After 15 rounds, the Apertura 2024 in Uruguay came to an end, with Peñarol as clear champions since last May. An opening tournament that has served to test how certain players are ready to take the next step in their careers in the short or medium term. We highlight seven players you shouldn’t miss out on when it comes to finding talent in the Charrúa championship.
Juan Rodríguez – Central/Left back – 30/05/2005 – Peñarol (on loan at CA Boston River) – 350k market value
Player on loan from Peñarol at CA Boston River who has played half the minutes at centre-back and half the minutes at left-back, very interesting defensively at 19 years of age. His future is more as a centre back given his 1.90m and his great tackling and interception skills. Already under the radar of the Uruguayan youth national team, he is an interesting project for Peñarol, with the potential to be a future sale at the club.
Facundo Bernal – Midfielder – 21/08/2003 – Defensor Sporting – 1.4M Market Value
Perhaps the most interesting player in his age range in the Uruguayan championship. You can spot him very easily by watching a few of his actions both on and off the ball. He thinks and executes much faster than the others and has a good technique to move the ball long and dominate the entire midfield both physically and in footballing terms. Player ready to test himself in a more important South American or even European league. He went through a very important injury in 2022.
Santiago Cartagena – Midfielder – 01/09/2002 – CD Maldonado – 450k market value
Another very notable midfielder who sought his fortune by leaving for CD Maldonado from Penarol. Pivot somewhat more limited by his height (178cm) but also skilled in solving problems in midfield, intense in the mark and clean in the recovery and distribution. A lot of experience in Uruguay U-17 and monitored by the U-20, his numbers made him one of the best performing young midfielders in the championship.
Mateo Antoni – Central – 04/22/2003 – Club Nacional – 1.3M market value
A central defender who has already been a mid-term standout in Uruguay. He shows very early his confidence and determination to control wide spaces and tight marking defensively. Expeditious, with good physique, potential for improvement and personality to carry the ball forward. Should not take long to find a new opportunity in a more important league in South America.
Damian Garcia – Midfielder – 15/07/2003 – CA Penarol – 2.5M Market Value
One of Uruguay’s best midfielders in defensive duels (wins 76% of them, a very high figure). Natural talent for interception and aerial dueling despite being only 1.80m tall. Very agile, very strong in the contests, concentrated and precise reading all kinds of situations, also in the forward defence. Key player in the CA Penarol title. Player to keep an eye on next year.
Joel Poiso – Center – 06/26/2004 – CA Progreso – 475k market value
One of the big surprises of the tournament has been Joel Poiso, CA Progreso’s centre-back, born in 2004. Impeccable in one-on-one duels, with an 88% success rate even though he was exposed a lot (88 tackles in 14 games). Centre somewhat short in stature to think of him as an important project, but with quality to progress and reach a league with other pace and offensive quality. A lot of personality to defend very large areas.
Anderson Duarte – Right winger – 23/03/2004 – Defensor Sporting – 3M Market Value
Nothing to discover with Anderson Duarte but he continues to prove himself as one of the best players of the tournament. One of the most important players in Uruguay’s youth teams, he is a very unbalanced winger with a great goal and a great shot. That determination should take him to new heights in Argentina or Brazil. Great dribbling ability as well, as reflected in his season’s map of events.
Founded in 2017 as a consultancy, Driblab has driven innovation through data in all aspects of professional football. Thanks to a transversal model, its database collects and models statistics in all directions. From converting matches and videos into bespoke data for training academies to developing cutting-edge technology, helping clubs, federations and representative agencies in talent scouting and transfer markets. Driblab’s smart data is used by clubs all over the world, with success stories such as Dinamo Zagreb, Real Betis and Girondins Bordeaux among others. Here you can find out more about how we work and what we offer.
