Ignacio Schor – Platense’s attacking maestro

Ignacio Schor bounced around at youth level, starting his youth career at Argentine giants River Plate before moving to San Lorenzo for six months as he decided to leave the club for personal reasons. Due to proximity from his home and family, he decided to join Platense, progression through the youth academy as Platense moved forward from the Argentine lower divisions, making his debut against Atlanta in the Primera Nacional division which is Argentina’s second division. Months later, he made his debut in the Argentine First Division against Argentinos Juniors in early 2021 as the elegance with which he bounces off challenges is similar to the elegance with which obstacles in his life bounce off him.

Schor has become one of Platense’s key players, being deployed on either flank as a creative winger, in the centre as an attacking midfielder while also playing as a second striker in more recent games. He possesses a lanky and wiry physique, topped with long blonde-locks which bobble up and down when he swivels and changes direction to evade markers in tight spaces as he is one of the more technically proficient players in Argentina. He is innate in tight spaces, being able to work quick connections and move into space while he has the size and physique to hold off markers, twisting and turning away from them while shielding the ball, driving into open spaces with a lethal turn of pace. In the open field, he can change direction to evade markers while having the close control to weave past more than one defender, drawing fouls while being able to play progressive passes after dribbling sequences. Schor has immense vision to thread well angles through balls to runners to create opportunities while also being a progressive passer from deep.

Away to Atletico Tucuman at the beginning of this year, he dropped into a pocket of space from the right flank to play a one-touch pass to a teammate in tight space before pushing forward to make a tackle after an errant pass, poking the ball past a defender to surge forward, pushing the ball to one side of a defender before changing direction and driving the ball to the other side to create some space for himself as he was brought down from behind. He moved to the left flank to close down a marker, sliding to regain possession from the fullback in the pressing phase before striding forward to lob a left footed cross which was floated just over the head of his attacker. Schor moved to the right flank, receiving possession on the flank, driving the ball to the by-line as his fullback pushed in front of him to regain possession as the 22-year-old doggishly wrested possession from him to play a cut-back to a teammate who weaved past two players and curled a shot past the goalkeeper.

On the right flank, he received a flick-on in the wide channel, holding possession to play a back-pass, moving into the half-space where he lofted a cross into the box for a teammate to head wide. Schor received possession in the left zone to thread a pass into the central spaces as the 22-year-old threaded another penetrative pass into the centre. In a counter-attacking situation, the attacker received possession on the left flank, skipping past a defender to cut into the centre and have a shot blocked. Schor’s ability to operate on both flanks allows him to be a constant threat as he can drive to the by-line and work crossing situations from the right while working passing combinations and cutting inside from the left. Away to Tigres, he received possession on the left after a turnover, cutting into the centre to switch a pass to the opposite flank.

In another situation, he received a clearance on the left flank, using his directional first touch to cut past a marker, using his body to shield the ball from a second defender as he drove into the centre to earn a foul. Schor received a switch ball on the left, cutting past his fullback before cutting past a second defender as he attempted to poke a pass to a teammate which was intercepted. The 22-year-old had the opportunity to spread a pass for an overlapping fullback on the flank or to play a reverse pass for a teammate in the nine-space as he could have made better decisions in possession after a dribbling sequence. The young playmaker had another 1v1 situation where he used his body to shield the ball from his marker, cutting back a pass into the ten space before making a run into the box to receive possession and have a shot at goal but he was offside.

After turnovers, Schor can drive the ball forward with his ball-carrying or he work penetrative passes in between the lines to start counter-attacks as he received possession after a turnover to thread a pass to the ten space. The young attacker moved to the right half-space to drop into a pocket of space to receive possession in between the lines and lay-off to a teammate before moving into the wider zone where he shielded the ball to drive possession backwards before suddenly turning to swivel and poke the ball past a marker to thread a pass for a teammate in the half-space. In a medium block, he would track back to regain possession before threading a pass to the ten space. The 22-year-old regained possession once more with a tackle in the wide areas, leaving a defender in a heap with a fake pass and change of direction before sending a cross into the box which was too high. Schor has the size to regain possession cleanly in pressing or counter-pressing phase while he has the technique to drive the ball forward with intention after a turnover.

After a turnover on the right flank, Schor was turning his head to scan, recognizing a marker behind before he received possession, taking a touch and flicking the ball in between two defenders to the half-space. In a defensive situation, he would tuck into the central positions from the right flank, receiving possession to guide the ball away from his marker with his first touch to drive the ball forward as he could have worked a pass into the left channel with the space he created but decided to drive the ball into the centre where he was tackled and lost possession. The 22-year-old threaded a penetrative pass to the nine-space from the deeper areas of the right flank before tucking into the centre to make a well-timed tackle in a defensive situation. Schor had a moment of creative genius when he received possession on the right flank, holding possession and waiting for a teammate to make a run into the centre before he angled a well-weighted through ball into his stride for the striker to shoot wide. Moments later, he created another opportunity, receiving possession in the centre, driving the ball towards the flank and threading a slide-rule pass through the legs of an opponent for a teammate to chip a shot over the bar.

Schor switched a pass to the left flank before moving into the nine-space to receive possession, taking a touch and lofting the ball to a teammate who spread the ball to the flank. At home to Racing, he received possession in the right half-space, taking a touch and playing the ball to the flank. In a 4-4-2 medium block, he was closing down the left flank to drop deep while a midfielder was pushing up to apply pressure, positioning himself perfectly to make an interception on a pass before he received a switch ball on the right flank to play a one-touch pass into the half-space. At home to Godoy Cruz, Schor poked a lofted pass past an opposition defender with his first touch, driving into the opposition half to evade another defender before lofting a cross into the box which was too high. The 22-year-old received possession near the touchline as he worked a one-two with a teammate to evade a defender as he had a pass into the centre intercepted. Schor had a high-quality goalscoring opportunity from a corner, directing a header wide off the far post from the centre of the box. His ball-carrying would lead to Platense winning a penalty as he received possession, shielding the ball from a defender as he strode forward, cutting past him as he drove into the box to be hauled down.

At home to Union de Santa Fe, he was deployed in a second-striker position which was tangentially a free-role, tucking inside to receive possession in between two defenders, spinning past them to work a progressive pass to the ten space. He dropped deep to receive the ball in the eight space, skipping past a defender and switching possession to the opposite flank. Schor received a throw-in in the nine-space to spin past two defenders, driving the ball forward to cut back as he lost possession. Schor has a brilliant understanding of using the leverage of his body to shield the ball when he receives possession, twisting and turning out of situations to facilitate lung-busting runs where he skips past two players or to create space for himself in 1v1 situations in the wide areas. The 22-year-old received a through ball in the nine-space, taking a measured first touch before driving the ball into the box where he was unable to get a shot away.

Schor seemed to take to his new role well, making a run beyond the striker to receive possession, driving the ball into the wide areas to lay-off for a teammate before he led the press from the nine-space, forcing a turnover before making a run in behind to receive possession for a 1v1 where he had a shot saved. He had an opportunity from a free-kick where he had a header saved before he had a pre-assist, making a run past his striker when he dropped deep, flicking a bobbling pass past his defender with his first touch before spreading a pass to the left flank for a through ball which led to a goal. The 22-year-old dropped in between the lines to receive possession again, spreading a pass to the flank as after a turnover, he made a well-timed run in behind as his striker dropped deep to receive a through ball, driving into the box where he was tackled before he was unable to get a shot away.

Schor has 3 assists for a 2.75 assist number while he ranks in the top 15 in dribbles, ranking in the top 15 for U23s in key passes as he ranks in the top 25 for progressive runs for the same age-group. Schor has had an intriguing start to his career in the Argentine top flight as he has the size, turn of pace and eye for a through ball to develop into a high-level player. He will need to improve his decision making, especially in knowing when to hold the ball and when to release the ball in dribbling situations as he can hold the ball for too long and lose possession. He will need to pick his head up in these situations as he has immense potential to be a penetrative or creative passer in dribbling situations where he can play slide-rule passes or through balls to create opportunities. The savviness with which he receives the ball with intelligent directional first touches as well as utilizing his body to shield the ball allows him to evade his first defender and transition into dribbling situations seamlessly as Schor has high-level potential as a ball-carrier.

Defensively, he applies pressure on the ball relentlessly, closing down his marking responsibilities as he can close down fullbacks when he is positioned in the wide areas, deeper-lying midfielders when he is positioned in the ten space and centre-backs when he is positioned up front. In the medium to low block, he can cover space to make tackles before pushing the ball forward to initiate counter-attacks with his distribution and ball-carrying. He is able to play a variety of positions as he is intriguing as a second striker and false-nine as he has the physique to hold the ball and connect with teammates who make runs off him while he also showed an intelligence for making late runs in behind. He will need to be calmer in 1v1 situations while he will need to develop his sense for finishing dribbling sequences with high quality shots and not holding the ball for too long. On either flank, he can combine play and ease transition in the half-spaces as he has shown some potential in his crossing as he will need to work harder on this facet of his game.

A few months ago, Schor extended his contract until late 2023 as he could be an undervalued prospect on the market for teams outside the United Kingdom. He would suit Eintracht Frankfurt and Stuttgart in the Bundesliga as he meshes well with the transitional and fast-paced nature of the Bundesliga. In Switzerland, Basel would be a good move for him as in La Liga, he would suit the styles of Valencia, Almeria, Getafe, Real Valladolid, Rayo Vallecano, Celta Vigo, Cadiz and Elche. Brentford could sign Schor for a cut-price fee before loaning the 22-year-old to Midtylland to gain experience in Europe. Serie A would be a league that would suit his particular skillset as Sassuolo, Udinese, Lazio, Torino, Empoli, Bologna and Sampdoria would suit him. In Ligue 1, Lennes, Rennes, Lille, Montpellier, Toulouse, Reims and Brest would be good moves for him. In the MLS, the Philadelphia Union, New York Red Bulls and Bradley Carnell’s St Louis City would be good landing spots for him as he suits the high pressing and rapid counter-attacking system of those teams while he could accrue value in that league before moving for a profit.