Independiente del Valle faced Cumbayá FC in the first matchday of the second stage in the Ecuadorian Liga Pro. The hosts managed to win 2-0 after a goal in the first and last minute of the game. Independiente del Valle set up in a 3-4-2-1 with Cabezas and Diaz as creative players behind Jaime Ayovi. Cumbayá, on paper, set up in a 4-2-2-2 but they did not have a clear formation that they were playing in. Sometimes it was a 5-2-3, sometimes it was a 6-3-1 and sometimes it seemed to be a 4-4-2. When Independiente del Valle had a goal-kick, Cumbayá were pressing high up the pitch and forced Luis Ortiz to make a big mistake on his own half, nearly leading to the equalizer. Apart from that, Cumbayá created a few other smaller chances and they probably did not deserve to lose by two goals.
Ratings:
- A1 – Very good, could play higher
- A2 – Strong potential to play higher
- B1 – Good, strong player at level
- B2 – Potential to be a strong player at level
- C – Average for the level, rewatch
- D – Below average in this match
Marco Angulo
- Nationality: Ecuadorian
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 08/05/2002
- Club: Independiente del Valle
- Career: Independiente del Valle
- Position: Defensive Midfield
- Secondary position: Central Midfield
- Preferred foot: Right
With Martin Anselmi as his new manager, Marco Angulo has not got as much playing time in his favoured defensive midfield position and this match was no different. He played in a pretty advanced position, while his compagnon in midfield (Ortiz) played in a deeper role. The Ecuadorian midfielder proved once again that he has excellent acceleration on the ball, making him very useful in the build-up. However, against Cumbayá he only could do this occasionally. Standing at 1.80 meters with a normal build, Angulo has a good frame for a defensive midfielder. His tenacity and aggressiveness often help in ground duels. On the ball, Angulo has quick decision-making under pressure, which he proved when he had the pre-assist for the opening goal. After taking the first touch, Angulo immediately spotted that Diaz had made a run in behind and he played a perfect through pass towards the Argentinian attacker.
Playing in a more advanced position also means that he wasn’t involved in the first phase of the build-up. He was involved in the build-up on the opposition’s half and had to create space for himself in that position. Angulo did well to move into space and always wanted to be involved in the build-up. He created a lot of good passing angles and often received the ball. This intensity out of possession is something I missed when I saw him earlier, but he seemingly increased his intensity. Marco Angulo played passes that not many other midfielders would play as he often chose the more risky option without missing one of his passes. The Ecuadorian also has the ability to stall his passes, which always creates better and more passing angles. In an advanced position, it rarely happened that Marco Angulo took a heavy touch when he received the ball while sprinting. This occasionally leads to the loss of possession when he runs into congested areas.
Rating – A1
As the defensive midfield position is his best position, I would like to see Angulo in a deeper role in the build-up. I think that he is solid defensively and excellent in the build-up. He still needs to slightly increase his intensity and gain a bit of upper body strength. I love that he is so light-footed, but he should try to balance his light-footedness with better physical strength. I think that Club Brugge, Anderlecht or AZ could be good destinations for the Ecuadorian midfielder.
Jhoanner Chávez
- Nationality: Ecuadorian
- Age: 20
- Date of birth: 25/04/2002
- Club: Independiente del Valle
- Career: Independiente del Valle
- Position: Left Wing-Back
- Secondary position: Left-Back
- Preferred foot: Left
Jhoanner Chávez came on as a sub for Beder Caicedo at half-time and had an immediate impact in the game. The Ecuadorian wing-back has excellent physical and athletic ability. Standing at 1.82 meters with a normal build, Chávez is physically strong in the duels and he has a lot of power in his legs. He keeps running up and down the wing and has excellent stamina. Chávez is quick on the first meters and has good speed over long distances too. He has pretty good changes of directions but prefers to sprint in straight lines. The Ecuadorian liked to attack the spaces that Cumbayá left open and made a lot of runs in behind. Jhoanner Chávez times his runs to perfection and rarely gets caught offside. The Ecuadorian can still improve on his technical ability, especially since he sometimes struggles with his first touch when receiving over the top aerial through passes.
He also sometimes struggles with quick combinations in the small spaces, as his short passing can be sloppy. Chávez stays composed in the final third and even scored after making a good run, but the goal was ruled out as he apparently made a foul. The Ecuadorian wing-back was dangerous with his runs in behind and put in some decent crosses. However, he always played his crosses into the same area (near the edge of the penalty area) and did not really look where his teammates were. Defensively, Chávez did not have much to do in the 45 minutes that he played. The only thing that really stood out was that he made an occasional foul as he liked to push his opponents in the back.
Rating – A1
As well as Marco Angulo, Jhoanner Chávez is an interesting player for many teams in Belgium. If used effectively, Chávez could already have an impact for the first team of many Belgian teams. I can see him being a part of the Royal Antwerp squad if they keep playing in a five at the back, but with Van Bommel as their new manager I am not sure if they will maintain that formation. Chávez needs to play as a wing-back, I don’t think he will perform well in a 4 atb.
A dynamic left wing-back like Chávez should be used to run up and down the wing for 90 minutes long, stretch the defence by making good runs in behind and allowing the winger to move inside. He could become a very good wing-back if his technique improves. In this match he was pretty composed, but his composure in the final third also is a weakness for Chávez.
Target Scouting 