Vicente Pizarro – Colo Colo’s deep-lying midfield prodigy

Colo Colo came dangerously close with relegation last year but are now second in the Chilean Primera Division having gone 12 games without losing in all competitions. 18-year-old Vicente Tomas Pizarro Durcudoy is one of a batch of talented youngsters beginning to make inroads into the first-team. Pizarro evokes memories of better days for Colo Colo as his father, Jaime Pizarro was the captain of the last Colo Colo side to win the Copa Libertadores in 1991 as the man affectionately known as ‘Kaiser’ would like his son to have his own career without his large shadow looming over him. The early indicators are impressive as the teenager has become a crucial first-team player in under 10 games as he has become an early favourite to fans and journalists alike. The rest of the world outside Chile are a few months away from catching onto the genius of the ‘Mini-Kaiser’ or ‘Vicho’ as he is affectionately known.

Jaime and Vicente have some differences as the former was right footed while the latter is left-footed as Vicente has been preparing for his professional career in the confines of Colo Colo’s illustrious academy. He has played the most minutes for the U20 side this year while a COVID-19 outbreak meant that he made his professional debut against Nublense where he put in a diligent performance at the base of midfield which has led to him becoming a fully-fledged first-team player. In his youth career, he has some of the best physical and fitness numbers at the club while his intelligence has allowed him to put in some remarkable and astute performances in the fledgling stages of his career. The 18-year-old has been with Colo Colo since the age of 8 while consistently being one of the most highly regarded players in his age group, not just because of his father but also because of his exploits in the South American U15 championship in 2015 as well as the same performance at U17 level in 2019.

Colo Colo also deserve some credit for putting together a detailed plan for his seamless transition into first-team football as their physical trainer, Hugo Roldan, carried out anthropometric measurements with the club nutritionist as they measured everything from his body composition, adipose tissue, muscle tissue, bone tissue as well as many other things. The nutritionist advised that he gain muscle mass due to his age as the nutritionist advises most players transitioning into the first-team to improve their muscle mass as Pizarro trained diligently to gain 7 to 8 kilos of muscle as this improvement is noticeable in his game. Pizarro’s first-touch is constantly exquisite allowing him to swivel out of tricky positions as his vision and placement of passes to break lines is phenomenal, so much so, he has been crucial in four goals in the amount of games that he has played. His physical improvement has allowed him to be exceptional defensively as his positional intelligence is highly developed to make crucial interceptions while he calmly wins aerial duels, 50/50 challenges as well as making brilliantly timed tackles to regain possession.

In a Colo Colo second-leg in the Quarter-Final at home to Palestino, he earned a start, stamping his authority on the game by making an interception and playing a pass in between the lines. One of his strengths is moving and creating passing angles into the six-space for his centre-backs as he received possession after moving into space to turn and thread a pass in between the lines for his side to instigate an attacking move. Pizarro’s positioning is sound as he constantly swivels to keep an eye on his marker behind him while he is quick and clever in covering short spaces while also being unafraid to engage in 50/50 challenges at the base of midfield. In a situation at the base of midfield, he stretched to win possession before moving to the flank and maintaining his focus to stretch to regain possession with a tidy interception. The 18-year-old would receive possession in the six-space to turn and lob an accurate pass to the left-flank to move into space to receive possession and work a one-touch pass to the left-flank as he moved to the left-flank to work a combination with a teammate to facilitate a switch ball to the opposite flank.

The teenage midfield gem is not just intelligent in distributing possession from deep, but he also recycles play with a purpose with his creative passing in the opposition half as he received possession to prod the ball forward before faking a pass to the wide areas to open up a yard of space to thread a pass to a teammate in the half-space. The 18-year-old would then receive possession in the opposition half to switch an impeccable pass to the left flank as his passing range is phenomenal. He would show the defensive side of his game when he won an aerial duel from a goal-kick before making an interception. Pizarro would receive possession on the right to swivel and thread possession in between the lines to create a breaking situation before the 18-year-old would make another interception from a goal-kick to play a progressive pass. After a turnover, he would back into a pocket of space to receive possession and turn to thread a pass to the nine-space for the striker to make a lay-off.

The 18-year-old would play another pass in between the lines before receiving possession and working another switch ball to the left flank. He would begin the second-half in the same way he began the first, winning an aerial duel to make an interception before sliding to make another interception to play the ball forward. The teenager would receive possession from the left flank on his right foot before playing a pass in the wide areas before he would receive possession in the opposition half from a throw-in, turning away from a challenge and working a pass to a teammate. The 18-year-old would use his fantastic passing range to create a goal as he received possession in the six-space to thread a pass in between the lines to Ivan Morales who drove the ball forward for to thread a pass into the box for a teammate to apply the finish to level the score. He would show his creativity by lobbing a cross for Emiliano Amor to have a header saved at the back-post.

Pizarro thrives in regaining possession in the wide areas as the spaces are smaller while as he proved this when he regained possession with a brilliantly timed sliding tackle to regain possession. The 18-year-old has a low centre of gravity which allows him to shield the ball and elegantly swivel out of pressure while he can also draw fouls in the defensive midfield area. He would receive possession in the six-space to glide past a lunge from an opposition attacker to play an outside of the boot switch ball to the right flank. Pizarro would receive possession in the six-space to turn and thread a pass in between the lines before he would he would be involved in the creation of their opportunity. Pizarro would turn and thread a pass in between the lines to drive the ball forward and thread a pass to Bolados who would drive into the box and hammer a shot over. The 18-year-old would switch another pass to the left flank before making another well-timed tackle at the base of midfield and playing the ball forward.

Pizarro was rewarded with a start in an integral match against Universidad de Catolica as his positioning at the base of midfield continued to be sound as he made key interceptions. The 18-year-old elegantly spun away from a challenge to hold possession in the six-space before playing the ball to a teammate to thread a pass in between the lines for Morales to have a crossing opportunity. The teenager then worked a one-two before lobbing a pass to a teammate before showing his passing range by playing a switch ball to the left flank. Despite being left footed, he is comfortable in receiving possession and passing with both feet as well as having the bandwidth to be involved in orchestrating play from the base of midfield. He played a pass to the right flank with his right foot before receiving possession to switch a pass to the left before moving into the left half-space to receive possession.

He constantly looks to break lines while being penetrative with his passing as he received possession in the six-space to thread a pass in between the lines to a teammate who works a pass in behind for Morales to run onto. It is also unique to see a defender so young and so inexperienced be so well-rounded with his defensive and possession-based responsibilities as his positioning was sound to push up and intercept a Marcelino Nunez pass before he chased down clearances from his team’s corners to regain possession and end counter-attacks. In possession, he would play a one-two with his left-sided centre back to drive the ball forward as he had no direct passing options in front of him, so he turned and played a back-pass. He then received possession to spin out of pressure and drive the ball forward to find Morales in between the lines with a pass.

There are so many ways that Pizarro can beat opposition pressure, be it with his distribution, ball-carrying and long-range passing as he worked a one-two to beat pressure before driving the ball forward to thread a line-breaking pass to the flank for a teammate that is fouled. Despite his brilliant early performances, Colo Colo have two fantastic midfielders in Leonardo Gil and Cesar Fuentes as in some games, Pizarro has been limited to off the bench cameos as he has continued to impress in these performances as well. Pizarro would come off the bench in as his side came back from a 2-0 deficit against Deportes Melipilla to win 4-2. The 18-year-old would assist the third goal for his side, receiving possession in the opposition half to thread a pass in between the lines to Gabriel Costa who struck past the keeper from range. He also pushed forward to regain possession and play progressive passes from deep in his usual fashion.

Pizarro showed his assuredness on both sides of the ball, regaining possession and holding possession by shielding the ball and working connections by moving into space to receive possession. He played a lovely pass to the ten space that nearly led to a chance being created as he loves to be progressive with his passing as he played a pass in between the lines before shielding possession to win a foul in a tight area. At 18-years-old, he is already a commanding defensive-midfielder, constantly demanding possession from his centre-backs in tight space as well as being good at turning out of pressure and playing forward passes despite only being 4 games into his professional career at that point. He then played a progressive pass to find Morales in the nine-space before receiving possession in the ten space and spreading the ball to the flank.

Gustavo Quinteros would reward him with another start against Curico Unido six days later as the 18-year-olds commanding performances were becoming too impressive to leave him on the bench. Pizarro was so calm on the ball, working a one-two with right-back, Jeyson Rojas for Rojas to push forward and play a pass to Morales in the nine-space. He then received possession on the left to prod the ball backwards to attract pressure before lofting a pass to his midfield partner. He then threaded a lovely through ball for Marcos Bolados to run in behind before working a combination with his midfield partner to beat pressure before poking a back-pass to a teammate. Pizarro’s mastery of all the nuances of the defensive-midfield role at such an early age is uncanny, his directional first touch, shielding of the ball and defensive positioning are all exemplary. The 18-year-old would receive possession from his goalkeeper, allowing the ball to roll across his body with a perfect directional first touch to skip past two opposition attackers and play a forward pass.

He is also capable of playing quick one-touch football, receiving possession from his centre-back to play the ball to a teammate with one-touch. He also has fantastic focus in the defensive phase of the game, tracking his marker from one flank to another while also pushing up to engage opposition players when they receive the ball in his zone. The 18-year-old’s first touch is phenomenal as this meshed with his defensive positioning allows him to be effective after turnovers. In one situation, he intercepted a pass, turned and played a lovely line-breaking pass before utilizing another brilliant first touch to play the ball to a teammate. He also had a sequence where he received possession with his right foot before playing a quick pass with his left.

Pizarro was in the right position to regain possession so many times as he retrieved possession on the left and higher up the pitch from deflections to have shots blocked as he could be a crucial component for a side that likes to counter-press. His first-touch remained phenomenal as he rarely lost possession as he particularly enjoys receiving possession with his right foot to release the ball with his left while he also received a high ball to turn away from a challenge and play a back-pass. In the deeper areas, he received possession on the half-turn to work a pass in between the lines before receiving possession in the opposition half to control the ball with his right foot before finding Morales in between the lines with his left foot. His defensive positioning continued to be perfect as he was always in the right area to win possession cleanly and play the ball to a teammate while for a player who is only 5 foot 6, he is very strong in the air as his positioning, timing and jumping power is impeccable.

He would be involved in another goal, similar to his pre-assist against Palestino as he threaded a pass in between the lines for Bolados who played a pass for Morales to get in behind, cut past a marker and finish with aplomb. Pizarro not only offers so much for his team in the six-space but when his midfield partner is in the six-space, Colo Colo will work early balls in between the lines as Pizarro’s movement will be pristine to be in the perfect position to receive a lay-off and combine with teammates. In one situation, he received a lay-off and had an attempted through ball to Morales intercepted as he knows when to play the ball backwards as well as when to play the ball forward. The 18-year-old then put in a tough challenge as the ball bobbled out for a throw-in as he prefers to regain possession with interceptions due to his positioning but is capable of getting stuck in with crunching tackles as well.

Pizarro was in the perfect position to receive a lay-off to lob a pass into the channels for Morales before he received possession to play a back-pass as he received possession again on the left flank to thread a majestic pass into the ten space. It is amazing to state that the 18-year-old had managed to accomplish all this in just 45 minutes as he begun the second-half by stretching to intercept a pass as his positioning was sublime to make another interception before playing a pass as a marker closed in on him. The 18-year-old would miss a sliding challenge before his centre-back regained possession and played the ball to him as Pizarro used his first touch to swivel away from his marker before receiving possession in the six-space to turn and play the ball past his man. His positioning was phenomenal as he was in the perfect position again to make a clean challenge to end a counter-attack.

Pizarro was thriving in only his third ever start in the Chilean Primera Division as he received possession in the six-space to play a one-touch pass to the next line before receiving possession again to play another pass in between the lines. The 18-year-old was moving in between the six-space and right flank to receive possession as he received possession in the former to play another pass in between the lines. Pizarro rarely wastes time on the ball and is rarely caught in possession as his first touch is impeccable and he is capable of playing one-touch passing interchanges. He innately knows if he is in trouble due to scanning as he frequently plays the ball as a marker is closing in on him while on the defensive side, he loves to get involved in 50/50 challenges as he won a tackle to regain possession a few minutes later. His inclusion gives Colo Colo more control in possession as he received possession in the six-space to hold the ball by shielding it to play a pass while his movement allowed to receive a lay-off as he worked a one-touch pass to a teammate.

The 18-year-old would then win an aerial duel in his own box as he threaded a pass for Joan Cruz to break on the counter, but he was unable to beat his man. Pizarro finished the game with an 86% pass succession rate, 75% pass succession rate in the final third as well as 7 ball recoveries and 1 block in a performance that made him a trusted first-team player for Quinteros. Pizarro would have to come off the bench against Santiago Wanderers as he continued to make his case to be one of the first names on the team sheet. His distribution continued to be penetrative as he threaded a pass to a teammate in between the lines to work a one-two and have a shot at goal. He would close down a marker in the wide areas who would skip past his fullback for Pizarro to maintain his calm and regain possession with a brilliantly timed sliding challenge.

The 18-year-old was involved in yet another goal as he was in the perfect position to win an expertly timed interception to turn and thread a pass for a teammate in between the lines to thread a pass for Bolados to score Colo Colo’s second goal. Pizarro has quickly become a pre-assist expert as his distribution is so incisive as he finds teammates in between the lines to be in the perfect position to play through balls for goalscoring opportunities. In the six-space, he shields the ball masterfully while putting together intricate passing combinations to weave past pressure as he received possession in the six-space to execute a 360 degree swivel past an opposition attacker to play a pass into the nest line to move into space to receive possession with his right foot to pass the ball back to his teammate with his left before moving in between the lines to receive possession again where he threaded a pass for his winger to go 1v1 with his fullback and cross into the box.

Pizarro would evade pressure again with another intricate passing combination receiving possession in the six-space to poke a back-pass for his centre-back as an opposition attacker was pushing up to press him for the centre-back to play a pass in between the lines as the Chilean midfield controller was in the perfect position for a lay-off to angle a perfectly weighted pass into the channels. He would have a shot from the top of the box saved before ending the game with another immaculate interception in front of his defence. Away to Union Espanola, he would earn another start as it has become blatantly obvious that Colo Colo are a much better team with him at the base of midfield. He received possession in the six-space to take a touch and lob a perfectly lofted pass to Morales which hit him in stride as the striker was unable to get a shot away.

The lithe 18-year-old would win possession in the air as he has become accustomed to besting opposition midfielders in aerial duels before regaining possession on the ground as the goalkeeper had an errant clearance which landed at the feet of the attacker as Pizarro covered space quickly to calmly prod the ball out of his opponent’s stride and regain possession. This was one of Pizarro’s quieter games as he was playing as a more of a box-to-box midfielder while Fuentes occupied the six-space for most of the game. However, his talent was still on show as he received possession in the six-space to have a pass in between the lines intercepted before receiving possession again to thread a pass in between the lines that found its target in the ten space. He would receive possession from Rojas to turn and thread an accurate pass to a teammate in the left half-space as he was undeterred with his interception.

Pizarro would receive possession from the goalkeeper in the six-space with a marker behind him as he faked as if he was going to take a touch with his back facing the opposition goal to goad his marker into pushing in front of him to win the ball before nonchalantly spinning away from pressure with possession but his pass was less elegant as it was astray and went out for an opposition throw-in. The 18-year-old would then create an opportunity for his side when he worked a one-touch pass to Fuentes in between the lines to drive forward and hammer a strike off the crossbar. In the pressing phase, he pushed forward to cover a passing lane expertly to make a sliding interception to regain possession for his team in the opposition half.

Colo Colo would play a second match against Union Espanola in a week, this time it was at home in the semi-final of the Copa Chile. It took the 18-year-old less than a minute to lob a pass in between the lines with one-touch before he would regain possession on the left flank with a well-timed tackle to prevent an opposition counter-attack. The 18-year-old would receive possession in the six-space to swivel and thread an accurate pass in between the lines to a teammate. Pizarro made another phenomenal challenge to prevent an opposition counter-attack when an opposition winger beat two Colo Colo defenders as he was striding into their half as the defensive-midfielder cleaned up the situation by vacating his position to make a perfectly timed sliding challenge. He would regain possession in midfield when his side turned over possession in the opposition half as a pass was played to a player in his zone for Pizarro to push up and wait for the perfect moment to poke the ball away from the opposition player and into his stride.

Pizarro’s timing of tackles and interceptions is impeccable as he knows when to go to ground and when to retrieve possession on his feet, he will go to ground to regain possession with his trademarked sliding interceptions while he will also slide to regain possession masterfully with opposition players hemmed into tight quarters, especially in the wide areas. The 18-year-old won possession with another sliding challenge as his defence was disjointed for a winger to cut inside as Pizarro covered the space and slid to regain possession and shield his defence. The young Chilean played a through ball for Morales into the channels as the striker slipped in a situation where he could have carved out a shot on goal. Pizarro’s mobility is one of his assets as he covers space brilliantly while having the anticipation to win possession cleanly as he pushed forward to make an interception in the opposition half to hammer a shot over the bar.

His movement in the six-space is exceptional as he once dropped into the six-space to attract pressure before turning and pushing up as his centre-back worked a ball in between the lines for Pizarro to receive a lay-off to lob a pass for Joan Cruz in the channels who drove into the box and slammed a strike into the side-netting. He found Cruz again with another exquisite pass to the left half-space as his progressive passing has become crucial to Colo Colo’s transition. Pizarro can also participate in interchanges in the half-space as he received possession in the opposition half for Luciano Arriagada in between the lines as the attacker turned and threaded a pass into the channels for Pizarro to receive possession in the half-space again to play a pass into the wide areas before moving into space to receive the ball as he flicked an outside of the boot pass into the channels for a teammate to have a crossing opportunity. A pass was played to a marker behind him for Pizarro to cover the space and make a brilliantly timed sliding challenge to regain possession. He would loft another accurate pass into Arriagada in the channels after receiving a lay-off before playing another pass into the attacker to beat pressure.

Pizarro is a controlling midfielder not just because he can progress play incisively but his defensive aptitude with his sound positioning, interceptions, well-timed tackles as well as regaining possession in the air make him a reliable anchor man. At 18-years-old, with less than 10 games of professional football, he has already become a crucial asset at the base of midfield for Colo Colo as his technique, mindset and sound judgement at such a crucial position belie his age. His lithe frame should not deter clubs scouting him as his positioning allows him to regain possession cleanly while the angles and positions he takes up before making tackles allow him to be efficient at sweeping up attacking moves. The sense of calm that he adds at the base of midfield in the defensive and attacking phase is impressive as he will end counter-attacks in 1v1 situations with valour while progressing play with bravery. His mobility allows him to cover spaces diligently in the defensive block while also push forward to win possession in the pressing and counter-pressing phase as the calm nature with which he executes his defensive duties is phenomenal.

“Vicente is a boy who is filing all the potential he has, he is polishing it with the work he does both in training and at home. In how he takes care of himself and how he takes into account all the aspects that can be given to him. On the field he is a boy who contributes both offensively and defensively. Although he has always known how to occupy more backward positions, lately he has improved a lot in that he is arriving in the area and is defining himself in that last pass. He even steps on the opposite area much faster than he did before,” said Former Colo Colo U19 Head Coach, Manuel Crespo to Chilean News Outlet, La Tercera.

“Not only does he have potential when it comes to recovering balls and defending, but he also has a lot of judgment with the ball. He delivers well, and any ball that passes through him is a ball in which something happens. It does not come out dirty. On the contrary, the plays come out clean when they pass through him. He always progresses with his passes,” continued Crespo who now works at Real Betis.

“He is a very diligent, helpful, understanding boy. He never complains and learns day by day. In addition, he is very loved by his colleagues, who have helped him in the insertion to the first team, together with the accompaniment process that we have been carrying out,” explained Colo Colo Head of Training, Ariel Paolorossi to La Tercera when discussing his character.

“For us center-backs, a midfielder that always shows up makes things much easier for us. I feel that 'Vicho' (Vicente Pizarro) is better known, he is always well positioned and fulfills many factors that are very important for the team,” explained Colo Colo centre-back, Emiliano Amor to Bolavip.

Gustavo Quinteros has exclaimed that it seemed like Pizarro has been playing professional football for ’10 years’ as the 18-year-old has made a fantastic early impression. Colo Colo are currently scrambling to tie him down to a new contract as the 18-year-old’s current deal expires at the end of this year which could provide an opportunity for clubs to sign a high potential player at a low risk price. Arsenal could sign Pizarro as a back-up or replacement for 28-year-old Granit Xhaka as Mikel Arteta is said to prefer left-footed defensive-midfielders as he would not be illegible to receive a work permit in the UK but could be eligible by January or next summer. La Roja have given young players like Clemente Montes, Marcelino Nunez and Luciano Arriagada debuts as it is not out of the question that Pizarro would also receive a callup in the coming months. With Colo Colo increasingly likely to play more continental football in the second-half of the year, his eligibility could increase in a short space of time. For other clubs around Europe, this could prove to be an opportunity for a cheap acquisition with guaranteed resale value as Pizarro is on par with Rodrigo Bentancur and Federico Valverde as young South American players who could move to a big club at an early age and succeed. Signing him and loaning him back to Colo Colo or a team in Europe would also prove to be a prescient piece of business as a player at Pizarro’s age, potential and current price range is highly likely to gain value going forward.