Paraguay Talent: Julio Enciso

Posted on by Ralph Hannah

By Louis Smith

After making his professional debut at 15, it was always an expectation that Julio Enciso would one day become a regular in Libertad’s first team and two years after becoming the youngest player to feature for Gumarelo, he has done just that.

Born in Caaguazú, the city known as the Paraguayan capital of wood, is where Enciso first started his journey into football playing for the city’s local club. After impressing Libertad scouts at the age of 11, he would go on to join the side’s youth ranks.

Following his move into organized youth football, Enciso’s performances saw him a stand out figure in the Asunción club’s academy and only four years after joining, he made his professional debut on the 15th December 2019 as a substitute in a 4-0 battering of Deportivo Santaní. This also caught the eye of Gustavo Morínigo, the Paraguay U15s coach at the time, who called him up to the national team squad for the 2019 South American Under-15 Football Championship in Paraguay.

The versatile attacker turned out to be one of Albirroja’s best performing players, as the host nation, enjoyed a third-place finish behind footballing giants Argentina and Brazil.

What does Enciso bring to the table?

The youngster possesses several key attributes that have played a huge part in his rapid development.

He started out predominately playing as a winger, being used on either side due to his quick feet and ability to cross the ball. Playing out wide, with his speed of movement, ability to dribble with the ball at his feet and the capability to pick out a killer pass – he was a defender’s nightmare.

His first goal in the Paraguayan Primera División came in September 2020 against Sportivo San Lorenzo, receiving the ball on the left-hand side, Enciso picks up the ball with his left foot, dribbles at the defender at high speed before immediately cutting inside on his right foot and unleashing a shot too powerful for the goalkeeper, Orlando Gill.

At the start of the 2021 campaign, Libertad manager Daniel Garnero decided to adapt Enciso’s game further by forging him into a striker, a move that reaped great rewards.

The teenager’s high work rate enables him to hunt down defenders and force them into a mistake. Making Enciso, a frontman also allows Libertad to defend higher up the pitch. Garnero gave him the freedom to rotate from either the left, right or central positions, meaning he can pick up the ball from anywhere on the field, often dragging defenders out of position creating space for his teammates.

In the first photo above, you can see Enciso picks up the ball in the right-centre position of the field, as he attempts to pass the ball forward, he can see Iván Franco is making a run towards the goal. Although not under huge pressure, it takes an exquisite pass to pick out Franco who is surrounded by four defenders. The second photo shows where the ball landed, in an ideal area for Franco to win the ball and have a chance to score.

Whether Libertad wants to play on the front foot or the counter, Enciso’s attributes allow him to adapt to either style.

The most remarkable thing about his breakthrough into the Libertad first team is that it has come at a time when Libertad have their best squad in years, meaning he’s had to work extra hard for his place in the side.

In recent years, Paraguayan teams were obliged to field at least one under 19 player in matches but with that rule scrapped, it makes Enciso rise all the more special. There is no doubt he’s there because he deserves to be.

With attacking quality such as; Héctor Villalba, Iván Franco, Óscar Cardozo and Antonio Bareiro, it’s the 17-year-old diamond who has stood out, playing a major part in Libertad lifting the league trophy for the first time since 2017.

Having a player of Enciso quality, one that can play in three different positions, as well as, offering the quality he does, is something that every manager dreams of.

His recent performances have seen Paraguay National Team Manager Eduardo Berizzo take notice and an Albirroja call-up for the World Cup Qualifiers or Copa América could be just around the corner.

Make sure you keep a lookout for this future Paraguayan star.

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About the author: Louis Smith is a South American Football writer based in the UK, he also writes for Copa Libertadores, the Brasileirão and Who Scored.