The anomaly of Guanacasteca’s Anthony Contreras

Anthony Contreras is an intriguing prospect as he has scored 13 goals this season, 7 have been penalties with 6 goals from open play while he usually only takes shots from in and around the box while having large spans of time in games without actually taking shots. He has managed to accrue an 11.65 expected goals number ranking 1st (while ranking 15th in XG per 90 with 0.39) as he takes an average of 1.89 shots per game, outside the top 30 players in the Costa Rican Primera Division. His penalties have inflated his goal scoring tally and expected goals number while of his 56 shots, only 16 have been from outside the box, 15 have been headers while he is 24th in shots from open play. He is fifth in touches in the opposition box while also being out of the top 30 in the same metric per 90 according WyScout data.

At the moment, the 22-year-old is playing a game of low volume efficiency which could be unsustainable as he may be an excellent finisher as he possesses the ability to score fantastic opportunities inside the opposition box. It is difficult to judge his finishing as he takes a low number of shots in a per game basis but his ability to get into good areas, his sense for shot locations and his finishing have been quite impressive. One may think that Contreras is merely an inside the box poacher but there is so much more to his game than this, he loves to occupy wide positions to receive possession as he is fantastic in tight spaces as a quick twitch dribbler as well as possessing a penchant for elaborate combination play in between the lines. Contreras is on his third loan, his second with his current club as it is still difficult to assess what kind of striker he is.

A few years ago, in his first loan with Municipal Grecia where he scored 5 goals in 14 games, he played Deportivo Saprissa in the final game of the season to receive possession in the opposition box, maintain his calm to skip past the goalkeeper and apply a clean finish. At a young age, he showed potential as a capable finisher as he would play Saprissa again, this time with Guanacasteca, chesting down a lobbed pass in between the lines to facilitate an attacking move. He then showed his penchant for combinations in between the lines, dropping into the ten space to receive possession before switching the ball to the opposite flank with a brilliantly weighted curled pass. The ball moved back into the centre for Contreras to maintain his deeper position to receive another pass taking a touch and flicking a pass to a teammate as his quick-twitch combination play in between the lines is one of the more intriguing facets of his game.

He then created a shooting opportunity for a teammate when he received possession in between the lines to turn and spread a pass for a teammate in the wide areas to drive into the box and have a shot saved. He created another shooting opportunity when he flicked on a long throw-in from the left for a teammate to send a volley wide. At home to Alajuelense, he made a run into the channels to receive possession, holding up the ball to turn and maintain possession by shielding the ball before he played a back-pass to a teammate. Contreras would receive possession again as he managed to work a pass to a teammate making a run to the flank while under pressure. The 22-year-old would move into the nine-space to chest down a long pass, shielding possession to flick a pass through the lines for a teammate.

Contreras’ ability to receive deep passes as well as connect play in the build-up phase is one of his strongest suits as the 22-year-old striker would drop in between the lines, to control a goal-kick in his own half before playing the pass to the wide areas to move into the half-space where he received possession again, moving to the flank where he was hemmed in by two opposition defenders, rolling the ball off one boot to flick a pass in between them with the other. This is a frequent dribbling manoeuvre that Contreras utilizes in tight spaces as it allows him to buy a second of time and space before distributing possession to a teammate. Contreras has potential as a ball-carrier as he is also one of the most fouled players on the team as the 22-year-old would regain possession on the flank to skip past a marker and drive the ball into the centre to switch a pass to the opposite flank.

He showed off his dribbling ability again, receiving possession in between the lines in between two defenders, elegantly spinning to evade them to drive forward and attempt a low cross into the box which was intercepted. He received a deep vertical pass from his fullback in the ten space to outmuscle his marker, control the ball and lay-off a pass for a teammate to send a strike wide of the mark. The Costa Rican striker would finally have a shot when he received possession on the left side of the box to open his body and curl a shot just wide of the far post. He then dropped deep to receive possession, spin his marker to drive the ball forward before he was hauled to the ground in the opposition half as he normally wins a lot of fouls when he spins his marker and drives the ball forward.

At home to Municipal Grecia, he received a lobbed pass in the channels to cut away from a defender and play a pass to a runner on the opposite flank before he would receive possession on the counter again, this time in between the central lines to turn and work another pass to the flank for a fullback to have a high crossing opportunity. Contreras open the scoring when he was perfectly positioned at the near post to volley a cross over a diving keeper with a fantastic finish. When he is not shooting in the box or getting on the end of deliveries, his hold-up play comes to the fore as he received possession in the nine-space, pushed the ball backwards before spreading possession to the flank. He chased down a pass in the channels to hold the ball up by shielding possession from one marker before skipping past another for a teammate to drive into the box as he was unable to take shot as he was bundled over by the opposition defender.

He dropped deep to receive possession on the right flank to skip past one defender before beating another defender with his pace to square a cross which was caught by the goalkeeper. His movement is an intriguing aspect of his game as during attacks, he normally prefers to position himself by the back-post before moving into space to receive a delivery as in the future, he could position himself in the central positions more frequently to make easier and higher quality runs to the near post. The 22-year-old showed the ability to do this when he made a run into the box through the central areas with possession being held on the left flank, as he made a run to his defender’s blind-side before making a run to the near post where a cross was played behind him. In this situation, Contreras was unmarked and showed a sense of space, movement and timing which he will need to do with more regularity.

The 22-year-old also shows a willingness to engage in defensive work tracking back into his own half to close down two opposition attackers before regaining possession on the left flank to burst forward and play a pass into the channels. He received possession on the left once more to swivel and burst forward as he attempted a switch ball which was intercepted. After a turnover, he received possession in the central areas to burst forward as he had a passing option sprinting forward on his left but decided to maintain possession, to skip past an opposition defender while a teammate made a run inside him as he did not play the ball to his teammate as he attempted a switch ball which was intercepted. He received possession in the nine-space as an opposition defender was pushing up for Contreras to calmly flick the ball over the defender and swivel before playing a pass to the wide areas.

Guanacasteca would then have a situation where the ball was deflected out of the box for Contreras to take up a position in the right half-space while the ball progressed to the right flank as the defence dropped and the ball progressed, he maintained his deep position before trotting into the box as the wide attacker managed to get to the by-line as Contreras got in front of his marker but was a few seconds late in meeting the ball as it rolled across the box. If the 22-year-old pushed into the box earlier, that would have meant that he would have been in a better situation to anticipate the delivery and meet the ball or he could have sped up his run in the last few yards as Contreras’ shortcomings with his positioning and movement in the box is another reason why his shot count is low. After another defensive turnover, he received possession in the nine-space to switch the ball to the opposite flank.

At home to Sporting San Jose, Contreras made a run into the channels to receive possession, shielding the ball from a glut of defenders to hold up possession before working a pass to the flank. The 22-year-old then opened the scoring when a free-kick led to a goalmouth scramble for Contreras to be perfectly positioned to slam a strike into an empty net. He also notched an assist when he received possession on the left flank to cut inside and work a pass into the centre for Brandon Aguilera to dribble into the centre and apply the finish. Contreras would create another shooting opportunity for his team, receiving possession after a turnover to swivel and drive the ball forward as he lobbed a pass to a runner for a teammate to have a shot blocked. 

Away to Herediano, his parent club, Contreras made a run to the near post to head in a freekick at the near post to open the scoring. The 22-year-old then combined with a teammate on the left flank to drive into the opposition box and cut-back for a teammate at the top of the box for a sequence that led to a shot being cleared off the line. After his team went down to 10 men, Contreras would chest down a pass to drive the ball past one defender towards the right flank before backheeling a pass in between two defenders to the nine-space. Contreras’ combination play and ability to be a threat in the channels make him a low value and high potential player if he can increase the volume of his shooting.

Contreras is a terrific ball-carrier as well as high-level transitional attacker as he uses his physique, first-touch and immaculate sense for combinations to turn defensive situations into attacking situations or at the least, win fouls for his team in the higher areas of the pitch. He could improve his first touch as his lack of volume could be tracked to losing possession due to a heavy first touch in between the lines as in certain situations, he manages to get in behind the opposition defence as his first touch will be used to drive the ball away from goal rather than towards goal to fashion shooting opportunities. He has all the tools to create more shooting opportunities for himself as he can evade a marker in a 1v1 situation, has the physique to shield the ball from a defender while having a brilliant sense for shot placement in the opposition box. His movement, first-touch and unwillingness to shoot from outside of the box plays a factor but his team and their playing style could also be an issue. It would be interesting to see Contreras in a team that creates more opportunities or has a more elaborate style of play.

Despite his shortcomings and lack of shot volume, the 22-year-old attacker is an interesting prospect because his game is well-rounded in the channels and with his back to goal as he can receive deep passes in between the lines and be a creator. He is astute at pressing the ball while teams could use him tactically in pressing the opposition like in covering the passing lane to the six-space and dropping deeper to mark the opposition defensive midfielder, closing down centre-backs and fullbacks in the wide areas as once his side wins possession in the opposition half, he is capable of recycling the ball with clever combination play. He can be deployed in the wide areas as an inside forward, especially from the left as he has the potential to cut inside and place shots with his right foot. He would also thrive as a second-striker in a front two as his combination play would be pivotal to transition as he could also stretch the opposition in the channels as the goalscoring burden on him would be lessened.

Contreras could be a cheap option on the market if his most productive goalscoring season can be put into context and he could be utilized to his strengths. In the MLS, teams like the San Jose Earthquakes, Philadelphia Union and the New York Red Bulls could be good for him with their high-pressing style and support for their strikers, especially with the latter deploying a two-striker system. In Belgium, Oostende in the Jupiler League or Lommel in the Belgian Second Division would also be good for him while in Portugal, Familicao, Vizela and Santa Clara could also be a good move for the 22-year-old. His technique would be intriguing in the Eredivisie at clubs such as Heerenveen, Groningen, Heracles while he would fit the mould for an AZ Alkmaar striker. The Austrian Bundesliga and Swiss Super League would also be a good step up for him, especially at clubs such as BSC Young Boys while it would be intriguing to see him at a highly attacking side such as Tim Walter’s Hamburg. Barnsley in the Championship could also be a good landing spot for him as Contreras has become a regular in Costa Rican National Team squads and could be able to earn a work permit in the UK.  Contreras’ goalscoring form this year could be an aberration as it would be interesting to see him in a system where he could take more high-quality shots as his combination play and technique could see him be a pivotal player in a European league.