Leonardo Ulloa
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | José Leonardo Ulloa | ||
| Date of birth | 26 July 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | General Roca, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Brighton & Hove Albion | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2002–2004 | C.A.I. | 7 | (1) |
| 2005–2007 | San Lorenzo | 32 | (3) |
| 2007 | Arsenal Sarandí | 12 | (3) |
| 2008 | Olimpo | 14 | (3) |
| 2008–2010 | Castellón | 78 | (30) |
| 2010–2013 | Almería | 90 | (39) |
| 2013– | Brighton & Hove Albion | 32 | (15) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 09:05, 31 January 2014 (UTC). † Appearances (Goals). | |||
José Leonardo Ulloa (born 26 July 1986) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Brighton & Hove Albion in England as a striker.
Football career
Early years / Castellón
Born in General Roca, Río Negro, Ulloa started his career in 2002, playing with Argentine second division side Comisión de Actividades Infantiles Comodoro Rivadavia. In 2005 he moved to the top level, signing for San Lorenzo de Almagro where he was part of the squad that won the Clausura 2007.
Shortly after, Ulloa joined Arsenal de Sarandí. In the summer of 2008, after a brief stint with Olimpo de Bahía Blanca, he moved to Spain to play for second division's CD Castellón, being reunited with former C.A.I. teammate – and countryman – José Carlos Tabares. He scored 16 goals in his debut season, his team's best and sixth in the league.
Almería
Ulloa posted similar numbers in 2009–10, but Castellón was relegated after ranking 22nd and last. In late June 2010 he moved to another club in the country, UD Almería, sigining a five-year contract with the La Liga outfit.[1]
On 13 September, in only his second official game for the Andalusians, Ulloa scored in the last minute for a 2–2 home draw against Real Sociedad, after an individual effort. The following month, against the same opponent in the Spanish Cup's round-of-32 first leg, he netted twice in the last 20 minutes to help his team come back from 0–2 to win it 3–2, in the Basque Country.
On 22 December 2010, again in the domestic cup, Ulloa scored three goals and assisted on another, as Almería downed RCD Mallorca 4–3 in the first leg,[2] winning 8–6 on aggregate. On 16 January 2011 he took his league tally to five, netting in a 1–1 home draw against Real Madrid, after finishing a move from countryman Pablo Piatti.[3]
Brighton & Hove Albion
Ulloa was crowned the 2011–12 season's top scorer,[4] but Almería failed to regain its top level status after ranking seventh. On 16 January 2013 he transferred to Football League Championship side Brighton & Hove Albion on a four-and-a-half-year deal, for an undisclosed fee.[5] He scored on his debut for his new club ten days later, in a 3–2 home loss against Arsenal in the FA Cup.[6]
On 2 March 2013, Ulloa became the first ever player to score a hat-trick at The AMEX, during Brighton's 4–1 win over Huddersfield Town.[7] Two weeks later, he scored twice against Crystal Palace in a 3–0 victory, also at home,ref>"Brighton 3–0 Crystal Palace". BBC Sport. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.</ref> contributing to the side's first home win in the M23 derby since 1988; manager Gus Poyet described him as "different class".[8] He continued his scoring run on the 30th, with his ninth goal in 12 games coming in a 2–2 draw at Nottingham Forest.[9]
On 27 April 2013 Ulloa scored the goal that confirmed Brighton's place in the Championship play-offs, heading a last-minute winner to secure a 2–1 success at Leeds United.[10]
Honours
| Season | Team | Title |
|---|---|---|
| Clausura 2007 |  San Lorenzo | Argentine League |
| 2007 | Arsenal Sarandí | South American Cup |
References
- ↑ "El Almería ficha al argentino Ulloa" [Almería signs Argentine Ulloa] (in Spanish). Diario Sur. 22 June 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ↑ "Ulloa lidera el manicomio" [Ulloa in charge of bedlam] (in Spanish). Marca. 22 December 2010. Retrieved 23 December 2010.
- ↑ "Real held by lowly Almeria". ESPN Soccernet. 16 January 2011. Retrieved 20 February 2011.
- ↑ Iago Aspas (Celta) se sitúa a cuatro goles de Ulloa (Almería) (Iago Aspas (Celta) four goals behind Ulloa (Almería)); ABC, 27 May 2012 (Spanish)
- ↑ "Albion complete Ulloa deal". Brighton & Hove Albion F.C. 16 January 2013. Retrieved 16 January 2013.
- ↑ "Luton, MK Dons grab Cup glory". ABC News. 26 January 2013. Retrieved 26 January 2013.
- ↑ "Brighton 4–1 Huddersfield". BBC Sport. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 2 March 2013.
- ↑ "Gus Poyet delighted for Brighton's Leonardo Ulloa after Palace win". BBC Sport. 17 March 2013. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
- ↑ "Nott'm Forest 2–2 Brighton". BBC Sport. 30 March 2013. Retrieved 30 March 2013.
- ↑ "Leeds United 1–2 Brighton". BBC Sport. 27 April 2013. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
External links
- Almería official profile (Spanish)
- Argentine League statistics (Spanish)
- BDFutbol profile
- Futbolme profile (Spanish)
- Leonardo Ulloa career stats at Soccerbase
- Transfermarkt profile
- FootballLineups profile
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