Alan Minda is a 19-year-old Ecuadorian winger who currently plays for Independiente del Valle in Ecuador. Minda made his debut for the first team of Independiente del Valle in 2021 but suffered from a cruciate ligament rupture in October 2021, sidelining him until the summer of 2022. The Ecuadorian winger came back from his injury looking stronger than ever and at the time of writing he has already played 34 matches for the Ecuadorian side. With Independiente del Valle, Minda has already won the Copa Sudamericana and the Liga Pro.
The winger offers a lot of versatility to Martin Anselmi’s side as Minda has played as a left wing-back, left-winger, right wing-back and right-winger under Anselmi’s stewardship. Despite only standing at approximately 1.74 meters with a slim build, Minda has impressive strength in his body and legs holding off opponents well in shoulder-to-shoulder duels and protecting the ball well. The Ecuadorian winger poses a real threat to every opponent with his speed, low centre of gravity and physical ability. Minda could be slightly more consistent with his close control, as he sometimes loses control over the ball while dribbling, losing possession in the process. The Ecuadorian shows impressive speed over both short and long distances. Having suffered from a very bad injury, I think that Minda’s gym work has paid off as he became a lot stronger over the last two years.
Alan Minda likes to start out wide on the left wing before carrying the ball inside trying to take on multiple opponents before attempting a shot or pass. His attacking output is very much below par, as Minda’s final pass and finishing are not at a sufficient level. With his good dribbling ability, Minda often gets into very good positions but he fails to translate that into goals or assists. He looks slightly uncontrolled in front of goal and has the tendency to strike the ball very wildly instead of focusing on his technique. His passing technique over both short and long distances is good and consistent. Minda creates several chances from corners because of his excellent kicking technique. He struggles to create many chances from open play though, as he seems to lack composure in the final third sometimes. It is definitely a good sign that Alan Minda keeps on trying if he fails at first and coming back stronger from his injury is also a sign that he is a determined player.
Alan Minda does not suit Martin Anselmi’s playing style as the Argentine manager plays without natural wingers and Minda is a very natural left-winger. The Ecuadorian attacker should ideally leave Independiente del Valle for a club like KRC Genk to make sure that he keeps developing. With his excellent dribbling ability, speed and technique, I think that the potential is there to play in the top 5 leagues in the future. However, Alan Minda must improve his finishing and composure in the final third in order to even become a strong player in the Belgian league.
Do you think Minda will leave Independiente del Valle in the summer?
Yes, I’m 100% sure