Aramburu started in 3 out of 4 of Venezuela’s games in the 2024 edition of the Copa America. Playing every minute after Venezuela’s opening match against Ecuador, he only conceded 1 goal and assisted the first of each of the goals Venezuela scored in each game. At only 21 years of age, Aramburu showed great maturity in one of the most surprising teams in the tournament.
The video above is meant to demonstrate some of Aramburu’s patterns of play which I believe showcase who he is as a player to determine what type of team he is best suited for.
Overview
Likes:
Running through contact
Making underlapping runs
Reacting to perform defensive actions
Pressing an opponent on their weak side
Dislikes:
Squaring up attackers in wide areas when they are on their front foot
being caught in between positions
Areas to Improve on:
Decision making when transitioning from defense to attack
Situational awareness regarding runners behind him when he is engaging an opponent
Breaking Down Actions by Game State
Build Up - Progressive Carries and Underlaps
Aramburu likes to be able to receive the ball in wide areas and look to progress down the sideline. He will often look for the winger or midfielder on his side to pass to quickly before making a long underlapping run. These runs allow him to receive the ball again and continue to carry it forward or they can pull opponents out of position to open up space for teammates.
Settled Possession - Underlaps and Crosses
Much of Aramburu’s play in the final third is similar to what he likes to do in buildup. When he receives the ball wide but closer to the middle third, he sees a lot of success finding a teammate ahead of him to pass to and make an underlapping run. Aramburu is great at running through contact and doesn’t shy away from it, often winning fouls and in one case, a penalty.
When he finds himself as the highest and widest option, Aramburu is happy to find a quick cross into the box, and with Venezuela crowding the box with large bodies and numbers, he is often able to put in a dangerous ball.
High Press - Tracking Runners to Make Weak-Side Tackles
When the opposition tries to build out from their own box, Aramburu can often follow an opponent who is running in to receive and tackle them from their back foot or put them off enough to take a poor touch.
If the opponent is able to receive on their front foot though, they can at times beat Aramburu easily as he can come in with too much momentum. This can allow the opposition to release and take advantage of a transition moment.
High Intensity Pressing in the Middle
When the Venezuelan team is attempting to engage in an intense press in the middle of the pitch, Aramburu can sometimes get caught in no man’s land or lose track of runners behind him. He can have difficulty committing to closing down an opponent or following runners behind him. Without employing consistent shadow marking, this leaves Aramburu stranded and easily bypassed. These tendencies should be able to be coached out of his game as he comes across these situations more often.
Settled Defense - Weak Side Ball Wins
When Venezuela is in their settled defensive structure, Aramburu is happy to jump on an opponent who is receiving the ball with their back to goal. He gets very tight and doesn’t often get spun, winning the ball on many occasions.
1v1 Duels
Aramburu is comfortable facing up an opponent when they don’t have a lot of space in behind or teammates to work with. He is quick to react, aggressive, and happy to throw his body around, usually having the strength to throw off opposition attackers.
Reactive Defensive Actions
Aramburu loves to engage in last-ditch defensive actions when Venezuela are defending in their defensive third. Slide tackles, clearances, blocks, Aramburu is always quick to react.
While this skill is important in many moments, he might want to spend some time learning how to anticipate the play in some of these situations. Taking up a different position with respect to the opponents might put the opposition off from playing dangerous balls in the first place.
Thank you for reading. This is obviously the first time I have done anything like this (especially with respect to the video). Any suggestions or feedback would be greatly appreciated. I have really enjoyed working on this project and presenting it in this format so I hope I can continue to improve it in the future.
You will notice that there are many differences between the videos and formatting of this information between the five players in this series that will be released throughout the week so please let me know which ones you like and which you don’t!
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