Serie A de Ecuador: Date 15 and Season Roundup

The second phase of the Serie A de Ecuador has concluded, with Liga de Quito emerging as the winner after Date 15. They will now face Independiente del Valle, the winner of the first phase, in a two-legged final to determine the 2024 Ecuadorian football champion.

Liga de Quito took full advantage of their position and crushed Cuenca 5-0 to secure the phase title, finishing five points ahead of Independiente del Valle, who drew 0-0 with Orense. The finals will take place on December 7 and 14.

This weekend also determined the teams qualifying for international tournaments and those relegated. The winners of each phase will qualify directly for the Copa Libertadores. Barcelona will enter the second qualifying round as the highest-ranked team in the overall standings that did not win a phase. El Nacional, who recently claimed their first Copa Ecuador title in nearly 20 years, will participate in the first qualifying round of the Libertadores.

As for the Copa Sudamericana, Universidad Católica, Aucas, Mushuc Runa, and Orense have secured their spots. There were no changes this weekend, as Técnico Universitario, the only team with a chance to qualify, lost to El Nacional (2-1).

The relegated teams are Imbabura and Cumbayá. Libertad, which was tied on points with the other two teams, managed to secure a win this weekend, avoiding relegation. They will be replaced by Cuniburo, the Serie B champions, and Manta.

Matchday 15 Results

Serie A de Ecuador: Date 15 – Macará 1-2 Universidad Católica

Universidad Católica had an excellent season finale, securing a 2-1 away victory against Macará, one of the newly promoted teams that also achieved its main goal of avoiding relegation.

The university team, which would have qualified for the Libertadores if not for El Nacional’s Copa Ecuador title, scored through Gregori Anangonó at the end of the first half and Byron Palacios at the beginning of the second part. Macará managed to reduce the deficit near the hour mark with a goal by Víctor Ávila.

Universidad Católica finished as the third-best team in the second phase, earning 26 points with eight wins, two draws, and five losses.

Serie A de Ecuador: Date 15 – LDU 5-0 Deportivo Cuenca

Liga de Quito showed no mercy to Deportivo Cuenca, securing the second phase and the chance to play in the final with a resounding 5-0 victory.

From the first half, the university fans began celebrating the win and the phase title, as their team ended the first 45 with a dominant 4-0 lead. Gabriel Villamil scored just three minutes in, Bryan Ramírez added another at the 8-minute mark, and Alex Arce, the championship’s top scorer with 26 goals—12 in this stage—netted a brace.

Late in the game, Villamil struck again to seal the final scoreline, sending Liga into the grand final against IDV with even more confidence. For Deportivo Cuenca, it was a disappointing campaign, earning only 29 points in the cumulative standings and narrowly avoiding relegation.

Serie A de Ecuador: Date 15 – Orense 0-0 Independiente del Valle

Independiente del Valle entered this match with a chance to win the second stage and secure the Ecuadorian football championship, but they needed to win and hope LDU lost. Neither happened, resulting in a 0-0 draw against Orense.

Javier Gandolfi’s team dominated the game with 66% possession and 18 shots, seven of which were on target. However, they couldn’t break through the defense led by goalkeeper Rolando Silva, the standout performer of the day.

Independiente finished second in this stage, but as the winners of the first phase, they will play in the grand final to compete for the title in December. Meanwhile, Orense clinched the last spot in the Copa Sudamericana, finishing two points ahead of Técnico Universitario.

Serie A de Ecuador: Date 15 – Barcelona 2-2 Mushuc Runa

Barcelona bid farewell to its fans in 2024 with a 2-2 draw against Mushuc Runa and is now gearing up for 2025, where it will compete in the Copa Libertadores.

The Ídolo del Astillero aimed to end the season with a victory and led the scoreboard twice, but the visitors spoiled the celebration with equalizers on both occasions. Octavio Rivera opened the scoring, but Matías Acuña quickly leveled the match. In the second half, Janner Corozo scored again for Barcelona, but Arnaldo Zambrano secured the draw in the 90th minute.

Segundo Castillo’s team finished third in the year’s aggregate standings, earning a spot in the Copa Libertadores, while Ever Almeida’s side will compete in the Copa Sudamericana.