Ureña, Saravia, Rivera, Bolívar and Valera: how the new faces of the ‘U’ played in Chile

A play at the last minute changed the result, but that doesn’t change what matters most: seeing the performance of the Universitario players. The creams fell 1-0 against Curicó Unido on Friday night in Chile and that’s how we saw their reinforcements, with Alex Valera included.

Marco Saravia – Solid back

The former Muni’s ownership in the two games is a message of confidence: at the start of 2023, Marco Saravia is the starter for Carlos Compagnucci. Strong at the top and with practical manners to reject, the new U back completed his second match as a starter and sets a trend: today he is one step above Piero Guzmán. Against Curicó he was solid and hardly had any trouble, although some setbacks last night showed that he could suffer against a fast attacker such as Gabi Costa. Those who have seen him train say that nothing is saved and perhaps there is the plus to balance. Approving grade.

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Rodrigo Urena – Aggressiveness

Historically, the U game is represented by a 6. Plácido Galindo, Luis Cruzado, Puma Carranza. Every time a brand-name midfielder lands in Lima, he evokes them, a little out of nostalgia, the same for health: from him the U understands his idea of ​​sacrifice, his way of winning and not giving up a ball for lost. The Chilean Rodrigo Ureña made his debut against Curicó, played more than 25 minutes and three things were noted about why they signed him. 1) his physical presence, positioned meters above the central defenders. 2) his leadership, translated into a voice to order and an intention to play fast and cut. 3) his aggressiveness to recover a ball, which on Friday night, resulted in a scythe that cost him the yellow card. He still seems to be lacking in football, but he has not arrived to be a substitute.

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Jose Rivera – athletic

He measures 1.72m. It weighs 70 kilos. She just turned 25 years old. Last year he played 34 games and scored 7 goals, playing for Mannucci. But in addition, there is a detail that the scouting team of the U detected in José Rivera as a possibility of signing: his excellent physical condition. On Friday he played his second game with the U, let’s say, as an outside attacker, freed to choose a path and again met a passing grade. He played for more than 18 minutes and generated two attacking actions, one made from a free kick and another that Valera missed. It reminds me a lot, a lot, of Miguel Angel Torres: if he does half of his degree at the U, he’s done.

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Jose Bolivar – safe

Surprise on the left wing and another name followed by Compagnucci and the club’s scouting team. In the country that produces one left winger per decade -Vargas in the 2000s, Trauco ten years later, López today- Bolívar is good news. He projects little but is sure to close the band and avoid unnecessary risks. He has great training as a left-back, back at San Martín. And although Curicó’s goal began behind his back -concentration to work-, he approved in his first game as a starter in the U. He is 22 years old and has a ceiling. Cabanillas has competition.

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Alex Valera – powerful

The latest signing but possibly the most valuable: not only is the striker with 25 goals in 49 games hired, but also a 9 that integrates, whose biography is exemplary for the other boys, and hungry for revenge. Valera had his relaunch at U 2023, physically impeccable, the same movements as Lone Ranger and the power to search for the goal intact. In this U that he has recovered his height -his average has grown to 1.77cm-, and has a new development -via Calcaterra, Polo and Urruti-, he has a negative balance: in two games he has not scored goals. Valera, the Fano of these times, has the mission of making them. He and Herrera, two tanks that the U had not had since the days of Piero Alva and Edu Esidio. Could they play together?

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