Carlos Gomez – Millonarios’ wide sensation

Carlos Andres Gomez Hinestroza or better known as Carlos Gomez emphasizes the joy of the Chocoano community of Columbia, exuding a verve and energy which has roots in his upbringing as well as constantly dancing after scoring as well as in his team’s dressing room. He has only been with Millonarios for two years as the youngster from Quibdo, played for his city’s team as he was scouted by Ricardo Pitirri Salazar who was influential in facilitating his move to the Colombian BetPlay League side. Gomez would initially join the U20 side as Alberto Gamero was taken aback by his dribbling and pace, promoting him to the first-team as after his initial struggles, he has not looked back. Under Gamero, youngsters have been given increased opportunities to develop before the Colombian side look to sell them in the future.

Gomez initially joined Millonarios as a left-back before being moved to a wide role while he was also deployed as a striker at youth level while the 20-year-old constantly watches footage of Kylian Mbappe to learn and grow. The youngster’s career till this point has not been plain sailing as he left home at the age 11 to embark on a footballing career, moving to Cali as when he reached U20 level, few teams wanted him. He played for the Club Deportivo Estacion Verde where he nearly quit football altogether, leaving the youth academy for the December holidays as he would not return before a coach saw him playing in his neighbourhood, inviting him to his youth academy where he gave him boots and support. Now, the young attacker is one of the most productive wingers in Colombian football while being one of the most intriguing young prospects in South American football.

Gomez is a lumbering physical presence, possessing a measured first touch and a beguiling burst of pace as this is a cocktail for a tremendously talented attacking prodigy. The 20-year-old also makes intelligent runs into the nine-space to receive possession and generate shooting opportunities. Whenever he receives possession on the right flank, he drives the ball into the centre with his directional first touch as this can allow him to cut inside to work connections, combine with teammates using his first touch and evade markers. However, this can also make him one-dimensional as a dribbler as he has the size, power and dribbling ability to threaten his fullback by driving to the by-line to cut-back and generate crossing opportunities. He thrives as a ball-carrier, leading counter-attacking situations, using a turn of pace to surge past opposition players while his body allows him to shield the ball from opposition players closing him down from behind. He will need to improve his close control as he leaves the ball behind him far too often in these situations.

At home to Independiente Santa Fe, he received possession with his back to goal, flicking the ball into the centre with the outside of his right before working a pass to the nine-space and continuing his run into the nine-space. In a 4-4-2 pressing situation, he was triggered to press when the opposition left-back received the ball as the left-back worked a ball into the centre as Gomez tracked his runner, making an interception to drive the ball into the centre, working a pass to the nine-space before a lay-off as he continued his run into the nine-space to receive a through ball, poking an opportunity past the goalkeeper with calm. The young winger received a switch ball on the right flank, driving the ball towards his fullback before cutting back and squaring a cross into the path of an attacker as it was intercepted. Immediately after this situation, his team would regain possession in the counter-press, playing a pass to him in the channels where he had a shot saved.

For a player of Gomez’ size and intelligence, the key is combining the intelligence of his movement with his dribbling as these sequences allow him to generate shooting opportunities for himself. He received possession on the right flank, cutting into the centre to work a pass to a teammate in the half-space before making a curved run around his fullback and into a pocket of space in the right half-space as he received possession in this area, intelligently spinning to shield the ball and poke a shot at goal which was saved. After a turnover on the right flank, he drove the ball to the edge of the opposition box, skipping past a tackle to tee up a shooting opportunity for a teammate. The 20-year-old notched his second goal with a brilliantly timed run past his striker to receive a lobbed pass from his centre-back, allowing the ball to bounce before firing a shot home with his left foot.

Gomez can create shooting opportunities in a wide variety of ways, from dribbling sequences, using his pace and power to surge into the box, as he can also work combinations with teammates to receive possession in space and orchestrate his own transitions in the final third while he has the intelligence to make intuitive runs off the striker, receiving passes as he creates most of his high quality shooting opportunities in the final two ways. He is constantly threatening with the timing and angling of his runs in behind to receive possession and have shots at goal as this area of directness makes him unique to most of the wingers his age. The 20-year-old regained possession from an opposition free-kick, surging forward to square a pass for Daniel Ruiz in the centre who was tackled. Gomez is a counter-attacking conduit as he can stretch his legs to burst forward with speed and intention to create opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Away to Cortulua, he made an interception to regain possession, driving the ball towards the touchline with his directional first touch before cutting back into the centre to play the ball into the central areas for a teammate as he made a run towards the wide areas before making a vertical run into the centre for a pass which was intercepted. Those movements and runs are a staple of his game and his shot-creating sequences as he will frequently make runs towards the wide areas before making movements into the centre to receive possession. These runs are integral for the youngster to receive through balls into the channel from the central areas or when a teammate has possession behind him in the wide zone as these movements could be used to generate space to receive possession. In the build-up phase, he received a switch ball in a 1v1 situation, facing the ball with a closed body shape to poke the ball into the centre with his first touch as the central areas were congested and he lost possession. Instead, he should have opened his body as his marker was closing him down, allowing the ball to roll to his back foot to evade his marker or draw a foul as if he evaded his marker, he would have been able to drive into more space on the flank.

Gomez’ first touch is consistently impeccable as he can utilize it for more than driving into the centre as if he is able to drive to the by-line, it will add another dimension to his dribbling style, making him more difficult to mark. The 20-year-old received another switch ball as he controlled possession with the inside of his boot, allowing him to evade his fullback with his first touch, driving into the half-space as he strode into the box to have a shot blocked. The timing and angling of his runs once the nine-space is vacated are flawless as his striker would move to the left flank, leaving a gaping hole in the nine-space as once a pass was laid off to the flank, he began making his run for a lobbed pass into the area as the ball took an unfortunate bounce, forcing him to stretch as the ball went agonizingly wide of the back-post. Gomez’ blend of strong running and intelligent movement make him a difficult attacker for opposition defenders to pin down.

At youth level, he was educated on the importance of defending as a unit in both the press and the defensive phase as he is very stout when his team are out of possession. When his fullback received possession, he would push forward to win a turnover, using his body to shield the ball so he could regain possession cleanly. The fact that he could use his body to shield the ball to win possession means that the 20-year-old could be very accomplished in the pressing phase as he could use this manoeuvre to regain possession cleanly which would allow his team to transition to the attacking phase without the threat of him conceding a foul. Gomez had another piece of intelligent movement to make a run into the nine-space as the ball was on the left flank for the Colombian to make a vertical run past his fullback before trotting into the nine-space to remain onside, receiving a lobbed pass to lay-off for a teammate to have a shot blocked. The young attacker could also be a key player in the build-up phase, tucking into the half-space to receive possession, laying off to a runner in the wide zone to allow his team to transition into a shooting opportunity.

Gomez would open his account for the game, accelerating to win a back-pass and thrashing the ball home from a tight angle. The 20-year-old would then notch his second goal, positioning himself in the half-space, gesturing for possession when a centre-back drove into the opposition half, holding his run to remain onside as he received possession to have a 1v1 with the goalkeeper to finish with aplomb, lobbing the goalkeeper to score his second. The youngster could have had a hat-trick, making another intelligent run in behind to receive a goal-kick, driving into the box as he left the ball behind him, denying himself a shooting opportunity. Away to Atletico Junior, received a flick-on to push the ball forward with his head to fire a right footed shot at goal. In the pressing phase, he made an interception to surge in between two defenders and drive a tame shot wide from range. Gomez moved into the half-space to receive possession and thread a pass for a runner in the channels for a low crossing opportunity.

Gomez received possession on the left flank, driving the ball inside, skipping past his defender before shielding the ball and swivelling away from a sliding challenge to spread possession to the flank as he made a run into the nine-space to receive possession as he lost possession with a heavy touch. The 20-year-old received possession on the left flank once more, driving into the centre before cutting back towards the by-line to evade two defenders but his touch was too heavy as he lost possession. He made a vertical run into the nine-space, taking a touch and having a shot tipped wide at the near post as Gomez could have taken the shot with his first touch. The young attacker received possession with his back to goal on the left flank, driving the ball into the centre with his first touch to shield the ball and turn away from a marker as he was driving the ball into the box before he slipped. He had a sequence where he drove the ball forward from the left, playing an outside of the boot pass with his right to continue his run and receive possession, skipping past a defender to drive into the box, leaving the ball behind him to deny himself a shooting opportunity once more.

The 20-year-old used his body to shield the ball and regain possession in the pressing phase before making a movement to receive possession and lay-off for a teammate as he made a movement into the nine-space to receive possession and lay-off for a teammate to drive into the box. He received possession on the left to cut inside and send a shot wide with his weaker right foot. Defensively, he made an interception in the defensive phase, losing possession before tracking back to recover, regaining possession with a lunging tackle to drive the ball into the opposition half and attempt a through ball which was intercepted. In the dying minutes of added time, he shielded possession from an opposition defender to turn and drive the ball forward, driving into the opposition box to have a shot saved before his teammate tapped the rebound in.

At home to America de Cali, he received possession after an opposition corner, driving the ball forward as he left possession behind him, recovering to flick a pass to a teammate. His runs off the striker continued to be immense as he made a run into the centre to receive possession, making a double-movement to receive a cut-back at the top of the box as he received a cross to take a touch and shoot over the bar. He then laid off a pass to a teammate, making a run into space to receive possession as he was tackled. He continued to consistently drive the ball into the centre with his directional first touch as he could drive the ball to the by-line while also being coached on feints, dropping to receive possession with his front foot, engaging his marker towards the ball before opening his body and allowing the ball to roll to his back foot to drive the ball forward on the flank. The 20-year-old would soon have a moment of magic, receiving possession in the right half-space, skipping past a marker to drive a strike from range, past the goalkeeper and off the underside of the crossbar.

His movement and anticipation for shooting opportunities continued to be excellent, working a combination on the right flank as an early pass was played into the box before he made a run to receive a lay-off as he had a shot blocked. Gomez would have another sequence where he drove the ball into the centre instead of driving to the by-line. He exhibited his ability to regain possession to instigate counter-attacking sequences with his ball-carrying and combination play. He then created an opportunity, receiving possession on the right flank to roll an accurately curled delivery into the box for a teammate to have a shot saved. He lobbed another well-angled cross over the head of a teammate before working a one-two to drive the ball forward, barging over a marker. He finished the game with 3 shots with 1 on target, 3 crosses with 2 on target, 1/6 takeons due to his habit of constantly driving the ball into the centre and an astounding 8 ball recoveries.

Gomez is currently in the top 25 in expected goals in Colombia with a 6.6 expected goals number for 7 goals while for expected assists for Under 23s, he ranks in the top 5 with a 2.46 number for 2 assists. He ranks in the top 20 for shots while being in the top 5 for percentage of shots on target with 49.12% as only 39% of his shots are from outside the box. His use of combination plays to create shooting opportunities for himself is illustrated by the fact that he ranks in the top 5 in shot percentage from open play with 50% of his shots being from open play. In 1v1 dribbling, he ranks in the top 15 with a dribble success rate of 41%. The timing of his runs and movements into the nine-space are impressive as he has only been caught offside 3 times this season while he also ranks in the top 15 for touches in the penalty area. The 20-year-old also ranks in the top 25 for progressive runs as he is immensely threatening carrying the ball forward.

Gomez thrives at receiving possession and driving the ball forward as his first touch is impeccable, especially when driving the ball inside or working one-touch passes for a teammate in the nine-space. His insistence in cutting inside allows him to work combinations to drive into the box or create shooting opportunities for himself but he is leaving a lot on the table in terms of his ball-carrying by not driving to towards the by-line with more urgency and consistency. This starts with his first touch and directional first touch as there should be more instances where he is in 1v1 situations on the flank and allows the ball to roll across his body to his back foot to push the ball forward and evade a marker. He should also utilize his turn of pace and size to drive the ball to the by-line, skipping past a marker before use his body to shield the ball from his defender to drive to the by-line to cut-back onto his left foot for a higher quality crossing or cut-back opportunity or the 20-year-old could continue to use his body to drive down the by-line and work another high quality cut-back opportunity into the box.

Gomez can shoot with both of his feet as he can drive powerful shots with his weaker right foot at goal while he can also cut inside onto his right foot when playing from the left flank to create shooting opportunities for himself. He will need to improve at the latter as the 20-year-old has the potential to play on both flanks as well as in a second-striker role. His combination play and movement in the box allows him to generate high quality shooting opportunities for himself while he will improve as a long range shooter, especially with his stronger right foot, in the future. Defensively, he has the ability to win possession cleanly in the pressing phase while having the directness and power to drive the ball towards goal in these situations as he can also win possession in the defensive phase, striding forward to lead counter-attacks. He provides a constant threat from long passes in behind as once he improves the close control in his dribbling, he will be a threat running in behind from long goal-kicks. With a few minor improvements in his directional first touch and close control, Gomez could ascend quickly into an attacking prospect capable of operating at the highest echelons of European football.

Gomez has recently signed a new contract until 2025 as Millonarios will look to sell him for an eye-watering fee in the future as there are many clubs that could utilize the young talent. He would be a good piece of business for Vincent Kompany’s Burnley, especially with the regularity in which they evacuate the nine-space as the 20-year-old could make consistent runs into this area to receive possession while adding a different set of skills to their current wingers. Southampton, Everton, Leeds United, Brentford and Wolves would also be a good fit for the young attacker as in La Liga, Real Sociedad and Villareal are having success developing attackers of his ilk and both operate with systems that would suit him. He would also suit Ajax’ style under Alfred Schreuder as well as being a strong replacement for Antony if Sontje Hansen does not make the leap to the first team. PSV Eindhoven and Feyenoord would also suit him while in France, Rennes, Nice, Lille, Lyon, Reims and Toulouse would be good places for him to develop. In the next few markets, Gomez will be one of the most sought-after South American prospects.