the left flank from Sinisterra to surge past three opposition players as he was fouled deep in the opposition half. In the next game, Acosta would win possession in the press by making a block to flick the ball past a defender before shielding the ball and winning a foul. The 19-year-old would then receive possession in the centre of the pitch to hold the ball and thread a pass through the lines for his teammate to have a shooting opportunity.
Acosta is an intelligent presser while having the attitude of instantly looking to regain possession once he loses the ball as the Ecuadorian attacker would lose possession, before swarming a defender waspishly to regain possession as he drove forward and sent a shot wide. He would tuck inside again to receive possession before switching the ball to the opposite flank for the right winger to have a 1v1 opportunity against his fullback. He had a 1v1 opportunity of his own when he received possession on the weak side after a break to curl a strike wide of the far post. The 19-year-old moved to the side of his stronger foot on the right flank to receive possession and loft a brilliant cross onto the forehead of a teammate who headed over the bar from a good position. He received possession on the right flank in a counter-attacking situation to cut inside and loft another switch ball to the opposite flank as the wing-back on the weak side had a 1v1 opportunity, but he was tackled.
The 19-year-old received possession in a 1v1 opportunity as he stood his fullback up and drove to the by-line where he played a low cross into the box which was grasped by the goalkeeper. Acosta then received possession after a turnover to thread a through ball into a runner in behind who was closed down by the goalkeeper for the young Ecuadorian attacker to receive possession again as he switched the ball to the opposite flank. He received possession in the central areas where he held possession before adjusting his body to thread a pass to the ten space as he received possession again before he lost the ball. Acosta is such a mulit-faceted attacker that he can operate as a natural winger, cutting inside and driving his fullback to the flank in 1v1s while also instigating connections in the central spaces.
Acosta would receive possession in between the lines to drive the ball in the centre, shielding possession from two opposition players before a defender would nip at his heel but the winger would still manage to switch possession to the opposite flank. He tucked inside off the right flank to receive possession and thread an accurate through ball to Sinisterra making a run in behind, but the pass was just too heavy for the striker to do anything with it. In another home game, Acosta would show his pressing aptitude to regain possession with a tackle before he received possession on the right flank to weave into the centre and play an outside of the boot pass in between the lines to evade pressure. In the defensive phase, Acosta would be covering for his left wing-back as a switch was played over his head for the 19-year-old attacker to make a brilliant tackle.
In an away game, he received possession in between the lines again, using his body to shield the ball from a defender as he drove the ball to the flank while shielding possession to hold off his marker before spinning past a defender and driving into the box for a shot to be deflected out for a corner. Acosta received possession in between the lines again, this time in the eight space to swivel past one player as he drove the ball forward to thread a pass in between two defenders to work a one-two with the striker to receive possession again before cutting past a midfielder and laying a pass off to Valencia who drove the ball forward as Acosta moved into the ten space to receive possession but had his pass blocked. Acosta is such an anomaly as an attacker as few attackers can dribble and carry the ball at the volume and intensity he does while few attackers have the vision and range of passing that he does.
The 19-year-old received possession in between the lines again to allow the ball to roll across his body before pushing the ball forward and blasting a strike over the bar with his stronger right foot. He received possession in the eight space again to skip past a defender and spread a pass to the left flank before receiving possession again and trying to work a deep vertical pass back into the centre which was intercepted. Acosta had a goalscoring opportunity when he received possession on the left flank to cut inside with the ball on the outside of his right foot and send a shot just wide of the far post. In the next game, he received possession in the right half-space to play a through ball to a striker who surged into the box and had a shot saved.
Acosta has the frenetic and high-intensity style of play that will allow him to succeed in high level football while in the last season, he built his multi-faceted skillset, being able to play on both flanks and in the central positions. He has an astonishing energy for pressing as once he regains possession, he has the vision and ball-carrying to create an opportunity for himself or for a teammate as this makes him a threat from pressing situations. Playing on the left flank, he is skilled in dribbling and cutting inside to fashion opportunities for himself as he has shown the potential to curl opportunities in at the far post. He will need to improve this aspect of his finishing as he will have a lot of sequences in the future where he dribbles but will need to show more poise to apply the finish. On the right flank, he can drive fullbacks to the by-line to cross the ball or stand up his fullback to lob a cross as well as having the vision to slide through balls into the box to create opportunities. In the centre, he can receive possession in between the lines, using his ball-carrying, vision and combination play to carry the ball to work connections and be conduit for transition.
It is rare to see a winger who can do the multitude of things that he can do as well as operate in the multitude of positions he can operate in. If he was to be promoted to Renato Paiva’s first-team where they utilize a three centre-back system, Acosta could easily operate as the deeper central striker, receiving the ball in between the lines while also making runs into the channels. The 19-year-old could improve at playing with his weaker left foot as he can shoot, pass and cross with his left foot as this will help him when he is playing on the right flank as he will be able to have option to drive his defender to the by-line or cut inside on his left foot. In terms of his dribbling, he will need to improve his decision-making, especially after he launches his mazy runs as there are too many times where he loses possession despite the distance he has carried the ball. He will need to add some efficiency to his game in ironing out the rough edges of his decision making as improving on this aspect of his game could make him an elite attacker for years to come.
Acosta may not have the opportunity to move into the first-team with the system they play, or he could be utilized as a wing-back which may not give him the opportunity to utilize the full extent of his attacking capabilities. A move to Arne Slot’s Feyenoord may give him the perfect opportunity to refine his game as an attacker as with the overlapping fullbacks allowing him to tuck inside and connect play in that system, he could thrive. It is integral that he moves to a developmental league like the Eredivisie, Belgian Jupiler League or French Ligue 1 to fully enhance his attacking and defensive capabilities. Bordeaux would be a good place for him to make the step up while Portuguese clubs like Familicao or Vizela would also provide a good stepping stone for the 19-year-old. In Ecuador with a revitalized belief in youth football, Acosta could be a bargain available on the market.
