Ecuadorian press on Plata's return and Valencia's Flamengo debut | OneFootball

Ecuadorian outlets highlighted Anthony Valencia’s debut and Gonzalo Plata’s return ahead of the Libertadores quarterfinals

Flamengo beat Remo 1-0 this Sunday (06), before traveling to Ecuador. As a result, the Rubro-Negro will face Independiente del Valle (ECU) in the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. Some Ecuadorian sports outlets have already reacted to the result and highlighted two names connected to the country.

How did the Ecuadorian press cover Anthony Valencia’s debut?

Anthony Valencia came on in the 84th minute, replacing Samuel Lino, and made his official debut in Brazilian football. The website “Ecuagol” described the moment the Ecuadorian right winger entered the field.

“Valencia, 23, from Guayaquil, came on in the 84th minute, a decision made by coach Leonardo Jardim, when the Rio team was already ahead thanks to a goal by Samuel Lino. Wearing the No. 14 shirt, the Ecuadorian played his first official minutes in Brazilian football,” says an excerpt from the article.

“With less than a week at the club, Anthony Valencia made his Flamengo debut, coming on in the 84th minute of the 1-0 away win over Remo. Flamengo, who are awaiting Gonzalo Plata’s arrival amid controversy, currently lead the league,” a Futbol Ecuador report said.

Anthony Valencia joined Flamengo as the club’s first signing of the current transfer window. The deal cost 5 million euros, around R$ 30 million, paid to Royal Antwerp (BEL). Before moving to Brazilian football, the Ecuadorian had made 84 appearances and scored 13 goals for the Belgian club.

Freitas also debuted against Remo

In addition to Valencia, Argentine Joaquín Freitas also made his debut in the same match. The forward replaced Pedro in the second half of the game in Belém. That meant Flamengo fielded two new signings on the same rainy afternoon at Mangueirão.

What did the Ecuadorian press say about Gonzalo Plata?

The website “Futbol Ecuador” also covered Gonzalo Plata’s situation, as he returned to Flamengo after a failed move to Dynamo Moscow (RUS). The Russian club failed the forward in his medical exams.

“Gonzalo Plata arrived in Brazil to rejoin Flamengo and resume training with the Brazilian club. The Ecuadorian is preparing for the team’s next match, in the Copa Libertadores quarterfinals, against Independiente del Valle,” Futbol Ecuador reported.

How are Del Valle coming into the clash with Flamengo?

Before facing Flamengo, Del Valle beat Macará (ECU) 3-1 in the 29th round of the national league. The Ecuadorian side rested some starters in the match and still kept their clear lead at the top of the domestic league. Reasco and Ronald Briones scored the goals in the win at Banco de Guayaquil.

When and where is the match between Flamengo and Del Valle?

With Freitas and Valencia available, Flamengo and Del Valle face off this Thursday (10) in the first leg of the Libertadores quarterfinals. The match will take place in Quito, at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, starting at 9:30 p.m. Brasília time.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.