Matías Rocha Scout Report
Scout report on Matías Rocha, the 23-year-old Uruguayan center back from Arouca playing in the Primeira Liga, suggests curious incongruities in his style of play. Despite being young, his stats reflect a defensive craftsman with an exceptional ability to keep possession, boasting ball retention ability in the top 4% of his leagues' defenders. His ball control and progression metrics suggest a player comfortable and skilled in carrying the ball forward, setting a firm backbone for Arouca's defensive maneuvers. However, this high level of ball retention juxtaposes sharply with his surprisingly low ball recovery rate, a critical part of a center-back's job, where Rocha falls in the bottom 4%. His low chance creation (only above 3%) also raises eyebrows, indicating a player whose strength does not lie in instigating attacking opportunities.
In addition, Rocha's defensive skill set appears to be lacking certain key elements. His aerial duel win percentage and overall duel win rates are worryingly low (well below 20%), flagging a potential area of vulnerability, especially against aerially dominant teams. Moreover, his interception rate, a fundamental aspect of any center back's game, is rather average, sitting in the mid-40 percentile. His prime position on the pitch skews defensive, which is expected of his role, though his almost negligible presence in the attacking third (0.48%) could be concerning for a team seeking more offensively involved defenders.
With this player analysis, Rocha is seen as a ball-retaining bastion with his strength firmly rooted in possession but seems to need significant improvements in his recovery, aerial, and interception skills to evolve into a more well-rounded and dominant center-back. Nevertheless, his statistics reflect a player with a unique style and potential that Arouca may find increasingly valuable.