Marco Angulo – Independiente Del Valle’s young midfield maestro
Independiente Del Valle were a Second Division Ecuadorian side and have made a Copa Libertadores final appearance and finished as runners-up in the Ecuadorian LigaPro. They have yet to become a giant in their own country as they have not won the League title but earn good favour within their country as they have youth products at every Ecuadorian first division side and in the Ecuadorian youth teams. Their owner, Michell Deller made his money in architecture as once he purchased the club with the help of a few friends, he sought to turn a depressed asset into a hub of player development as he was influenced by figures such as Pep Guardiola and Johan Cruyff.
"The work that Cruyff started in the Netherlands and that, 20 years later, was transmitted to La Masia, revolutionized the world of football and the way it is played and that we want to apply here," stressed Deller in an interview with El Telegrafo last year.
In order to grow as a club, Independiente established partnerships with Aspire Academies, a high-performance training centre in Doha aimed at training Qatari athletes while providing them with secondary education. The team from Sangolqui hired Spaniard Miguel Angel Ramirez as their first team coach as he was enamoured with their youth project and has sought to merge the youth academy and first-team. Independiente Del Valle spend approximately $1.5 million on their academy per year as that investment has paid dividends with prospects like Marco Angulo emerging.
Angulo is a modern day deep-lying playmaker who can play as the pivote at the base of midfield or in a box-to-box role where he has freedom to receive the ball in between the lines in the opposition final third. His lanky build and afro set him apart as a cool conductor at the base of midfield, winning the ball, stringing passes in between the lines and moving forward to exhibit some creativity in the final third. He has been a constant in the Colombian youth teams as in Independiente Del Valle’s U20 Copa Libertadores campaign, he played at the base of midfield in 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 or as a box-to-box midfielder.
Angulo is a walking YouTube highlight real as he is two-footed, being able to receive the ball and pass with both feet like most high-level deep-lying playmakers while also being comfortable at dropping into the six space and receiving the ball under pressure. His movement and timing behind the first line of opposition pressure to give his centre-back’s a direct passing option is illuminating while once he receives the ball, he can turn out of pressure from a direct marker and work the ball into the opposition half. The 18-year-old prefers to switch the ball as he can receive the ball with one foot and spray passes across the pitch with the other, adding another dimension to his side’s attacks and giving fullbacks and winger’s the opportunity to attack open spaces.
At times, Angulo can be too calm as he usually drops into the defensive line as an auxiliary centre-back to regain possession, staying on his feet to make timely challenges in the box as instead of clearing the ball, he will always look to pass the ball out of pressure as Independiente could lose possession and gift the opposition a goal-scoring opportunity. Angulo rarely shirks physical challenges but also rarely goes to ground to win duels as he relies on his anticipation and positioning to regain possession with interceptions in the defensive phase as well as the counter-pressing phase.
However, he seems to move the game faster and progress play well when he is at the base of midfield as Independiente Del Valle’s youth team also has Moises Caicedo, another young deep-lying midfield operator. Against Wilstermann, Angulo played in the deep-lying midfield role while against River Plate, Caicedo played as a pivote while Angulo was deployed as a box-to-box midfielder. Caicedo managed to move the ball past opposition pressure with some nifty dribbles and distribution in the latter game but switched roles with Angulo so Independiente could move the ball at a faster pace towards the end of the first half. In added time, Angulo retrieved the ball in the six space with an interception before playing an accurately chipped switch ball to Piero Hincapie who beat his marker and worked a low cross into Daniel Bravo who finished with a tap-in to put Independiente ahead.
Angulo enjoys regaining loose balls in the six space after his team pushes up to counter-press as he provides the perfect foil and press security as later in the game, he made another interception to make a directional first touch to the opposite flank and work a pass for Pedro Vite in the half-space to spread into the wide areas. Angulo is clever at knowing when to work more simple back-passes to his centre-back and goalkeeper or when to work passes through the line with his sublime distribution. He thrives at making the pass before the assist with switch balls and passes in between the lines as his teammate can then find the direct option in space.
He is also a presence in between the lines, making clever runs into the ten space to receive possession and look to work combinations with teammates. Against Wilstermann, he took on a pass from Vite to smash past the goalkeeper from range as his future could be in a wide array of positions. He could be deployed as ball-playing centre-back, deep-lying midfield conductor, as a well-balanced 8 with a repertoire of defensive or attacking traits or even having the mobility and positional sense to play as an interior in the wide areas. His ability with both feet allows him to dribble out of situations, using his right and left boot as once he moves into space, he can easily transition into passing the ball to a teammate.
Independiente Del Valle’s U20 Copa Libertadores win was no fluke as they produced an U20 side stacked with talent from the starting lineup to the substitutes bench. Angulo is one of a collection of unique but multi-functioned midfield talents in their academy as most of their midfielders thrive in receiving the ball in different areas of the pitch. Angulo is a stand-out player because of his incredible distribution, maturity and calm on the ball while also being influential in a critical position in modern day football. He could be a target for many European clubs in the summer, spending an adjustment period within the academy before debuting with the first team or he could stay in Ecuador, fighting to earn a role in the first team. Either way, with his performances in youth football tournaments Internationally and regionally, he is not too far away from a move to Europe.
