The extreme John Mercadowho has played in the youth categories of River Plate and Atlético Paranaense, aims to make a place for himself in the Ecuadorian National Team for its next match against Brazil, corresponding to the seventh date of the South American qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup.
John Mercado is the surprise in the call-up of the new Ecuador coach, Argentine Sebastian Beccacecewho will try to convince the coach in this week’s training sessions to have the opportunity to take to the field against Brazil.
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The name of Mercado joins Patrickson Delgado (Football Club Dallas) as another of the young talents who were called up for the first time to the Ecuadorian senior team.
In addition, goalkeeper Alexis Villa (Independiente Juniors), left back Yaimar Medina (Independiente del Valle), were invited to be coaches. midfielder Mateo Viera (Macará) and forward Allen Obando (Barcelona Sporting Club).
John Mercado and his career
Despite being born in Ecuador, this winger is little known in the local football environment, since at only 10 years old he went to Argentina, where he was in the River Plate Academybefore making the leap to Brazil with Atlético Paranaense.
He debuted in 2021 with Paranaense and continued in the Alagoano Sports Center, Brazil; and then in 2022 he moved to Vilafranquense in Portugal, but his best performance has been since 2023 with the Portuguese AVS, with whom he played 39 games and scored 7 goals.
His ease and speed to overflow on the wings, with great projection to reach the opposite zone, look for the angle of the shot or the assistdelighted Beccacece and his team of observers led by Nicolás Chiesa and they immediately called him up.
Photo: Instagram afs_viladasaves.
Market and the Ecuadorian National Team
Although Mercado’s performances are little known in Ecuador, fHe was part of the youth teams in the South American under-15played in Argentina in 2017; and in the 2019 South American Under-17 Championship in Peru, where he played nine matches and scored two goals.
At the Venezuela 2023 U-23 Pre-Olympic Tournament, Mercado played four games and scored one goalso his great desire will be to make the big leap to the absolute selection that competes in the qualifiers for the next World Cup.
The winger has been trained at the Casa de la Selección in Quito. Beccacece will decide the lineup during the training sessions that will take place until Thursday, the day in which the Tri will travel to Brazil.
Beccacece has taken over the leadership of the Ecuadorian national team in the fifth place in the qualifierswith 8 points, thanks to Spaniard Félix Sánchez, who came off the bench after Ecuador was eliminated in the quarter-finals of the Copa América, in the penalty shoot-out against Argentina.
After the match against Brazil, La Tri will return to Quito and host Peru next Tuesday, September 10, at the Rodrigo Paz Delgado stadium. EFE
🙌🇪🇨 John Mercado has his first call-up to the Senior National Team.
🤔 Do you remember this goal of his? pic.twitter.com/PCO80j1bgf
— The Tri 🇪🇨 (@LaTri) August 30, 2024
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