Gonzalo Plata demoted to second team of Sporting Lisbon
Ecuadorian youngster Gonzalo Plata has been relegated to the second team of Sporting Lisbon, according to reports from Portuguese outlet A Bola. The 20-year-old winger has not seen any playing time in the last two matches for the club.
"According to our newspaper, the most recent victim of this demanding attitude from Rúben Amorim goes by the name of Gonzalo Plata, who has been demoted to the second team of the Lions, led by Filipe Celikkaya, since the beginning of the week," stated the Lisbon-based sports newspaper.
Plata, in his second international season with Sporting, has seen a considerable decrease in the number of matches played. In his first season, combining domestic league and international tournaments, he played 1,201 minutes in 23 matches (12 as a starter) according to the Sporting Lisbon website. Additionally, he contributed with two goals and two assists.
Meanwhile, in the current season, for the domestic league, he has played 150 minutes in six matches (one as a starter) and has one assist. His participation in the international arena has also been limited. In the Europa League qualifying round, he came off the bench to play two minutes against Scotland's Aberdeen FC.
In the Portuguese League Cup, Plata was called up by his coach for the quarterfinals against Mafra, where he played the entire match, and in the semifinals, he played five minutes against Porto. Sporting Lisbon emerged victorious in the final, defeating Sporting Braga 1-0, with the Ecuadorian winger on the bench.
The report from Portugal indicates that the situation of the Ecuadorian winger, in the second team of Sporting Lisbon, could be reversed in the coming days. (D)