The Ecuadorian Independiente del Valle will seek to ratify his experience in the final instances of the Copa Sudamericana, after the title he won in 2019, in tonight’s match (2:30 from Paraguay) against Melgar from Peru, in the first leg for the semifinals in Quito.
The confrontation also supposes the revenge for the current coach of Melgar, the Argentine Pablo Lavallén, directing the Colón of Argentina, who lost in 2019, in the only final of the South American Cup precisely against Independiente del Valle.
For its part, Independiente won that match 3-1 under the coaching of the Spanish Miguel Ángel Ramírez, who had Argentine Martín Anselmi, current coach of the Ecuadorian team, as technical assistant.
Anselmi assumed the technical direction of Independiente del Valle at the beginning of June of this year and has managed to harmonize in the best way the game of the team that won the round of 16 against the Argentine Atlético Lanús, and in the quarterfinals left the Venezuelan on the road Sports Tachira.
Anselmi returned to Independiente to replace Portuguese coach Renato Paiva, who resigned due to a better proposal from Mexican León.
For his part, Lavallén replaced his compatriot Néstor Lorenzo at the beginning of July, who left Melgar to join the Colombian national team.
Under Lavallén’s coaching, Melgar eliminated Colombian Deportivo Cali in the round of 16 and Internacional de Porto Alegre, Brazil, in the quarterfinals.
In local tournaments, Independiente occupies second place in the standings of the second phase of the Pro League at the end of the eighth date, and Melgar is also second after the ninth date of the Clausura tournament, but with two pending matches .
Independiente del Valle, as the 2021 local champion, started the 2022 season in the group stage of the Copa Libertadores, placing third, which gave way to the round of 16 of the current South American.
Anselmi asked the club’s directors to hire the Argentine winger or attacker Lautaro Díaz and the Chilean winger Matías Fernández, along with the Ecuadorian midfielder Joao Ortiz.
In addition to the hiring that Anselmi requested, Independiente has in its ranks the Argentines Richard Schunke (naturalized Ecuadorian), Mateo Carabajal, Cristian Pellerano, Lorenzo Faravelli and Jonathan Bauman.
While Lavallén only gave soccer touches to the team reinforced by the Argentines Leonel Galeano, Horacio Orzán, who played for the Ecuadorian Universidad Católica and Mushuc Runa, Martín Pérez Guedes, Cristian Bordacahar and Bernardo Cuesta.
The directors of Independiente del Valle will donate in full what is collected from the sale of tickets to watch the game, to a foundation that helps children affected by malnutrition.
The transmission goes through the screens of ESPN.
Likely lineups:
Independent of the Valley: Moisés Ramírez; Mateo Carabajal, Richard Shuncke, Luis Segovia; Lautaro Díaz, Joao Ortiz, Fernando Gaibor, Lorenzo Faravelli, Jhoanner Chávez; Junior Sornoza and Jonathan Bauman.
Technician: Martin Anselmi.
Melgar: Carlos Caceda; Alejandro Ramos, Alec Deneumostier, Leonel Galeano, Paolo Reyna; Horacio Orzán, Walter Tandazo, Alexis Arias, Martín Pérez Guedes; Cristian Bordacahar and Bernardo Cuesta.
Coach: Pablo Lavallen.
Referee: Raphael Claus, from Brazil, assisted by his compatriots Danilo Manis and Rodrigo Correa.
Stadium: Rodrigo Paz Delgado, owned by Liga de Quito.
