In this series, we take a look at some of the most interesting young talents in the world of football. Next up is Deportes Tolima’s 20-year-old Colombian attacking midfielder Jaminton Campaz.
Born in Chontal, close to the port city of Tumaco in the southwestern Pacific lowlands near the border with Ecuador, Campaz grew up in one of the most dangerous regions of the country, with a murder rate four times higher than the rest of Colombia. As a youngster, he developed his skills on jungle-fringed beaches and used to help the family earn money by fishing and collecting pianguas – a type of mollusk typical of the region.
Fearing the rising violence associated with crime in the region, Campaz moved away at the age of 10 and had trials at various clubs, before settling in Ibagué where his brother Mike was on the books of Tolima.
His initial breakthrough would come at international for the Colombia U17s. Campaz played nine times and scored three goals while playing mainly as a winger or full-back as Los Cafateros qualified for the U17 World Cup in India later in 2017.
Campaz made his debut for Tolima as a 16-year-old, scoring on his first start versus Tigres, but it wasn’t until 2019 that he became a regular mainstay for Vinotinto y Oro as a box-to-box midfielder. Since then Campaz, who doesn’t turn 21 until the end of May, has gone on to amass around 90 appearances for Tolima, with 21 goals and 10 assists at the time of writing.
There are numerous reasons that make Campaz such an exciting talent. A pocket rocket of an attacking midfielder, Campaz has bundles of energy, pace and directness and is always looking to get on the front foot and drive his team forward.
This dynamism and mobility also come in handy defensively as well as offensively and, despite his small stature, Campaz is not afraid to drop back and get stuck in to the midfield battle. This is partly displayed by his 2.44 counter-pressing recoveries per 90 this season – which places him in the top 20 in the division – and his 1.54 recoveries in the final third.
One of the most impressive aspects of Campaz’s game is his shooting from range. His time playing football on the beach has contributed to his howitzer of a left foot and the 20-year-old already has quite the portfolio of dipping strikes and driven daisy-cutters.
This season Campaz’s average of 3.53 shots per game is the second-highest in the Colombian Primera, showing his desire to try his luck and ability to affect the game in the final third, while the fact his xG for his career is about 10 less than his total tally also highlights his ability to score from improbable positions.
While Campaz’s goals and physical qualities are the most obvious facets of his game, his passing and vision should not be underestimated. He is a player who likes to be involved in the game, as demonstrated by the fact he averages 49.11 passes per 90 (the 7th highest in the league) and receives 39.42 passes per 90 (the 4th highest in the league).
Campaz uses the ball intelligently and boasts a decent 78.6% pass completion. However, rather than playing it safe, Campaz excels at breaking the lines with his forward passing and has averaged an impressive 6.03 progressive passes this season, while also contributing two assists and three second assists.
