Obed Vargas made his La Liga debut for Atlético Madrid on Sunday, taking the field against Real Betis for the second time in less than a week. After an 11-minute cameo at the end of a 5-0 romp in a Copa del Rey quarterfinal on Thursday, Vargas got a larger opportunity in the rematch in league play on Sunday.
Vargas came on in the 70th minute, playing about 25 minutes including stoppage time, but Atleti were already trailing 1-0 at home when he entered the game. Despite plenty of time to get back into the game even before he came in, his side already seemed to be playing in desperation mode as they almost exclusively worked the ball out to wide areas in order to send crosses into the box when they won possession.
Vargas had decent moments, but wasn’t heavily involved despite possession being strongly in Atleti’s favor. He completed 12/14 passes, playing one into the final third and putting together a couple of good interplays with his teammates to help work the ball down the field. He only had 16 touches, an unsuccessful dribble, lost his lone duel and went 1/3 on long balls.
The experience of watching Vargas in this particular match was somewhat reminiscent of his games while playing with various Mexico national teams. Rather than being integrated as a key piece of the team’s approach on both sides of the ball, he was left in a minor supporting role while teammates looked to change the game in a single moment with attempted hero balls and predictable crosses or dribbles. Hopefully the situation resolves itself as Vargas integrates himself into the squad, continues to earn the trust of his teammates, and proves his value to the coaches.
The 1-0 loss leaves Atleti on 45 points and 3rd in the La Liga table, with a gulf growing between them and Real Madrid (57 points) in 2nd, while Villareal is only 3 points behind in 4th and has 2 games in hand.
Vargas will have his next opportunity to show what he can do on the pitch on Thursday, February 12 in the first leg of Atlético Madrid's Copa del Rey tie with Barcelona.
