Tomás Pérez – Analysis & Projection

Tomás Pérez was announced just over a week ago as a new signing for FC Porto from Newell’s Old Boys in a €3M transfer, arriving as a potential successor to Nico González. His career progression has been remarkably fast, having debuted on July 23, 2024, and now securing a move to European football in less than a year.

For this analysis, data was collected on players in his position from the date of his debut to assess his performance in comparison to more experienced midfielders in Argentina’s Primera División.

Playing Style – A Classic #6

Tomás Pérez fits the mold of a classic defensive midfielder, serving as the first passing option for the center-backs in buildup play and frequently dropping between them to help in the initial phases of possession. His role is pivotal in organizing the team’s transitions, maintaining structure, and ensuring stability both with and without the ball.

Passing Profile: He is a midfielder who prioritizes short and medium-range passes, playing a key role in team structure and transitions from defense to attack.

Passing Distribution: His forward and lateral passes form the majority of his ball actions, reinforcing his ability to maintain order and rhythm in possession.

Efficiency: His pass completion rates are significantly high, confirming that he makes intelligent, precise decisions despite not being the primary playmaker.

Defensive Contributions & Potential

Defensively, he shows great promise for his age. With 9.5 successful defensive actions per 90 minutes, he is very close to the league average, which is particularly impressive given the physical intensity of the Argentine league.

Interceptions: Well above the league average, highlighting his strong positioning and ability to read the game effectively.

Defensive Duels: He engages in fewer 1v1 defensive battles compared to others in his position, but still maintains a high success rate, demonstrating efficiency rather than volume in duels.

Aerial Play: Although he participates in fewer aerial duels per 90 minutes than the league average, his success rate is near 50%, indicating he competes well when needed but could improve his aerial dominance over time.

Final Evaluation

For a 19-year-old midfielder, these numbers highlight great potential. His maturity in defensive positioning, passing precision, and ability to contribute effectively on both ends of the pitch are well above what is typically expected for a player of his age and experience level.

His move to Porto provides the ideal setting for further development, particularly in refining his ball progression, offensive impact, and aerial presence. Given his early adaptability and strong foundation, Tomás Pérez has the attributes to evolve into a well-rounded, high-level midfielder in European football.

Data Analytics for Soccer Scouting: Identifying the Most Similar Replacement for Carvajal

I am pleased to share my final project for the my Data Driven Decision-Making class. This project is focused on addressing a current challenge faced by Real Madrid CF after Dani Carvajal’s ACL injury left a significant gap in the right-back position.

The goal of the analysis was to identify players whose performance metrics closely resemble Carvajal's, ensuring both tactical continuity and long-term squad depth.

The process began by collecting performance data from FBref, focusing on the 2024/2025 season. The analysis included the “Top 5 European leagues” (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1) due to their competitiveness, as well as the Eredivisie (Netherlands) and Primeira Liga (Portugal) to broaden the pool of candidates.

Key steps in the project included:

- Filtering for only right-backs and players who had performed more than 25% of the games

- Identifying key performance indicators

- Applying clustering techniques to group players based on similar patterns of performance

- Identifying the most similar players through a radar chart comparison

Every point is well explained in the PDF

Baltasar Rodríguez: A Scouting Report on Inter Miami’s Potential New Signing

Rumors continue to circulate about Baltasar Rodríguez’s next move, with reports suggesting that Inter Miami is very close to securing his signing. At the same time, it's roumored that FC Dallas has reportedly entered the race to acquire the young midfielder. The 21-year-old comes with valuable experience, having represented Argentina at the youth national team level and recently winning the Copa Sudamericana with Racing Club. Given the growing interest in his profile, I analyzed his performance using Wyscout data, comparing him to other attacking midfielders in similar roles.

What to Expect from Him:

Baltasar Rodríguez is an attacking midfielder who can also operate on the wings. One of his standout attributes is his defensive contribution—he ranks among the top players in his position for defensive duels, engaging in a high number of battles and boasting strong defensive metrics overall. Despite his primary role as an offensive player, he is highly active without the ball, winning back possession and applying pressure in key areas.

On the attacking side, Rodríguez is a constant threat in and around the opponent’s box. He takes on goal-scoring opportunities frequently and is comfortable shooting from different areas. His ability to read spaces, recognize teammates' movements, and shield the ball effectively allows him to operate efficiently under pressure. His awareness of the space around him makes him difficult to dispossess, adding to his effectiveness as a ball carrier.

When comparing him to other midfielders, Rodríguez has played fewer minutes, often coming off the bench. However, despite his limited game time, his impact remains significant, consistently influencing the game with his energy and tactical awareness.

In terms of passing, Rodríguez’s forward pass numbers rank on the lower end among players in his position, indicating a tendency to play more laterally rather than progressing the ball directly into advanced areas. However, he compensates with a solid long passing ability, which allows him to switch play effectively and stretch the field. He is also above average in touches inside the opponent’s box, showcasing his attacking intent and ability to arrive in dangerous areas. Additionally, he is a strong ball carrier, frequently driving forward with possession to break defensive lines and create opportunities.

If Rodríguez completes his move to Inter Miami, he could bring a dynamic mix of defensive work rate, attacking versatility, and tactical intelligence to the squad. His ability to contribute both on and off the ball makes him an intriguing prospect for MLS clubs looking for a midfielder with a well-rounded profile.

Analysis of Center Backs in the Second Division of Colombia (SPANISH)

I conducted a detailed analysis of center backs who played in the Second Division of Colombian soccer in 2024, focusing on identifying talent with the potential to move up to higher-level leagues. To achieve this, I started by creating Tableau visualizations using WyScout data, aiming to analyze how players develop based on key metrics such as defensive duels, interceptions, clearances, progressive passes, and passing accuracy in buildup play.

Next, I applied a percentile-based approach, assigning a weighted value to each metric according to its relevance for the center-back role. We multiplied these percentiles by specific values to create a scoring system that allowed us to classify and segment players based on their overall performance. This method helped us identify different types of defenders and highlight those with the greatest potential for progression.

Afterward, created radar charts for the top 5 performers, comparing their metrics with the average values of center backs in Colombia's First Division. This visualization allows to assess how these players measure up against the standard of a higher-level competition, providing valuable insights into their readiness for the next step in their careers.