November 12 will be remembered as one of the bleakest days in the beautiful game. In a tragic turn of events, Marco Angulo, an FC Cincinnati player, passed away at the young age of 22. His death has left an irreplaceable void, as the soccer world mourns this devastating loss. But what were the unfortunate circumstances that led to Angulo’s farewell at such a young age, despite his promising future?

Well, the incident apparently dates back to October 7. Angulo was in Ecuador’s capital of Quito. While driving on the Rumiñahui highway which is situated in the southeast of Quito, his car met with a fatal crash at around 4:30 AM in the morning. As per various sources, it had reportedly collided with a 50-ton metal structure after failing to heed road signs, with the force of the crash shifting the structure by five meters.

The FC Cincinnati star was driving a Ford Explorer that was registered under her sister’s name. That means Angulo was not alone in the crash; three others also lost their lives who accompanied the midfielder, including Independiente Juniors star Roberto Cabezas Simisterra and Víctor Charcopa Nazareno, cousin of Cuniburo Fútbol Club player Diogo Nazareno.

After the tragic crash, everyone was rushed to the nearest hospital where the health officials did the necessary. Notably, Angulo had undergone a “decompressive craniectomy” to remove 300 cubic centimeters of blood, relieving pressure on his brain caused by the traumatic injuries. Other injuries included a lung contusion, which required a chest tube for treatment, though no active bleeding was detected.

He had been under treatment in the hospital since October 7 with his close ones, family members and fans were praying for a speedy recovery and regain of consciousness. However, the inevitable happened as 35 days after the accident, on November 11, Angulo couldn’t survive all the injuries he sustained and was announced dead by the doctors.

Marco Angulo had a bright future ahead of him, which he, unfortunately, could not live to see

The 2002-born defensive midfielder kick-started his career at the U20 side of the Independiente del Valle in 2019, a renowned club in the Ecuadorian division. Gradually rising through the ranks of the club, he was promoted to the senior level in 2022. Having played over 45 games in a season, Marco Angulo notched 3 goals and 4 assists.

That’s not all as he also won many silverware, including the Copa Sudamericana, Recopa Sudamericana, Ecuadorian champion, Campeón Copa Ecuador, and Campeón Supercopa Ecuador. Meanwhile, the U20 Copa Libertadores trophy was won by Angulo during his academy days.

A year after impressing at Independiente del Valle, the youngster was called up by FC Cincinnati to live the American dream. There, he managed to play 33 games across all competitions and made 2 goal contributions. That’s not all as Angulo even lifted the 2022/23 Supporters’ Shield with Cincinnati.

It was earlier this year, he made a loan move to his home country, signing for LDU Quito. Since the start of the season, he had made 20 appearances. Meanwhile, on the international front, after playing for the U17 and U20, he made his official senior debut on Nov 12, 2022, under Ecuador’s former manager Gustavo Alfaro, managing to get 2 appearances.

Unfortunately, Marco Angulo is no more as he left the soccer world too early. May he rest in peace.