Rodolfo Pizarro

20     Midfielder     Pachuca     Mexico

Skinny

Conscious that they operate on a slightly lower financial level than their Liga MX rivals, Pachuca have put a lot of work into their youth academy over the last 10 years. They recruit players from around Mexico at a very young age and hope to develop them into players for the Gophers’ first team. 

Rodolfo Pizarro is part of the first generation to come all the way through that youth system, and the signs are very good. If Pizarro and fellow member of The 100 Hirving Lozano are anything to go by, we’ll be watching the club each and every year for the foreseeable future.

Pizarro is an exceptional all-round footballer. He can pass, he can defend, he can cross, he can shoot. He can be trusted to do the defensive side of the game and he has been known to make well-timed runs into the area. He can play anywhere on the park.

And as yet, he is still to totally make a position all his own, as Mexican football expert Tom Marshall explains; “I feel like the problem with Rodolfo is that he hasn't nailed down a position. Obviously his versatility is a positive, but he's been moved from central midfield, to right back, to right wing and even to left back where he plays for Mexico under-23s.”

It appears as though his club side isn’t completely sure what role they want him to fulfill.

2015 has been…

The last 12 months have been gone pretty well for Pizarro. Pachuca reached the play-offs during both the Apertura and Clausura of the 2014/15 season and though this season hasn’t gone to plan so far with a 10th placed finish through the first half of the campaign, the development of the club’s younger players has been real cause for optimism.

Pizarro is firmly part of the international plans for Mexico and was an important part of the Mexico squad that qualified for next year’s Olympics in October. We’ve already mentioned the fact that he was used at left-back during the qualifying competition, which highlights both the positives and negatives of his all-round ability.

What's next?

In short, a specialist position would be useful. The modern game calls for versatility, absolutely, but a player without a specified role is never going to be an essential member of any team.

There is plenty to like about Rodolfo. He is a willing runner, doesn’t give up easily and is hard to beat in a one-on-one. He is a jack of all trades and will happily get up and down the pitch throughout the game to help his team; but if he doesn’t sort out where he belongs on the football pitch he will spend the next two or three years covering for and then making way for others.

For now he’ll consistently be the last name on the team sheet; said in as positive a fashion as we can.

C     Done well, no idea what your best position is