Scouting Report: Dixon Arroyo | The Heron Outlet
Inter Miami needed defensive reinforcements and fast. In comes Dixon Arroyo.
photo credit: CS Emelec
After losing Gregore to injury against NYCFC on March 11th, then subsequently going on a five-match losing streak, Inter Miami hopes to stop the bleeding with the signing of defensive midfielder Dixon Arroyo.
Miami will want the 30-year-old to provide much-needed cover and bite in a position of need.
Since Gregore’s injury, the Herons have been free-falling, losing all five of their last five games, and sitting 12th in the Eastern Conference.
Without the 29-year-old, players such as Jean Mota and Bryce Duke, before he was traded to CF Montreal, were forced to play deeper (away from the opposition penalty box) in midfield to accommodate the loss of their captain.
With Arroyo into the fold, Miami will have a midfielder who can fill the hole left by Gregore and provide an upgrade in certain areas where the team was lacking.
Offensively, how will Arroyo fit in?
Arroyo is just as much of a threat in the buildup as he is on the defensive end. While Gregore is excellent at screening the backline and covering for teammates, he lacks a bit in progressive passing.
Using fbref’s advanced stat metrics, Gregore only averages about 6.62 progressive passes per 90.
Why is that important?
A progressive pass is a pass that moves the ball ten yards closer to the goal or any completed pass that makes it into the opponent’s penalty area.
Miami wants to be a possession-based team; however, most of their ‘possesion’ is devoid of any real threat into the final third. That’s why Miami can dominate possession yet remain largely ineffective in front of goal.
The more progressive passes a team completes in a match, the higher the likelihood it is for a team to work the ball into the final third, get shots off, and or recycle possesion until they find an opening.
Arroyo, in comparison, has HIGHER progressive passing per 90 number than Gregore. (7.71 per 90)
That means the Ecuadorian will tend to play the ball forward toward the opposition goal, more often than not and with ease, as seen below:
And here…:
Once more...:
Sure, as a defensive midfielder - especially in this Miami system, passing may not be the primary role, but when given the time and space, Arroyo will pick out a pass.
Defensively, how will Arroyo fit in?
Defensively, expect Arroyo almost to be a like-for-like replacement for Gregore - but not entirely.
He’s physical, smart in his tackling, and has excellent defensive anticipation, as shown by his interceptions per 90:
Here’s a quick example of his defensive awareness:
In short, Arroyo will provide the defensive muscle that this Miami midfield desperately needs, but also some progressive passing offensively that Gregore may have been lacking in.
Will it be enough to stop the constant losing? It remains to be seen, but with this signing, it’s clear that the Miami front office needed to do something fast.