Certified Scorer
We already talked about Michael Estrada as Ecuador’s top player for the 2022 World Cup. Now it’s time to talk about Leonardo Campana, a young striker who we believe will give a lot to talk about on soccer’s grandest stage.
Curiously enough, both play in MLS. If Estrada is having a good season, on a personal level because D.C. United basically stinks, Campana is having a great season. The thing is that he’s only 22 years old, so he still has a lot to prove. However, he’s already being called El Angel del Gol.
Ecuador isn’t the betting online favorite to finish as runners-up in Group A, but things could drastically change if Estrada and Campana keep up the good work.
Club Career
Leonardo Campana, son of former tennis player Pablo Campana, began his professional career at Barcelona SC. He played for the Ecuadorian club from 2016-20, scoring his first goal in 2019. He ended up appearing in 16 games and scoring three goals, but that was more than enough to attract the attention of European clubs.
In the end, Wolverhampton, a team from the English Premier League, managed to acquire him in a 3 1/2-year deal. He still belongs to the Wolves but hasn’t played a single minute.
Three seasons ago, he started circling the world while playing on a loan. First, he made a stop in Portugal to play for Famalicao. He scored two goals in nine Primeira Liga matches. Later, he moved to Switzerland to play for Grasshopper. He ended up scoring three goals in 10 Swiss Super League games.
Now, he plays for Inter Miami CF. In 20 games, he already scored more goals than the previous two seasons combined. In fact, at the time of writing, he’s atop the Herons’ scoring chart with eight goals. We’re talking about a team that also has players like Gonzalo Higuain and Alejandro Pozuelo. Among other recognitions, he was named to the starting eleven of the MLS Team of the Week for Week 8 of the 2022 regular season.
His good performances have made Real Zaragoza and Wolverhampton ask for him. So … if you enjoy seeing him in MLS, try not to miss any game, because I don’t think that will last long.
With La Tricolor
In 2019, Campana finished as the South American U-20 Championship top scorer with six goals. Ecuador ended up winning the title with a 3-1-1 record in the Final Stage. That also had a lot to do with Wolverhampton signing him.
Later, he contributed for Ecuador to finishing third in the 2019 FIFA U-20 World Cup. They lost to South Korea in the Semifinals. Then, they defeated Italy to get to the podium.
He was called to the senior team for the first time in March 2019. Overall, he has played 10 games, including four in the 2021 Copa America, and is still looking to score his first goal. He also contributed for Ecuador to return to the WC as they didn’t qualify for the 2018 edition. They finished fourth on the road to Qatar.
Ecuador in the 2022 World Cup
As mentioned before, Ecuador’s in Group A. La Tricolor will face Qatar, Netherlands and Senegal. The European side dominates the soccer lines to win it at -250, while the South Americans are offering a +600 price. When it comes to winning the title, Ecuador’s +15000.
This will be Ecuador’s fourth WC. Their best result was in 2006 when they advanced to the Round of 16, in which they lost 1-0 to England.
