Matias Abaldo – Defensor Sporting’s prodigious attacking prospect

Defensor Sporting are one of the more integral institutions in Uruguayan football with one of the most impressive youth systems in the country. They recently won the Copa Uruguay as at one point during the game, their front three consisted of two 18-year-olds and a 20-year-old as they relied on their youth academy to earn promotion to the Uruguayan First Division and to earn silverware. One of the aforementioned 18-year-olds was Matias Ezequiel Abaldo Menyou or Matias Abaldo who has become one of the young Uruguayan players to watch in the past season, earning a starting role and developing into one of their more important players. The teenager has the requisite tools to become one of the most highly regarded young players in South America in 2023.

Abaldo is lanky as his height allows him to receive aerial balls, especially from switch balls as his first touch is impeccable. He frequently uses his body to shield the ball, twisting and turning away from challenges while he also has an elusive feint to evade his marker when he receives possession. The 18-year-old is a wonderful dribbler as he has phenomenal close control, slaloming in and out of tight spaces while if he receives a switch ball, he can use his first touch to set himself up to beat his marker for a crossing opportunity or a shooting opportunity. Abaldo also possesses a high-level of technique and vision, being able to thread through balls into the channels or into runners to create opportunities while he can drop deep to receive possession in wide zone or half-space in the build-up phase to connect play and ease transition. In the final third, he is comfortable tucking into the centre, receiving possession to work connections and make runs into space as he can create with his crossing and vision for through balls.

Away to River Plate Montevideo, he received a switch ball on the right flank for a 1v1 situation as he drove the ball towards his defender, faking a run to the by-line before cutting inside as he evaded his first defender but was tackled by a recovering defender. The 18-year-old could have driven the ball to the by-line and played a cut-back into the box. After a pressing situation, he received possession in the right half-space to poke a pass to a teammate and facilitate a switch ball before dropping deep and tucking into the centre to regain possession in the defensive phase by making an interception and laying off a pass to a teammate for a ball into the channels. Abaldo received an aerial delivery to have a tame header at goal from the top of the box as in the defensive phase, he tucked inside to cover a passing lane and make another interception.

After a turnover, Abaldo tucked into the central spaces to receive possession, flicking on a pass to a teammate before he received possession again, cutting past a defender to spread a pass to a teammate and continue his run into the nine-space. One of the teenager’s greatest assets is his first touch which allows him to evade markers and drive the ball into space as the youngster would control a high-ball, taking a touch and flicking the ball to a teammate in the ten space as he continued his run to receive a lay-off. Abaldo received possession near the right touchline to drive the ball towards his defender before rolling a pass for an overlapping fullback who had a cut-back poked wide of the near post. Abaldo can finish his dribbling and ball-carrying sequences with progressive passes and accurate crosses as he received possession on the counter to drive forward and lob a cross to the back-post for an opportunity which was poked straight at the goalkeeper.

Abaldo is a taller winger but his ability to feint and utilize his first touch to evade his marker is what has made him a proficient winger as he moved to the left flank to receive possession with his right foot, controlling the ball and guiding possession towards his body before he flicked the ball towards the centre with the outside of his boot, skipping past his marker as he consistently exhibits the intelligence to draw his marker towards him before utilizing a sudden manoeuvre to evade his defender. The 18-year-old can also draw his marker towards him before releasing the ball with a progressive pass as he dropped into space at the perfect moment to intercept a pass before drawing a marker and flicking a pass to a teammate. He won another interception to swivel and play a line-breaking pass to the nine-space to instigate an attacking move. Abaldo has an appetite for defensive work as he dropped deeper on the left flank to track his fullback into the deeper areas to win a tackle before driving the ball forward and threading a pass into the central spaces.

At home to Albion FC, he tucked into the central spaces and dropped deep to receive possession as he turned to play a progressive pass forward. Abaldo consistently moved into the ten space to demand possession as he has the technique and intelligence to be influential from both wings and in the central spaces. The 18-year-old lofted a lovely cross into the box before receiving a switch ball, driving the ball forward as he spun past his first defender and barged past another en route to the box as he was brought down inside the box. He moved to the left wing, making intelligent runs into the box to get on the end of crossing situations. Abaldo picked some intelligent positions in the box but needed to be more forceful in winning aerial duels while he would have two 1v1 situations on the flank, losing possession in one situation before driving into a pocket of space in the other and lobbing a cross to the back-post.

Abaldo can receive through balls in the channels as his movement is excellent while he is brilliant with his acceleration to receive possession in those areas as the 18-year-old took on a pass in the channels as he was 1v1 with his fullback, cutting past his defender and leaving him on the ground before attempting to curl in a shot at the far post as his shot was poked at the goalkeeper by the striker. The Uruguayan teenager received possession in the centre, using his body to shield the ball, buying time to trade passes with a fullback before moving to receive possession in the right channel, playing a cross into the box which was deflected out. Abaldo has lovely shaping on his crosses and can create opportunities with his deliveries when he gets into the right position, but he also does look to direct a lot of his deliveries to the top of the box instead of playing crosses into the zone in between the attacker and goalkeeper. The attacker then received possession in between the lines to lay-off and make a run into the half-space but he did not receive the ball as he is constantly looking to work connections in between the lines.

Abaldo received possession in the half-space, skipping past a defender to apply a finish with his weaker left foot as his goal was chalked off for an offside during VAR intervention. However, this sequence showed his ability to receive possession in tight spaces while using his dribbling and ball-carrying to transition into goalscoring opportunities. At such a young age, he has the awareness to look to place his shots as he normally looks to cut inside and curl shots past the goalkeeper at his far post while he can also open his body and place shots past the goalkeeper. In his last action of the game, he regained possession to thread a through ball to a teammate to win a free-kick in the opposition half. Away to Deportivo Maldonado, Abaldo received possession on the right flank to poke a pass into the centre with his first touch. The 18-year-old’s ball-carrying and penetrative passing made him an outball on the counter-attack as he received possession after a turnover, holding possession before threading a pass to Andres Ferrari.

Abaldo received possession on the right flank, faking a pass to cut past a defender as he attempted a through ball, but his pass was intercepted as the teenager regained possession to play a deep line-breaking pass on the half-turn. He connected another counter-attack with a lovely through ball while contorting his body before creating an opportunity when he nodded a pass for Ferrari to volley over the bar. The 18-year-old received a pass on the right flank to stride forward and thread a pass to Ferrari whose touch was heavy as he was unable to get a shot away. His dribbling ability is underpinned by the fact that he is a quick twitch player, receiving possession and using a directional first touch and change of direction to evade his first marker while he can use his body to shield the ball to evade his second defender. The Copa Uruguay semi-final was one of the teenager’s tougher games as his marker was tightly marked and did not have the space to skip out of challenges and drive at defenders.

As soon as the 18-year-old received a switch ball, he was tackled before Abaldo received possession on the right flank, holding off a marker before skipping past a second defender as he attempted to drive past a third, but he was tackled. The Uruguayan was making good runs into the channels, but his first touch prevented him from having an impact in the areas that he was moving into. Abaldo received possession on the right flank to drive to the by-line and have a cut-back blocked as he was unable to have an impact on the game as his touches were erratic. However, the teenager would eventually score the opener, receiving possession on the counter-attack, working a pass into the wide areas before making a run into the nine-space as he received a low cross, sliding to divert the ball past the goalkeeper. Away to Nacional in the Uruguayan Primera Division, Abaldo tucked into the right half-space to receive possession, laying off to a teammate as he moved into space to receive possession once more as he moved into space to receive a lay-off which was too light before he regained possession.

Abaldo received possession on the right flank to identify a teammate making a run to the edge of the opposition box as he picked him out with a lovely lobbed pass before the 18-year-old tucked into the half-space to lay-off a pass to a teammate before he moved into space to receive possession and send a tame shot wide from range. Abaldo is excellent at receiving possession in between the lines and working connections to transition as his combination play and movement give him the ability to create shooting opportunities for himself and teammates. Abaldo will need to improve his shooting and finishing as he makes movements into good areas but struggles to apply the finishes as the 18-year-old constantly has good touches to set himself up. When tucking inside to receive possession in the central spaces, the teenager will constantly allow the ball to roll across his body while shielding possession to set himself up to drive the ball forward or to buy himself time to work a pass to a teammate.

Abaldo received a lay-off in the centre to feint and allow the ball to roll to his back-foot before spreading a pass into the wide areas as he is a mastery of the minute details of being a well-rounded attacker capable of moving into a variety of areas. He received a vertical pass into the wide zone to play a one-touch pass to a runner in the half-space before making a run to the back-post for a cross which looped into the arms of the goalkeeper. The teenager received a switch ball on the right flank, controlling possession with his chest before driving towards the by-line and playing a cut-back which was deflected into the path of a midfielder to fire past the goalkeeper. In the final game of the Uruguayan Primera Division season against Rentistas, he received possession, held the ball and played a through ball to a runner in the channel who sent a cross across the face of goal for a teammate to tap an opportunity wide of goal.

Abaldo is comfortable in receiving possession in the wide areas as he can progress play with his dribbling or with his penetrative passing as he can create chances while also being able to play the pass before the assist. After a turnover, he received possession to swivel with the ball, bursting forward on the counter to thread a pass for a teammate in the channels before he made a run from the central areas to the wide areas to receive a through ball, driving the ball down the line before he switched possession from his stronger right foot to his weaker left as he drew his defender in, flicking the ball past him to cut inside and work a pass into the centre for a switch ball to the flank. Abaldo received a switch ball from Alan Matturro to control the ball while he was airborne, prodding the ball forward to cut back a cross for a teammate who had a shot blocked from inside the box. The teenager received another switch ball on the right flank to control possession and have a shot blocked as the ball rose into the path of a teammate at the back-post who had his header blocked.

Abaldo created another opportunity when he received possession on the right flank, using his body to bundle past a defender who he left in a heap on the turn before driving the ball forward to play a cut-back to a teammate who sent a shot wide. He was a constant thorn in the side of the opposition from the right flank as he received possession to drive the ball forward, threading a through ball to a runner in the channels. The 18-year-old has an innate awareness of identifying runners when he is driving the ball forward on the flank to play through balls as this another facet of the game that makes him a phenomenal counter-attacking conduit as he can carry the ball and release it efficiently. Abaldo dropped deep to receive possession near the touchline, holding possession and curling a pass to a runner in the box. The teenager participated in the creation of another opportunity when he received possession on the flank, cutting inside and driving the ball forward to work a pass for his overlapping fullback who crossed into the box for an attacker to have a header saved.

Abaldo made a run from the half-space to the wide areas to receive possession to send a cut-back into the arms of the goalkeeper before he had a moment of genius, receiving possession on the right flank during a counter-attack, using his directional first touch to drive the ball into the centre while playing a penetrative through ball with his weaker left foot for a teammate to drive through on goal and have a cut-back held. Abaldo made a run into the half-space to receive a flick-on and square a cross across the face of goal before he tucked into the right half-space, receiving possession on the half-turn by allowing the ball to roll to his back-foot before driving possession forward and having a pass to the nine-space intercepted. He tucked inside to receive possession once more, driving the ball forward and spreading a pass to his overlapping fullback with the outside of his right boot before making a run into the box as the cut-back to him was blocked.

In the Copa Uruguay final, the 18-year-old came off the bench, showing his potential with his first touch, playing a one-touch lobbed switch to Anderson Duarte on the opposite flank before playing a line-breaking pass to Ferrari in the nine-space. He then cut inside to drive the ball into the centre, skipping past a few defenders as he used his body to shield the ball before switching a pass to the opposite flank. Abaldo received possession near the touchline with his body facing the centre of the pitch, allowing the ball to roll to his back-foot before feinting to skip past his marker with the outside of his boot. In two sequences, Abaldo exhibited how well-rounded his dribbling ability is as he can cut inside and drive into the centre while he can also drive the ball to the by-line and play cut-back crosses to create opportunities.

At the age of 18, Abaldo already possesses a well-rounded repertoire of skills for a right-winger as he is able to receive possession in the deeper areas or the half-space in the build-up phase, swivelling when he receives possession to drive the ball forward, working connections with teammates or play penetrative passes for teammates to create opportunities. In the final third, he is comfortable stretching the pitch, receiving switch balls near the touchline to cut inside or drive to the by-line while he can also tuck into the half-space to receive possession in between the lines to work connections. The care with which he receives possession is impressive as he loves to receive the ball and swivel to evade his first marker, he can also receive the ball and feint to allow the ball to roll to his back-foot and drive into space while also utilizing his directional first touch to evade markers. This allows him to receive possession in the central spaces and wide areas while making him a daunting prospect in 1v1s as most wingers his age are not as mindful with receiving possession. This aspect of his game makes him a more efficient attacker, especially when he moves into space to receive possession as he can transition to dribbling or releasing the ball fluidly.

Abaldo’s combination play is essential as he can connect play with one-twos in between the lines while he is clever at moving into space for high quality crossing or shooting opportunities. He can operate as a counter-attacking conduit with his ball-carrying and vision while he can connect play in the final third or stretch the pitch in more intricate attacking sequences. Defensively, he is willing to track back to cover runners to make tackles while he does have some potential as a pressing player be it in the medium block or the pressing phase as he can cover passing lanes to make interceptions or use his body to win 50/50s before using his ball-carrying and creativity to instigate counters. There is variety to Abaldo’s game as he can create opportunities with through balls, crosses and passing connections while he will need to improve his finishing with the positions that he gets into. He normally looks to curl shots or drive balls to the far post as he should develop as a goal scorer going forward. Abaldo’s playing style is akin to PSV Eindhoven’s Cody Gakpo as his size, dribbling ability, crossing and ability to receive possession both in the central positions and wide areas mean that the two attackers share similarities. Abaldo could also move to the left flank to receive possession and predominantly cut inside onto his stronger right foot like Gakpo but he is much more comfortable in crossing and creating from the right flank.

In January this year, a few months after his professional debut, Defensor Sporting signed Abaldo to a new contract until 2024 as with increased minutes at club level and the U20 South American Championships and U20 World Cup next year, it could be a year of exposure as he could leave the club in next summer’s transfer window or the winter window of 2024. Playing as a right-winger for Arne Slot’s Feyenoord would suit as he would be able to receive possession in the centre while the overlapping nature of the fullbacks in that system would see him thrive at that level. He could also join Ajax as a long-term replacement for Antony as he could also develop with John Heiting’s Jong Ajax before moving to the first team. Bayer Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt would also be good landing spots for him while in Ligue 1, Rennes, Nice, Reims, Toulouse, Brest and Montpellier would be good teams for him. In Serie A, Maurizio Sarri’s Lazio, Atalanta, Udinese, Fiorentina, Sassuolo, Lecce and Thiago Motta’s Bologna would also be good spots for the youngster. In Spain, Atletico Madrid could sign him and loan him out to Famalicao while Real Sociedad, Real Betis and Villareal could also utilize a player of his ilk while in Portugal, Vizela, Ruben Amorim’s Sporting Lisbon, Braga, FC Porto and Santa Clara could all use him. Abaldo will be one of the star players in Uruguay next season and will become one of the most sought after prospects in South America in 2023.