Yerwin Sulbarán: another left-footed prodigy born in El Tigre

The Monagas Sport Club youth academy continues to produce talented players in its lower categories, feeding into Venezuela's youth national teams. David Martínez was the first great example and now another left-footed player from El Tigre is showing glimpses of a promising future.

Yerwin Sulbarn was one of the stars of the Venezuelan U-15 team and remained a key player for the U-17 squad that qualified and will compete in the World Cup. With ten goals (in all matches played), he is the top scorer for the team managed by Oswaldo Vizcarrondo. He even surpassed Diego Claut, who was the top scorer (4) in the South American U-17 Championship.

One of his greatest displays of quality with the Venezuelan national team came at the International Dreams Cup, where he was chosen as the Most Valuable Player after scoring two braces against Senegal and Ukraine aswell. Unfortunately, he played in the South American Championship with physical problems, but there's no doubt that he is (probably) the most talented footballer of his generation in his country.

It's no coincidence that he was the first of his teammates to debut in the Liga FUTVE at just 16 years, 4 months, and 11 days old. The same thing happened in the Copa Libertadores, where he debuted at 16 years, 11 months, and 8 days old. Therefore, let's break down the qualities that have allowed him to have such a precocious career.

Pass through defenders

To speak of Yerwin Sulbaran is to speak of dribbling skills. His repertoire includes numerous skillful moves and tricks such as stepovers, flicks and nutmegs. However, he relies on two common movements to execute his dribbling.

One of his main moves is sprinting. Sulbaran is an extremely explosive and well-rounded right winger in terms of speed. He possesses a great combination of acceleration, remarkable leg speed and long legs that allow for long strides.

He usually controls the ball well with his first touch. He then keeps it close to his foot and knows when to unleash a long touch to beat his opponent with his speed. He's good at linking up with the sidelines, initiating the sequence without losing the possession.

The other resource involves changes of pace. Timing is key, because he finds the right moment to attack the defender and drive at high intensity, then pause to confuse and in that way disrupt the defender's timing.

These changes of rhythm, which start vertically, can proceed to a change of direction either outwards or inwards, a usual direction by mere instinct to go to his strong (left) leg with the intention of achieving a shot, a through pass or a cross as effectively as possible.

His ball control, lower body coordination and hip fluidity allow him to quickly orient his body and be effective in these abrupt changes of direction and rhythm that, as mentioned, quickly go from being explosive dribbles to slow ones or vice versa.

In the South American U-17 Championship he was the second-best dribbler for the Venezuelan national team and ranked fourteenth overall in the tournament. He averaged three dribbles per game (3.0) with a 69% success rate on each attempt.

Presence and adaptability to different lanes of the pitch

Yerwin Sulbaran gives memories of David Martínez in many ways, but primarily, in his versatility. Sulbaran is a winger who generally starts on the right flank, although he can play in any attacking midfield position.

During the minutes he has had with the first team of Monagas SC in the various competitions of Venezuelan football he has been seen, in short periods, starting from the interior channels as a playmaker or '10'.

He constantly makes supporting unmarks and is lethal due to his ease in controlling and turning. He knows how to protect the ball, keeping it away and using his arms to create space in front of his marker. He needs to improve his timing when releasing the ball, but his decision-making is good when looking to create through balls.

However, in the South American U-15 Championship, Oswaldo Vizcarrondo used a 4-4-2 formation, which led to Yerwin playing in his natural profile as a left winger. The coach's intention was to use him to create width on the flanks and deliver crosses aimed at connecting with the two strikers. 

He is an excellent crosser, both from a standstill and while running. He executes powerful, high, and swerving crosses that are, above all, accurate.

Finisher

Yerwin Sulbaran's finishing is undoubtedly one of his greatest qualities. It's not just about accuracy; it's about creating the shooting line and the extensive range he possesses to strike the ball and generate dangerous opportunities.

The first thing that comes to mind is the goal against Brazil that opened the way for Venezuela in the South American U-15 Championship. Yerwin took advantage of the opposing goalkeeper's move to cut off a counter-attack, picking up the ball and shooting from midfield after a high control.

It is not mere coincidence and not an isolated case given that recently, during the celebration of the Mitad del Mundo Tournament in Ecuador, he scored a very similar goal against Celta de Vigo.

Besides, he´s the first choice to handle the clearest attacking plays from set pieces, taking penalties and direct free kicks. In the matter he has demonstrated the ability to shoot from long distances and even from angles unfavorable for a left-footed player.

All these free kicks ended up in goal

He can strike the ball with the instep, but he particularly excels at finishing with the inside of his foot, producing powerful and precise shots. This is how he scored his first goal in professional football (Liga FUTVE 2 vs Dynamo Puerto).

Similarly, his ability to create space and a shooting lane himself is one of his most remarkable qualities in these situations. He lacks confidence and strength with his right foot, so he tends to cut inside and shoot onto his stronger foot.

He is elusive and patient, waiting for the precise moment when the defender(s) closing down the shooting lane create space or hesitate to close him down. In this way, he was the Venezuelan player with the most shots on goal in the South American Championship, averaging 2.5 attempts per game.

Defensive heart

It's surprising that the young and inexperienced native of El Tigre possesses such a remarkable defensive sacrifice. This is an increasingly essential skill for elite attackers, one that many established professionals struggle to master.

He's combative in duels, unafraid to engage in tackles and slide tackles to disrupt passing lanes. This defensive awareness leads him, in cases of loss of possession, to quickly recover and re-establish the defensive line.

However, it's not just about physical strength and combativeness; it's also about tactical intelligence. He knows how to position himself to close down passing lanes and create 2v1 or 2v2 situations with the fullback or the nearest central midfielder.

In short, Yerwin Sulbaran is one of the most promising young players in the Monagas Sport Club youth academy. He's a player with a bright future and undoubtedly has the potential to be a transfer that will significantly boost the club's finances.

He is an extremely combative, creative and unpredictable footballer, especially in one-on-one situations. His presence is captivating in a league like Venezuela's, which lacks left-footed players in the offensive lane.

At just 17 years old and without the youth player rule, he already has fifteen professional appearances under his belt, broken down as follows: 6 in the FUTVE League, 4 in the FUTVE 2 League, 3 in the Venezuelan Cup and 2 in the Copa Libertadores. Across all these appearances, he has scored two goals and provided one assist.

He still has a lot to improve and a long way to go in Venezuelan football, but in his youth, he has already completed many experiences ranging from the Venezuelan tournament, continental tournaments, the process of the Under-17 national team and some modules of the Under-20 national team.