The Club World Cup Scout, Part 1: Elias Montiel – a versatile midfielder who imposes himself on games

New York Times

6 hours ago

The big storylines from the opening round of group matches at the Club World Cup were the uneven pace of play, which ranged from 'pre-season friendly' to 'World Cup final' depending on the fixture, and existentialism prompted by the awkward sight of some half-empty stadiums.
On the positive side, those 16 matches over the tournament's first five days also showcased some of the sport's best young players: Juventus' Kenan Yildiz and Francisco Conceicao, Oscar Gloukh of Red Bull Salzburg, Botafogo's Jair Cunha and Gonzalo Garcia of Real Madrid all scored.
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Throughout the competition, The Athletic will use this series to highlight some of the rising stars you may not have noticed, giving you the lowdown on who they are, their key attributes, and what they've done to try to make sure their club are crowned champions of the world after the final on July 13.
This week: Elias Montiel.
Montiel is a 19-year-old midfielder who plays for Mexico's Pachuca. At 171cm (5ft 7in) tall, he is not the most daunting physical presence but is a versatile operator who loves to impose himself on games, with and without the ball.
The teenager is Pachuca through and through, having progressed through their ranks rapidly, moving from the under-18s to the senior team within two years. He has since made 65 appearances for the first team, scoring twice, providing five assists and helping them win the 2023-24 Concacaf Champions Cup — their confederation's Champions League equivalent — last June, the result that qualified Pachuca for the Club World Cup.
Montiel has a rare playing profile as he can operate as an individual No 6 or in a double pivot, as well as in more advanced midfield positions. He is comfortable receiving, passing and shooting with either foot.
That versatility has seen him deployed as Pachuca's metronome, tasked with bringing the ball out from defence and as a box-to-box midfielder. While not the quickest, Montiel uses a combination of body feigns and side-steps to unbalance defenders, as he does below to get a shot away against MLS side Philadelphia Union in the Champions Cup's round of 16 last year.
Montiel loves to win the ball back. His 3.1 tackles per 90 minutes ranked him in the top nine per cent of midfielders in the Mexican league, Liga MX, this season.
He has a powerful shot on him too, as he showed when scoring against Necaxa in a 5-3 away win in April.
This goal is made possible by Montiel's awareness of where to move without the ball and his unerring finish once he receives it.
Pachuca lost their Club World Cup group opener, 2-1 against Austria's Red Bull Salzburg in Cincinnati on Wednesday, but Montiel's performance stood out. He completed 43 of 53 pass attempts and created two chances, while winning all five of his ground duels.
As his player dashboard shows, he kept play ticking with his passes, stretched the pitch with switches and carries when possible, and made some important defensive interventions.
Montiel was positioned high up the pitch to start the match, often operating just behind lone striker Salomon Rondon. That, combined with Salzburg dominating possession, meant he was crucial to his side's chance creation.
One of Pachuca's best opportunities during the first half came in transition, with Montiel receiving the ball and instantly looking to find Rondon with a searching pass over the top. The Venezuela international controlled it and got a shot away, forcing a save from Christian Zawieschitzky.
Later in the half, Montiel showcased his ability to read play on the fly, moving behind an opposition defender to meet a deflected cross in the box. He took two touches to control before lobbing this pass to Agustin Palavecino, who chested it down but could only send a volley into the side-netting.
As half-time approached with the match still goalless, Salzburg dropped into a more compact shape, baiting Pachuca's defenders to carry the ball forward or try line-breaking passes into their midfielders.
With none of Pachuca's other midfielders comfortable in receiving on the turn with the opposition waiting to pounce, Montiel signalled for Pedro Pedraza to slide over into his position on the right of the central axis, then dropped into a holding-midfield position to receive from their defence between the lines.
Unfortunately, he gave the ball away shortly after, and Pachuca were caught out, with Gloukh curling in the game's first goal.
Montiel was less effective in the second half, despite Pachuca enjoying more possession, as Salzburg's defensive line withdrew deeper. He could not supply the penetrative pass his side needed to find an equaliser before being substituted in the 87th minute.
Montiel's willingness to snap into tackles across the pitch, while valuable, works to his detriment on occasion as he gives away cheap fouls. He is also not the most dominant in the air, unsurprising considering his height, losing both aerial duels against Salzburg, having won just 39 per cent during the 2024-25 Liga MX season.
His decision-making in the final third requires fine-tuning too, but given he doesn't turn 20 until October, he has time to perfect his craft.
Montiel's youth means he is yet to develop the physicality to thrive in one of Europe's top five leagues.
His technical ability is sound and also constantly improving, so should he move on after the Club World Cup, a transfer to a mid-table team in the Dutch Eredivisie or Portugal's Primeira Liga, who can give him regular first-team minutes, would be valuable for his development.
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