Carlos Tenorio protested vigorously the week before, following Independiente del Valle’s 1-0 win over visiting Flamengo in the first leg of the South American Recopa. He Demolition man He complained that the AFNA team put seven foreigners and four local players in the starting line-up. “Last night (February 21) was a mockery of an Ecuadorian player,” said the president of the Ecuadorian Footballers’ Association (AFE).

But another striking aspect of that formation with which those from Valle started the dispute against Carioca, in addition to the presence of 63% of foreigners, is that of the four Ecuadorian elements that completed the stellar eleven, none has Independent as their parent club. That is apart from the fact that two of those tricolors made their debut in the first category with that uniform.

Even Emelec, in the lineup that started the duel against Libertad (an electric 2-0 Proliga victory on Sunday), did not have any footballers who emerged from its formation. And Barcelona SC, defeated 2-1 last Saturday by Gualaceo SC, also for the Ecuadorian championship, hardly counted on a team that started with its element: Joshué Quiñónez.

‘To another dog with that bone’

However, in the case of Independiente, he highlighted the absence of footballers from their own cradle in the match with Flamengo, since that Pichincha institution is promoted as a nursery of football in Ecuador.

“Our players are only there to complete the teams. Pro league, where are the juniors? To another dog with that bone. The Ecuadorian Football Association, this is harming us citizens,” he protested Demolition man Tenorio, who failed to note the other relevant factor.

This is how Independiente lined up against Flamengo: Moisés Ramírez, from Guayaquil; Argentines Mateo Carbajal, Richard Shunke and Agustín García, and Beder Caicedo from Esmeralda on the left flank; in midfield Matías Fernández, Chilean; Argentines Cristian Pellerano and Lorenzo Faravelli; plus Portovejense Júnior Sornoza; and striker Lautaro Díaz, Argentine, author of the goal; and Kevin Rodríguez, a native of Ibarra.

Born in other clubs

According to the specialized portal Transfermarkt, Ramírez, born in 2000, had his first contact with football at the Alfaro Moreno academy, before moving to Toreros FC, a subsidiary of Barcelona SC, where he was a goalkeeper until 2016. That year, the goalkeeper joined Independiente del Valle , with whom he made his Serie A debut in 2018, with Ismael Rescalva as DT.

Ramírez was the 2019 South American U-20 champion with Ecuador and a bronze medalist at the World Championships in Poland that year. At the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, he was the Tricolor’s third goalkeeper.

As for Beder Caicedo, another of the four national team players fielded by coach Martín Anselmi against Flamengo, the defender had a long journey through amateurism and professionalism before joining those of Valle, in 2020. He previously went through Abuelos Fútbol Club, Deportivo Coco , Espoli, América, Técnico Universitario and Barcelona SC. He jumped from the Caicedo shipyard team to the Valle institution.

Sports club Krist Kralj

Meanwhile, Manabito’s Júnior Sornoza, who made his professional debut and in the first division with Independiente, had a football cradle at Club Deportivo Cristo Rey, in his hometown (called Club Deportivo Especializado Formativo Universidad San Gregorio de Portoviejo since 2019). .

According to Transfermarkt, the midfielder was part of that organization between 2005 and 2009, until he was 15 years old. Sornoza moved from Cristo Rey to the Manabí team, which he represented between 2005 and 2007 in the minor categories. In 2011, at the age of 17, he played for the first time in Serie A, with those from Valle.

And Kevin Rodríguez, the fourth Ecuadorian he made against Flamengo, who will turn 23 next Saturday, was transferred in December 2022 by Imbabura SC to Independiente.

41-year-old player

In addition, of the eleven starters against Flamengo, who could be the same for the second leg of the Recopa Sudamericana this Tuesday, among the seven foreigners and four national players from other clubs (three of them from the training division of Independiente) have an average age of 28 years, 3 months and 7 days.

The youngest of the eleven starters used last week is Ramírez, 22. But Shunke is 31; Garcia will be 30 in March; Caicedo will turn 31 in May; Faravelli, 30 in March; and Pellerano celebrated his 41st birthday the previous February 1.

For examination Demolition man This is how Miguel Ángel Loor, president of the Pro League, responded: “Criticizing Independiente del Valle, which apparently has a spectacular sports project in Ecuador, is not understanding anything.” Carlos Tenorio responded to the manager’s response: “Don’t keep trying to divert the subject.” (D)