Anthony Valencia – Independiente Junior’s artistic playmaking prodigy

Ecuador are building a deep pool of talent as most of the teams in the country are following Independiente Del Valle’s example in talent development. The country is experiencing a generation of technically skilled but unique left-footed playmakers as Independiente Del Valle recently sold Pedro Vite to the Vancouver Whitecaps, Sebastian Gonzalez at LDU Quito has had a quick and impressive start to his professional career while back at Independiente, 18-year-old Anthony Valencia has the potential to be world class with Patrik Mercado behind him in the pecking order. Valencia has been one of the strongest players for Independiente Juniors in the last Ecuadorian Second Division season.

The 18-year-old is lanky and wiry, sporting an afro which is not the only thing that makes him stand out from his peers as his guile and creativity with possession makes him a high-level prospect. His sense for blind-sided movement is well-developed, constantly side-stepping into space in the final third as well as in the deeper areas to demand possession while his directional first touch in tight spaces is impeccable. He can elegantly spin out of tight situations and glide across the pitch with the ball glued to his feet while he has the quick change of direction and dribbling ability to skip past challenges. He already has the sense for time and space to weave out of gluts of challenges, rolling the ball past sliding defenders nonchalantly to release a through ball at the perfect time to create a goalscoring opportunity as he is next big player in the endless production line of talent at Independiente Del Valle.

He began the season by receiving possession on the right side of the box to calmly place a shot in between the goalkeeper and the near post to open his account for the season. However, in Independiente Juniors’ second game, he would exude quality after he came off the bench in the second-half. He would double his goalscoring tally when he received possession at the top of the box to place another strike with his first touch as he drove the ball past the keeper and into the goal off the post. The youngster would exhibit artistry and creative industry, receiving possession on the right flank to hold the ball before angling a pass into the half-space for a teammate in the next line. He is not just a creator in the final third as like all modern-day creative midfielders, he can receive possession in the deeper areas or in between the lines and string attacking moves together. He moved into space to receive possession from Marco Angulo to take a touch and lay-off the ball to the young midfielder who would push up to drive the ball forward as Valencia continued his run on the flank but Angulo’s through ball was too heavy for him.

In his finest moment of his cameo, he received a deep pass in between the lines with his back to goal, sensing a defender behind him as he utilized an impudent flick before spinning past his marker to beat him as he surged deep into the opposition half before slowing down, moving the ball to the outside of his left boot to skip past a second defender before rolling the ball past a third defender with his right foot as he attracted a glut of players in the opposition defence for Valencia to surgically work a pass to a striker who missed a 1v1 opportunity. Valencia is special as he meshes expert vision and incisive passing in the final third with his ability as a ball-carrier, skipping past defenders to draw opposition players closing before releasing the ball for the killer pass.

The 18-year-old first touch is consistently impeccable, killing balls of different velocity and height with ease as he surged in behind his striker to control a knock-on from his striker and hold the ball up before laying off for a teammate to send a strike from range out. In another exquisite showing of exemplary ball-carrying and artistic vision, he would receive a pass in his own half, surging forward on the break, prodding the ball forward with the outside of his left boot before a fellow attacker made a run under him for Valencia to fake a shot and slide a through ball in between two opposition defenders and onto his runner who was on his blind-side as the pass was so elaborate, the attacker did not expect so he took a heavy touch and had his opportunity smothered by the keeper.

Away to Atletico Porteno, Valencia would continue to impress, receiving possession after a turnover to take one-touch to lift his head up and play an accurately curled pass to Neicer Acosta on the flank to instigate a counter-attack. Valencia and Acosta would link up once more as the 18-year-old playmaker would receive a pass in the channels to swivel and drive the ball in between two opposition defenders before cutting a pass back for Acosta to have a shot on goal. Valencia’s first touch helps him in the ten space as it allows him to receive possession and link-up play as this allows his side to transition and break at pace after a turnover. Valencia would control a high deflection with his weaker right foot with ease to lay-off the ball to a teammate and continue to push forward in between the lines before he received possession in between the lines to work a one-touch flick-on to a teammate. The teenage prodigy received a throw-in to chest the ball to a teammate before receiving possession to flick the ball past a defender to get in behind the opposition defence where he curled a tame shot into the arms of the goalkeeper.

At an early age, his awareness of his surroundings in tight spaces is phenomenal as one-touch flicks, lay-offs and dummies are already a massive part of his game as they are facilitated by an awareness of his position as well as his teammates’ positions. He would move into the central spaces to receive possession in between the lines with an impeccable first-touch before laying off for Marco Angulo to switch a pass to the flank as Valencia would continue his run forward in the central spaces as Acosta would work a cut-back to the playmaker who dummied the pass for a teammate to spread a pass to the weak side for Independiente Juniors to have a shot on goal. He would receive another deep vertical pass in between the lines to take a touch and lay-off. His first-touch and positioning in between the lines allows him to be an attacking conduit, receiving deep passes and refining them into high-quality attacking moves.

The 18-year-old would also make an unfortunate mistake in a counter-attacking situation, he would clear a knock-on from a free-kick with his head as the ball sailed in the air for Valencia to guide the ball past an opposition player with a perfectly cushioned first touch, surging forward into the opposition half as was 1v1 with the keeper as he lifted his head to square a cross for Marco Angulo to tap into an empty net but Angulo was in an offside position. Valencia would receive another deep vertical pass in between the lines to take a touch with his right foot before working a pass out of a tight space with his left as he received possession again to work a through ball to the flank, but his pass was too heavy. At the beginning of the season, Valencia made cameo appearances due to struggling with injury, but he eventually became a crucial part of the Independiente Juniors first-team.

The way the teenager is able to cushion first touches with his weaker foot or with his heel allows him to be an intriguing player in tight spaces as well as in transition. In another match, he would receive possession, utilizing a flick to beat his man and spread a pass to the flank. When he has his back to goal and receives possession in between the lines, he has a backheeled flick routine that he employs to beat his marker to earn a yard of space for a pass or to drive into the opposition box. Valencia would then receive a switch pass on the right flank to drive inside and skip past a marker to cut-back a pass for a teammate to shoot over the bar. Playing on the right flank allows the Ecuadorian to cut inside on his left foot and put his body in between his marker and the ball to glide past markers as this allows him to be more effective on the right flank.

It also allows him to link-up play when he receives possession as in the next game, he would receive another switch ball on the right flank to take a touch and thread a pass for a teammate making a run in the half-space to cut-back. In the defensive phase, he would evade the press by receiving possession in a right-back role while an opposition attacker was pushing up to apply pressure on him as Valencia flicked an outside of the boot pass to the flank before he would make a run to receive possession in the half-space to cleverly back-heel for a teammate as they evaded pressure and instigated a surge into the opposition half. Valencia then made an interception on the right flank, cutting inside on his left foot to skip past two defenders and fashion a shooting opportunity which was blocked. The 18-year-old then worked another pressure evading sequence when he received a deflection in the right-back position to scan as the ball was bobbling into his path before adjusting his body to flick the ball over two players with his first touch. He then received possession again to roll the ball past an opposition defender making a sliding challenge before driving forward on the break to skip past another defender as he attempted a through ball for the striker which was played behind him as an attacker on the flank had to chase the ball into the opposition half.

Valencia is so well-rounded as a creative player while having a developed sense of space as whenever he receives possession, be it deep in his own half or after a turnover, he can always drive his side onto the front foot to string together an attacking opportunity. In a home game, the 18-year-old would receive possession after a turnover to drive the ball forward to attract markers before lifting his head up and switching a pass to the weak side with his right foot. A clearance would be made to the right flank as Valencia chased down the clearance to head the ball to Renny Sinisterra before receiving possession and lobbing an outside of the boot pass to the flank. Early in the season, Valencia rarely played a full 90 minutes, coming on in the second-half as he would always be substituted if he started the game while he will also need to show more authority in games for all the talent that he has.

Before Valencia, Pedro Vite was well-educated in the art of making runs behind the striker as once he joined the first-team, it was pivotal source of goals and opportunities for the youngster, his younger protégé is well-versed in this aspect of the game as well. In another Ecuadorian Second Division game, the central striker would drop out of position for Valencia to make a well-timed dart in behind for a pass that was intercepted before Independiente Juniors would have another opportunity to work a pass in behind as the ball would bounce into Valencia’s path where he would use his left foot to guide the ball onto his right as his shot was smothered by the goalkeeper. On the counter-attack, Valencia would receive possession in the right half-space where he would burst forward to attract a marker and play a through ball in behind for the ball to bounce of an attacker’s heel. Valencia is so innate and creative, there are moments where he is operating on a different creative wavelength than his teammates as he is capable playing passes through lanes and angles that his teammates do not expect him to play as some of his passes are mis controlled because they are unexpected.

Valencia also exhibits the importance of the first-touch in modern day football as spaces are so tight and defences are so compact that being able to move the ball and evade markers with a first-touch is becoming more critical. It is critical in the final third as the 18-year-old utilizes his first touch to create opportunities for himself and teammates while in the build-up phase, he uses his first touch to evade pressure. His first touch allows him to be so comfortable with his back to goal as once he finds a pocket of space, he is able to receive the ball to move it quickly and effectively. Valencia would side-step into a pocket of space in the midfield line to receive possession from his centre-back to guide a lobbed pass over a marker and to an attacker in space to facilitate transition. Defensively, Felipe Mateos Sanchez would put him in roles where he would have to support his wing-back in the defensive phase as Valencia is no stranger to dropping into position to get involved in defensive work. The 18-year-old would chase back to win a tackle and play the ball to a teammate.

In a home match, Valencia would utilize his flick routine when he received possession on the left flank, receiving possession when he took a step forward to engage his marker who pushed forward as Valencia set his feet and allowed the ball to roll across his body to flick the ball past his defender before cutting past two defenders in the central spaces as he tried to work a pass into the centre which was intercepted. His first touch would then help him score a goal as goalkeeper, Pinargote Kleber lobbed a pass for Valencia to make a run in behind to chest the ball past the goalkeeper and tap the ball into an empty net. He received possession in the right back position to regain possession after opposition player slipped as he cut past one opposition player to drive the ball forward to engage three opposition players before playing a simple pass to a teammate in space.

In Independiente Juniors’s 5-4-1 defensive shape, Valencia will defend the right flank in the midfield zone as he had a sequence where a marker in his zone received possession for the 18-year-old playmaker to tuck inside and attempt to close him down for Valencia to regain possession with a flick on a loose ball as he surged forward, utilizing a deft turn of pace to surge in between two defenders to attempt a through ball to a runner which was heavy. In an away match, Valencia would win a turnover on a loose pass in the opposition half to flick a pass to the nine-space, before receiving possession in the ten space to spread a pass to a teammate before moving to the left half-space where he received possession from the winger to attempt to thread a pass into the channels for him to run onto. He received possession with a lob into the channel as he took a touch and cut-back a cross for a teammate to shoot wide. He received possession in the right half-space to drive the ball forward and attract markers before threading a pass to the flank for an attacker to shoot wide of the far post.

In an earlier game, Valencia took a brilliant first touch from a Pinargote Kleber pass to score as he would take another phenomenal first touch from the keeper’s long ball to, outstretching his leg to kill the ball in the air and surge forward. The 18-year-old received possession in the ten-space weave past three players before spreading the ball into the wide areas. In the next match, Valencia would cover for his fullback, Alan Minda to make an interception in the wing-back position. Valencia then received a switch ball on the right flank as Minda overlapped him for the as he surged through a glut of three players to drive into the centre before skipping past another defender and spreading the ball to the opposite flank. Valencia would regain possession again when chased down a loose lobbed pass in the channels to force a turnover and play the ball back to a teammate.

Valencia facilitated transition when he received the ball in the ten space to skip past a sliding tackle and thread a pass for Acosta in the channels. The playmaker would receive possession in the ten space to take a heavy touch and lay-off before laying the ball off to a teammate before he had another breath-taking first touch when he received a switch on the left to take the air out of the ball with one touch before playing a wayward cross to the opposite flank. He then worked a one-two with a teammate in between the lines to receive a lobbed pass, take a touch away from goal and have a shot blocked.

 As the season went on, Felipe Mateos Sanchez would begin to put Valencia in more central positions as Valencia did not disappoint as although, he can operate from the flank, the possibilities of him being more involved in operating from the centre are intriguing. Against El Nacional, the 18-year-old would receive possession in the 10 space, taking a touch before skipping past a marker and threading a through ball to a runner as he played the ball a fraction late as his runner was caught offside. He received possession in the eight space from the right wing-back to turn and drive the ball before having a pass intercepted and regaining possession to surge forward and spread a pass to the flank for a teammate to have a shot blocked. He received the ball in the eight space for the second-time to lay-off.

Being deployed in the centre gave Valencia the opportunity to pick up some lovely positions in between the lines as he received possession from the deepest-lying midfielder to skip past his most direct marker before driving the ball past another midfielder as he skipped past both opposition centre-backs to prod the ball past another defender as he surged into the box to lob a perfectly weighted cross for a teammate to have a header cleared off the line. Valencia’s ball-carrying is spectacular as his penchant for going on deep, mazy runs into the opposition half with the ball glued to the outside of his left boot allows him to draw markers and create better opportunities for teammates. Playing in the centre unleashed his arsenal of skills as a link-up player in between the lines and an opportunity creator in the final third.

He would receive possession in the right half-space, turning to cut into the centre to drive the ball onto the opposite flank and spread the ball into the wide areas to receive possession again and play a one-touch pass to the wing-back who had an inaccurate cross saved by the keeper at the near post. He received a lay-off in the ten space to drive the ball forward and spread a pass to the opposite flank before he would chase a lobbed pass into the channels with an opposition player to control the ball and roll the ball back away from the opposition player with his first touch before cutting past him and playing a pass into the centre. Soon after, Valencia was the man being dribbled past as he chased down his marker to regain possession in the opposition half.

In the next game, Valencia received possession in the channels to turn past his marker before driving in between two players and cutting past a third to play the ball into the centre for Acosta to flick on for an overlapping wing-back to send a shot over the bar. He then received possession in the eight space to skip past his marker to drive the ball forward and play a pass in between the lines. He picked up possession in the left half-space, twisting and turning before he created a yard of space and a passing angle to thread a pass to a teammate before receiving possession again to surge forward and attempt to drive in between two players before he lost possession. The 18-year-old received possession in the attacking line with his back to goal turning out of a challenge and driving the ball forward to switch a pass to Minda on the left flank who cut-back for Valencia at the top of the box to fake a shot to create an extra yard of space as he sent a strike over the bar.

The 18-year-old utilized connections to fashion another shooting opportunity for himself when he received possession in the right half-space to cut past a man and change direction to thread a pass to the nine-space where he received the lay-off to drive a strike wide from outside the box. In the next game, he would receive possession in the eight space, rolling the ball under his left foot before he nutmegged an opponent to work a pass to a teammate. Valencia shows the combining of high-level tactical training as well as the development of individual quality that has made Independiente Del Valle a breeding ground of talent. Valencia would position himself in the eight space before pushing forward in between the lines as his team began to progress the ball as he would drop deep to receive possession when a teammate in his zone received the ball for Valencia to back into a pocket of space in between the lines to receive possession, draw a glut of five opposition defenders to skip past two markers and angle a pass to Acosta in space.

He would then create an opportunity, receiving a knock-on to work a one-two with the striker before skipping past a defender to work a pass for Angulo to get in behind for a 1v1 opportunity. Valencia dropped into the eight space to receive possession, take a touch to turn and thread a through ball in between the lines to the nine-space to receive a lay-off to drive the ball into the opposition half. His artistry and ball-carrying in between the lines is one thing that will capture the attention of European scouts as he is so confident and poised with the ball at his feet. In the next game, he received possession in the ten space, surging forward and skipping past two defenders with a change of direction as he stumbled to then work a pass to the wide areas.

Valencia’s future may lie in the centre of the pitch but when he plays on the right flank, he loves to make blind-sided moves from the right flank to a more central position in between the lines when an opposition defender moves out of position. The 18-year-old would make this same move, tucking in the centre from the right flank to receive a deep pass from the six-space, taking a measured first touch with his right foot before shifting the ball to his left foot where he would drive the ball forward, wait for the central striker to make a dummy run before threading a through ball to another attacker who had the opportunity to drive into the box and fashion a shooting opportunity for himself. He would use his vision and ball-carrying to create another high quality opportunity as he would drive the ball in his own half before turning and playing the ball into the central spaces before he received possession to dribble around a marker as he waited for the central striker to make a dummy run to thread a perfectly weighted through ball to a teammate who had a 1v1 opportunity but took too long to take a shot.

His ball-carrying is such an asset as it also allows him to draw fouls as he received possession in the eight space, allowing the ball to roll across his body to skip past a marker who would tug his shirt for Valencia to spin but maintain possession of the ball to drive into the opposition half to skip past another defender as he was brought down by a lunge. Another aspect of Valencia’s style of playmaking is the weird angles that he contorts his body into to execute passes through tight lines of pressure and connect play in the final third. Valencia received possession in the eight space, rolling the ball to contort his body to work a pass to Marco Angulo who played a one-touch pass back to him as he moved in between the lines before Valencia slid a pass in behind for the striker to have a shot blocked.

He would utilize his connections in tight spaces to participate in a goalscoring move, taking on a loose ball in midfield to skip past a marker and spread a pass to the flank for a looped cross into the box which the striker would head past the keeper. Valencia showed his willingness to work to regain possession when a pass was played to an attacker in between the lines for the 18-year-old to track back and make a tackle to prevent an attack and regain possession. Valencia then received possession in the ten space to take a fantastic first touch before spreading the ball to the flank as he received possession at the edge of the box where he was unable to have a shot on goal. Defensively, he would make an interception in a right wing-back role, cutting inside to attract markers before releasing the ball to a teammate in space in between the lines.

Valencia is so good at refining possession, especially when the ball is played from the deeper areas, be it from the goalkeeper, centre-backs and deeper-lying midfielders as he is a one-man medium of transition for his side. He received possession from a long goal-kick to play a one-touch pass for a fellow midfielder in space as with his first touch, he has mastered the art of taking the back-spin off the ball and being able to manipulate the ball into doing what he wants it to do. He would make a blind-sided movement to receive possession in between the lines to turn and drive into the opposition half as he was fouled from behind. He would receive another deep pass in between the lines from the left-sided centre-back to take a touch, skip past a marker before working a pass to the nine-space as he received possession to have his shot blocked. He received possession from Angulo in the ten space as before receiving possession, he scanned and ascertained that he should hold his position as he turned to surge in between two midfielders, skip past a marker and attempt a through ball that his teammate did not run onto.

The 18-year-old was then involved in his second goal of the game, receiving possession on the edge of his box, barging over a marker and driving the ball forward to thread a pass to a teammate in the channels to square a cross for a tap-in. He then chased back to win a tackle after Independiente Juniors lost possession in the build-up phase. Valencia was involved in a third goal of the game, receiving possession in between the lines to dribble and attract markers in the final third before working a pass to a teammate as the ball would be switched to the flank for Acosta to receive a cross and apply the finish. Towards the end of the season, Valencia would be out of the team but still playing bit-part roles to give exhibitions of his talent. The 18-year-old received possession in the eight space to thread a pass to the nine-space before making a run behind the striker to receive possession and back-heel for a teammate to slam a strike home.

Valencia is an artistic playmaker as his ability to receive deep passes from a variety of angles in between the lines allows him to be a crucial player on the pitch as his blind-sided movement and offensive positioning is already highly developed. The 18-year-old also makes lovely runs behind the striker which will become an important source of goals and assists for him at professional level, especially with his phenomenal first-touch. He should play as a right-winger or central attacking midfielder as he can cut inside from the right flank, putting himself in between the ball and the defender to drive inside while he can also tuck inside to receive possession in the central areas. In the future, he has the press resistance, namely the ball-carrying, movement and combination play to play as a playmaking eight, coordinating build-up from deep and driving the ball forward. He has shown the ability to receive possession and pass with his weaker right foot as he should be able to shoot and cross with his weaker foot. Being stronger with his weaker foot will develop his already immense ability as a ball-carrier even more as he will be able to go either side of a defender.

Valencia struggles when playing in the left winger as he can be isolated on the flank, especially in his weaker games during the season, losing possession with his ability to beat his man while his through balls would be intercepted. In these games, he could also be wasteful on the ball, trying elaborate tricks to no avail. Valencia could also improve his shooting as he can try shots from range while with the positions he gets into, he could develop into a goal scorer as well as a chance creator at the next level. It will also be intriguing to see if he can play a full 90 minutes more often in the future as he either came off the bench or was substituted for Independiente Juniors.

Valencia could have another season with Independiente Juniors in the Ecuadorian Second Division or he could be a star with the Independiente Del Valle U20 for his second U20 Copa Libertadores in February. He could also gain first team opportunities with Independiente Del Valle while if he does not make the first-team, he could become an intriguing proposition for European clubs. He could be a replacement for Noa Lang at Club Brugge while Familicao or a few other mid-level teams in the Portuguese Primera League could utilize his playmaking talents. He has the ball-carrying and range to be a cheap option for Ligue 1 teams like Bordeaux, Rennes and Monaco. Ajax and PSV Eindhoven will also be good moves while he would be successful at Feyenoord as a cheaper option at playmaker as he is eerily similar to Calvin Stengs who thrived under Arne Slot at AZ Alkmaar as left-footed right-playmaker. A starring role at the U20 Copa Libertadores could see European clubs take notice of him.