Matias Galarza – Vasco Da Gama’s bullish midfield commander

Matias Galarza Fonda is a Bolivian-Paraguayan midfielder who currently plies his trade for Vasco Da Gama after they loaned him and signed him to a long-term contract at the end of last year. The 20-year-old is the son of former Bolivian National Team goalkeeper, Rolando Galarza as his father was born in La Paz while Matias was born in Asuncion, deciding to represent the country of his birth in Paraguay rather than Bolivia. Galarza came through the academy at Olimpia while playing for Paraguay during his youth career, turning down call-up opportunities from Bolivia as he is a player to keep an eye on going forward.

At an early age, Galarza is a physically well-built talent with a muscle-bound physique as he has had no difficulty in adapting to the physicality of first-team football. When he joined Vasco Da Gama, it was at the peak of the COVID-19 crisis in Brazil as he was forced to train alone for three months, he was not able to go to the beach to spend time with friends or explore his new city. He used that time to learn the language, so he could better adapt to his new surroundings as he would eventually get the opportunity to play. The 20-year-old is not a certain starter but possesses a strength and mobility that allows him to be dominant in defensive duels while also showing the potential to be a world-class ball-carrier. Despite his limited minutes, he ranked first in total ball-carries per 90 in the U23 age-range in the Brasiliero Serie B last season.

Away to Goias, Galarza looked good as an intensely workmanlike midfielder as he started the game by driving the ball forward and threading a pass through the lines. He was also very quick and anticipatory in the counter-press as he had the physique and speed to cover ground which proved integral as Vasco Da Gama played with 10 men. Galarza thrives in shifting to cover spaces in the defensive line, shuttling across to cover passing lanes and force the opposition into sideways passes as this gives him the potential to be a high-level defensive player in a low-block as well as in the pressing phase. Galarza is strong in the air as well while on the ground, he made some key interceptions in midfield. The 20-year-old Paraguayan would also move to the flank to allow Martin Sarrafiore to cover for his fullback as Galarza would chase a marker down to the touchline before making a key tackle.

He then received possession in between the lines from Sarrafiore before working a pass to the wide areas as the 20-year-old thrives in one-touch passing interchanges with teammates. In the midfield battle he would win an interception and then an aerial duel before earning a silly yellow with a late sliding challenge on an opposition midfielder. The 20-year-old then made another key interception for Sarrafiore to cut past an opposition player and lay an opportunity at the feet of German Cano who had a shot tipped over the bar. The Paraguayan would then be substituted at half-time due to Vasco’s 10-man predicament as well as his own yellow card. At home to Sampaio Correa, Galarza would get another opportunity, expertly covering passing lanes, making interceptions and winning 50/50 duels.

Galarza is dominant in the defensive aspect of the game due to his ability to use his body to shield the ball and regain possession while he would utilize this manoeuvre before spinning out of a challenge to drive the ball forward. Galarza is phenomenal at covering passing lanes at regaining possession but could improve his distribution once he regains possession as many of his passes tend to go astray. The 20-year-old could round out this aspect of his game to develop into an influential two-way player as in another situation, he regained possession to work a connection before driving the ball forward as he threaded a pass into a runner to instigate a counter-attack. He then shuttled back defensively to win a last-man challenge.

In between the lines, Galarza has the physique to receive possession and hold the ball while he is best when he can play quick one-touch passing moves as he would receive possession in between the lines to poke a pass to Gabriel Pec who curled a cross into the box. The 20-year-old then shifted across the defensive line to win possession before he regained possession again in the counter-press to play a through ball to Gabriel Pec as he would finish the game with 4 interceptions. At home to Brusque, he would show his defensive manoeuvres as his side lost possession in their own half with an aimless long ball as Galarza reacted quickly to squeeze the space, shield the ball from an opposition player to regain possession before spinning out of a challenge to poke a pass forward.

He proved how essential his ball-carrying is to build-up play when he received a lobbed pass in build-up to spin past a marker to drive the ball forward and spread a pass to the right flank for a shot on goal. In the defensive phase, an opposition attacking player received the ball in his zone for Galarza to push up and make the tackle to regain possession for his side. He received possession in the opposition half and lost the ball before regaining possession by outmuscling an opposition defender in a shoulder to shoulder challenge and making a clean tackle. Galarza thrives in the press and the counter-press as he has the anticipatory mind and physical skillset to cover long and short distances to win possession. He would win possession in the counter-press twice in one sequence when his side conceded possession with a blocked cross for Galarza to flick the ball past a marker at the edge of the box and play the ball to a teammate in the wide areas who lost possession as Galarza pushed forward to close down the defender by the touchline to regain possession with a tackle.

Despite being extremely well-built, Galarza is agile on his feet which is what makes him a high-level ball-carrier. He received possession in midfield with two opposition players closing him down to elegantly spin past both of them, driving the ball forward before using his body to shield possession from two opposition players as he attempted a through ball to a teammate which was intercepted. He then evaded pressure with his passing, dropping to receive possession in the six-space as an opposition midfielder was pushing forward to press him as he controlled the ball and played a pass to a teammate before making a run to receive possession and drive the ball forward before spreading the ball to the left flank for a teammate to have a shot blocked. He would move closer to the touchline to lay-off a pass for a teammate as he chested a high-ball as he attempted to lob a pass to a teammate which was intercepted. Galarza then utilized his physicality to shield possession and win the ball to turn away from an opposition player before skipping past a second opposition player to drive the ball towards the opposition box where he was fouled to win a free-kick.

After a turnover, he received possession to take a touch and lob a pass to the wide areas to instigate a counter-attacking move. Galarza would win possession for a third time in the counter-press as his side lost possession on the right flank for the 20-year-old to push up and make a clean tackle. In the approach play phase, he received possession in the opposition half to play a one-touch pass into the next line as his teammate would lose possession for Galarza to regain possession and spread another one-touch pass to the flank to recycle the ball. The 20-year-old would be positioned in between the lines before dropping into space to receive the ball in build-up to take a touch with three players closing him down as he managed to flick the ball to a teammate as he evaded pressure.

At home to Guarani, Galarza would receive possession in the six-space to turn away from a challenge while an opposition attacking midfielder continued to apply pressure on him as the 20-year-old Paraguayan midfielder outmuscled him before surging forward and working a pass into the channels for an attacking move. After his side won possession in the pressure phase, he would then play a pass to the wide areas with his weaker left foot. He then regained possession in the counter-press when he covered ground to confidently win an aerial duel after his team lost possession in the opposition half. Galarza then received possession on the right flank to work a pass into the half-space before receiving possession and threading a pass-through a tight lane to a teammate. Galarza has the potential to not only be an elite-level ball-winner but to also be a fantastic transitional player when he received possession in the six-space, he spun and skipped past a challenge to and spread a fantastic pass to the right flank.

Galarza may not be a strong long-range passer, but he can be effective with shorter vertical passes as this is another medium he utilizes to manoeuvre out of tight spaces as he would drop into the six-space to receive possession and work a pass to a teammate under pressure with his weaker left foot. He received possession in the same area moments later, under pressure again to play a back-pass to his centre-back before receiving possession to play a one-touch pass to his fullback to evade the opposition press. He received the ball in the six-space again, this time from a lay-off to control the ball with his left foot and work a pass into the next line as his teammate lost possession while the 20-year-old hustled to regain possession.

Galarza was in a 4-4-1-1 low block as one of the two central midfielders, moving into the wide areas to track a marker and close down a passing lane, he scanned to see his marker moving into the wide areas to be marked by the fullback while he also realised that the striker had moved into his zone. Galarza would also recognize that he had an opposition midfielder behind him, he then moved into the space to cover the passing lane to the striker to make an interception before playing the ball to his fullback as he received possession again to drive the ball forward, using his body to shield the ball from an opposition attacker before playing the ball to the nine-space. This is just a microcosm of his immense two-way potential, being able to read the game defensively to win possession while using his ball-carrying and distribution to put his team on the front foot.

In the build-up phase, Galarza would drop into the six-space once again to receive possession under pressure, faking like he was going to take a touch with his ball-near foot which engaged his marker to that foot before allowing the ball to roll across his body to evade his marker before threading a pass to the wide areas. In the defensive phase, Vasco would have a deflection from a corner for Galarza to push up and apply pressure on the man in possession before making an interception to regain possession, he attempted a switch ball which was intercepted. In the opposition half, his team would lose possession for the 20-year-old to burst forward and regain possession with a pass in between the lines. Galarza would prove his abilities in tight spaces once again when he received possession in the six-space to play a forward pass on the half-turn into the next line. He would end the game by making a tackle to regain possession in the opposition half.

At home to Ponte Preta, Galarza would come off the bench to regain possession in the second wave of the press in a move which led to his team having a shot on goal blocked. At home to Remo, Galarza would receive possession in the six-space of the opposition half to spin past a marker and chip a pass to the flank before moving into the half-space to receive possession as he laid off a pass to the flank for a cross into the box. Galarza received possession in between the lines to play a through ball into the channels for a teammate to have a cross into the box which led to a high-quality opportunity being ballooned over the bar. He would then regain possession with a tackle in the counter-press after his side lost possession while he would lose possession in the six-space to regain possession with a tackle in midfield before shuttling to the flank to win the ball a second time for his team.

The 20-year-old received possession in midfield to turn away from a challenge, using his body to shield the ball before turning and surging forward to send a long range shot wide. His side would lose possession with a long ball in build-up for Galarza to make an interception to drive the ball forward and poke a pass to a teammate. He then levelled the score when he received a cut-back on the edge of the box to play a shot and score. Galarza would make an interception in the defensive phase before playing the ball to a teammate to instigate another counter-attacking situation for his team. Galarza made another interception in the midfield zone to drive the ball forward and thread a pass to a teammate through a tight lane. He then found himself in the perfect position to receive the ball at the top of the box and slot home to level the score for his side. He finished the game with another interception to play a pass into the next line for his team to burst forward on the break.

Galarza only played just 1050 minutes for Vasco Da Gama last season due to injuries, COVID and not being a starter in games he was available for. However, in that small sample size, some of his underlying metrics are intriguing to put into context as for U23 players in Brasiliero Serie B, he ranks in the top five in interceptions per 90, ranking in the top 20 in all available players in the Brazilian Serie B, ranking in the top five in defensive duels per 90 for U23 players while also being in the top 10 in all available players. This along with his aforementioned dribbling statistics make for a youngster who has the potential to be high-level all-round midfielder. His size and agility allow him to regain possession and shuttle across the defensive block to make key interceptions while also allowing him to carry and shield the ball to put his team on the front foot. Galarza thrives with his pressing and counter-pressing, being commanding in winning possession in these situations to deny the opposition counter-attacking opportunities while recycling the ball for his team.

He will need to improve with his long range passing as this is where he can lose possession as being able to spread the ball across the pitch could become a key component of his repertoire as his game develops. When he receives possession, he could develop his motoring skills in consistently adjusting his body position and setting his feet to release the ball quicker as this aspect of his game could become a liability at a higher level. In terms of developing as a fully-fledged box-to-box midfielder, he could be more proficient in making late runs into the box to get into goalscoring positions in the long term while in the short term, he will need to improve the consistency in precision of his passing as his distribution can be imprecise in certain games.

Vasco signed Galarza to a long-term contract ending in 2025 as the team are in the throes of financial trouble which could mean parting with a prized asset at a lower price or on a loan with an option to buy agreement. If he is able to acquire a British work permit, Galarza would be a perfect for Ralph Hasenhuttl’s 4-2-2-2 system at Southampton while he could make drastic improvements under Marcelo Bielsa at Leeds United. Teams like Everton who will undergo a midfield reconstruction at some point as well as Fulham who are likely to be promoted will also be good landing spots for the 20-year-old as would Brentford. Galarza would also be a brilliant replacement for Ibrahim Sangare at PSV Eindhoven as clubs in the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A, Belgian Jupiler League and Portuguese Primeira Liga should all be looking at him. Teams like Basel in Switzerland will also provide a good stepping stone while if an MLS side manages to recruit him, it would be a massive steal in the market. Vasco with their financial predicament and constant changes in coaching staff may not be the best place for his development as Galarza is a high-potential prospect for the summer transfer window.