As Chile looks to rebuild its national team for the next generation, the spotlight turns to a new wave of defenders. Among them, Daniel Gonz谩lez, Nicholas Garrido, Antonio Ceza and Milovan Celis are showing signs of becoming key figures. Let’s break down their performances using key defensive and passing metrics.
1) Data collected from all Centre Backs from Primera Divisi贸n
2) Players with <100 minutes from this season discarded
To receive full player analysis straight to your inbox email the word 'SAFA' to southamericafootballanalysis@gmail.com.
馃嚚馃嚤 Daniel Gonz谩lez
Date of Birth: February 20, 2002
Place of Birth: Arica, Chile
Height: 1.86 m
Current Club: Universidad Cat贸lica
Position: Centre-back
Daniel Gonz谩lez began his professional career with Santiago Wanderers, debuting in 2019. He helped the team gain promotion to the Chilean Primera Divisi贸n that same year. Internationally, he has represented Chile at every youth level, including the U15, U17 (runner-up at the 2019 South American Championship), and U23 teams. He made his senior debut for Chile in 2021 in a friendly against Bolivia. Known for his versatility, Gonz谩lez has also played as a right-back and defensive midfield.
馃嚚馃嚤 Nicol谩s Garrido
Full Name: Nicol谩s Andr茅s Garrido Ceballos
Date of Birth: August 27, 2002
Place of Birth: Puc贸n, Chile
Height: 1.84 m
Current Club: O'Higgins (on loan from Colo-Colo)
Position: Centre-back
Garrido made his professional debut with Colo-Colo in 2021. To gain experience, he was loaned to several clubs including Fern谩ndez Vial, Uni贸n San Felipe, and Universidad de Concepci贸n before joining O'Higgins in 2025. Despite limited top-flight appearances early in his career, he has steadily developed into a reliable defender. He has also represented Chile at the U17 level
Ball Player Score /100: 62Out and Out Defender Score /100: 64
馃嚚馃嚤 Antonio Ceza
Full Name: Antonio Alejandro Ceza Gavil谩n
Date of Birth: November 23, 2002
Place of Birth: Providencia, Chile
Height: 1.82 m
Current Club: CD Palestino
Position: Centre-back
Antonio Ceza is a promising young defender currently playing for Palestino in Chile’s top division. He joined the club in 2023 and has since become a regular starter. Known for his physical presence and defensive awareness, Ceza has also played in defensive midfield roles. His market value has steadily increased, reflecting his growing reputation in Chilean football
Ball Player Score /100: 57Out and Out Defender Score /100: 49
馃嚚馃嚤 Milovan Celis
Full Name: Milovan Crist贸bal Celis Iturriaga
Date of Birth: June 8, 2006
Place of Birth: Santiago de Chile, Chile
Height: 1.88 m
Current Club: Uni贸n Espa帽ola
Position: Centre-back / Defensive Midfield
At just 19 years old, Milovan Celis is a bright young talent in Chilean football. He joined Uni贸n Espa帽ola in 2024 and quickly made an impact with his composure and passing ability. Standing tall at 1.88 m, Celis is also part of Chile’s U20 setup and is considered a future prospect for the national team. His versatility allows him to operate both in central defense and midfield
馃洝️ Defensive Metrics
Defensive Duels
- Milovan Celis leads showing high involvement, though his win rate is low
- Nicholas Garrido is more balanced
- Antonio Ceza has the lowest duel involvement but a respectable win rate
- Daniel Gonz谩lez struggles here, with both low involvement and a poor win rate
Aerial Duels
- Garrido stands out
- Celis is extremely efficient in the air albeit with fewer duels
- Ceza and Gonz谩lez show mixed results, with Ceza’s win rate particularly low
Interceptions
- Ceza and Garrido are the most proactive
- Celis and Gonz谩lez lag behind, suggesting less anticipation or a more reactive style
馃幆 Passing Metrics
Forward and Progressive Passing
- Celis shines in ball progression with solid accuracy
- Gonz谩lez is the most accurate in progressive passing
- Ceza attempts many forward passes but with low accuracy indicating riskier distribution
- Garrido is a reliable passer, balancing volume and accuracy well
馃攳 Conclusion: Who Stands Out?
- Nicholas Garrido is well-rounded (BP: 62, OOD: 64), combining strong aerial and ground duels with solid passing
- Milovan Celis, despite being just 19, shows elite potential in ball progression and aerial dominance. He scores the highest (69/100) on BP metrics.
- Daniel Gonz谩lez needs to improve his defensive duels (49/100 for OOD) but offers excellent passing accuracy (64/100 for BP)
- Antonio Ceza is a mixed bag, as indicated by his radar graph: strong in interceptions and passing volume, but inconsistent in duels and accuracy.
As Chile prepares for future international competitions, these four defenders offer a blend of styles and strengths. With the right development, they could form the backbone of La Roja’s next great defensive line.
The next step is to apply the trained eye of our Player Analysts to further scrutinise these talented young centre backs. Stay tuned for more analysis and remember, to receive full player analysis straight to your inbox email the word 'SAFA' to southamericafootballanalysis@gmail.com.
Comments
Post a Comment