Martín Villaroel -Santiago Wanderers’ bustling midfield dynamo

Martin Villaroel is one of a new generation of Chilean players whose fathers had storied careers in the country like Colo Colo’s Vicente Pizarro with his father, Jaime and Universidad Catolica’s Bruno Barticiotto with his father, Marcelo. Villaroel’s father, Moises, is a legend of Chilean football, especially with Santiago Wanderers as the younger Villaroel was coached by his father at U19 level while he made his debut as an 18-year-old in 2019. In a season where Santiago Wanderers suffered relegation to the Chilean Second Division, the club still utilized youngsters from the academy, with Villaroel being a commanding stalwart at the base of midfield throughout the season.

Villaroel is a vertical player, possessing energy and an astonishing mobility to cover ground and space at the base of midfield, shuttling back and forth to close down markers to make tackles and win possession while in the pressing phase, he shoulders his man-marking responsibilities with diligence, closing down players and winning possession to put his side on the front foot. In possession, the 20-year-old will look to keep things simple in possession, looking to play the ball on his first or second touch with quick passes while he especially thrives at vertical passing sequences, being able to progress play by working passes into the next line to move into space to receive possession again to receive possession and quick one-touch passing sequences in order to facilitate transition.

At home to Universidad de Chile, he would show this by lobbing a one-touch pass over the opposition defence and into the path of Felipe Alvarado who would square a cross for an attacker to attempt a flick at goal which was missed. The 20-year-old would move possession in a quick one-touch fashion again when he received possession in the six-space to allow the ball to roll across his body before playing a one-touch pass into the next line as he received a lay-off to play another pass to the nine-space. Defensively, he mostly excels in the pressing phase and the counter-pressing phase, showing an excellent sense of danger to position himself phenomenally or strong anticipation and mobility to charge into a situation to make an interception or win a tackle. He would make an interception in the counter-press with an opposition player closing him down and looking to regain possession as Villaroel would calmly swivel out of the challenge before diverting the ball from another opposition defender to play a pass into the next line.

The 20-year-old then made another counter-pressing interception when his team had a cross deflected out of the opposition box for Villaroel to stride forward from deep, covering ground before rising to head the ball out of the path of an opposition player to prevent the opposition from being able to break on the counter-attack. At home to Audax Italiano, in possession, Villaroel showed his ability to skip past markers and play the ball forward as he always positioned himself perfectly to sweep up possession. One of his gifts is being able to move possession quickly once he regains the ball, swivelling out of pressure and playing the ball forward to push his side forward. Villaroel’s ability in the counter-press is further underlined by a relentless attitude to regaining possession as in one particular instance, his side lost possession for the 20-year-old to push up against the first man and then continue applying pressure when the ball was played to the second man as he continued to press when the ball was played to the third man as he eventually hemmed the opposition player by the touchline to regain possession.

He then slid to intercept a cross before regaining possession with a brilliant tackle by the touchline. This match was an exhibition of the 20-year-old’s defensive prowess as his side came back from a 2-0 deficit to draw the game in the dying minutes of added time. Villaroel would stretch to win the ball in midfield while also making an interception from a goal-kick as the young Chilean was impeccably calm in covering space to win possession as it was even more impressive that he managed to do it effectively, conceding few fouls. The 20-year-old’s positioning was also very sound in the counter-press, covering for opposition players while covering spaces when Santiago Wanderers were in their defensive shape while being constantly in the right position to regain possession. Villaroel is also selfless in the way he puts his body on the line to make tackles as he made two well-timed tackles as in another situation, he slid in for an opposition player to kick a lump out of him.

He would slide to win possession at the edge of his own box while he had a situation where he was the last man in a counter-attack and won possession. He also managed to utilize his mobility to cover for teammates, chasing down markers as his pressing and energy was phenomenal but so was his ball-carrying and passing connections in possession. He received possession in the centre of the pitch to work a pass to a tucked in Alvarado as the midfielder would receive possession again to thread a pass in behind for a teammate. Away to La Serena, Villaroel continued to show that he is a master of regaining possession, using his physique and long legs to muscle an opposition player out of possession and regain the ball cleanly in midfield before skipping past a player to spread a pass into the wide areas.

Out of possession, the 20-year-old covered a lot of ground, pushing up in the pressing and counter-pressing phase, holding the six-space and making movements into the wide areas to cover passing lanes. He would then lob a pass into the channels as he is better when he can move the ball in quick one-touch passing connections rather than spending time on the ball and being forced to pick the perfect pass. He also managed to cover for his fullbacks, making quality interceptions as he was on a yellow card as it was also difficult for him to be the solitary defensive midfielder as he can rush out of positions to make tackles and get beaten which will leave the rest of his defence vulnerable. Away to Huachipato, Villaroel would receive possession after a turnover to skip past an opposition attacker before driving the ball forward to cut-back and roll the ball to a teammate in the next line.

Villaroel was perfectly positioned in the six-space to cover a passing lane and win an aerial duel with header to regain possession for his side before he pushed forward from his position to slide and make a well-timed challenge for his side to regain possession. The 20-year-old would hold off an opposition attacker to control the ball and work a pass to a teammate as his team would lose possession in the opposition half for Villaroel to be perfectly positioned to make an interception and play the ball to the flank. There was a sequence where a line-breaking pass was played to an opposition attacker behind him for Villaroel to cover the space and to make a clean tackle and play the ball to the wide areas for the right-back to burst forward on the counter.

At home to Deportivo Antagofagasta, as his side were in the pressing phase, Villaroel was positioned in a defensive midfield role but was still positioned perfectly to make an interception on a loose pass before playing a pass to the nine-space. The 20-year-old would receive possession from the left flank where he would play a one-touch pass in between the lines to Matias Marin. A pass was played to an opposition player in behind for Villaroel to recover and make another clean tackle to regain possession and prevent the opposition from having an opportunity on goal. After a turnover, Villaroel would show great poise to receive possession while an opposition attacker pushed up to close him down to swivel out of pressure and lob a penetrative pass into the channels.

In a counter-pressing situation, he would nudge an opponent off the ball to cleanly win possession in the opposition half. In the possession phase, he would receive possession in the six-space to take a touch and turn before playing the ball into the next line as he moved into space to receive the ball before spreading a pass to the wide areas. He then received possession in the opposition half to take a touch and thread an accurate pass in between the lines to the ten space as he would continue to show his ability for penetrative passes when he allowed the ball to roll across his body to thread a pass in between the lines. Villaroel is so efficient when he can move the ball quickly with one or two passes as he can stretch the pitch while being progressive or vertical with his distribution as if it is the latter, he will move into space to receive possession again.

Villaroel is the embodiment of modern day fast-paced football while his defensive ability makes him an underrated asset in Chilean football. His ability to cover ground and regain possession as regularly and efficiently as he does it makes him an intriguing prospect. He is not a deep-lying metronomic passer as he would struggle in and out of possession as the solitary pivote as he would thrive in a double-pivot, as a deeper-lying defensive player with a more technical player next to him or as a box-to-box ball-winner. His ability to win possession in the press and counter-press means that he should be allowed to push forward to win interceptions while he has adequate passing ability to recycle the ball effectively. The 20-year-old’s directional first touch and calm on the ball are some of his greatest strengths as he utilizes a low centre of gravity to swivel and turn effectively. He could improve in playing the ball forward once he wins possession and looking to create opportunities while if he is deployed as a box-to-box midfielder, it would be pertinent for him to develop his ability to make runs into the box and apply finishes.

With Santiago Wanderers being relegated, they present a treasure trove of undervalued low-cost young talent for MLS, South American and European teams. Villaroel would be a good piece of business for the New York Red Bulls with their high-pressing and vertical style being the perfect place for him to grow as the team have also lost some players in midfield this season. In Europe, Mainz and Eintracht Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga would be a suitable step up for him as Villaroel’s style was tailor-made for the Bundesliga. Hamburg, SSV Jahn Regensburg or Schalke in the Bundesliga 2 would also be a good landing spot for him as at Hamburg, he could develop into a Wataru Endo-type for Tim Walter at Hamburg. Villaroel could also move to a mid-table club in the Portuguese Primeira Liga or a team in the Spanish Segunda Division as the 20-year-old has the potential to be a key bargain on this market.