Andy Polo
Club: Universitario Lima
Nationality: Peru
Age:17
Height:1.7 m / 5.58 ft
Weight:N/A
Position:Left forward
Andy Polo - Who will land the Peruvian wizkid?
Time sure flies in the world of football. With the International transfer window more than two months away, some European power-houses are already battling behind the curtains of confidentiality to attain the services of the hottest juvenile talents the world has to offer. South America, where local tournaments are nearing their conclusion, is a very attractive location.
Yep, things sure do change fast in football, especially if you ask Andy Polo . How can one 17 year-old player, only 6 months after his professional debut, be the focal point of such aforementioned struggles? Examining the Peruvian prodigy's produce in these past months may provide us with an explanation. With two continental club tournaments, one international youth championship
and 15 games in the top Peruvian league in his resume, Polo boasts a career many veterans would envy.
The young striker's meteoric rise started last March, in the 2011 South American U-17 championship held in Ecuador. The Peruvian team was not generally considered a major power on entering the competition, and was indeed knocked out after the first group stage, but Polo marked a personal triumph, scoring 3 goals in 4 games and making a tremendous impression.
A month later he made his first league appearance with Universitario, on the
biggest stage Peruvian football has to offer. If making your professional debut at only 16 and 7 months is not enough, imagine doing so in the Lima Clasico, the capitol's derby between Universitario an Alianza, notorious for its violent clashes between rival supporters. With 50,000 fanatic Peruvians filling the stands to capacity, this event has recently even cost lives, as one supporter was thrown to his death from a VIP box.
But the young starlet, determined to prove his worth, gave a mature performance, drawing compliments from Coach Chemo del Solar, ex-Tenerife player: "His talent and audacity are unstoppable. I put him on the starting lineup and he behaved like a veteran. I know we will not have him with us for much longer, we have to enjoy him while we can. I see a great future for him. He will be the new Jefferson Farfan".
In Universitario's next match, Polo scored his first professional goal, the opener in the 5-0 thrashing of Cienciano. Since then he has become a first team regular, accumulating 15 league appearances and scoring three goals.
In June 2011, 16 year-old Polo was included in Universitario's U-20 team that hosted the first ever edition of the U-20 Copa Libertadores, South America's youth club championship. He led his team to glory, winning the final against Boca Juniors on penalties. He finished as his team's top scorer with 3 goals.
Although arch-rivals Alianza have virtually won the local championship, Universitario are still very much alive in continental competition. Last Friday they guaranteed a place in the quarter finals of Copa Sudamericana, with a penalty shootout against Argentinian Godoy Cruz, after both legs ended in 1-1 draw. Polo was his team's undisputed hero, providing the assist for the away goal and scoring the dramatic 85th minute equalizer at home.
Universitario may have little time left to enjoy its jewel, but he might still leave them with a parting gift.
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