Independiente Vs. Deportivo Quito: Entertaining Match Scoreless At Halftime

Independiente and Deportivo Quito are scoreless at halftime of their Copa Libertadores match, but it hasn’t been a dull affair. Interestingly enough, that isn’t because both teams have had a wealth of chances - they haven’t. Both defenses are playing well and the match is being played at a fast pace. Both teams have contributed to a very physical game, and the referee is letting the players play, only handing out yellow cards for obviously reckless challenges and dissent.

The visitors have been the better team in the center of the midfield, but more or less outclassed in other aspects of the game. Still, they have played well enough as a team to not only keep Independiente off of the score sheet, but deny them any clear goal scoring opportunities. The best chances for both teams have come from skillful individual runs by the wingers.

It’s been a very interesting match tactically, with both teams employing very different setups to achieve very different goals. Deportivo Quito have obviously come out with the goal of damage control, and they’re playing a very conservative 4-4-1-1 setup, usually playing nine men behind the ball. Independiente have been very aggressive, employing a 3-5-2 formation with a lot of players bombing forward.

Unfortunately, Independiente’s Maxi Velazquez was injured early on, but there was a silver lining. Talented 20 year old attacking midfielder Patricio Rodriguez replaced him, and he’s been entertaining.

If this result holds, it will feel like a win for Deportivo Quito, who probably came into this game believing that they needed a draw or a one goal deficit to have a decent chance of advancing after the home leg. If Independiente aren’t able to scrape out a home win, they will likely be very nervous traveling to Quito to play at elevation, nearly two miles above sea level.