Joaquin Sosa – Nacional’s ball-playing extraordinaire

Joaquin Sosa was born in Fray Bentos, the same area of Uruguay that Lucas Torreira calls home as it is famously known for its corned beef brand which is shipped and sold in the United Kingdom. Fray Bentos may have another export to the United Kingdom as Sosa is rumoured to be making a move to Scotland with Hibernian after immensely successful loan spells with Rentistas and Liverpool Montevideo from Nacional. Sosa joined Nacional as a 14-year-old, living in the academy’s dormitories until the age of 18 as he then moved in with his older brother. His mother would make unannounced visits to the academy to ensure he was taking his studies seriously while also making sure that he was not getting too homesick.

The pandemic proved to be an obstacle for many South American footballers as Sosa found himself at home, mostly training alone with childhood friends to remain fit before he was on a Zoom call with people from Nacional, asking him to join the first team for training. Training with his childhood friends is not something he would usually do as when he returns to Fray Bentos, he will not partake in 5 a side games while riding motorcycles and horses are also out of the question as he takes his health and safety immensely seriously to preserve his footballing career. After taking part in some games and training sessions, Nacional would believe that in order to continue his development, he would need a loan to Rentistas as they extended his contract till December 2023 before sending him on loan.

At Rentistas, the first part of his stay would be under Martin Varini, a Uruguayan coach in his late 20s on the rise as although he would be sacked, he is currently the assistant coach of Cruzeiro in the Brasiliero Serie B. At Rentistas, he would employ a 4-4-2 diamond shape with fast paced verticality, high pressing as well as counter-pressing as despite helping the farm club qualify for South American football, he was sacked in the season after. Sosa proved to be a commanding defensive presence in this shape as he was comfortable in defending a high-line, pushing up to make timely interceptions while he is comfortable in using his body in 1v1 situations to make well-timed tackles. Defensively, his reading of the game and awareness has grown during his loans, constantly being in the perfect positions to defend crosses while having the intelligence to position himself soundly, especially when looking to cover spaces. His greatest asset is his long-range distribution as he can ping switch passes with consummate ease while he can also thread deep line-breaking passes in the build-up phase as the consistency with which he manages to lob accurate passes to the attacking zones has made him a standout player at Rentistas and Liverpool.

At home to his future club, Liverpool for Rentistas, he received possession and lobbed an accurate switch pass to the right flank to instigate an attacking move. The 20-year-old then received possession from his goalkeeper to angle a perfectly weighted line-breaking pass to the left half-space as the Liverpool game was uniquely interesting due to the fact that he was playing against Uruguay best striker at the time in Ignacio Ramirez. He showed his immense reading of the game when he pushed forward to make a timely interception on a pass into his zone while playing a line-breaking pass to the ten space with his first touch. He played directly against Ramirez in a situation where he pushed up to make an interception near the halfway line in a counter-pressing situation. The Uruguayan centre-back then pinged another accurate pass to the opposite flank in the build-up phase as he acts as an instrumental attacking conduit in pushing his team forward in build-up situations.

In a defensive situation, a cross was played into the box while his right sided centre-back was out of position for Sosa to move across the defensive block and execute a perfectly timed sliding challenge to deny an opposition attacker a shooting opportunity. Sosa launched another switch pass to the opposite flank to instigate a vertical combination on the weak side as he would continue this astonishing performance by rising highest to head a corner past the keeper and score in the opposite box. The 20-year-old then had an astonishing piece of 1v1 defending against Ramirez as the striker would make a double movement behind him before making a run-in front of him as Sosa showed impeccable calm to remain goal side of him and block his shot on goal. The two would go against each other once more with an opposition midfielder working a pass into Ramirez while Sosa was marking him for the centre-back to calmly nudge in front of him and poke the ball away.

The 20-year-old instigated another attacking move from a kick-off situation when he played the ball through the lines to the nine-space to instigate an attacking move. Sosa then showed defensive prowess when he shifted to the right flank to cover for his right sided centre-back who had pushed up as Ramirez managed to get in behind with Sosa being the last man as the Uruguayan youngster did well to remain goal-side of him, shepherding him away from the goal where the striker made a mistake and had a heavy touch to deny himself a shooting opportunity. This defensive move was akin to a game of poker where Sosa showed great resolve to not blink and instead retain focus and wait for his more experienced opponent to blink to win the battle without making a block, tackle or interception. Sosa possesses great defensive potential because his reaction time his quick and intelligent as after his team lost possession during the build-up phase, Sosa would push up to make a timely tackle and regain possession.

This resolute and adaptable style of defending meshes well with his ball-playing ability as he would receive possession to drive the ball forward and thread a pass to the right half-space before holding his position to make a timely interception and lobbing a pass to the nine-space. Sosa is not only a progressive passer, but he is also a progressive ball-carrier, receiving possession from the goalkeeper in his own box to drive the ball forward, attracting pressure before playing a line-breaking pass to the six-space. He received possession from the goalkeeper once more, driving the ball out of his own box to play a line-breaking pass to the ball-far deep-lying midfielder. Sosa would lose possession but also showed his immense reading of the game from crossing situations, sliding across and holding his position for a ball to be played to a runner in his zone for the 20-year-old to intercept the ball calmly. He received possession from his goalkeeper to drive the ball forward once more and make a line-breaking pass to the six-space as the defensive midfielder took a heavy touch and lost possession as Sosa immediately reacted by sliding back into position and making a block on a shot at goal.

He had another moment of intelligent defending when he slid across to cover for his right sided centre-back once more, marking a man while another striker was positioned on the blind-side of his centre-back partner meaning that Sosa was out of position and had to deal with a 2v1 situation. Sosa’s positioning and body shape were so sound that he made an interception with ease before working a pass out of a tight space to a teammate. His team lost possession in midfield as Sosa was in a 1v1 situation with his left-back out of position to make a calmly timed challenge. At home to Cerro Largo, his ball-playing ability was integral as he enjoyed playing accurate switch balls to the opposite flank while he also consistently looked to thread passes into the central areas. He also exhibited his aerial ability by winning two aerial duels, denying the opposition the opportunity to get past him. Defensively, he pushed forward on the left flank to regain possession as he has a moment where he attempted a pass in between the lines which was intercepted as he pushed up to win possession before being barged to the ground as Cerro Largo had a shot on goal while he was floored.

At home to Cerrito, Sosa was strong in his 1v1 challenges while consistently driving forward with possession to thread balls into the six-space. He lobbed a pass to the nine-space for Salomon Rodriguez as in certain games, Sosa can look to play the long ball too often instead of playing shorter passes as he can lose possession by constantly playing the long passes as the 20-year-old needs to find a balance in working short passes and playing the ball long. At Rentistas, he could be feast or famine as he pushed out of position for a tackle but missed the ball before pushing out of his position once more to regain possession and play a line-breaking pass to the ten space. He pushed out of position to regain possession before working a simpler pass into the next line as the 20-year-old began to distribute possession with simpler passes, looking for the nearest available man as well as good passing angles to the six-space. In 1v1s, he was late to challenges and was struggling to close down players in the wide areas.

The 20-year-old had a catastrophic few minutes, holding the ball and attempting a deep pass which was intercepted while also pushing out of position too quickly which led to the opposition attacking his empty space as he conceded a goal. He then conceded a silly foul at the edge of his own box. Away to Liverpool, he received possession, driving the ball forward to switch a pass to the opposite flank which led to a cross and an opportunity on goal. He moved to the flank to receive possession and switch a pass to the right flank before he attempted to lob a pass over the defensive line which was intercepted. Sosa needed to add more variation to his passing as constant long passes means that he would lose the ball with an increased amount of regularity. He received possession in the left-sided centre-back zone, skipping past two players before trying to beat a third and losing possession. He then received the ball and lobbed a pass to the nine-space before shuttling to the wide areas to make a crucial block.

Sosa has elite potential with his anticipation as there are moments where he pushes out of the defensive line too quickly, leaving a gaping hole in his position as he can do this to engage in aerial duels or in pressing situations as he left a gaping hole which forced his goalkeeper to move off of his line to regain possession. He also left his centre-back position to shove an opposition attacker which was not called for a foul, but the opposition still had the opportunity to attack the space behind him. At home to River Plate Montevideo, Sosa started the game by winning an aerial duel against Thiago Borbas. To resolve his problems in distribution, Sosa can rely on his ball-carrying to create better angles for short passes as he skipped past his marker before using his body to drive past a second defender to play a short pass into the next line. Against Borbas, Sosa remained touch tight to him, forcing him into turnovers as in one instance, he forced him into a turnover before losing possession and fouling the attacker. He then followed Borbas into the channels to regain possession with a clean tackle.

He regained possession in an aerial duel from a cross before lobbing a pass in between two attackers in the final third. Sosa then received possession from the goalkeeper, working a pass to the six-space before receiving possession once more to work a pass to the left-back. The 20-year-old defended his zone brilliantly as both Matias Arezo and Borbas took turns in occupying his area as he made an interception on a pass to Arezo before making another tackle on the current Granada attacker. He would also push out of position to leave a gaping hole in his defensive line which happens to him too often. Sosa then made a tackle on Borbas before pushing up and attempting another lobbed pass forward which was intercepted. The young centre-back needs to improve at assessing the long and short passes as he loses possession too frequently with the long pass. He has the ability to roll passes in between the lines as in another moment, he received possession, took a touch and played a pass to the nine-space. He then made an interception before working another pass in between the lines before winning an aerial duel against Arezo.

He then played another intermediate pass to the six-space while he was strong at winning possession in the air and on the ground, winning an aerial duel against Arezo as he managed to close down both strikers when they occupied his zone. Sosa stretched to intercept an Arezo flick-on to Borbas before utilizing his strength and distribution to work a pass in between the two opposition attackers. At home to Penarol, Sosa received possession to drive the ball forward and play a line-breaking pass to the nine-space. The 20-year-old then used his body to regain possession and prevent an opposition player from driving to the touchline before pushing forward to make a tackle in a 50/50 battle with an attacker. Sosa played a long pass to the nine-space to instigate an attacking move before he received possession from a throw-in, using his body to shield the ball to attract pressure from two men before threading a pass to the six-space. After a turnover, he received possession to take a lovely first touch before working a pass to a teammate.

Away to Sud America, he received possession to thread a pass in between the lines before pushing out of his area to close down a marker before moving back into his area as the ball was moved to his left flank to react quickly as he made a clearance from a cross. Sosa had a moment of genius when he received possession while facing his own goal to swivel inside, avoiding a marker before driving the ball forward and playing a lobbed pass into the midfield line. After his move to Liverpool, he played against his parent club, Nacional as would launch a switch pass to the right flank for a crossing opportunity. After a turnover, the 20-year-old received possession to control the ball with his right foot, attracting pressure from two attackers to thread a pass to the six-space with his left foot. He was involved in the creation of an opportunity when he threaded a pass in between the lines for a teammate to dummy as an attacker laid the ball off for a shot at goal from range.

The 20-year-old is playing for a dominant team which has a larger amount of possession as this means that he could hold possession in higher areas of the pitch than he was used to at Rentistas. Sosa would play a line-breaking pass to the eight space as his team would possession as the opposition would counter-attack on his flank for the 20-year-old to scan as he was moving into the box to close down the space between himself and attacker to clear a crossing opportunity. After a turnover in the opposition half, he won an aerial duel in the counter-press before receiving possession under pressure from a striker to play a one-touch pass to the six-space. In another counter-attacking situation, he would track a midfield runner in the box to remain goal-side of him to make a crucial block to deny the attacker a high-quality shooting opportunity. He then shuttled to the wide areas to make a crucial block on a shooting opportunity before winning an aerial duel on a long throw into the box. Sosa received possession from his goalkeeper to lob an accurate pass in between the lines.

Liverpool Montevideo won the Apertura of the Uruguayan Primera Division with Sosa being a mainstay at the heart of their defence as he ranks in the top 25 for through passes for U23s as he ranks in the top 25 for all available players in Uruguay for long passes. He ranks in the top 20 for passes to the final third as well as being in to the top 25 for progressive passes, ranking in the top 15 in overall ball-progression by passes. In ball progression by runs, he ranks 4th in the Uruguayan Primera Division while defensively, for aerial duels in his own penalty area, he ranks in the top 15 with a 61% success rate, again in the top 15 according WyScout ranking data.

Sosa has the potential to develop into a high-level centre-back but will need to refine his decision-making in and out of possession in order to fulfil his immense potential. For instance, he will need to improve at deciding when to push out of his defensive block as he leaves holes in the defensive line too often and these sometimes lead to goalscoring situations for the opposition. This could also be a result of what is being asked of him tactically as he has shown an intelligence for covering for his centre-back when he moves out of possession as it may be pertinent to play him next to a more aggressive centre-back, so he can focus on covering space which is his skillset. He will need to be more authoritative in aerial duels while picking when he pushes up to engage in aerial battles as his ability in these situations is one of the reasons that he has immense potential to be a high-line defender. Sosa is a very instinctual defender as he looks unhurried in moments where he has to make a last-ditch tackle or cover a space in a crossing situation but will need more tactical education about when he pushes up and when he needs to hold his position.

Sosa’s ball-playing and ability to break lines in the build-up phase as well as adding penetration in the opposition half is one of his main strengths and stand-out qualities as a fullback. He can thread passes to the six-space, ping switch balls to the opposite flank while also being able to play line-breaking passes in between the lines. He will need to develop the understanding of when to play short passes and when to play long passes as his reliance on long passes could be due to the tactical systems he has been involved in. He will need to use his body to drive the ball and work passes in between the lines or he will also need to work more wall-passing situations before playing more direct passes to open spaces in between the lines. To this point in his career, he frequently looks for the eye-catching pass to often as he has the ability to develop into a more well-rounded distributor in possession.

There are rumours of Sosa making a move to Hibernian as it would be interesting to see if he would be able to obtain a British work permit as a move to a team in Scotland would be good in refining his ball-playing as well as defensive decision-making as he would gain more high-level coaching in the latter. It would also have been interesting to see him play with Nacional where he would have been able to play more in South American continental competition to assess his defending against higher level opposition. A move to Portugal to a team like Familicao, Vizela or Santa Clara could have been another stepping stone for the youngster as would a move to the Spanish Segunda Liga or Ajax in the Eredivisie. He could prove to be a coup for Hibernian with some resale value as he is a player that could grow with a higher level of more intensive coaching as it is exciting to see Scottish clubs outside the top two looking to sign players in South America.