Enner Valencia, Ecuador's Leading Scorer, Is Back In The World Cup Spotlight
With three goals in two games, Valencia is the tournament's equal leading goalscorer, along with France's Kylian Mbappe.
Journeyman Enner Valencia of Ecuador has gone in and out of the world football awareness. The striker hovers on the outside of importance until the World Cup, when he unexpectedly finds himself in his element. Ecuador's 33-year-old captain shot to prominence in Brazil 2014, scoring three goals in the group stage against Switzerland and Honduras despite his team's elimination. On November 20, 2008, Valencia upset the hosts' party with a brace to secure a 2-0 win and had another goal ruled off.
Valencia's penalty kick strike made him the tournament's oldest player to score the first goal.
Ecuador dominated the Netherlands in their second encounter and deserved more than a 1-1 draw, in which Valencia struck once more, emphasising his affinity for big moments.
Valencia, along with France's Kylian Mbappe, is the tournament's equal leading striker with three goals in two games.
"We know what a fantastic captain we have," left-back Pervis Estupinan remarked.
"He is constantly striving to better."
Valencia is only the fourth player in World Cup history to score six straight goals for his country, joining Portugal legend Eusebio, Italy's Paolo Rossi, and Russia's Oleg Salenko.
While Ecuador's promising teenagers, such Brighton's Moises Caicedo, Estupinan, and Jeremy Sarmiento, are rightfully relied on by coach Gustavo Alfaro, Valencia maintains an important presence.
Valencia, a former winger, has evolved into Ecuador's major goal threat and is the country's all-time leading scorer with 38 goals.
He had a dry run leading up to the World Cup, scoring only one goal in eight games, but the goals are coming again in Qatar.
Ecuador's primary concern moving ahead is Valencia, who has been forced off hurt in both games due to a knee injury.
"I did tests, and it turned out I had a knee strain, which is troubling me a little," the striker revealed following the Netherlands tie.
"I played through the discomfort, but what matters is that I was able to aid the squad, and we're still going strong."
"The knee is healing, I'm doing good rehab work, and I'm hoping to play (against Senegal)."
Traveled extensively
Valencia began his career in Ecuador's top division with Emelec, which he won in 2013. He later relocated to Pachuca, Mexico.
A productive season in which he scored 18 goals in 23 league games earned him a call-up to Ecuador's 2014 World Cup team, where his performances piqued the curiosity of Premier League clubs.
West Ham pounced, spending 12 million pounds (USD 14.5 million) on the attacker, who scored a superb long-range goal against Hull City on his complete league debut.
It was hard to live up to, as he only managed four goals in 32 league games in his first season and the same pitiful output in his second. West Ham leased him to Everton, where he struggled more, effectively ending his Premier League career.
Valencia made headlines during his stint at Everton in 2016 when he was pursued out of a stadium by police in his own country. The striker was playing in a World Cup qualifier against Chile when he was hurt and fled in a cart alongside the ground as police pursued him.
The arrest order was then cancelled after they attempted to interview him about unpaid alimony charges made by his ex-wife.
After the event, Valencia took to Twitter to announce that he had obtained custody of his then-5-year-old daughter Beira.
He returned to Mexico in 2017 for a more prosperous three years with Tigres before joining Turkish club Fenerbahce in the summer of 2020.
Valencia is the division's leading goal scorer this season, with 13 goals in 12 games, and has found the type of form that Ecuador is now benefiting from.
Valencia's dreams are once again pegged to the mast, and if he delivers against Senegal, he may propel the country into the knockout rounds for only the second time in their history.
