Jose Maria Gimenez
Age: 21
Club: Atletico Madrid
Nationality: Uruguay
Position: Center Back
Jose Gimenez is the second most talked about player at his position for both club, and country. Whether he’s lacing up for Atletico Madrid — his home club in Spain — or donning the stripes of the light blue sun, Jose, 21, is the second name off his countrymen’s lips behind his captain, Diego Godin. Still, despite living in the shadow of one of the best center backs on the planet, Gimenez has made a name for himself as a player to watch.
Gimenez signed with the Spanish super club before the 2013-14 season, and made his debut that September. By the next fall, the Uruguayan cemented his place in the starting lineup, earning 20 caps in league play, with a handful more in cup play. Though the feisty defender has much to learn in the way of distribution out the back, his knack for winning jump balls and seemingly endless ability to intercept should have managers drooling for the better part of the next decade.
All of this is to say that Gimenez is, without a doubt, a player to keep your eyes on when determining who will be the tournament’s best young player.
How to cite this article: “The Young Guns” Written by Shaker Samman (2016), Copa America Centenario 2016 Guide, Soccer Politics Blog, Duke University, http://sites.duke.edu/wcwp/tournament-guides/copa-america-centenario-2016-guide/the-young-guns/ (accessed on (date)).
