Yeison Guzman- Deportes Tolima Scout Report

 

Yeison Guzman- Attacking Masterclass lighting up Colombia

Date of birth: 22 March 1998

Country: Colombia

Position: Attacking Midfield

Height: 169cm

Preferred foot: Right

There is something magical about a South American attacking minded player taking over a game, the technical ability on show is simply wonderful for any football fan. And Yeison Guzman is certainly a player that makes football fun to watch. A product of the famous Envigado Academy in his native Colombia, he already has experience playing for some of the biggest clubs in Colombia, playing for both Envigado and Athletico Nacional and a move outside of Colombia seems to be on the cards sooner rather than later.

Starting 14 out of the 15 games he has played in this season, he already has notched up 10 goals. Many of these goals follow the same pattern, following in a team mates shot and hitting it first time to outfox the goalkeeper. If he isn't doing that he is working a neat little give and go before following his pass into the box slotting the ball home. Pairing him with a link up striker could bring even more goals considering how well he works with his team mates. 10 goals is impressive on it's own, even more impressive when you see he only attempts 2.6 shots per game with 1.3 on target. Every goal this season has been scored inside the box, highlighting just how well he fits into the modern style of football. Being in the team of the week 8 times already this season showcases just how much of a standout he has been this season. 

Attacking midfielders need to provide for their team mates as well asget on the scoresheet and Guzman has notched up 3 assists already. This might seem low on the surface but a look at the stats show he averages 2.9 key passes per game. Guzman has a very good pass rate, averaging 42.9 passes per game at a very good 83%. One stat that stands out is his 75% success rate in the opposition half, making 29.5 passes per game. Another skill needed from an attacking midfielder is high pressing, and Guzman once again ticks the boxes. He recovers 3.7 ball possession per game. This is due to his high work rate and willingness to close the opposition down. As we know this is a key in many modern formations, therefore Guzman fitting into the majority of clubs seems seemingless. Often we see attacking midfielders get caught offside in the build up play, often rendering the play from the back useless, however Guzman is only offside 0.1 times per game. Even though the traditional central Attacking midfielder isn't used like a winger he still adds 2.0 crosses per game at a nice 48% success rate.

Something very suprising is the fact Guzman has yet to make an appearance for the Colombian national team. Perhaps a move to Europe or Asia is needed to get him into the national team, following in the footsteps of many of his countrymen. 

Something Guzman should work on is his dribbling as he only completes 45% of them at a very low rate of 0.9 per game. An attacking midfielder in Europe for example is required to be more creative in terms of running at the opposition so working on that will make Guzman a much better player to the eye. 

Ideal Club:

A move to a lower mid table side in Spain, Portugal or Italy such as Alaves, Verona or Famalicao would be beneficial in finding his feet in Europe in similar climate to his home in Colombia, as well as being the more common path way took by South American players. However I highly recommend a move to the J League to a club such as Vissel Kobe who play direct football or Kashima Antlers. The reason I say that is the fact Japanese football is very attacking which would benefit Guzmans style of play, it is also very fast paced which means plenty of chances are created. Many South American players play in Japan which helps with adapting and finally with many clubs in Europe now scouting the J leagues a move to a bigger club could be the on the cards a lot quicker than pkaying in a mid table side.