Marcelo Nicolás Lodeiro Benítez (Spanish pronunciation: [nikoˈlas loˈðeiɾo]; born 21 March 1989), commonly known as Nicolás Lodeiro, is a Uruguayan footballer who currently plays for Botafogo.
Club career
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.[citation needed]
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[1]
Lodeiro played a vital role for Nacional in the 2008/2009 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.[citation needed]
Lodeiro is well known for his ability to glide past players with ease, due to his speed, close control and dribbling ability. He is also a very energetic player and his fitness ensures excellent movement on the pitch. Lodeiro likes to come towards a player in order to receive the ball and subsequently take control of play. However, he also likes to move wide towards the flanks and can often be found on both sides of the pitch and operating in the middle during the course of the same game. Lodeiro is two footed but has a particularly lethal left foot shot and is dangerous from free kicks.[citation needed]
Ajax
In January 2010, Lodeiro signed a contract with AFC Ajax until June 2012 with option of 2 more years.[2] 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 Ajaxfor an undisclosed fee.[3]
International career
Under-20
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.[citation needed] He also contributed impressively at the FIFA under-20 tournament in Egypt,[4] 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.[5]
2010 FIFA World Cup
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.[6]
2011 Copa América
Lodeiro was a member of the Uruguay national team that won the 2011 Copa América in Argentina.[7]
International goals
Olympic team
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 26 July 2012 | Old Trafford, Manchester, England |  United Arab Emirates | 2–1 | 2–1 (W) | 2012 Olympics Games |
Senior team
| Goal | 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 | 0-3 | 0-5 | 2014 World Cup qualification |
Career statistics
As of 2 March 2012.[8]
| Club performance | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Uruguay | League | Cup | South America | – | Total | |||||||
| 2007–08 | Nacional | Primera División | 8 | 0 | - | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 0 |
| 2008–09 | 25 | 4 | - | - | 10 | 4 | - | - | 35 | 8 | ||
| 2009–10 | 8 | 7 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 8 | 7 | ||
| Netherlands | League | KNVB Cup | Europe | Other | Total | |||||||
| 2009–10 | Ajax | Eredivisie | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | - | - | 10 | 1 |
| 2010–11 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | ||
| 2011–12 | 13 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 1 | - | - | 19 | 3 | ||
| Brazil | League | Copa do Brasil | South America | State League | Total | |||||||
| 2012 | Botafogo | Brasileirão | 18 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 3 |
| 2013 | 21 | 4 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 8 | 43 | 13 | ||
| Total | Uruguay | 41 | 11 | - | - | 12 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 53 | 15 | |
| Netherlands | 21 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 29 | 4 | ||
| Brazil | 39 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 16 | 8 | 62 | 16 | ||
| Career total | 101 | 19 | 9 | 2 | 17 | 6 | 16 | 8 | 144 | 35 | ||
National team
| Uruguay national team | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals |
| 2009 | 2 | 0 |
| 2010 | 5 | 0 |
| 2011 | 5 | 1 |
| 2012 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | 5 | 1 |
| Total | 20 | 2 |
Honours
Club
- Nacional
- Primera División (1): 2008–09
- Torneo Apertura (2): 2008, 2009
- Liguilla (1): 2008
- Ajax
- Eredivisie (2): 2010–11, 2011–12
- KNVB Cup (1): 2009–10
- Botafogo
- Campeonato Carioca (1): 2013
International
- 2011 Copa América: Winner
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marcelo Nicolás Lodeiro Benítez | ||
| Date of birth | 21 March 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Paysandú, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Playing position | Attacking Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Botafogo | ||
| Number | 14 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Barrio Obrero | |||
| 2003–2007 | Nacional | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2007–2010 | Nacional | 41 | (11) |
| 2010–2012 | Ajax | 20 | (2) |
| 2012– | Botafogo | 21 | (4) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008–2009 | Uruguay U20 | 11 | (5) |
| 2009– | Uruguay | 24 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 2 October 2012 (UTC).
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 20:20, 13 november 2013 (UTC) | |||
