What makes Fidel Barajas the USL's next star

Breaking down one of the brightest prospects in the hemisphere

Leading any soccer league in assists is impressive. Doing it in your first full season at just 17 years old is on a different level. That’s where Fidel Barajas sits in the middle the 2023 USL season, but that fact alone hardly captures his excellence.

A winger for the Charleston Battery, Barajas is a dual national that was born in Sacramento. He has represented both the United States and Mexico at the youth international level. His most recent appearances have come for Mexico, including the CONCACAF U-17 Championship in which Barajas’ three goals and five assists powered his team to the title.

A left-footed attacker, the teenager is comfortable on either wing. He’s a strong crosser on his better foot on the left, but provides a real triple threat when inverted on the right. Charleston has used him at both positions this season; eight of his 15 starts in 2023 have come on the left, and seven have come on the right.

By the numbers, Barajas is already one of the USL’s better attacking midfielders. He ranks in the top quarter of all attackers in terms of shot creations and passing progressivity, and he’s a high-volume crosser. The Battery star completes about a third of his cross attempts, ranking in the 83rd percentile of USL attackers.

In terms of margin, Charleston is +0.86 goals better off per 90 minutes with Barajas on the field. I’d argue that the granular data somewhat underrates his impact. Low numbers in terms of defensive actions and fouls drawn belie spirited effort in the press and a no-nonsense sensibility on the dribble. Data can’t capture his movement in a fluid forward group and his clever interactions with overlapping full backs.

These aspects of the rising star’s game become clear on tape.

Barajas is at his best when he’s working in transition. He’s playing as a left winger in each of the play shown above, carving into space on the break with a real sense of poise and maturity.

In the first example, you’ll see Charleston’s #11 find a pocket between the lines before first-timing the striker into space. The No. 9 is making a run between the opposing center backs, and Barajas spots it easily. Barajas’ touch is a tinge heavy, but the ideas behind the play are pristine.

Often, it’s his ability to modulate speeds and slow down the game that stand out. The second clip sees Barajas stopping dead in his tracks to control a pass onto his left foot. While doing so, Barajas keeps his head up to spy a teammate cutting in; his inertia freezes the nearest defender and liberates that run. The ensuing pass is good, and an assist crowns the play.

In the last clip, you’ll see Charleston build up down the center-left with the left back advance. Barajas starts the play off-screen, but he’s reading the defense the entire time. The moment the opposing right back hedges away from Barajas and towards the overlap, #11 streaks behind him to meet a through ball and cross in.

Barajas isn’t without flaws in his game. 5’9” but somewhat slight at around 150 pounds, the winger can be overwhelmed against bigger, more physical defenders, and he lacks the searing pace to completely avoid that issue.

While effective on the dribble, Barajas isn’t flashy and rarely beats opponents one-on-one. He averages 0.9 successful dribbles per 90 minutes this season. Teammates like Tristan Trager and Nick Markanich sit around 1.9 successful dribbles, and the fiercest wingers in the USL like Prince Saydee (2.7) and Deshane Beckford (4.0) greatly outpace Barajas.

At the same time, similar players like Laurent Kissiedou and Prosper Kasim rate out at 1.1 and 0.7 dribbles per game, firmly in Barajas’ neighborhood. Those two examples swap wings with regularity much like Barajas, focusing on pass-based creation more than take-ons.

If you’re nitpicking, you could quibble with Barajas’ left-foot overreliance. This preference can slow down the player’s decision-making in situations where a right-footed pass is more natural. It can also allow heady defenders to show the Battery star off of his stronger side at times.

Each of these trends - middling physicality, limited dribbling, one-footedness - can be seen in the montage above. For my taste, none of the issues are especially troublesome or glaring.

The 17-year-old has ample time to gain size, and his frame can easily take more bulk. As shown in the data, the lack of spark on the dribble isn’t especially unique or outlying. Additionally, plenty of excellent professionals have a preference for one foot or the other. These are the foibles any prospect has to overcome.

The crux of any elite player’s game is their ability to minimize their weaknesses and maximize their strengths, and Barajas is adept at doing so. Off the ball, he’s excellent at positioning himself and contorting his frame to put himself in the threatening spots.

This aspect of Barajas shines when he’s creating shots for himself. In the first example above, he lurks to the outside of the opposing full back. When the ball comes his way, he immediately chops his feet, turns his hips, and cuts back on a dime. Barajas takes a controlling touch, knocks the ball against the momentum of the defender, and curls in a stunning goal from there.

Barajas doesn’t score in the second example, but the process is similarly impressive. Initially, he has enough acceleration to beat a full back already moving with a full head of steam. When #11 nears the opposing center back, he reads the run of his teammate and the momentum of that defender, directing his touch a shade to the left to find a shooting angle.

Tactically, Charleston puts applies aggressive counterpressure and is ferocious in contesting second balls off of long restarts. That gritty identity has brought the best out of Barajas.

The first two clips above show #11 in those scenarios. Firstly, he shadows a defender to make life uncomfortable while attempting a clearing header. When the ball stays unclaimed, Barajas quickly dives in to take a touch and put a body on the pursuing opponent. It isn’t a clean win, but it’s illustrative of his fearlessness.

Next, the winger makes a run towards the sideline, but the pass in his direction is under-hit. Rather than give up, Barajas goes shoulder-to-shoulder with his foe, slowing his route to an interception. At just the right moment, Barajas cleanly lowers his shoulder, providing just the amount of punch to firmly claim the ball.

In defensive transition, the star prospect is good at tracking back and providing support to the full back behind him. The effort isn’t consistent enough to stand out as a defining trait, and you certainly wouldn’t mistake Barajas for a wing back, though he has made cameos there in the past.

Still, his communication stands out, especially for someone his age. The final clip above shows the Battery man claiming responsibility for a trailing ball carrier. Barajas visibly points and shouts to keep his teammates abreast of the situation. Yes, the opposition gets a shot in the end, but Barajas is taking real initiative, and he assures that the threat is minimized.

Ultimately, there’s a reason that the best team in the USL’s Eastern Conference has given Barajas more than 1,100 minutes. That’s more than any other attacker on the roster, and Barajas has earned every one of them. #11 is a top-end player already, and his versatility and skill make him essential in an elite lineup.

From his quick-fire crossing and brilliant body manipulation to his improving shot and solid defensive profile, Fidel Barajas is a talent to watch. Senior caps for the Mexican National Team are in Barajas’ future, and he won’t be long for life in the USL if he keeps up his sizzling level of play. The 17-year-old is simply the real deal.