Ecuador will eagerly await the draw for the groups of the 2022 South American Cup, next Wednesday, in which the 2009 champion, Liga de Quito, will participate, as well as Barcelona SC, a regular participant in Conmebol tournaments, along with Universidad Católica and October 9.
The good level of Ecuadorian soccer fills the fans of the teams with hope, as well as the administrations of the clubs because the group stage, from Conmebol, will award $900,000 to each team.
Barcelona SC and Universidad Católica will go to the South American after the recent elimination in the third play-off phase of the Copa Libertadores, while the League eliminated Mushuc Runa and Delfín on October 9 in the phase between Ecuadorian teams.
Liga will be seeded from one of the groups as the 2009 title winner and 2011 runner-up.
Although the League was unable to repeat the performances that also led it to win the Copa Libertadores in 2008, and the Recopa Sudamericana in 2009 and 2010, this year it began to raise its level of play with Argentine coach Pablo Marini.
Barcelona SC, which has constant participation in the Copa Libertadores, was a finalist in 1990 and 1998 and in recent semifinals such as 2017 and 2021.
The current Barcelona SC has elements of hierarchy, with inclusions in the ideal team in different days of the Libertadores in 2021 and 2022, such as the Argentine goalkeeper Javier Burrai, the defender Byron Castillo, the Argentine midfielders Damián Díaz and Emmanuel Martínez.
At the head of the Canarian team will be the Argentine coach Jorge Célico, who recently replaced his compatriot Fabián Bustos, who went to Santos FC, from Brazil.
On October 9, he maintains the proper functioning, after his return to the first division in 2021, which sealed it with access to the South American.
It will be the same squad as in 2021 with the Ecuadorian coach Juan Carlos León and the contribution of Panamanian attackers, since last year José Fajardo stood out, who this year was replaced by three compatriots: Ricardo Phillips, Newton Williams and Alfredo Stephens.
It will also have goalkeeper Jorge Pinos, winner of the 2019 South American Championship with Independiente del Valle, along with Uruguayan defender Darwin Torres, midfielders Dany Luna and Uruguayan Mauro Da Luz.
Universidad Católica managed to save itself in 2021 from a football crisis, thanks to the appearance of the Argentine coach Miguel Rondelli, who from the reserve and lower categories, rearmed the team to put it, first in the preliminary phase of the Libertadores, and now in the South American.
Few prominent names are part of the Catholic, but Rondelli searched and found Santiago Zamora, Rockson Rentería as the new figures, he asked the Colombian scorers Cristian Martínez Borja, Rodrigo Rivas and the Panamanian Ismael Díaz. (D)
Source: Eluniverso
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