Matias Marin – Santiago Wanderers’ left-footed midfield conduit
Matias Marin has been with Santiago Wanderers since the age of 11, rising through the academy ranks to make his first-team debut when he was 18 in 2018 as his side were in the Chilean Second Division. He would then be a starter in a team that were promoted to the Chilean Primera Division the next year as he has continued to be a starter in a season where his team were relegated as he has already been subject of interest from Universidad de Chile and other Chilean clubs. The 22-year-old managed to score 3 goals and lay on 5 assists, alternating in between a deeper-lying and attacking midfield role on a young team with an average of 24.
Chile has a wealth of talented young midfielders at reasonable prices as Marcelino Nunez is one of the more intriguing midfield prospects while Victor Mendez has the potential to be a steal at $2 million. Marin has shown that he has too much talent to spend a year in the Chilean Second Division while he will be available for a cheaper price with a contract that expired at the end of last year. The 22-year-old normally plays as a press-resistant deeper-lying midfielder as he has an impeccable first touch to skip past players by changing direction when he receives the ball, he loves to move into the half-spaces to connect play while his penetrative passing is exceptional. In the opposition half, he is capable of receiving possession in between the lines and being a chance creator with through balls and lobbed deliveries into the box.
At home to Universidad de Chile, he would latch onto a deflection from a Felipe Alvarado cross into the box to calmly skip past a defender before he directed a rolled shot past the keeper and into the far corner of the goal to open the scoring. In the pressing phase, he would show his ability to cover space and win possession as his team were defending in a 4-1-4-1 medium block for Marin to push up and make a tackle when the ball was played into his zone. In the defensive phase, he would slide across to the left flank to make another tackle on Junior Fernandes to regain possession for his side. In a similar situation, he was tucking inside to cover space from the right flank to push up and engage his marker before making another tackle, showing his mobility as he can cover ground in the defensive phase as well as pushing up to regain possession in the pressing phase.
However, one of Marin’s greatest strength is his creative industry from deep and the way in which he utilizes his first touch to direct the ball away from opposition defenders, so he can connect play in the build-up phase or create opportunities in the attacking phase. On the right flank, he would control a high ball perfectly with his left foot to drive into the centre, prodding the ball forward before lobbing a majestic pass for a runner at the far post as the goalkeeper had to leave his goal-line to clear the ball. The 22-year-old would receive possession again on the right flank to lob another pass for a runner in the channel for a counter. After a turnover, he received possession in the deeper midfield area to ping a switch pass onto the flank to instigate a counter-attacking move.
Away to Huachipato, the midfielder would be retreating from an attacking position to make a sliding challenge to regain possession in the defensive phase. The 22-year-old received possession in the eight space with an opposition player over his shoulder, using his directional first touch to drive the ball inside and away from his marker before moving the ball to the outside of his boot to skip past one opposition player while he used his low centre of gravity to shield the ball before pinging a switch pass into the box which was intercepted. Marin would use his directional first touch to evade a marker for the second time in the deeper areas of the pitch when he received possession facing the flank, orienting his body like he was about to allow the ball to roll across his body to swivel but he pushed the ball forward with his first touch to drive the ball into the opposition half and work a pass with the outside of his boot for a teammate who was offside.
He then showed his ability to receive possession in between the lines, dropping into space to receive a pass before holding the ball to attract two markers as he threaded a perfectly weighted pass to the ten space on the half-turn. At home to Deportivo Antofagasta, he received possession in the eight space to lob a pass into the channels for a teammate to have a high-quality crossing opportunity. Marin’s impeccable first touch, ability to hold possession and carry the ball away from opposition markers allows him to facilitate transition in one or two touches as this is one of the facets of his game that make him such an intriguing prospect as a deeper-lying midfielder. He would utilize one of his manoeuvres to shield the possession from a marker while allowing the ball to roll across his body to thread a penetrative pass to the nine-space before making a run behind the striker.
He then received possession in between the lines to work an outside of the boot pass for Alvarado to play a cross into the box. In the opposition half, the 22-year-old tends to linger at the top of the box, patiently waiting for a pass from the flank or a deflection from a cross as this is where he has the majority of his shooting opportunities from. He received possession, to skip past a defender before driving a tame shot at goal. He received possession in the eight space to play another pass in between the lines before making an interception in midfield to surge forward and play a through ball for a teammate who mis controlled and was unable to get a shot on goal.
Away to Nublense, Marin would push forward to win possession in the counter-press and spread the ball to the flank before stretching to receive possession in between the lines to draw three opposition players and thread a pass to the ten space. Marin is wonderful at orchestrating approach play with his progressive one-touch passes and his ability to manoeuvre in tight spaces as the 22-year-old would receive possession from a lay-off in the build-up phase to play a one-touch pass into the channels to instigate a counter-attack. He also possesses potential as a set-piece threat when he lobbed a free-kick into the box for a header on goal. After a turnover, he received possession in between the lines to thread another ball to the ten space.
However, Marin’s greatest avenue for creating opportunities is lobbed passes into the box as he received possession in the deeper areas after a turnover to swivel and lob an accurate pass into the box for a striker making a run in behind to receive possession as he was unable to beat his man to get a shot away. The 22-year-old then allowed his team to evade pressure when he took a fantastic first touch to turn away from his man before working a pass into the next line as he received possession again to hold possession and thread a pass for a runner in the channels. Marin would then have a phenomenal lobbed pass assist when he played a precisely chipped ball from his own half to an attacker making a run in behind to dribble the keeper and apply the finish. He had a second assist when he cut-back a free-kick to a teammate who struck home from the top of the box to put his side in the lead.
Marin is a left-footed deep-lying playmaker as his first touch when receiving the ball under pressure is impeccable and allows him to weave out of tight situations while he has the vision to play precise line-breaking passes in between the central lines or through balls into the channels. However, he can be too confident on the ball, holding possession and being tackled, losing possession in crucial areas while he can also have some passes intercepted by looking to thread the ball through congested areas. Defensively, he can cover space to make tackles in the press and counter-press while if he is positioned well in the defensive phase then he is able to make interceptions. There is also the possibility of playing him as an attacking midfielder as he is able to receive possession in between the lines, move into the half-spaces to connect play while also being a pivotal chance creator with through balls and lobbed passes from the half-spaces.
Marin’s contract expired at the end of last year as a club trying to sign him will only have to pay a $150,000 developmental fee to Santiago Wanderers as Universidad de Chile and O’Higgins have already expressed an interest in him. The 22-year-old is a gem who could be an option for an Eredivisie club like Heerenveen as well as a Portuguese Primeira Division club and Belgian Jupiler Pro club. MLS and Liga MX teams should also be interested as this is a young player on the market who could attract a considerable level of resale value in a few years. It will be intriguing to see which club signs Marin as he is a player that has high-level talent but is available for a cheap fee.
