Anthony Valencia faces formative club as Flamengo meet Independiente del Valle | OneFootball

Flamengo face Independiente del Valle in the Libertadores quarter-finals, a tie with added meaning for Anthony Valencia. According to Globo.com, the forward developed by Del Valle could face his formative club for the first time.

Regarded as quiet but driven, Valencia still has many friends at the Ecuadorian side. General manager Santiago Morales recalls a shy teenager raised through difficult times by his mother, always desperate to play.

Born in Guayaquil, he began at Deportivo Azogues, then joined Del Valle. As a teenager he played for Independiente Juniors in Ecuador’s second tier before stepping up.

In 2020, Del Valle eliminated Flamengo in the semi-final, then beat River Plate to win the title. Valencia started only the opener, scored off the bench during the run, and was unused in the final.

By 2022 he was a starter and standout as Del Valle finished runners-up at under-20 level. His progress placed him among notable graduates, alongside Moisés Caicedo and Flamengo team-mate Gonzalo Plata.

He debuted for the seniors in 2022 under Renato Paiva, then moved in June to Royal Antwerp after only three games. This could be just his second Libertadores outing, after a brief cameo against Tolima in April 2022, and he hopes the Flamengo move boosts his Ecuador chances following a surprise World Cup call without minutes. He says he will give everything to help Flamengo qualify and, if it falls his way, reach and win the final.

Source: Globo.com

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”