With the match 0-0 and with almost no professional players already on the bench, a change from Sevilla surprised Mendizorroza in the last minutes: in the 79th minute Luismi Cruz replaced Lucas Ocampos, that he was being incisive in attack and had created the few Nervionenses chances. But Luismi grabbed the ball several times with confidence and moved freely between the lines. In fact, he combined with Koundé in the play that could give the red and whites a 0-1 win in Vitoria.
“We wanted Luismi to come into play more. We were going to move to a defense of three, but Acuña’s injury prevented us from doing so”, revealed Lopetegui after the game, granting the youth squad some importance in those last minutes of the match. Born in El Puerto de Santa María, 20 years old, Luismi had already made his debut in the League against Celta, on matchday 22, and also played 45 minutes in the Cup against Andratx. In this duel he scored in the shootout one of the penalties that earned Sevilla to go through the round.
Formed from a very young age in the Sevilla youth academy with Bryan Gil, With whom he shares fifth, Luismi debuted in 2018 with Sevilla Atlético, but a crusader break in 2019 kept him off the pitch for almost a year. He returned in February 2020 and the pandemic stopped his readaptation. He was just a break in the development of a player who has since has not stopped attracting the attention of many scouts again and that he has a contract in Nervión until 2025.
La Liga Santander
*Data updated as of March 5, 2022
Lopetegui has pulled this left-footed midfielder in his last 10 league calls and the last three in Europe. Given the barrage of casualties that he continues to suffer, it is almost certain that he will also be among the squad for next Thursday, in the first leg of the Europa League round of 16 against West Ham. Of petite build (1.66), the ability to drive the ball and the vision in the last pass of Luismi cause that the comparison inevitably arises with Papu Gómez, that footballer who illuminated Sevilla until he was injured in the first part of the derby and who will be out for a few more weeks, at least.
In First RFEF, Luismi has scored three goals this year and given two assists. So Sevilla, who once again showed a gray version, almost flat in Mendizorroza, can be entrusted at any other time to the youth squad, who seems eager to knock down the door and to which Asteasu’s trainer begins to give some importance even to change the direction of the parties. And in Nervión, at least in the section of soccer players who join the cause, they need good news during this season finale.