Scouting is art. There are specific things to pay attention to when following a player.
Juan Gafas, who only recently opened a Twitter account in our suggestion, is opening his notebook for us. Not sharing his professional prospects, but those names he writes in the side of the page, or the back for a rainy day.
Jordan Perruzza
Age: 19
Club: San Antonio FC (the USA, 2nd tier)
Position: Forward
Nationality: Canadian, Italian
Market Value: 250.000 € (Transfermarkt)
Why follow him? Perruzza netted 15 goals in the USL League One last season, second only to Ronaldo Damus. This season, in the USL Championship, he scored two goals in less than 160 minutes.
At first glance, some might mistake the 6.1ft Canadian striker for a typical strong No. 9, but he has so much more to offer. Perruzza looks lively when receiving the ball wide in the final third, taking on the defender and cutting inside - a move that recently proved to be lethal. His technical skills and end product are good for the level he is playing at, but some polish won’t harm especially if he wants to progress on to a higher level.
His off the ball movement is quite good though not relatively consistent; he is making the runs in behind, shows right timing when doing so, and working the channels too. He moves well inside the box, has the determination and aggressiveness you expect from strikers when attacking loose balls and crosses near the goal. No wonder he is such a prolific scorer.
Perruzza just signed a professional contract with MLS side Toronto FC and will be playing on loan in San Antonio until the end of the season. As far as I can tell from three performances in the USL, none of which a full one, stepping up from the 3rd tier wasn't a problem for him. I believe this youngster has the skills (technical, physical and character) to transition into the big league successfully. We'll have to wait and see how this young gun's future develops.
Photo via Toronto FC II Twitter account.
