Sebastian Blanco

[juanes]

Club:ArgentinaCA Lanus

Nationality:ArgentinaArgentina

Age:22

Height:1.66 m / 5.45 ft

Weight:64 kg / 140 lbs

Position:Right midfielder

http://i.goal.com/files/images/stats/goal/player-images/91/17691_200x250.jpg

Sebastian Blanco is one of the biggest talents currently playing in the Argentinean Primera Division. The 21-year-old is a brilliant creative right-sided midfielder. He is known not only for his talent, but also because he has a special personality, different from most other Argentinean players.

 

Born in Lomas de Zamora, Blanco has extraordinary ball control. Combining high acceleration and decision making of a mature and complete footballer, as a result Blanco has been labeled the next star of Argentinean football.

 

Even though he's naturally right footed, he can shoot, dribble and pass the ball with both feet. Blanco has superb vision of the field and he is very good at creating chances for his teammates. He is able to build an attack from the beginning and is definitely the player to dribble on counter attacks due to his speed, technique and mature decision making.

 

Blanco started to play football when he was four- years-old, and has been connected to Lanus since he was very young. He debuted in the Primera Division in 2006 and has since established himself as a major player in the Lanus first team.

 

The 5.5ft midfielder was part of the squad that won the Apertura championship in 2007, a historic first top flight title for Lanus. Steadily over the last few seasons Blanco has played more often. In 2008/2009 he scored five goals and provided three assists in 39 appearances.

 

Already this season he has equaled his goal tally from the previous campaign and in 30 appearances has added eight assists. His form in 2009/2010 was tempered by a sending off in September against Atletico Tucuman which was for two bookable offences by the 38th minute of the match.

 

As a result of his impressive displays (see video below) Blanco has been linked with Italian Serie A sides Lazio and Sampdoria. He recently extended his contract with Lanus until the end of the 2011/2012 season but like many players in Argentina it will not take a great deal of money to secure this promising starlet.

 

Although unlikely to be part of Diego Maradona’s 2010 World Cup squad in South Africa, Blanco appears to be one of the next stars headed for the Argentina national team. The Lanus midfielder has one cap to his name so far in a friendly against Panama in May 2009. Blanco came on as a second half substitute in a squad based only on Argentinean domestic players.

 

Blanco is the ideal modern attacking midfielder as he's versatile, can play in many midfield positions, in the center or on either wing. His extreme pace aligned with his high technique and ability to use both feet for passing and scoring (even though he's right footed), means a transfer to one of Europe’s major clubs seems very close.

 

He can be utilized in all midfield positions but is best on the right or left side, where he can use his ball control to either dribble his way towards the center or find the hole in the flank and cross to a teammate in the box.

 

The 21-year-old attacking midfielder has also received attention due to his style of taking corner kicks. Sometimes he tries to swerve the ball into the goal with the outside of his foot and it would be spectacular if he scores a goal in this manner.

 

Off the pitch, Blanco is known as a player to keep the morale of his team mates up and showing he still has a connection to his roots, he is also the coach of his neighbourhood team.