“I didn’t make a mistake when I chose Independiente del Valle, I smiled again,” said Macelo Martins Moreno, the Bolivian striker, last July. If the striker, who has had a very poor performance in Ecuador so far, is satisfied, the question is whether the black and blue made a mistake when they chose him as a reinforcement? Are they smiling at that club for their contribution?

He arrived in Quito last April with a well-deserved figure poster. But today he’s something of a goalscorer with dated credentials – at club level, at least – and his decline confirms the little he’s done in the 2023 Pro League.

Francisco Fydriszewski, Barcelona SC striker, answers his critics: When I score with my chest, I am the best, and when I miss, I am the worst

In Cerro Porteño, the Paraguayan club he came from, Martins Moreno scored only seven goals in one season. But in the qualifiers for the 2002 World Cup in Qatar, he shone, scoring more goals than Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suárez: ten. He was the best scorer of the pre-World Cup with a weak Bolivia that did not even qualify for the playoffs.

Marcelo Moreno Martins, the forward of Independiente del Valle, stands out in the Bolivian team at the beginning of the South American qualifiers

In the second league of China

The 36-year-old veteran striker is the top scorer of the Bolivian team (31 goals in 102 games), and has been the Altiplano team’s benchmark for more than a decade. He played for German Werder Bremen (three goals), for Wigan in England (he did not score), for Shakhtar Donetsk in Ukraine (eleven goals) and for Cruzeiro in Brazil (where he has the highest number of goals: 39 in Brasileirao, in various phases). Flamengo (only five goals in 2013) and Gremio (18. All figures for the Bolivian are recorded by the specialized portal Transfermarkt).

Marcelo Moreno Martins for newspaper AS: I didn’t make a mistake choosing Independiente del Valle, I laughed again

He also played for several teams in China and it was in that country, in 2017, that the last time he scored more than single digits: 23 with Wuhan Zalla, from the second division.

When Martins Moreno landed in Ecuador, he had just played Bolivia’s FIFA match against Uzbekistan and Saudi Arabia, and against the latter rivals he reached 100 appearances for his country and also contributed a goal in a 2-1 win in Jeddah.

Three months without scoring

But in this Bolivian country, Independiente del Valle, his performance was poor. He made his debut with a goal on the fifth date of the first stage and contributed a goal in a 3-0 win over Delfín. On day eight, he scored for Emelec in Capwell as his side won 3-2. And in the tenth, Martins Maoren’s cap was closed with a goal when Valle’s team defeated Guayaquil City 4-0. He hasn’t scored since May 14 (according to Liga Pro stats on his website).

Despite such meager statistics, neither the media nor the fans hold a grudge against the Bolivian. He has an advantage in his favor: his team does not suffer pressure from either of those two sectors. Independiente’s brilliant international successes are praised and applauded just as much as their domestic achievements.

But when the reigning Cup Winners’ Cup champions don’t score, or when they lose like they did to Mushuc Runa (at the start of the second stage) and Universidad Católica (in the last round), there are hardly any waves. There are no requests from the media and Independiente has no fans (or they are a minority), like Barcelona SC, Emelec and Liga de Quito.

For others, hell

In Independiente del Valle, in the Pro League, Martins Moreno played eleven games and only a few of 90 minutes. It has a total of 565 minutes out of 990 possible.

In the Pro League 2023, with six goals against Barcelona SC, Argentine Francisco Fydriszewsky is suffering a barrage of criticism because more is expected of him as a striker. And the question mark is even more difficult for his compatriot Jonatan Bauman, who as a bullfighter has one goal less than Martins Moreno.

Alejandro Cabeza, at Emelec, is also under constant surveillance. Centarfor has three points in the national championship, and demands and demands come from all sides. These are the complications suffered by footballers who play in clubs that are always under pressure. They live with the harsh demands of fans in the stadium, whistles and shouts. Also with protesting journalism when something goes wrong.

And in the Copa Libertadores, the Bolivian is more disappointing. Martins Moreno never scored goals, and in eight duels he barely added 131 minutes out of the 720 played by Independiente, who were eliminated in the round of 16. Bolivia has already called him up for the start of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. (D)