Álvaro Pereira

Álvaro Pereira

Pereira playing with Uruguay in 2014
Personal information
Full nameÁlvaro Daniel Pereira Barragán
Date of birth28 November 1985
Place of birthMontevideo, Uruguay
Height1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing positionWingback
Club information
Current team
Estudiantes LP (on loan from Internazionale)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
2003–2004Miramar Misiones28(1)
2005–2007Quilmes33(0)
2007–2008Argentinos Juniors35(11)
2008–2009CFR Cluj29(1)
2009–2012Porto72(2)
2012–Internazionale33(1)
2014→ São Paulo (loan)21(0)
2015–→ Estudiantes LP (loan)1(0)
National team‡
2008–Uruguay65(6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 7 December 2014.

† Appearances (Goals).

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 19 November 2014
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Pereira and the second or maternal family name is Barragán.

Álvaro Daniel Pereira Barragán (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈalβaɾo peˈɾeiɾa]; born 28 November 1985) is a Uruguayan footballer who plays for Argentine club Estudiantes de La Plata on loan from Internazionale. Mainly a left back, he can perform equally as a left midfielder.

Club career

Early years

Born in Montevideo, Pereira started his career with Miramar Misiones in 2003, moving to Argentina with Quilmes Atlético Club two years later. After the club's relegation from the Primera División to the Argentine Primera B Nacional the end of the 2006–07 season, he moved to Argentinos Juniors, finishing as the team's top goalscorer in the 2007 Apertura.[1]

In the summer of 2008 Pereira signed with Romania's CFR Cluj, for a €2.5 million fee. He started in all the club's matches in its debut campaign in the UEFA Champions League.

Porto

Pereira in action for Porto in 2010

Pereira joined F.C. Porto on 4 June 2009 for €4.5 million,[2] with the Portuguese acquiring 80% of the player's rights. In his first year he mostly operated as a left back, as the northerners finished third and won the domestic cup. He scored his first goal for the club on 21 February 2010, netting the second in a 5–1 home thrashing of S.C. Braga.[3]

In Pereira's second season at the Estádio do Dragão, he featured in 21 Primeira Liga games (all starts), adding 12 UEFA Europa League appearances as Porto won the treble. He also started in the campaign's Portuguese Cup final against Vitória de Guimarães on 22 May 2011, scoring an own goal in the 21st minute to bring the sides level, in an eventual 6–2 triumph.[4]

After Porto rejected an offer from Premier League side Chelsea in the summer for Pereira's services, he signed a new contract on 3 October 2011 running until 2016, with his release clause remaining at £25.7 million.[5] In late December that year he heavily criticised Manchester United's Patrice Evra for reporting alleged racist abuse from Pereira's national team colleague Luis Suárez – including a claim from Evra that Suárez "doesn't speak to black players" – saying that "what happens on the pitch stays on the pitch", adding that the Frenchman would have to "wear body armour" if the players' future international friendly was to take place immediately instead of in late 2012.[6][7]

Inter

Pereira signed for Internazionale in late August 2012 for €10 million, reuniting with former Porto teammate Fredy Guarín.[8][9] He made his Serie A debut on 2 September in a 1–3 home loss against A.S. Roma, and finished his first season with 40 appearances all competitions comprised, scoring his only goal in a 2–0 league success at A.C. Chievo Verona.

São Paulo

On 17 January 2014 São Paulo FC signed Pereira on loan for one and a half year, with the Brazilians paying €1 million for the player, who could be transferred permanently for a further €7 million.[10] He played his first game with his new club nine days later, a 2–1 win against Oeste Futebol Clube for that year's Campeonato Paulista, assisting Antônio Carlos in the second goal; after the match he stated he "...liked the team's intensity", further adding he still needed to "...improve a lot."[11]

Estudiantes de La Plata

In January 2015 Pereira's loan with São Paulo FC ended and he returned to Argentina where he use to play for Quilmes Atletico Club and Argentinos Juniors in Buenos Aires but this time he went to the city of La Plata to where he joined Estudiantes de La Plata continuing his loan spells from F.C. Internazionale.

International career

Pereira made his debut for Uruguay against France, on 19 November 2008.[12] He scored his first international goal in his next match, another friendly, with Libya in Tripoli (3–2 win).[13]

Pereira was an undisputed starter for the nation during the second half of the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, also starting in both legs of the successful playoffs against Costa Rica as the Charrúas returned to the FIFA World Cup. In the finals in South Africa, he played in all the matches except two, scoring through a rare header in a 3–0 group stage win over the hosts.[14]

Pereira was selected to the 2011 Copa América in Argentina, being first-choice and scoring two goals in the group stage, including the game's only against Mexico[15] as Uruguay won its 15th continental tournament.[16] In 2013 he represented La Celeste at the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup as the nation reached the semi-finals, and also participated in the team's successful World Cup qualifying campaign.[1]

On 2 June 2014, Pereira was named in Uruguay's squad for the 2014 World Cup finals.[17] On 19 June, in the second group game against England, he was struck unconscious after being kneed in the head by Raheem Sterling, but refused to be replaced after recovering[18] and went on to feature the full 90 minutes in the 2–1 success.[19]

International goals

Honours

Club

Cluj
Porto

Country

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Alvaro Pereira". FIFA.com. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  2. ↑ Maicon and Pereira sign as Porto secure Ferreira; UEFA.com, 4 June 2009
  3. ↑ FC Porto 5–1 Braga; ESPN Soccernet, 21 February 2010
  4. ↑ Porto cup triumph completes treble; FIFA.com, 22 May 2011
  5. ↑ Blues target Pereira signs Porto deal; ESPN Soccernet, 3 October 2011
  6. ↑ Porto's Alvaro Pereira hits out at Manchester United's Patrice Evra over Luis Suarez racism ban: 'He is not proud to be black'; Goal.com, 30 December 2011
  7. ↑ John Aldridge: Criticism of Liverpool FC and Kenny Dalglish in Luis Suarez row has been over the top; Liverpool Echo, 10 January 2012
  8. ↑ Pereira: "Inter, everyone's dream in S. America"; Inter's official website, 24 August 2012
  9. ↑ Pereira's delight at Inter switch; FIFA.com, 24 August 2012
  10. ↑ São Paulo garante empréstimo de Alvaro Pereira (São Paulo assures loan of Alvaro Pereira; Record, 17 January 2014 (Portuguese)
  11. ↑ Alvaro Pereira aprova sua estreia: 'Gostei da intensidade do São Paulo' (Alvaro Pereira gives thumbs up to his debut: 'I liked São Paulo's intensity'); Lance Net, 26 January 2014 (Portuguese)
  12. ↑ France vs. Uruguay; IM Scouting, 19 November 2008
  13. ↑ Uruguay vence 3–2 a Libia en amistoso con poco brillo (Uruguay wins 3–2 against Libya in subpar performance); Reuters América Latina, 11 February 2009 (Spanish)
  14. ↑ World Cup 2010: Diego Forlán strikes twice to sink South Africa; The Guardian, 16 June 2010
  15. ↑ Uruguay 1 Mexico 0: Messi and Co await in last eight after Pereira winner; Daily Mail, 13 July 2011
  16. ↑ Uruguay celebrates well into early Monday its record winning 15th Copa America; Merco Press, 25 July 2011
  17. ↑ "Uruguay World Cup 2014 squad". The Daily Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 18 June 2014.
  18. ↑ "Álvaro Pereira dio el susto" [Álvaro Pereira provided scare]. Marca (in Spanish). 19 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  19. ↑ "Super Suarez makes the difference". FIFA.com. 19 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
  20. ↑ "Cupa României ramâne la Cluj-Napoca!" [Cluj-Napoca renews Cup title] (in Romanian). CFR Cluj. 13 June 2009. Retrieved 14 June 2009.

External links