A Chat with Yúber Mosquera: "When you play in a team with few fans, your commitment to them is even greater "
Yúber Mosquera candidly reflects on life on the pitch, football in the midst of a pandemic, and footballers' humanity in a one-on-one conversation with Plantain FC.
By: Diego Gomezjurado
A mere 24 hours after replying to an interview request, Yúber Mosquera enters the Zoom meeting for a one-on-one chat with Rounduppro. His confident and courteous personality is evident from the first minute of the conversation as he makes the interview seem more like a chat between friends than an interview with an inexperienced aspiring football writer.
Yúber openly talks to Plantain FC about his arrival in Ecuador, his relationship with Santiago Escobar, his tactical knowledge on the pitch, Universidad Católica, referees and also provides some level-headed comments on a footballer’s life outside the pitch to remind us that behind the automated image that fans project on a footballer, there is a human being with flaws, strengths, and their own way of thinking.
Next Stop: Universidad Católica
After a successful nine-seasons in Venezuela, where he is still fondly remembered by Deportivo Táchira fans after winning two national titles with the team for San Cristobal, Yúber arrived at Universidad Católica for the start of the 2018 season.
“In December 2017, I got a call from Santiago Escobar, who asked me to be a part of his new project at Universidad Católica. I knew how Santiago worked and I decided that it was the right time for me to move on from Táchira and onto a new challenge.”
And after four seasons at the club, which have seen him form a solid partnership alongside Guillermo de los Santos, Yúber has become an ever-present name in the Liga Pro.
“When I signed, I had no idea I would stay as long as I have,” Yúber confesses as he softly smiles, and his head slightly tilts forwards—perhaps reminiscing on the last four years. “It has been four years where I have grown as a person and where my football career has been enriched by [Quito], the league, my teammates, and the club who has looked after me and given me everything I need.”
This mindset about the club is one that is commonly shared by players who always commend the institution for its commitment to players, particularly foreign signings who seem to find stability and a home in the small team from Quito.
“I have tried to give back to the club by always giving 100% of my effort,” Mosquera humbly explains. This effort has not gone unrewarded, as Universidad Católica have become one of the most attractive teams to watch during his time at the club, and ended a 40-year Copa Libertadores qualification drought.
Playing for a Small Club
The minnows from the City of Quito, which take their name from the traditional Jesuit University located in the city, are a team that is well known in Ecuadorian football for their reduced number of fans. Yúber has a different approach to this, as he states, “When you play in a team with few fans, your commitment to them is greater.” He then adds, “When you play in a team with few fans, you can see where the praise comes from and can also hear who is demanding more from you, which really adds to your commitment to the team. Although many people claim that there’s few of us, our commitment to the club more than makes up for the lack in numbers.”
While Universidad Católica’s fan base has not seen much growth over the last years, Yúber is confident that this will change. “I’m sure that in the future, little-by-little, if the team keeps on playing well, there will be many more people who will support the club.”
The Growth of Liga Pro Serie A
Our conversation then shifts towards the Liga Pro, where Universidad Católica has been one of the teams that has prioritized attractive football in a constantly improving league. With the resurgence of Barcelona, the continued presence of Liga de Quito and Emelec, and the unthinkable appearance of Independiente del Valle, the Liga Pro Serie A has experienced constant growth over the last 3 years.
Mosquera has been at the front-line of this growth. “It’s a league that has grown every year. Teams are no longer content with participating; they want to compete. Clubs know that if they have a good season, they will be challenging for an international competition berth, this has increased the level of play. Nowadays you must fully concentrate, a single mistake might mean losing a match,” he expertly remarks before adding, “This can be seen by how the Ecuadorian national team is doing with a strong foundation of players who are or were part of the Liga Pro. And this is testament to the hard institutional work done by clubs and the league.”
Listening to Yúber speak highly about the Liga Pro, it is inevitable to think about the elephant in the room over the last few weeks: referees’ performance. As I ask about referees, Yúber replies candidly: “Referees are not performing as well as we would like, but it’s important for us to understand that they are human and they are making mistakes for both teams. This is not something targeted, it is simply them going through a rough patch.”
As my mind goes back to the images of referees running up to players and violently flailing around yellow cards or showcasing what I, as a fan, consider to be aggressive attitudes towards the players, I ask Yúber how he feels about the referees’ attitude. His face softens even more as he answers, “On the pitch, there’s 22 players and only one referee. On the pitch, we protest quite vehemently as well, and refs must be strong and resilient. In our club, we have decided to not focus on the referees now, as this has cost us our concentration at points during the season. Now we will protest when required but not let that derail our focus and mentality.”
Yúber Mosquera Tactical Masterclass
Inevitably, our conversation then shifts to a more tactical area, more specifically, Yúber’s role in Sachy Escobar’s Universidad Católica. What ensues is a masterclass, where Yúber comprehensively dissects how the team plays and his role within the system.
Yúber begins by stating: “Santiago [Escobar] is a manager who is capable of showing many sides. He can be close to us as players but is not reluctant when he has to show his side as a disciplinarian. As players, we have to understand his system and he is not afraid to start another player if you are not at your best.”
It is perhaps this duality that has turned the Colombian manager, who is currently undergoing medical treatment in Colombia for a cancer diagnosis, into one of the most respected managers in Ecuadorian football. Over the last four seasons he has turned this Universidad Católica side into one of the most attacking-minded sides of the tournament.
“At Universidad Católica you have to be able to be comfortable with the ball. Whether you are a center-back, a number 8 or a striker, the team requires players who can control the ball in the build-up play and have the passing range necessary for our transitions from defense to attack,” Yúber adds while explaining the basic foundations of Universidad Católica’s playing style.
Upon setting these foundations he begins to add on even more tactical elements. “We rely heavily on our attack through our wings. Our full-backs and attacking wide-men are fast, talented players that like to burst into attack and occupy positions in the opposition’s half.”
This has been very successful for Universidad Católica who have managed to convert most of their goals from this style of play. This season, they have not been at their best, particularly at their home matches. When I ask Yúber about this, he does not shy away and calmly responds, “With time, teams have become more aware of how we play and that is why many teams now set a low-block to prevent us from being comfortable with our game plan. They defend their wings and pounce on any mistake we have to punish us in the counter-attack.”
When I ask him if playing with attacking full-backs and having to defend possible counterattacks in numerical disadvantage is a style of play that he enjoys, he once again answers in a way which denotes his understanding of football. “Guillermo [De los Santos] and I like playing this way, when we have our lines pushed up, it allows our team to recover the ball in favorable locations on the pitch, which means that the distance that we have to cover is less. Our defending in transition has not really been the problem this season, our loss of concentration has been the main issue.”
The stats back up the Colombian’s claims. Universidad Católica only conceded 2 goals this season when the center backs have been in a numerical disadvantage, while the bulk of their goals conceded have come from lapses in concentration.
Such an authoritative explanation on how a team works at the tactical level just needs the final piece of the puzzle, the role that Mosquera has in the club. I ask Mosquera what his style of play and his biggest strength is. He replies instantly without missing a beat, “My style of play is adapting to what the manager wants. In Católica’s case it is prioritizing ball control and always looking to pass to the open man, meanwhile my biggest strength is my competitiveness. I’m competitive and this drives me to try to win all my defensive duels, all my aerial duels, and overall excel in my game.”
To finalize he adds, “At Universidad Católica we are a team that is constantly looking to be part of international competitions and our main goal is to perhaps someday lift a trophy for the club.”
Humanity Amid a Corporate-Driven Sport
Throughout our conversation, Yúber‘s warmth and friendly demeanor served as constant reminder that the image that I, as a fan and consumer of the sport, project on players completely renders them invisible as humans. So, our conversation steers away from tactics and more into the life of Yúber within a corporate-driven sport.
Last year has seen a horrible deadly pandemic change the way we have done things for the last century, even causing football to stop initially, only to be brought back under different situations. I ask Yúber how he feels about being a footballer and constantly being exposed to contracting COVID-19.
“It’s always in the back of our mind. I live with my wife and two children, and I’m basically the person that leaves the house. It worries me, knowing that I could bring the virus back and infect my family. We don’t know how each person will react, whether we will get a mild infection or a severe one. Many people have seen close friends and family pass away, and this is present every time we leave the house, hoping that God will protect us and we can return home healthy and safe. We are learning to co-exist with this situation,” Yúber confesses before adding, “We will keep on playing and entertaining people, being as responsible as possible, learning to take care of people around us, whether they are part of our family or not.”
His diplomatic response shows that he has been around the game for quite a while. At 36 years old, Yúber still has the drive and determination to keep on playing, and most importantly, enjoying his career. He does not keep his experience to himself as he tells us how he interacts with youth prospects in the dressing room.
“During our training sessions we work together with youth players. I have had the opportunity to share a room with Rockson Rentería during our travels, and I constantly tell him that, even though he is a player who has height, physicality, and skill, on those things alone he will not succeed. He needs to work hard to become the player that he has the ability to become,” Yúber explains with confidence.
His advice is one that players should follow. After all, he has played constantly over the last 4 years with very few injuries and at a very strong level. At 36, it is inevitable to start wondering about your future and I ask Yúber where he would like to end his career.
“If it is at Universidad Católica, I would be happy to. It is a club that has opened its doors to me and taken care of me and supported me during my highs and my lows. If I can end my career at this wonderful club, it would be great. I haven’t really set my sight on a club to go back to.”
The empathy, candid nature, and openness that Yúber has shown throughout our conversation encourages me to get a first-hand account on the topic of racism in football. I ask him about this and whether Universidad Católica as a team have a plan on what to do in case one of their players is subject to racist abuse on the pitch.
“Racism is a problem that comes from society, not specifically from football. Racism has been a part of our culture,” Yúber states, taking his time to select his words carefully. “I haven’t had a problem with racism in football, perhaps because I am more thick-skinned. If somebody shouts racist abuse at me, I have grown to simply let it go in one ear and out the other.” He then complements this, “But there are people more sensitive than me, and who react differently than me. If that is the case at Universidad Católica, I, along with the whole group, are prepared to support them fully. If we have to leave the pitch to support him, we will not hesitate in doing it.”
Having discussed football, tactics, and social aspects surrounding football and players, one understands why Universidad Católica holds Yúber Mosquera in such a high-regard. His football brain, his empathetic personality, and his constant desire to compete make him an asset that any team would be lucky to have in their dressing room.
It is evident that Yúber is one of those special players that enrich Ecuadorian football both on and off the pitch. The Liga Pro would highly benefit from having him involved, either as a player or in a different capacity in the long term.