Jeremy Sarmiento
Jeremy Sarmiento has been told to play with freedom for his country.
Ecuador boss Gustavo Alfaro said: “Jeremy made a good impression on me. We had a chat (the day before the game) and he told me he was very happy and enjoying his time with Ecuador. I asked him to feel a sense of freedom and I asked him, at the age of 19, to never lose his generosity, his capacity to run, his humility.”
Alfaro said he had no doubts over giving Sarmiento his full debut. Despite widespread praise, Sarmiento’s selection was questioned by well known TV journalist Arturo Magallanes. The Albion attacking midfielder was largely praised by observers – with one headline-making exception – as he made his first start for Ecuador. He played 76 minutes and was a bright spot of a somewhat laboured 1-0 win over bottom side Venezuela in the South American qualifying group for the World Cup. The three points keep Ecuador on course to reach Qatar. Albion midfielder Moises Caicedo, currently on loan at Beerschot, was also in the starting XI.
