Nicolás Lodeiro

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Lodeiro and the second or maternal family name is Benítez.
Nicolás Lodeiro
Urug tren (3).jpg
Lodeiro with Uruguay in 2015
Personal information
Full name Marcelo Nicolás Lodeiro Benítez
Date of birth (1989-03-21) 21 March 1989 (age 32)
Place of birth Paysandú, Uruguay
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Seattle Sounders
Number 10
Youth career
Barrio Obrero
2003–2007 Nacional
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 Nacional 43 (9)
2010–2012 Ajax 21 (2)
2012–2014 Botafogo 47 (7)
2014–2015 Corinthians 7 (0)
2015–2016 Boca Juniors 30 (6)
2016– Seattle Sounders 130 (33)
National team‡
2008–2009 Uruguay U20 11 (5)
2012 Uruguay Olympic 3 (1)
2009– Uruguay 60 (5)
Honours
Representing  Uruguay
Copa América
Winner 2011 Argentina Team
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 21:44, 30 August 2021 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 25 June 2019

Marcelo Nicolás Lodeiro Benítez (Spanish pronunciation: [nikoˈlaz loˈðejɾo];[α] born 21 March 1989), commonly known as Nicolás Lodeiro, is a Uruguayan footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for MLS club Seattle Sounders and the Uruguay national team.

Lodeiro has played professionally in Uruguay, the Netherlands, Brazil, Argentina, and the United States, winning the Eredivisie in both of his seasons at Ajax, and winning the domestic double in 2015 with Boca Juniors. He also won titles with Nacional and Botafogo, as well as the 2016 and 2019 MLS Cup with Seattle.

A full international since 2009, Lodeiro has earned 60 caps for Uruguay. He has taken part in two FIFA World Cups with the national side, as well as four editions of the Copa América, the 2012 Summer Olympics, and the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, in which Uruguay finished fourth. He was also part of the teams which placed fourth in the 2010 FIFA World Cup and won the 2011 Copa América.

Club career[]

Lodeiro with Ajax in 2011

Early career[]

Lodeiro was born in 1989 in Paysandú, which borders Argentina. It was here that he made his first steps as a footballer in the youth sides of local club Barrio Obrero. It wasn't too long before his talent was recognised by a local scout called Daniel López who nurtured him to play for the youth team at Nacional Montevideo aged only 14 years old.[1]

Nacional[]

Four years later, at the age of 18, Lodeiro made his debut for the Nacional first team against Fénix on 19 August 2007. Later on in the year he also scored his first senior goal and it was clear to see that in Lodeiro, there was a new star in the making.

A year later, Lodeiro continued to make progress, securing more playing time and even scored against River Plate in the Pre-Libertadores playoff. But 2009 was the year that Lodeiro really began to make progress. His three goals and several assists in the Copa Libertadores helped Nacional to reach the semi finals of the tournament. In April 2009 he was named 58th highest scorer in the world by the IFFHS following his performance in the Copa Libertadores[2]

Lodeiro played a vital role for Nacional in the 2008–09 Copa Libertadores, which saw Nacional reach the Semi-finals. From then on, Lodeiro has been considered one of the best youth players in the country.[3]

Ajax[]

In January 2010, Lodeiro signed a contract with AFC Ajax until June 2012 with option of 2 more years.[4] He joined his fellow Uruguayans Bruno Silva and his friend Luis Suárez at Ajax. His first appearance for Ajax was as a substitute in the match against FC Twente on 7 February 2010. He marked his first goal against Go Ahead Eagles with Ajax on 25 March in the KNVB Beker. Because of an injury he sustained during the World Cup he didn't play a single match for Ajax in the 2010/2011 Eredivisie season. He did however make 19 appearances for Ajax the following season, scoring twice in the regular season, and once against Dinamo Zagreb in the Champions League, all while helping Ajax to win their 31st league title.

Botafogo[]

On 20 July 2012 it was announced that Botafogo had signed Lodeiro to a four-year contract, taking the young midfielder over to Rio de Janeiro from AFC Ajax for an undisclosed fee.[5] He was a key part of the squad that won the Campeonato Carioca in 2013 and qualified Botafogo for the 2014 Copa Libertadores after 18 years absent of the tournament. During his time with Botafogo, Lodeiro was part of Uruguay's 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup and 2014 FIFA World Cup squad.

Corinthians[]

On 29 May 2014, Lodeiro signed a four-year deal with Corinthians, for a R$4.5 million fee.[6]

Boca Juniors[]

Lodeiro with Boca Juniors in 2016

In 2015, Lodeiro signed with Argentinian club Boca Juniors. In September 2015, Lodeiro scored against River Plate in the Superclásico.[7] On 4 November 2015, Lodeiro scored a penalty in the 2015 Copa Argentina Final helping Boca defeat Rosario Central 2–0, and secure their domestic double.[8]

Seattle Sounders FC[]

In the summer of 2016, Lodeiro was widely rumored to be moving to the Seattle Sounders of Major League Soccer.[9] Lodeiro began discussing a transfer with Sounders general manager Garth Lagerwey during the Copa America Centenario, using teammate Luis Suarez as a translator.[10] Lodeiro bid farewell to the Boca Juniors fans in late July amid reports that he would join the Sounders pending his physical. He officially signed with the Sounders on 27 July 2016.[11]

He made his club debut on 31 July 2016, starting in the midfield and playing the full 90 minutes of a 1–1 home draw against LA Galaxy.[12] In his first match, Lodeiro recorded 124 total touches, the fourth-highest total of the 2016 season for the Sounders, and 94 passes, the most for Seattle.[13] He scored his first goal for the Sounders on 14 August 2016, at home against Real Salt Lake in the 24th minute of a 2–1 win at Century Link Field.[14]

Lodeiro was also instrumental to the team's MLS Cup run in 2016 under caretaker manager Brian Schmetzer. He scored four goals and provided eight assists in 13 games in the regular season to help Seattle qualify for the playoffs; in the post-season, he scored four more goals in six play-off games as he led the team to the championship. In the MLS Cup Final against Toronto at BMO Field on 10 December, following a 0–0 draw after extra time, Lodeiro notched a penalty kick in the resulting shoot-out to keep the Sounders hopes alive; Justin Morrow then missed Toronto's next spot kick, which allowed Román Torres to win the first MLS Cup for the Sounders after netting his kick. When Lodeiro arrived, the Sounders were at the bottom of the league, but because of his ability to create and make others around him better, the Sounders were able to turn their season around.[15][16] For his performances, he was named the 2016 MLS Newcomer of the Year.[17]

Lodeiro playing for Seattle Sounders in 2017

On 9 December 2017, Lodeiro started in the 2017 MLS Cup Final, which was once again held at BMO Field against Toronto FC; on this occasion, however, Seattle lost 2–0, failing to defend their title.[18]

On 10 November 2019, Lodeiro assisted Víctor Rodríguez's goal in a 3–1 home win over Toronto FC in the MLS Cup Final.[19]

International career[]

Youth[]

During 2009, Lodeiro also progressed on the international scene with good performances for the Uruguay under-20 national team. This included outstanding performances at a South American under-20 tournament in Venezuela where he scored three goals and led Uruguay to third place.[1] He also contributed impressively at the FIFA under-20 tournament in Egypt,[20] scoring two goals in four matches.

Senior[]

His senior international debut for Uruguay came against Costa Rica, in the CONCACAF-CONMEBOL 2010 World Cup Play-Off. He played both legs of the play-off and, in the second leg at home, was named player of the match for Uruguay.[21]

Lodeiro played for Uruguay in the 2010 FIFA World Cup finals and, in Uruguay's opening match against France, was the first player to receive a red card at the tournament.[22]

Lodeiro scored his first international goal on 23 June 2011, in a 3–0 friendly home win over Estonia.[23] He was a member of the Uruguay national team that won the 2011 Copa América in Argentina.[24]

He was part of Uruguay's team at the 2012 Summer Olympics.[25]

Lodeiro took part at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, where Uruguay finished in fourth place.[26] During the tournament, he scored in an 8–0 win over Tahiti on 23 June, in Uruguay's final group match.[27]

Lodeiro was a member of the Uruguay national team that participated in the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.[28] He started two matches and came in as a substitute in a third.

Lodeiro playing for Uruguay in 2014

In May 2015, Lodeiro was included by manager Oscar Tabárez in the final 23-man Uruguay squad for the upcoming Copa América.[29]

Lodeiro was a member of the Uruguay national team that participated in the 2016 Copa América Centenario in the United States. Lodeiro started two matches and came in as a substitute in a third, acquiring one assist in total.

In May 2018, he was named in Uruguay's provisional 26-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia;[30] he missed out on the final 23-man squad for the tournament, however.[31]

In March 2019, Lodeiro was included in the final 23-man Uruguay squad for the 2019 Copa América in Brazil.[32] On 16 June, he scored the first goal in a 4–0 win over Ecuador in the team's opening group match of the tournament;[33] this was Uruguay's 400th goal in the competition.[34] Uruguay were eliminated by Peru in the quarter-finals of the tournament on 29 June, as a result of a 5–4 penalty shoot-out defeat, following a 0–0 draw after regulation time; Lodeiro did not appear during the match, however, and remained on the bench.[35]

Style of play[]

A diminutive, dynamic, talented, and technically gifted midfielder, with a stocky build, Lodeiro was regarded as a promising prospect as a youngster. He is known for his ability to get past defenders due to his speed, close control, and dribbling skills, which earned him comparisons with compatriot Enzo Francescoli in his youth, as well as the nickname "the Uruaguayan Messi."[36][37][38] He also possesses good vision, creativity, and passing ability, which enables him to link-up with other players, create chances for teammates, and be involved in the build-up of his team's attacking plays. A versatile playmaker, Lodeiro likes to function in a free role in the centre of the pitch, and usually plays in the number 10 role as an attacking midfielder; in this position, he is given licence to drop deep and come towards a teammate in order to receive the ball and subsequently dictate play with his passing in midfield. However, he also likes to move wide towards the wings in order to overload flanks, and can often be found operating on either side of the pitch as well as in the middle during the course of the same match; as such, he is also capable of playing in several other positions, and has even been deployed as a winger on occasion, or even as a central midfielder, or also as a second striker.[15][36][37][39][40] Moreover, he is a very energetic player, known for his defensive work-rate off the ball, longevity, tactical intelligence, and ability to mark opponents; his fitness, coupled with his excellent movement across the field enables him to press opposing players, create space by dragging opponents out of position, or make attacking runs from behind into the opposing penalty area.[15][36][37][41][42][43] Lodeiro is naturally left footed, and is known for his powerful and accurate striking ability with his stronger foot, which also enables him to score goals, in addition to creating them;[44][45] however, he is capable of playing off of either foot.[44] Furthermore, he is a dangerous free kick taker, and is also known for his delivery from set pieces.[46][47]

Personal life[]

In February 2018, Lodeiro earned a U.S. green card which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.[48]

Career statistics[]

Club[]

As of match played 2 May 2021[15][49][50]
Appearances and goals by club, season, and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Nacional 2007–08 Uruguayan Primera División 15 0 – 0 0 – 15 0
2008–09 Uruguayan Primera División 20 2 – 10[a] 4 – 30 6
2009–10 Uruguayan Primera División 8 7 – – – 8 7
Total 43 9 – 10 4 – 53 13
Ajax 2009–10 Eredivisie 8 0 2 1 – – 10 1
2010–11 Eredivisie 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0
2011–12 Eredivisie 13 2 1 0 5[b] 1 – 19 3
Total 21 2 3 1 5 1 0 0 29 4
Botafogo 2012 Série A 18 2 0 0 1[c] 1 0 0 19 3
2013 Série A 26 5 8 1 0 0 16[d] 8 50 14
2014 Série A 3 0 0 0 8[a] 0 5[d] 0 16 0
Total 47 7 8 1 9 1 21 8 85 17
Corinthians 2014 Série A 7 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 8 0
Boca Juniors 2015 Argentine Primera División 21 3 5 2 5[a] 1 – 31 6
2016 Argentine Primera División 9 3 0 0 9[a] 2 0 0 18 5
Total 30 6 5 2 14 3 0 0 49 11
Seattle Sounders FC 2016 MLS 13 4 0 0 – 6[e] 4 19 8
2017 MLS 33 7 0 0 – 5[e] 0 38 7
2018 MLS 27 8 0 0 3[f] 2 2[e] 1 32 11
2019 MLS 28 7 0 0 – 4[e] 2 32 9
2020 MLS 20[g] 7 – 0 0 5[h] 1 25 8
2021 MLS 9 0 – – 0 0 9 0
Total 130 33 0 0 3 2 22 8 155 43
Career total 278 57 17 4 41 11 43 16 379 88
  1. ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in Copa Libertadores
  2. ^ One appearance in UEFA Europa League, four appearances and one goal in UEFA Champions League
  3. ^ Appearance(s) in Copa Sudamericana
  4. ^ a b Appearance(s) in Campeonato Carioca
  5. ^ a b c d Appearance(s) in MLS Cup Playoffs
  6. ^ Appearance(s) in CONCACAF Champions League
  7. ^ Includes three appearances and one goal in MLS is Back Tournament group stage.
  8. ^ One appearance in MLS is Back Tournament knockout stage, four appearances and one goal in MLS Cup Playoffs.

International[]

As of 24 June 2019[51]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Uruguay 2009 2 0
2010 5 0
2011 5 1
2012 2 0
2013 10 2
2014 11 0
2015 9 0
2016 7 1
2017 2 0
2018 1 0
2019 6 1
Total 60 5
Scores and results list Uruguay Olympic team goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lodeiro goal.
List of international goals scored by Nicolás Lodeiro
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 26 July 2012 Old Trafford, Manchester, England  United Arab Emirates 2–1 2–1 2012 Olympic Games
Scores and results list Uruguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Lodeiro goal.[52]
List of international goals scored by Nicolás Lodeiro
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 23 June 2011 Estadio Atilio Paiva Olivera, Rivera, Uruguay  Estonia 3–0 3–0 Friendly
2 23 June 2013 Itaipava Arena Pernambuco, Recife, Brazil  Tahiti 5–0 8–0 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup
3 13 November 2013 Amman International Stadium, Amman, Jordan  Jordan 3–0 5–0 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
4 6 October 2016 Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay  Venezuela 1–0 3–0 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification
5 16 June 2019 Estádio Mineirão, Belo Horizonte, Brazil  Ecuador 1–0 4–0 2019 Copa América

Honours[]

Nacional

Ajax

Botafogo

Boca Juniors

Seattle Sounders

Uruguay

Individual

Notes[]

  1. ^ In isolation, Nicolás is pronounced [nikoˈlas].

References[]

  1. ^ a b "South American Under-20 Profile: Player Of The Second Day: Nicolás Lodeiro (Uruguay)". goal.com. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  2. ^ "Nicolás Lodeiro, entre los mejores del mundo". Larepublica.com. 20 April 2009. Retrieved 30 January 2010.
  3. ^ "Lodeiro leading Nacional charge". fifa.com. FIFA. 1 July 2009. Archived from the original on 1 March 2018. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  4. ^ "Ajax contracteert Nicolás Lodeiro" (in Dutch). AFC Ajax. 23 January 2010. Archived from the original on 26 January 2010. Retrieved 7 February 2010.
  5. ^ "Official: Botafogo signs Nicolás Lodeiro from Ajax". Goal.com. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 23 June 2013.
  6. ^ No Uruguai, Lodeiro assina contrato e defenderá Corinthians por quatro anos In Uruguay, Lodeiro signs contract and will defend Corinthians for four years); UOL Esporte, 29 May 2014 (in Portuguese)
  7. ^ "Revancha Monumental: Boca ganó y volvió a ser único líder". cadena3.com (in Spanish). Cadena. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  8. ^ "Match Report". 5 November 2015. Retrieved 5 November 2015.
  9. ^ La12tuittera ⑫ [@La12tuittera] (25 July 2016). "#Lodeiro "Nunca voy a olvidar el cariño de la gente, de jugar en #LaBombonera y que coreen mi nombre" @Doble5TyC" (Tweet) – via Twitter./photo/1
  10. ^ Stejskal, Sam (7 December 2016). "How Luis Suarez helped the Seattle Sounders sign Nicolas Lodeiro". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved 7 September 2019.
  11. ^ "Seattle Sounders sign Uruguayan international Nicolás Lodeiro to multi-year Designated Player deal". soundersfc.com. MLS. 27 July 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  12. ^ "Seattle Sounders 1, LA Galaxy 1 2016 MLS Match Recap". mlssoccer.com. MLS. 31 July 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  13. ^ "Instant Impact: How Nicolas Lodeiro performed in his first MLS start". mlssoccer.com. MLS. 1 August 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  14. ^ "Seattle Sounders 2, Real Salt Lake 1 2016 MLS Match Recap". mlssoccer.com. MLS. 14 August 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  15. ^ a b c d "Nicolás Lodeiro". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  16. ^ "Seattle's triumph, and good riddance to Gerrard: the 2016 MLS season in review". The Guardian. 14 December 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2018.
  17. ^ a b "Sounders midfielder Nicolas Lodeiro named 2016 MLS Newcomer of the Year". MLSSoccer. Retrieved 21 November 2016.
  18. ^ Whalley, Mike (9 December 2017). "MLS Cup final – Toronto defeat Seattle 2–0 - Live". BBC Sport. Archived from the original on 12 December 2017. Retrieved 14 December 2017.
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  22. ^ "Uruguay's Lodeiro gets World Cup's first red card". The Times of India. 12 June 2010. Retrieved 12 June 2010.
  23. ^ "Uruguay goleó a Estonia, a poco del comienzo de la Copa América" [Uruguay routed Estonia, shortly after start of Copa América] (in Spanish). ESPN Deportes. 23 June 2011. Retrieved 22 February 2014.
  24. ^ "Minnows impress as the Copa América gets underway". ESPN. 5 July 2011. Retrieved 24 October 2011.
  25. ^ "Nicolás Lodeiro Bio, Stats, and Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 9 January 2018.
  26. ^ "Buffon stars as Italy win shootout & bronze". FIFA. 30 June 2013. Archived from the original on 9 July 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2013.
  27. ^ Chase, Graham (23 June 2013). "Confederations Cup: Uruguay 8–0 Tahiti". BBC Sport. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  28. ^ Watson, Jack (4 June 2018). "Uruguay World Cup squad guide: Full fixtures, group, ones to watch, odds and more". The Independent. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  29. ^ "Injury keeps Martin Caceres out of Uruguay's Copa America squad". Eurosport. 11 May 2015. Retrieved 12 May 2015.
  30. ^ http://www.goal.com/en-gb/amp/news/revealed-every-world-cup-2018-squad-23-man-preliminary-lists/oa0atsduflsv1nsf6oqk576rb[bare URL]
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  33. ^ "Uruguay 4–0 Ecuador". BBC Sport. 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  34. ^ Rodrigo Huerta (17 June 2019). "Nicolás Lodeiro scores Uruguay's 400th goal in the Copa América". en.as.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  35. ^ "Uruguay 0–0 Peru". BBC Sport. 29 June 2019. Retrieved 30 June 2019.
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  37. ^ a b c Joseph Mondello (29 March 2019). "Nico Lodeiro and the Roaming No. 10". www.soundersfc.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
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  39. ^ Benjamin Baer (23 June 2017). "Baer: Why Nicolas Lodeiro has struggled to replicate his 2016 form". www.mlssoccer.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
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  42. ^ Ari Liljenwall (18 April 2019). "Relentless work rate makes Seattle's Nico Lodeiro special". www.mlssoccer.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  43. ^ Pentz, Matt (31 July 2016). "Sounders left frustrated with 1-1 draw despite optimistic start". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
  44. ^ a b Karina Xicotencatl. "World Cup 2010 Know Your Rivals: Group A - Youth in the national team". Goal.com. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
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  47. ^ "Pereira: You have to know how to use aerial play". FIFA.com. 15 January 2016. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2019.
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  49. ^ "Nicolás Lodeiro". Seattle Sounders FC. Retrieved 30 November 2020.
  50. ^ Nicolás Lodeiro at Soccerway
  51. ^ Nicolás Lodeiro at National-Football-Teams.com
  52. ^ "Lodeiro, Nicolás". National Football Teams. Retrieved 20 February 2018.
  53. ^ "2018 SCCL - Best XI". CONCACAF. Retrieved 26 April 2017.
  54. ^ "2019 MLS All-Star Roster". MLS.com. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  55. ^ "2020 MLS Best XI presented by The Home Depot". MLS.com. 20 November 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2020.

External links[]

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