Lucas Roman – Ferro Carril Oeste’s attacking prodigy

18-year-old, Lucas Roman has quickly become one of the most sought-after talents in Argentina despite never playing in the Argentine Primera Division and only making his professional debut in February this year, against Quilmes. He signed his first professional contract in mid-2020 before his 16th birthday with his parents present as Ferro Carril Oeste had to tie him down due to interest from European teams. Roman has been a fixture for Argentina at youth level, being a regular with Pablo Aimar’s U15 side while he has been a regular call-up for Javier Mascherano’s U20 side. Roman has recently signed a contract until the end of 2023 as he will be the subject of interest of clubs at home and abroad as he continues to gain experience at Argentine youth level and in the Primera Nacional.

Roman is deployed as a left-footed right winger as he is compact in size, being short but possessing a well-built physique which allows him to twist and turn out of tight situations while he can change direction to skip past markers, engaging in long lung-busting ball-carrying sequences. At 18, he already possesses a savviness and intelligence for movement, releasing the ball and moving to occupy spaces in between the wide zone and half-space to receive the ball, work passing combinations to create shooting opportunities for himself and teammates. His ball-carrying can be meshed with a phenomenal eye for through balls to runners while he is intelligent at dribbling to create shooting opportunities. Roman is intelligent at angling his body to receive the ball on the half-turn, utilizing elaborate feints to receive possession and evade his first man while he is also skilled at using his body to shield the ball. The 18-year-old can make interceptions in the defensive phase to drive the ball forward and lead the counter while he can also receive possession in between the lines and connect play.

At home to Agropecuario, he tucked into the deeper areas, occupying the eight space where he received possession to shield the ball and spin away from a tackle before laying the ball off to a centre-back. The 18-year-old tucked inside from the right flank to the eight space once more, receiving possession to skip past one defender, shielding the ball from a second defender before driving the ball further into the centre to lay the ball off for a teammate in a deeper area. He had another moment where he exhibited strength, technique and quick feet to hold possession in a tight space when he used his body to outmuscle an opposition defender and control a lobbed pass, using his first touch to poke the ball away from a defender before skipping past a third defender to spread the ball to the right flank. In a counter-attacking situation, Roman received the ball in the nine-space with three defenders surrounding him, using his body to shield the ball from one defender, changing directions to skip past a second defender as he skipped past a third to generate some space for himself and hold the ball up before attempting a through ball that was intercepted.

The best dribblers and ball-carriers in football mesh their ability to use their body to shield defenders as well as quick feet and lethal changes of directions to evade a glut of markers at a time as at the tender age of 18, Roman has already acquired this skill. In a positional play situation, Roman tucked into the right half-space as an attacker in his vertical line dropped deep, dragging midfielders with him to create a pocket of space which the teenager would cleverly move into, receiving possession in the ten space to take a touch and thread a through ball for an attacker to drive into the box but the receiver of the ball had a terrible first touch. During a throw-in situation, he moved to the right half-space, making an intelligent well-timed run into the box to receive a through ball as he had a low cross to an attacker in the six-space blocked. Roman is impressively perceptive at analysing angles and runs to play through balls as well as analysing angles to receive through balls as he could hone this facet of his game to develop into both a creator and finisher.

In wide interchanges or central attacker interchanges, Roman is intuitive with his blind-sided movements and unmarking movements as he can create space for himself to drop into a pocket to receive possession, looking to connect play while he can also look to penetrate and create opportunities with his movement in between the lines. The 18-year-old would tuck into the half-space, where he would face possession before switching his body shape to the half-turn to make a run as his teammate was driving forward with possession as he did not receive possession so he side-stepped into a pocket of space as a pass was played into a teammate in his zone as he was in the perfect position to receive a one-touch pass in between the lines, as he attempted to play a one-touch pass back which was intercepted. Roman would score a goal in his next sequence, receiving possession in the central spaces, opening his body and curling a strike past the goalkeeper. Moments later, he nearly scored a similar goal, receiving possession in the half-space, driving the ball towards the centre to curl a shot agonizingly wide of the far post.

At the beginning of the second half, he played the ball back to a teammate after holding the ball up on the touchline, moving into space to receive possession, driving the ball forward to work a pass to a teammate in between the lines, receiving a lay-off to play another line-breaking pass which was intercepted. Roman tucked into the half-space to receive possession in between the lines, operating in the deeper areas in the 8 space, receiving possession to work a pass to a teammate while he was fouled as he then occupied a pocket of space in the half-space and did not receive possession. He moved back to the left flank, receiving possession and cutting inside to evade his fullback, threading a through ball for a runner in the channels before receiving a lay-off as he played a one-touch pass to the wide areas while being tackled.

At home to Atlanta, he received possession on the right flank, near the touchline, to play a one-touch pass for his fullback in the central spaces. In the opposition half, he played a back-pass from the wide areas before moving into the half-space to receive possession once more, laying off another pass before moving into the ten space. The attacker can also link play together and be a creative force on the counter as a pass was lofted to him, deep in his own half, as he chested the ball down and played a lobbed pass forward for an attacker to surge forward to send a shot over the bar. In a defensive situation, Roman would retreat to make an interception and play a one-touch line-breaking pass to a teammate to start a counter-attack. He received a switch ball, driving the ball forward before playing a pass into the wide areas as he made a run into the half-space, using blind-sided movement to evade a marker, side-stepping into a pocket of space and remaining on-side as he did not receive possession.

He received another switch ball, this time in the box, opening his body as he attempted to curl a shot in at the far post, but he sent the opportunity high and wide. In the build-up phase, he received possession by the touchline before laying off the ball for his fullback as he made a run into the half-space as his fullback played a pass down the line for a teammate to lay-off the ball to him as Roman held off a marker as he surged into the opposition half before threading a pass past another defender into the ten space. Roman’s poise, intelligence for movement and ball-carrying was the genesis for a press resistant passing routine as at a young age, he can already operate as a build-up conduit on the flank. He operated as a build-up conduit once more, receiving a deep pass on the flank to play a one-touch pass for a teammate in the half-space. The winger tucked inside to receive possession in the half-space, showing calm to hold possession amongst three opposition defenders before swivelling to thread a pass to a teammate before he was brought down.

After Ferro lost possession in midfield, Roman would race back to make an interception before holding possession to play a deep line-breaking pass to the nine-space. Roman received possession near the touchline with an opposition defender pushing up to mark him for the 18-year-old to spin past his marker with his first touch before flicking a pass in between two defenders to the half-space and making a run into the wide channel where he received possession in behind and had an opportunity to cut-back which was blocked. At home to Almagro, Roman received possession on the right flank, holding the ball before playing a left footed outside of the boot pass to a teammate and making a run into half-space, dropping into a pocket of space to receive the ball as he made a run around his marker and dropped into a pocket of space in between two defenders, dropping deeper to maintain his availability as a passing option.

After a long ball forward, he latched onto a loose ball in the box, cutting past a marker to fire a shot high and wide of goal. Roman dropped into the defensive phase to intercept a switch ball, driving the ball forward, skipping past a defender as he surged into the opposition half before he used a turn of pace to beat another defender as he was driving towards the heart of the opposition defence as he threaded a well-weighted through ball for a runner to have a shot saved. He eventually notched an assist, receiving possession in the half-space, flicking the ball to a teammate and continuing his run as his teammate drove a long-range strike past the goalkeeper. The 18-year-old received possession on the counter once more, striding forward and cutting inside to angle a perfectly weighted through ball to a runner who had a 1v1 opportunity with the goalkeeper, but his first touch was too heavy. He tucked into the half-space to receive a deep pass in between the lines, driving into the centre to chip a switch ball to an overlapping fullback on the opposite flank.

Roman received possession in the centre, shielding the ball from an opposition defender before spreading a pass to the flank as he made a run into the wide zone before moving into a pocket of space in the half-space as the ball played to him was too heavy as the opposition defender made an interception. The teenager received a switch ball on the left flank, driving the ball forward and faking like he was going to drive to the by-line before cutting back inside, nonchalantly rolling the ball through the legs of an opposition defender before he was topped in his tracks by the third defender he attempted to dribble. The Argentine wonderkid tucked into the centre to receive possession, taking a touch and threading a pass for a teammate in the ten space before he made a run to occupy a more central position in between the lines where he received a pass to control the ball with his right foot and thread a pass to a teammate with his left.

The consistency with which he can use his ball-carrying, combination play and penetrative passing to rapidly turn defensive situations into attacking situations is astounding for a player his age. After a turnover in the attacking phase, Roman dropped back to intercept a switch ball, turning and driving the ball forward to glide into the central spaces, skipping past a defender to thread a pass to a teammate in the ten space which resulted in a switch ball to the flank. He led another counter-attacking situation when he moved into the wide areas to close down an opposition attacker as his fullback made an interception on a deep vertical pass as Roman made a run to receive possession, cutting into the centre and lobbing a switch pass which went a centimetre over the head of an attacker. He made another run to receive a through ball on the right flank during a counter attack to cut inside and attempt a back-heel to a player making a run behind him which was intercepted.

In another counter-attacking sequence, Roman received a switch ball, cutting inside to trade passes with a teammate making an overlapping run before the ball was played back to him as he lofted a switch to the opposite flank for a teammate who had a shot on goal but was also offside. The 18-year-old made another intelligent run to receive a through ball on the counter, holding possession, cutting inside and laying off the ball. In the build-up phase, he received possession to stride forward, cutting inside to thread a pass for a teammate for a switch ball and crossing opportunity. After a turnover, he tucked into the centre to receive possession, striding forward before losing possession he tucked inside to receive a deep pass in between the lines, holding off a defender to flick a pass to a teammate. Roman is skilled at tucking into the central spaces to receive the ball in between the lines and ease transition while he can also receive possession in the wide areas and work combinations from those areas.

The 18-year-old ranks in the top 20 for dribbles for players in the Under 23 age group while being in the top 25 for dribbles per 90 minutes. For progressive runs, he ranks in the top 10 for U23 players as he ranks in the top 6 in the per 90 metrics for U23 players while being in the top 10 for all available players in the Primera Nacional. For ball-progression by runs, he ranks in the top 30 of all available players in the metric as his ability as a ball-carrier is the strongest facet of his game at the moment according to WyScout ranking data.  

Roman has split minutes with Ferro’s first team as well as Javier Mascherano’s U20 side in preparation for the South American U20 Championships set to take place next year. His ability to receive possession, cut inside and drive the ball forward, using his body, quick feet, changes of direction and turns of pace to weave past gluts of defenders are exceptional while he has shown potential in adding substance to his dribbling sequences. The 18-year-old has the eye for a through ball, he can loft switch balls or crosses while he possesses the ability to work connections to get into shooting situations and have shots on goal. As with most skilled dribblers his age, he tends to rely on his ball-carrying too much as he can dribble into congested areas where he loses possession while he can hold the ball too long and lose possession. Roman is a young talent to watch due to the fact that he has the intelligence of movement to receive possession and connect play in the final third, constantly occupying spaces to receive the ball as he can be a pivotal attacking conduit in these situations. He can also create when driving the ball into open space during counter-attacking situations as his blend of progressive ball-carrying and vision for through balls allows him to string together moves.

In terms of his shooting, he has the intelligence to place his shots rather than go for power, constantly looking to curl the ball past the keeper and into the far post as he will need to perfect this aspect of his game while also knowing when to drive shots past the goalkeeper at the near post when he cuts inside. Defensively, Roman is astute at applying pressure on the ball while in the defensive phase, he will drop deep to cover his fullback, making interception on switch balls, applying pressure on the ball in the wide areas and making key interceptions to drive the ball forward and lead his team in counter-attacking sequences. In the build-up phase, he is able to work connections from the wide zone as well as the half-spaces while he has an intelligence for making blind-sided movements to occupy central spaces in between the lines to receive deep passes, swivelling to drive the ball forward or working passing connections with teammates to make runs into the channels.

Roman’s current contract ends in December 2023 as he had his contract extended by a year in June as he is a player to watch for Ferro and with the U20 South American Championships on the horizon next year. Atletico Madrid would be an intriguing club for him as he could join the Spanish giants before being loaned to a team in the Segunda Division or Familicao in Portugal to gain experience as his ball-carrying, ability to create from the counter-attack and through quick combinations is in-line with the profile of attackers at the club. Villareal would also be an intriguing landing spot for him as they have the second team playing in the Segunda Division while they have had recent success in developing attackers. In Switzerland, Basel would also be a good landing spot for the youngster as would Ajax in Holland where he could get acclimated with Jong Ajax as in France, teams like Toulouse, Nice, Montpellier, Reims, Lille and Rennes would also be good moves for the teenager. His style would also suit Serie A as Lazio, Torino, Atalanta, Napoli, Sassuolo, Bologna and Fiorentina would also be teams in line with his style of play. Roman could be one of the most sought after youngsters on the South American market in 2023.