Ivan Erquiaga – Quilmes’ ball-playing left-back
Ivan Erquiaga has had an intriguing career trajectory till this point as the 23-year-old was playing Copa Libertadores football a few years ago while being a starter with Estudiantes but is now playing in the Argentine Second Division. The Argentine left-back was born in Vivarato which is close to Mar Del Plata as he would play for their local club before moving to Estudiantes as a 17-year-old. He spent most of his youth career playing as a midfielder or striker before Estudiantes moved him to the wing as he has now settled as a left wing-back or left-back. He is beginning to accrue experience and find his feet with Quilmes as regular playing time is allowing him to grow as a player as he could be an undervalued player on the market.
Erquiaga is a ball-playing left-back as he is slight and compact in size but makes up for this by whirring up and down the flank with ceaseless energy, receiving possession in build-up play to work passing connections and drive the ball forward or playing direct line-breaking passes into the channels. In the final third, his penetrative passing allows him to play deep vertical passes from the wide areas into the box in order to create high quality opportunities for his team while he can also work connections, moving in between the half-space and flank to play crosses into the box. The 23-year-old will normally regain possession through interceptions due to his anticipatory ability to push forward and regain the ball cleanly in pressing situations as well as in defensive situations.
In a game at home to Racing in December 2020, his directional first touch when receiving possession in the left back area was impeccable as he utilized it to evade Benjamin Garre before earning a foul on the touchline. Erquiaga had another first touch where he drove the ball into the centre to weave past three players before spreading the ball to the flank. His one-touch passing from the flank is also exquisite and allows him to evade pressure while as a passer, he instigated attacking moves, playing a phenomenal ball to the left channel for a teammate to play a cut-back. The left-back would then play a deep cross which was headed in by a striker to notch an assist as the 23-year-old was played in behind once more to get in behind the opposite fullback to square another delivery for an attacker who could not redirect his glancing header at goal. Erquiaga was phenomenal defensively as well, making some brilliant recovery tackles as he would also tuck inside to cover for midfielders. He finished the game by winning 4/5 aerial duels and making 3 interceptions.
In another match against San Lorenzo, the 23-year-old would receive possession in the left-back zone to lob a wonderful pass over the head of a defender, so it landed perfectly at the feet of an attacker in the final third. Estudiantes would loan Erquiaga to Huracan who had a more defensive style of play as the left-back would still show some glimmers of his immense ball-playing ability as away to Newell’s Old Boys, he received possession in the left-back zone once more while under pressure, to angle a perfectly weighted deep pass down the channel for an attacker to find himself in the perfect position to play a cross into the box. In the Argentine Primera Nacional for Quilmes, he has begun to play as both a wing-back and a left-back with more regular game-time as away to Mitre, he was tucked inside as a left-back defensively as the opposition switched the ball to his flank for an opposition attacker in the half-space to work a one-two but Erquiaga read the situation diligently to be in the perfect position to make a timely interception.
In the build-up phase, Erquiaga received possession in the left-back zone, taking a touch while under pressure to play a pass down the line to his winger before receiving possession once more to lob a one-touch pass with his weaker right foot to the half-space. The 23-year-old received possession near the touchline once more, holding possession and waiting for a teammate to make a run to clear a passing lane to the half-space for the Argentine to lob a penetrative pass to a teammate. In the build-up phase, he received possession to angle another accurate pass down the line. He received possession in the left-back zone under pressure once more to hold possession with two opposition attackers closing him down to work a pass down the line to a teammate. He closed down an opposition marker in a 1v1 situation before forcing him towards the by-line where he made a block on a cross.
At home to Agropecuario, Erquiaga made a run to receive possession in the opposition half, spreading a pass to the flank before making an overlapping run around his winger to cut-back a cross into the box which was cleared away. He then received a switch to lob an accurate pass into the half-space before winning an aerial duel from a corner. The 23-year-old received possession on the left flank once more, standing his marker up and drive to the by-line to earn a yard of space before lofting an accurate cross into the box which was just an inch too short for an attacker to head the ball past the goalkeeper from the back-post. He received possession in the build-up phase to drive the ball forward and play a penetrative vertical pass to the nine-space. He received a lay-off in the same area to hold possession for a second and roll another pass to the nine-space as his ability to be penetrative with his distribution from the left flank is exemplary.
In the defensive phase, he would push up against his marker to close him down in a tight space and make a crucial tackle before shuttling across to make another brilliant tackle after a switch ball. He received possession on the left flank while under pressure to lob another penetrative pass to the right flank to instigate an attacking move as his long range passing and press resistant distribution makes him unique as a fullback. He regained possession once more, being positioned soundly to make an interception on a switch ball. At home to San Martin de Tucuman, he received possession in a tight space to allow the ball to roll across his body to his left foot before playing a pass into the centre with his right. His team lost possession in the opposition half for Erquiaga to tuck inside and make a timely interception while in the defensive phase, he would doggishly track his marker to regain possession, working a one-two with a teammate to play a line-breaking pass.
In a counter-attacking situation, he received possession to play a one-touch vertical pass to the nine-space before being soundly positioned to make another interception in the defensive phase. Erquiaga received a switch ball to curl another vertical pass into the nine-space for the striker to lay the ball off to a teammate in the box before the 23-year-old regained possession once more by making an interception on a switch ball. After a turnover, he received possession to lob an incisive pass to the ten space to instigate an attacking move as he received possession near the left touchline with two opposition players closing him down to play a one-touch pass down the line and make a run into the half-space as his winger would have a cross blocked.
Erquiaga has accrued 2 assists this season at a 1.26 expected assist number which ranks in the top 30 of players in the Argentine Second Division, aged 23 or under as he is in the top 9 of crosses per 90 minutes (ranking in the top 25 of all available players with the 2nd most crosses for a left-back). He is in the top 10 of crosses from the left flank as he only completes 22.58% of his crosses which shows that he is crossing at a high volume but with little accuracy. This also proves that most of his creativity comes from his penetrative passing as he ranks in the top 25 for through balls with the most amount of through balls for players specifically playing left-back in his age-group. For key passes, he ranks in the top 15 in his age-group as the 2nd highest ranking left-back as he is in the top 25 for key passes in the U23 age group as for passes to the final third, he ranks in the top 25 as the third highest ranking left-back in his age-group. For progressive passes, he ranks in the top 20 in his age-group while being in the top 10 in the per 90 metrics as he ranked in the top 20 in ball progression via passes for the same age-group. Defensively, he was in the top 25 for interceptions in his age-group as he is more proficient in winning the ball in this fashion according to WyScout’s ranking system.
Erquiaga’s ball-playing is his greatest strength as he has the ability to receive possession in tight spaces and evade pressure with penetrative passes, dribbling as well as working passing connections to drive his team forward. It seems like he would thrive as an inverted fullback, receiving possession and connecting play to drive his team forward while being able to occupy the wide areas and the half-spaces in the final third, receiving possession and working connections in the half-spaces while playing penetrative passes from the wide areas. He will need to improve his crossing as there are certain situations where his crosses lack proper direction and purpose with their weighting as his deliveries should be angled to an attacker to make the finish easier. He will also need to improve his understanding of crossing zones as he could be a proficient crosser from the by-line as well as the half-spaces on the underlap rather than playing most of his crosses from the deeper wide areas as Erquiaga needs to play more high-quality crosses. Defensively, he is mobile in covering space to make tackles and blocks while positioning himself soundly to make interceptions as he also has immense focus and quick reaction time in defensive situations. The 23-year-old have more authority in defending 1v1 situations, but he has shown the potential to do this in the future.
Erquiaga joined Quilmes on a permanent deal early in the year as his contract will expire in December 2023 as he is a player that has shown he is capable of playing at a higher level than the Argentine Second Division as with increased experience, he will continue to develop and grow as a player. Teams like Sassuolo, Bologna, Empoli and Spezia would be good places for him while spending some time in Serie B could be integral in developing his defensive instincts. Teams like Toulouse, Reims and RC Lens would also be a good landing spot for him as would teams like Basel in Switzerland. Playing under a Head Coach like Francesco Farioli who places extreme importance on the ball-playing abilities of his fullback could also be a perfect landing spot for his development as a player.
