Angel Preciado – Independiente Del Valle’s stupefying fullback
Angel Preciado never thought a career in football would be possible when he was growing up as the 22-year-old is now the object of interest from Mexico while Boca Juniors are said to be angling a move for the Ecuadorian. He was born in Shushufindi in the east of Ecuador before moving to San Lorenzo in the Esmeraldas province of the South American country, so he could live with his father. He then ran into a figure that would set his football career on a path that would allow him to develop into one of the best right-backs in South America as well as a fully fledged Ecuadorian international. Wilder Chavez coached at a soccer school named Tocua which Preciado attended as he immensely supported the youngster, even when Preciado departed for another coastal city in Ecuador, Manta with his father.
Preciado and his father have maintained a close bond as the duo have been through a lot as the young footballer had to deal with his father’s imprisonment as a youngster as he had to move to Guayaquil before moving back to where his father was imprisoned to stay with a woman. He re-joined Tocua where Wilder Chavez utilized him against the Independiente Del Valle youth side as their youth coach, Juan Carlos Leon was impressed with Preciado before inviting the fullback on a trial. Independiente Del Valle then moved to sign him as he has been with the Ecuadorian side ever since, using some of the money he has earned to help his father in prison and upon his release.
Preciado has not taken this season for granted as he missed last year’s Copa Sudamericana with an injury as he also missed 2017 U20 Copa Libertadores final with an injury. He does not take a moment for granted and has brought excitement to his side. At 22, Preciado is now a father as he has a son and wife, Joselyn Cabezas who helps him with his long hair with black roots and blonde tips as his mother told him that the hairstyle made him look like a grandmother he had never met. His father prefers him to keep his hair short and tidy but once Preciado made it into the Independiente Del Valle first team, he began to express himself on the pitch as well as off the pitch.
Preciado meshes the abilities of a metronomic ball-playing fullback as well as being an enduring overlapping fullback which allows him to meet the needs of Independiente Del Valle’s Head Coach, Miguel Angel Ramirez. Preciado also makes brilliant late runs to the back-post to chip in with goals and assists. In a home match against Aucas when the visitors took the lead, Independiente Del Valle worked some lovely triangular passages on the left flank where a midfielder dropped into the middle to receive possession before shifting the ball back the left flank where a cross was played in for Preciado to equalise with a diving header at the back-post. Five days later in 3-0 thrashing of Guayaquil City, he crossed for Gaby Torres to tap in and put his side in the lead.
Preciado was recently named Player of the Month in the Ecuadorian Liga Pro as his best moment of the season so far was to come after he had already received the award. In a home Copa Libertadores match against Flamengo, he regained possession in his right-back role to then drive into the centre of the pitch with a 60-yard burst from the right flank to the left flank, deep in the opposition half before working a one-two with Lorenzo Faravelli before curling a strike past Cesar in from range to put his side 2-0 up. It was a goal that sparked excitement among the local Ecuadorian media as Independiente Del Valle were inundated with interview requests as local papers produced articles on him. It was even forgotten that he was sent off in the latter stages of the match after Independiente Del Valle’s third goal caused a melee. He had another amazing strike as away to El Nacional in the Ecuadorian Liga Pro, he received the ball in the central spaces to strike past the keeper off the post from an audacious angle and range.
Preciado is gifted as a passer as Independiente Del Valle will normally play with deeper-lying fullbacks to receive possession from the centre-backs before working combinations to move the ball forward. However, Preciado’s progressive passing and creativity as a distributer is another thing that makes him a well-rounded fullback as he loves to thread through balls through tight lines of pressure to instigate attacking moves. Against Flamengo, he received a pass from right-sided centre-back, Richard Schunke to then play a line-breaking pass to Faravelli in between the lines to play the ball to Moises Caicedo to lay-off for another attacker to move inside and dribble.
Preciado is made a more alluring prospect due to the fact that he is comfortable passing and dribbling with his weaker left foot as in Independiente Del Valle’s asymmetrical build-up connections, he can receive the ball with his right foot to then play the ball to a teammate with his left with accuracy, power and poise before making a run into space to receive possession again. There have been occasions when he has moved to the left flank to receive possession, glide past a defender into the central spaces with his left before looking to work a reverse pass to a runner. His heatmap is not solely constrained to the right flank as his goal against Flamengo showed, he will move into the 8 space to receive possession and connect play while he can also receive the ball in the ten space.
He is multi-faceted fullback because of his intelligence, versatility while he also has raw power and athleticism to burst players and create crossing or shooting opportunities by himself. The 22-year-old is not only efficient in shorter interchanges in the deeper areas to attract pressure and open up space for his teammates, but he is also an inventive long-range passer. When he moves into the 8 space, he manages to play like an experienced box-to-box midfielder while when he moves into the ten space, he can assume the attributes and guile of an attacking midfielder. His chameleon-like manner of interchanging positions on the pitch effectively allows him to be influential in all phases of Independiente Del Valle’s attacking play.
In an Ecuadorian Liga Pro match against Guayaquil City he received the ball in the 8 space to dribble past one man before holding off another player to drive through on goal and have a shot saved. Earlier this year in a home match against, Independiente Del Valle, he received near the right touchline before cutting inside to beat his man, turn and drive the ball forward to thread a through pass to Jhon Jairo Sanchez who clipped a cross to the back-post for a teammate to hammer the opportunity over. Preciado can create chances as he has the ability to dribble and hold the ball to allow his teammates to make runs while having the vision to thread balls through to create opportunities.
From a defensive standpoint, Preciado is proactive as he looks to regain possession in the opposition half in the pressing phase. He will burst forward to make timed lunges to intercept passes and drive the ball forward while in the counter-press, once possession is lost, he will hustle and harry the opposition player in possession to regain the ball and lead the next attack. He is an astute back-post defender, maintaining concentration to make interceptions when the ball is switched to his flank or last-ditch tackle on a cross into the box from the far side. Seeing his blonde-hair bobbing and whirring across the pitch at pace has become must-see viewing for anybody staying abreast of Independiente Del Valle’s development this season as the 22-year-old will become a key player for club and country. The right-back will also tuck in to regain possession in the central area. He is very clever at tucking in and intercepting through balls while pushing into the wider areas to make crucial challenges in 1v1a against wingers.
Him and Villareal left-back, Pervis Estupinan, who is also 22, will form one of the most intriguing fullback tandems in world football for years to come as Preciado is already established with the Ecuadorian National Team. Liga MX sides and Boca Juniors were looking to sign him when he was one of South America’s best kept secrets, but teams will be more aware of his talent while he will accrue National Team appearances in order to have a higher opportunity of getting a work permit for leagues in the United Kingdom. He will be high potential and cost-effective option for many teams in Europe, ranging from the middling leagues of European football to the top five leagues. There is also the immense prospect for resale value for players in his age-group as he will be a highly scouted player in the coming year.
