Yeltzin Erique is a 19-year-old left-back who currently plays for LDU Quito in Ecuador. He is a youth international for Ecuador under 20. Erique started in the Independiente del Valle youth academy but after changing clubs quite often he joined LDU Quito’s youth set-up in 2021. Apart from a short loan spell at Deportivo Meridiano he has since been playing for LDU Quito. He is now a member of their under 19 squad. Yeltzin Erique looked decent for both Ecuador under 20 and LDU Quito under 20 in respectively the Sudamericano u-20 and Copa Libertadores u-20. His agency is Kancha Agency, who have already brought several Ecuadorian players to Belgium.
The Ecuadorian left-back stands at approximately 1.75 meters with a normal build. Erique has decent speed over both short and long distances. He has good strength in his body and legs, meaning that he can win physical ground duels also because he is aggressive and tenacious. He is also capable of holding off opponents in shoulder-to-shoulder duels. Erique has okay changes of directions, balance and agility but does not stand out in this area. The Ecuadorian left-back does not try to take on opponents that often.
Yeltzin Erique has a good first touch under pressure. He is capable of playing out of pressure with some well-weighted passes into the midfield or attack in first-phase possession. The left-back prefers to make overlapping runs. He has good composure in the final third, spotting teammates in the box well and picking out the right pass. When Erique recovers possession near his own box, the Ecuadorian left-back does not take any risks but I think he has to trust his technical ability more and take more risks.
Defensively, Erique shows good defensive decision-making about whether he needs to stay in line or step up. When he does step up, Erique is very aggressive and forces his opponent to go backwards. The left-back is inconsistent in defensive 1v1 duels. He tends to overcommit in defensive 1v1 duels close to his own box, allowing his opponent to cut away from him. Erique looks more composed in duels further from the goal, but sometimes his body positioning is not good. He can get caught flat-footed too, not being able to react quickly to changes of directions.
Yeltzin Erique performed at a good level in both the Copa Libertadores under 20 and Sudamericano under 20, but I have some concerns about his potential. Erique looks like a promising left-back going forward but lacks the speed and dribbling ability to be efficient at a higher level. He is a decent, aggressive defender on the opposition’s half but can look vulnerable defending in a lower block. In conclusion, I do not think that Erique will follow in the footsteps of Angelo Preciado or William Pacho but he could become a strong player in the Ecuadorian league.
Target Scouting 
I don’t know how closely you watched the games but I’ve heard that Yaimar Medina could be a good left back prospect. However, he mostly played as an inverted right winger. I was just curious about your thoughts about Medina.
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Hi Brian, I think that Medina should focus on the left-back position. He could become a really modern attacking full-back.
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