Pumas' Lack of Young Talent Development

Recently, Pumas completed a year without debuting any young players in the national football league, and although Santiago Palacios had some activity with the first team a couple of weeks ago, neither the age of the forward (25 years), nor his projection - he has few chances of becoming a starter - suggest that anything has changed in the way Universidad works with young players. This is not new.

The crisis goes beyond the current management and Paco Palencia's decisions; it is said that La Cantera produces talent, but there are no appropriate filters to guide them. And yes. Proof of this is the recent, but above all daily, call-ups that the U-21 national team, led by Mario Arteaga, has made for four Pumas players from lower categories.

A few days ago, Andrés Iniestra, Omar Islas, Jorge Escamilla, and Pablo Jaquez were considered to join the national squad, which will compete in the specialty tournament in China, in order to consolidate a base for future age-limited competitions. However, being part of the national team does not guarantee that Palencia will consider them. In his first semester, Paco has had an irregular football display, despite their strong performance at home, as they recently achieved their first win as visitors. Regarding the use of young players in their schemes, Palencia has mainly chosen Jesús Gallardo as his bet in this regard.

Little by little, the inexperienced coach has been giving playing time to others, such as Kevin Escamilla, and recently, after five games from the bench, Palacios made his debut. Nevertheless, the mentioned players are not featured. With the number '299' on his back, Andrés Iniestra is registered with the Pumas U-20 team.

He is a midfielder with strong physical presence and a regular in his represented category with the auriazules. This season he has played 14 matches and scored two goals. He is a midfielder who can tackle but also contribute to the game distribution. An adept technician with a powerful shot... He arrived at the Pedregal in 2013 and has climbed up the various categories of the institution.

In the Palencia era, Iniestra has been called up for midweek training and made his debut with the first team in the Concachampions in Trinidad and Tobago, playing for 21 minutes. Since then, he has not played again, and his situation is complicated because there are more experienced teammates in front of him, such as Javier Cortés, Abraham González, and even Kevin Escamilla, which hinders his continuity. On the other hand, Omar Islas made his debut almost two years ago in the First Division, under the command of Memo Vázquez in Pumas, but after that initial semester, the right-wing midfielder has gradually disappeared. He is very young.

At 20 years old, he has excelled in lower categories with Universidad Nacional and currently has 15 matches and three goals. He plays on the wing, and speed, as well as dis-equilibrium, are his main strengths on the field. Islas, like Iniestra, has been considered by Palencia this season, but very little, not for competition in the league, but in the Concachampions. In the zone's competition, Omar has played three matches and even scored a goal, but it has not been enough for the coach to bet on him.

However, in the national team, he is a regular in Mario Arteaga's call-ups. Jorge Escamilla shares blood with Kevin, his brother, but not the same luck. In the middle of 2015, the latter made his debut in the First Division under Memo Vázquez, and it has been under Palencia that he has gained importance, especially as a substitute in the midfield.

The younger brother has not had the same luck, despite being considered to train with the first team several times, even in the league, and with brief appearances in Concacaf. Pablo Jaquez, unlike the other three, has evolved within the national teams. With Arteaga in charge, this right-back has been considered in more than one process with the national team, but he does not have that validation in Pumas.

Neither Memo Vázquez before, nor Paco Palencia now, have called him to give him minutes in any competition. Recently, Pablo Jaquez moved from the U-20 team to the subsidiary in the Second Division, due to exceeding the permitted age. Furthermore, in the first team, his place and immediate competition is Luis Fuentes, the current captain and irreplaceable link at Universidad. The situation, like the rest, complicates the development of their youngest promises.

Pablo Jaquez - Defender, 21 years old - Second Division

Jorge Escamilla - Midfielder, 20 years old - U-20

Andrés Iniestra - Midfielder, 20 years old - U-20

Omar Islas - Forward, 20 years old - U-20