Independiente del Valle and Delfín are now 180 minutes from the Copa Ecuador final after both got through the quarterfinals and set up a semifinal series that will put one of them within reach of the title match. Independiente del Valle beat Gualaceo 2-0, while Delfín beat Liga de Portoviejo 2-0.
The draw of that pairing is immediate because it comes as the semifinal picture is now complete: Independiente del Valle, Delfín, Universidad Católica and Liga de Quito are the four teams left standing. For readers following the tournament today, the next step is clear even if the exact dates are not laid out: the semifinal will be played over two legs, and the winner of this tie will move one step closer to the final de 2025 is now trying to define the closing stretch of the Copa Ecuador.
Independiente del Valle arrives with the label of favorite, and for good reason. The team has had an ideal season, built on ball circulation, rational occupation of space and a scoring touch that has carried it through difficult matches. That profile makes it a difficult opponent for Delfín, which must find a way to stay in the tie without trying to match that possession for possession.
That is where the matchup becomes more than a simple hierarchy of squads. Delfín can do damage by tightening the space between its lines and forcing Independiente del Valle to attack from wider areas, where the game can become more uncomfortable. If it recovers the ball and goes forward before Independiente del Valle can reorganize, it can trouble the defense. If it only clears and keeps giving the ball back, the physical wear will start to build, and that is a risk no side wants over two legs.
Scoring first at home would matter for Delfín. For Independiente del Valle, the priority is different: leave Manta with the tie under control before the return leg at home. That is the basic calculation in a semifinal that will not be decided only by hierarchy, especially at this stage of a competition that is now entering its decisive phase.
The other side of the bracket gives the semifinals a wider frame. Liga de Quito is there after beating Aucas 1-0, and Universidad Católica advanced by defeating Astillero FC 1-0. Universidad Católica is the defending champion after winning the 2025 final 3-2 and lifting the trophy, while Liga has also moved through a season marked by ups and downs and recent LigaPro problems in defense, build-up and finishing. On Thursday, Universidad Católica will face a rival with greater individual resources and more experience in this type of stage, which only sharpens the stakes around the rest of the tournament.
For Djorkaeff Reasco, one of the names attached to the LigaPro 2026 matches photo caption alongside Jefferson Arce, Mauricio Alonso and Deyverson, the semifinal picture is now part of a tournament that has entered its hardest stretch. The next answer fans are waiting for is not who is favored, but whether Delfín can turn compact defending and quick transitions into a tie that still feels alive by the time Independiente del Valle gets home.
