SCOUTING CONCACAF: Aarón Suárez (Alajuelense & Costa Rica) — Scout Report 2024

Biography:

• Nationality: Costa Rica
• Age: 21
• Date of birth: 27/06/2002
• Current Club: Alajuelense
• Position: CAM
• Secondary positions: LCM/RCM/LW/RW/CF
• Height: 176 cm
• Preferred foot: Left

Aarón Suárez has been one of the standout players for Costa Rican side Alajuelense over the last 12 months. Suárez is a versatile player, primarily utilised as an attacking or central midfielder; however, he can also play up front in the false nine role, additionally he can do an adequate job in the wide areas.

The graphic above shows us that Alajuelense mostly line up in a 4–4–2 or 4–2–3–1 system which allows Suárez to be utilised in his best positions. The 21-year-old acts as a playmaker for his team, linking up play and using his passing ability to unlock defences.

The heatmap shows us where on the pitch Suárez is most active. As we would expect, most of his actions take place in central areas and the half spaces. When the team is attacking, he likes to hover in and around zone 14, often allowing his teammates to occupy the opposition defenders before he will make a run into the penalty area himself.

Goals…

Suârez is a creative force within the Alajuelense team, the 21-year-old currently has 10 goal contributions (6 goals, 4 assists) in all competitions so far this season.

The 21-year-old is highly effective at making runs in behind the opposition’s defence. Here, we can see that centre-forward, Doryan Rodríguez, drags his marker out of position as he drops back and wins the ball in the air. This creates space for Suárez to run in behind and place a shot beyond the goalkeeper using his favoured left foot.

By timing his runs to perfection, the Alajuelense man can position himself to receive well-placed passes. This puts the team in advantageous positions, allowing for Suárez to take shots on goal as he averages 2.15 shots per 90 or he can create goal-scoring chances for teammates.

Here, we can see how he just holds his run for a second, which creates a vast amount of space for himself. Then, he makes a run forward, executes a dummy, and allows the pass to run through to his teammate.

As a result of this, he can make a run in behind the defence. This movement encourages his teammate to play a pass back into his path, which enables him to execute a first-time shot at goal. This opportunity was created out of Aarón Suaréz’s excellent movement and timing.

Whilst he is not a player who typically loves to carry the ball forward, preferring to use his passing range however, if he sees open space ahead, Suárez will look to progress the play quickly. We can see here he is confident in his movement and looks to run into the central area. Oh yeah, and he loves a long shot!

Creativity…

In terms of ball progression, Aarón Suárez is the man Alajuelense utilises to facilitate rapid transitions. He averages 1.08 progressive runs per 90 and 3.75 progressive passes per 90. Additionally Suárez is very accurate with his passing, notching up an 85.2% accuracy rating during the 2023/24 season therefore we can infer that he is usually reliable and makes good decisions when looking to bring a teammate in to play.

In this instance, we can see what happens when Aarón Suárez is afforded space to pick a pass. This is something Alajuelense look to create by allowing their opponents to attack and then pressing to regain possession. This allows Suárez to operate in the space that is so often afforded to him due to the opposition being overcommitted and means the Alajuelense number ten can use to the team’s advantage and why the Costa Rican side are such a threat in the attacking transition.

The 21-year-old is a player with excellent vision and creativity. Acting as a playmaker allows him to utilise his skills to assess the game, see opportunities, and create goal-scoring chances for teammates. Suárez’s ability to spot openings and execute precise passes is crucial for breaking down opposing defences. We can see here how he plays a wonderful lofted pass into the path of his teammate.

Additionally, he enjoys orchestrating the team’s buildup play from deeper positions. Suárez will drop back to receive the ball from defenders and then distribute it effectively to initiate attacks. This is essential for maintaining control of the game and dictating the tempo. Consequently, he averages 5.25 passes to the final third from deeper areas per 90 so far this season.

Defending…

Alajuelense primarily adopts a 4–4–2 structure in the defensive phase, as shown above. They used a mid-low block during the Central American Cup, as they looked to retain quite a compact shape and then counterattacked rather quickly upon regaining possession. Suárez usually forms part of the front two in this structure. However, he occasionally drops back and forms a five-man midfield in a 4–5–1 defensive structure. He is quite a tenacious player and does engage in ground duels; however, his 1.76m frame means he isn’t the tallest and can sometimes be outmuscled by his opponent.

In the league campaign, we see the Costa Rican team press much higher and look to unsettle their opponents. We can see here where Aarón Suárez’s ball recoveries occur. He is all over the pitch defensively. The 21-year-old loves to hustle press his opponents and force errors, even though he is not the most physical player, he knows how to put his opponent under significant pressure.

Here, we can see the team closing off passing lanes whilst Suárez looks to prevent his opponent from playing out of defence. The tenacious 21-year-old averages 2.19 interceptions per 90 and 4.69 ball recoveries per 90 with 60% being in the opposition half.

Development areas…

1. Tackling: Suárez is not one for tackling his opponent, he prefers to use his positioning and pressing to force errors. However, there are occasions when he can be a little impetuous as fly in with a challenge that sees him concede a free kick in a dangerous area.
2. Ball Carrying: As mentioned previously, he rarely carries the ball himself, now this is not really a criticism as what he’s doing is clearly effective and could be a tactical instruction from the manager. However, there are occasions when he looks to play a pass that is clearly not on and results in a turnover when he could carry the ball up the pitch himself before assessing his passing options once again.

To conclude…

Aarón Suárez is one of the most exciting players in Costa Rican football right now. His passing ability is what makes him such a threat in attack as well as his ability to find space in crowded areas. He is one to watch in the future.