Juan Jose Perez – America de Quito’s playmaking gem

Ecuador is a hot-bed of talent, but it is still not where you would expect to unearth a 17-year-old Colombian attacking talent, but such is the unorthodox measures that America de Quito are utilizing to make their way to Ecuador’s highest level of football. The second-division club hoover up talent within the country while having their own hub of talent as they are a team to watch. Juan Jose Perez is a player to watch as he has played for Colombia at youth level and is gaining first-team experience with the side based in Ecuador’s capital as he is one of the first names on the team sheet as well as putting together some outstanding performances which will arouse the interest of clubs.

The 17-year-old is muscle-bound, being able to bounce off challenges, evade markers and hold possession in tight spaces with a bowl of blonde-hair topping his head. He is left-footed as he has shown potential as a set-piece threat while his biggest strength at the moment, is his dribbling and ball-carrying. He is a close control dribbler, weaving in and out of tight spaces with the ball glued to his feet as he is normally deployed on the right flank where he enjoys cutting inside, putting himself between the ball and his marker to surge into the centre to work a pass into the centre or thread a through ball into the channel. One of his favoured manoeuvres is to hold up his marker on the right flank, cut inside before flicking the ball past his marker on the outside of his right boot to speed away from him. The teenager will need to harness his ball-carrying with more meticulous decision-making while adding a knowledge of when to release the ball to add some end product to his game.

At home to El Nacional, the teenager would drop into space to receive possession before accurately switching the ball to the opposite flank. He then had an assist when he lofted in a corner from the right with his left foot to the near post for his team to open the scoring with a header. He then worked a short corner routine where he lofted another ball into the box, to the top corner of the box for a teammate to attempt to square a cross into the box. Perez has a measured first touch in tight spaces as he received a goal-kick to lay-off for a teammate before making an intelligent run into the half-space as he eventually veered out towards the flank to receive a pass which was too heavy for him as he kept the ball in play and attempted to nutmeg an opposition defender who outmuscled him for the ball. Perez’ development is in its infancy, so he has a trait with his dribbling where one can be amazed at how he weaves out of tight spaces and uses his body to shield the ball but also be frustrated that he does not release the ball or recognize the available pass.

The 17-year-old would receive possession on the right flank, prodding the ball forward on the outside of his left boot as he drove into the centre with conviction, holding off a marker as his striker was making an angled run in behind as the teenager would decide to take on another marker as he prodded the ball past him but was brought down by a sliding challenge. It is not that Perez is not capable of seeing or playing the pass, it is that he can be overconfident with his dribbling which leads to him losing possession in key positions. Another of Perez’ faults is his directional first touch when receiving possession in tight spaces, in terms of swivelling with possession and allowing the ball to roll to his back foot and also shielding the ball to evade his primary marker. Perez received possession in the ten space on the half-turn as while the ball was rolling to him, he was facing the passer before making a minor adjustment and resetting his feet as the ball rolled across his body for him to have a heavy first touch before being tackled.

The teenager needs to learn to scan for the marker behind him, adjust by feinting to attract his marker to his near foot before allowing the ball to roll across his body to shield the ball and spin away from his marker or attract a foul from the defender. If the 17-year-old managed to utilize this manoeuvre, he would have not only evaded his marker but found himself in ample space to drive at the opposition defence as this issue is quite common in his game and causes him to lose possession in great areas. He would eventually earn a foul in between the central lines as he received possession in the ten-space, turning and driving the ball forward into space before cutting back and trying to turn past a marker to earn a foul. As a playmaker, Perez can be a transitional conduit not only with his ball-carrying but with his passing as well, proving this by dropping out of the ten-space to receive possession from Manuel Arteaga to play a one-touch pass to the flank for a teammate in the next line.

The duo frequently work connections as Arteaga would find Perez in between the lines with a pass for the Colombian to lay the ball off for him to drive forward before the young attacker received possession on the right flank to drive the ball inside, switching the ball from his right foot to his left before playing a pass for a teammate in the centre who lobbed a one-touch to the flank for the right-back. The 17-year-old then created another shooting opportunity from cutting inside from the right flank, receiving a goal-kick to take a brilliant touch before cutting inside and driving the ball forward to attract a marker before releasing a pass to Arteaga with the outside of his left boot and continuing his run for Arteaga to have a shot on goal. With the aforementioned issue of Perez’ holding possession for too long, he showed that he has the potential to be a creative player in the final third after dribbling sequences. He received possession from Arteaga once more on the right flank to cut past his fullback and recognize his striker making a run behind the defence to loft a pass over the defensive line which was too heavy for his teammate.

He took another phenomenal first touch from a goal-kick before losing possession as he received possession on the right flank to work a pass to the six-space for his defensive midfielder to push into space and attempt a switch ball. Perez’ can operate as a right-winger, central playmaker but has also shown some potential in being utilized as a second-striker in the future as the teenager tucked inside from the right flank and made a run to receive a through ball in the nine-space which was too heavy as his centre-back shielded the ball from him. The issue with Perez’ directional first touch in the higher areas continued to persist as the 17-year-old dropped into the eight space to spread the ball to the flank before moving into the right half-space to receive possession, the ball was played to him with a marker closing him down behind him as Perez scanned and recognized the marker before attempting to swivel inside when receiving possession as this made it easier for his marker to make a tackle. He could have used his directional first touch to flick the ball forward with the outside of his right boot where he could have surged into space and possibly driven into the box or he could have received the ball on his back-foot, spinning outside instead of inside to better shield possession from his marker to swivel past him or win a foul.

He would attempt to create another opportunity, cutting inside from the right flank as he received possession on the flank pushing the ball forward towards his marker before cutting past him to cut past a second defender before driving past a third defender and attempting a through ball to the nine-space which was inaccurate. He tried to play the ball as he was making the third dribble which meant he was not balanced perfectly to guide the ball into the proper area while it is impressive for the young attacker to recognize a passing lane in a glut of eight players. Away to Independiente Juniors, he received possession after a deflection from an opposition corner to lay-off for a teammate to play a lobbed pass down the lines. After another turnover, he would receive possession on the right flank with his back to goal to hold possession, rolling the ball past an opposition winger as he drove down the by-line as he cut inside to be brought down to earn a free-kick.

He received a lay-off in between the lines to work the ball to Arteaga for a pass into the box before receiving possession close to the right touchline, skipping past his marker as he drove into the centre and attempted to roll the ball in between two opposition players to earn a foul in the opposition half. In his winger role, Perez is consistently engaged in defensive work as the 17-year-old would drop deep to make an interception to regain possession for his side in the defensive phase. At home to Libertad, Perez would put in one of his better performances of the season, tucking into the midfield zone to regain possession before he received possession in the right half-space after a turnover, to turn away from a marker before striding forward with the ball on the outside of his left boot and utilizing his close control to weave in between two opposition defenders as he attempted a switch pass to the opposite flank which was intercepted.

He received possession on the right flank to cut inside and play the ball to Arteaga who played a one-touch pass for an attacker to hammer a strike over the bar. He tucked inside to make another interception in the centre of the pitch before receiving possession to stride forward on the counter-attack to play an outside of the boot pass to the nine-space with his left foot. Perez showed that he can develop into a lethal counter-attacking conduit as he received possession after a turnover to skip past one defender as he drove into the centre before evading a sliding challenge as he held the ball for too long and was tackled before regaining possession and playing the ball to Arteaga to continue the counter-attack. He had a similar moment to this when he received a lay-off to drive the ball forward, elegantly evading a marker to cut past another one as he should have played the ball to a teammate but earned a foul in the opposition half. He then made another interception, this time in the second line of the pressing phase to lob a pass for an attacker to get in behind the opposition defence.

He received possession in the half-space to stride forward and spread a pass for a teammate in the wide areas for a teammate to have a crossing opportunity. He would show his counter-attacking once more as an opposition free-kick was deflected into his path to evade a marker who misjudged the bounce of the ball in an aerial duel for Perez to turn and have a heavy first touch before poking the ball past another defender to stride forward and drive into the opposition box for a 1v1 opportunity with the goalkeeper to angle his body and place a shot past the keeper to score. After a deflected corner, he played a one-touch lobbed pass to the nine-space. The 17-year-old would notch an assist to go with his goal as he received a switch pass on the right flank for one of his favoured 1v1 situations to evade a marker with a phenomenal dribble to drive down the line and lob a cross into the box with his weaker right foot for his striker to hammer home.

At home to Chacaritas, he would put together another impressive performance, but he would start with a faulty directional first touch. He received possession in the central midfield zone as a marker was a few yards ahead of him with no attackers behind him. He took a touch with his left foot as he was on the half-turn facing the right flank and played a backwards pass as this allowed two markers to close him down. Perez did not scan to look at the space behind his marker as if he allowed the ball to roll across his body and swivel while receiving possession, he could have turned past his marker and strode forwards towards the opposition back-line. He could have also made a directional first touch with his right foot, poking the ball forward past his marker to surge forward or earn a foul in the opposition half. The 17-year-old would then create an opportunity from a free-kick on the right flank using his left foot to loft a cross with perfect weighting and accuracy into the channel in between the goalkeeper and centre-back as none of his teammates were able to get the crucial touch on the ball.

The 17-year-old tucked into the ten space to receive possession as he had an open pass to the left flank to create a high-quality crossing opportunity, but he did not make the pass and instead turned into the centre to poke a pass to a teammate in the same vertical line as him. He received the ball on the right flank to cut inside as his fullback made a run inside him for Perez to find him with an immaculate through ball before the teenager moved into the half-space to receive possession and play the ball back to a teammate. He moved into the nine-space to receive a flick-on and lay-off the ball before moving into the left half-space to receive possession from the right flank as he could have played a pass back to the flank or lofted a cross into the box, but he attempted to drive into the box and lost possession with four defenders surrounding him. In the defensive phase, he would receive possession in between the lines to skip past a marker and play the ball to the left flank.

After America de Quito were a man down due to a red card, it was impressive that not only did his manager have the faith to keep him on the pitch but to also move him into a lone central striker role. In the central striker role, he managed to hold-up play effectively as he dropped into the midfield zone to receive possession shield the ball and evade two players before attempting a through ball which was intercepted. After a deflected cross, he received possession on the left flank to work a one-two with his winger to drive the ball into the opposition half before playing a perfectly angled through ball for a teammate making a vertical run from the right flank as his teammate was a yard offside. This was yet another exhibit of his potential when he can carry the ball and release possession precisely as he could develop into a methodical transitional conduit as well as a creative player in the final third.

Perez seemed to thrive as his team were a man down, with rain pouring onto the pitch as puddles formed all over the grass as a teammate was driving the ball while he was positioned in the nine-space for the 17-year-old to make a clearing run dragging two defenders out of the situation to create space for his teammate to drive into and switch possession to the weak side. Perez made a run into the right channel to receive possession, hold up play and lay-off the ball for a teammate to have a shooting opportunity. He moved to his more familiar position on the right flank to cut past his fullback in a 1v1 situation and attempt a reverse pass into the channels but none of his teammates were on hand to receive possession. In the defensive phase, after a turnover on the right flank, hold possession in between two opposition players and lob a pass down the line to instigate a counter-attack. He received possession in the nine-space to cut past an opposition defender before driving past another as he was hauled to the ground to earn a foul in the opposition half. He showcased his dribbling when he received possession in the nine-space once more, skipping past his first marker as he could he was too late in laying off a pass and was tackled.

At 17, Perez has immense potential as he is already gaining first-team experience at a challenging level of football where teams like Independiente Delle Valle have groomed Ecuadorian National Team players. His dribbling, especially in 1v1 situations on the right flank where he can cut onto his stronger foot or in the central spaces where he can utilize his close control, is phenomenal as he is a fantastic ball-carrier, but he needs to add some substance to it. He needs to cut inside and create more shooting opportunities for himself or release the ball to teammates to create shooting opportunities. He has the vision for penetrative shot creating passes, but this area of his game needs more practice and refinement. His movement in between the lines and in the channels also needs improvement as when he is positioned in the half-space, he is too quick to move towards the flank instead of holding his position to receive possession as this makes him easier to mark and denies his teammate a passing option. In the build-up phase, he tends to be too quick to drop deep instead of holding his position, dropping in front of opposition defenders where he does not create a high-quality passing angle for his teammate instead of holding his position in between the lines, scanning and side-stepping into space where he can receive possession in more advantageous positions.

When he receives possession in between the lines, he will need to improve his directional first touch, allowing the ball to roll across his body and swivelling, he will also need to scan and be trained to react to specific situations when he receives possession. He will need to better analyse which foot to receive possession with, his body shape when receiving possession, whether he can turn or not as if he incorporates this into his game, he could make a sudden jump into a more effective attacker in between the lines. If he is able to receive possession with a more open body shape with a better overview of his passing options, then it could improve his decision making and knowledge of when to release the ball as he will create more opportunities. He will also need to improve his knowledge of when to release the ball as if he incorporates better decision-making with his ball-carrying, he will be able to play at the highest echelons of European football. Perez can play in a variety of positions as his best position is currently as a right winger, but he can also be deployed as a central playmaker as well as a second-striker, dropping deep to receive possession and easing transitions while also making runs off his striker to have goalscoring opportunities of his own.

Perez turns 18-years-old in July which will make him a hot prospect on the summer transfer window. He would be a prime target for the City Football Group who could loan him out to Lommel SK or Girona to iron out some of the weaker areas of his game and get some much-needed coaching. A Premier League team like Arsenal or Brighton could sign him and loan him to a club like Orense, Guayaquil City or LDU Quito till January before loaning him to a European feeder team in order to manage his development. A move to Hamburg or Stuttgart could also be invaluable for him as would a move to a team like FC Basel while Udinese, Sassuolo, Bologna or Atalanta could see a development and improvement in his game over the next few years. Portuguese sides like Vizela, Familicao or SC Braga could see him develop into a high-level player in a variety of roles. In France, teams like Brest, Monaco or Reims would be good as would be Toulouse which is becoming a hub for the development of young talent. However, three of the best teams to develop him are Ajax, Feyenoord and PSV where he could spend the next year at Jong Ajax or Jong PSV becoming a more efficient attacker as PSV especially is becoming an intriguing breeding ground for young attacking talent. Club Brugge, Genk and Anderlecht could also be key moves for him. A youngster like Perez at a low price could prove to be a bargain on the upcoming market as he has shown the potential to develop into a world class player.