As the South American Under-20 Championship enters its final week in Colombia, it is clear that the contest has had a change since the previous version. The 2021 tournament has been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic and while Ecuador are continental champions in 2019, that is unlikely to happen again. That is not so much because Ecuador has fallen behind, but because it has become a victim of its own success.
Thanks to their 2019 record – they finished third at the Under-20 World Cup that year – their talents, especially those produced by notable club, Independiente del Valle, are now on the radar. of European clubs. As a result, many people have moved abroad. European clubs are currently looking to recruit young South American players as soon as possible and since the Under-20 Championship does not fall on an official FIFA date in the calendar, clubs are under no obligation to release them. .
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This year’s Ecuadorian team has endured this talent change; also Brazil And Argentina. Host Colombia lost a star striker Jhon Duran on the eve of the competition when he switched from Chicago Fire (Major League Soccer) to Aston Villa. He’s still on the team’s roster, and there’s hope that he could be back in the last few games, but so far there’s been no sign of him. (Also, an eight-minute cameo in Villa’s 4-2 loss to Leicester on Saturday could be a sign he will stay with his new club.)
This therefore means that the lineups of the four teams participating in this year’s U20 World Cup qualifiers could be very different from those currently on display. However, that also means that instead, new faces have had the opportunity to shine at this contest. For example, the biggest reveal of the tournament was last season in Uruguay’s second division.
Luciano Rodriguez joined with Tiny Progresso in 2021-22 and has since moved on Uruguay‘S Liverpool, a first-class team, but not much bigger. However, he won’t be there for long. A striker who can play in the center or on the flanks – he plays best on the right flank in this tournament – Rodriguez is strong, ambidextrous and prides himself on quick analysis. and come up with a plan. He looks like a big find.
His new club-mate is also his national team captain – central midfielder Fabricio Diaz, who was in the Liverpool first team for a time. His maturity also shows: Diaz seems to have precise feet when distributing the ball, and he runs the engine room with genuine confidence. Amidst the impressive lineup of players, Sebastian’s class central defender Boselli also caught the eye.
Uruguay and Brazil are the standouts so far, to some extent. Brazilian centre-back Vitor Roque could be the man of the match, although after playing for Athletico Paranaense in last year’s Copa Libertadores final, he can hardly be seen as an unknown.
What makes him particularly interesting in his position. In recent times, Brazil has produced a number of wingers, but very few operate in the central area. Therefore, the arrival of a strong, mobile and technically rich central striker is really good news.
Recently Chelsea signed Andre Santos He excelled as a midfield powerhouse who could play from the back, play in midfield and break through to score. His former Vasco da Gama teammate Marlon Gomes is a midfielder with a keen eye for the pass; To compare Chelsea, there is something of Mount Mason about him.
Another central midfielder of note is Colombia captain Gustavo Puerta, who can spur his team-mates on with his aggressiveness from deep down and possess a dangerous shot that has earned him two beautiful goals. . Right winger Oscar Cortes performed well too: his dribbling was both powerful and elusive, and his superb goal into the net Paraguay on Friday is perhaps the most important goal Colombia has scored in the tournament so far.
Speaking of Paraguay, they seem to have unearthed another strong, skilled centre-back in Gilberto Flores, who also brings in the threat from set pieces in the opposition box. Ecuador has an interesting target in central striker Justin Cuero, and a collection of skilful wingers Yaimor Medina, Alan Minda and Jose Klinger. The second player is just 17 years old, along with center back Davis Bautista, and is a left-footed player with interesting prospects.
Venezuela have been disappointing so far, failing to score from open play for six straight games, but still have some talent on display. In a league filled with promising goalkeepers, Frankarlos Benitez can hold his ground, while Rafael Uzcategui is a calm central defender with an exciting future.
Brazil and Uruguay have almost earned their place in the U20 World Cup in Indonesia in May this year. Colombia also looks like a good bet as Paraguay, Ecuador and Venezuela compete for the remaining spot.
Four sides have been eliminated so far and the big surprise is Argentina, eliminated after losing three of their four group stage matches. In a very disappointing group, central midfielder Gino Infantino, left-footed and versatile, is their best prospect.
chile were also dismayed by a performance of what they still hope could be their best generation in more than a decade, but the attacking midfielder Lucas Assadiingenious with a low center of gravity, is something to watch. Peru lost all of their games despite being competitive, and attacking midfielder Kevin Cabrera added to the reputation he built with Melgar in last year’s Copa Sudamericana. Even though their tournament is over, Bolivia There are grounds for hope in right-back Yomer Rocha attacking furiously and Fernando Nava, a burly left winger, based in Brazil with Athletico Paranaense who makes a threat that cuts inside the leg. right of him.
