Sebastián Abreu

Sebastián Abreu

Abreu being presented by Aucas
Personal information
Full name Washington Sebastián Abreu Gallo
Date of birth (1976-10-17) 17 October 1976
Place of birth Minas, Uruguay
Height 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current team
 Sol de América
Number 13
Youth career
1993–1995 Defensor
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
1995–1996 Defensor 24 (13)
1996–1998 San Lorenzo 43 (26)
1998–2004 Deportivo La Coruña 15 (3)
1998 → Grêmio (loan) 7 (1)
1999–2000 → Tecos (loan) 33 (27)
2000–2001 → San Lorenzo (loan) 25 (10)
2001 → Nacional (loan) 18 (16)
2002–2003 → Cruz Azul (loan) 39 (34)
2003 → América (loan) 16 (3)
2004 → Tecos (loan) 17 (5)
2004–2005 Nacional 31 (16)
2005–2006 Sinaloa 34 (22)
2006 Monterrey 16 (7)
2007 San Luis 14 (6)
2007–2008 Tigres 15 (7)
2008 → River Plate (loan) 17 (2)
2008 Beitar Jerusalem 0 (0)
2008–2009 River Plate 0 (0)
2009 → Real Sociedad (loan) 18 (11)
2009–2010 Aris 8 (3)
2010–2012 Botafogo 93 (55)
2012 → Figueirense (loan) 5 (0)
2013–2015 Nacional 18 (5)
2013–2014 → Rosario Central (loan) 38 (8)
2015 → Aucas (loan) 10 (4)
2016– Sol de América 2 (0)
National team
1996–2012 Uruguay 70 (26)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 January 2016.

† Appearances (goals)
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Abreu and the second or maternal family name is Gallo.

Washington Sebastián Abreu Gallo (Spanish pronunciation: [seβasˈtjan aˈβɾeu]; born 17 October 1976) is a Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Paraguayan club Club Sol de América as a striker.

Best known by his nickname El Loco (Madman in Spanish), the prolific goalscorer – for club and national team – played for more than 20 teams during his professional career, in nine countries.[1]

A Uruguayan international during more than 15 years, Abreu represented the country in two World Cups and three Copa América tournaments.

Club career

Early career

Born in Minas, Lavalleja Department, Abreu played in numerous clubs throughout the Americas (Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil). He also had an unsuccessful stint with Spain's Deportivo de La Coruña, which loaned him several times for the duration of his contract.[2]

In his sole season in La Liga, which started in January 1998, having been signed from San Lorenzo de Almagro, Abreu scored for the Galicians in a 3–1 home win against FC Barcelona on 25 January.[3]

River Plate

After having joined Mexico's Tigres de la UANL in 2007, Abreu was able to rescind his contract with them in order to join Club Atlético River Plate – the Mexican Football Federation stalled on recognizing the transfer because of an imposed moratorium between the clubs. With Tigres he became the only foreigner to score in the Clasico Regio (Tigres vs. C.F. Monterrey, which he represented the previous year) against each team.

In the summer of 2008, after exhausting negotiations, Abreu signed a contract with Israeli League champions Beitar Jerusalem FC.[4] He appeared in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League, but his team was quickly eliminated; additionally he could not play in the domestic front, due to lack of payment.

Abreu re-signed with River Plate in September 2008 after terminating his link with Beitar, with a deal lasting until June 2009. Due to a being a late addition, he was not able to play for the side in the Primera División, only featuring in the Copa Sudamericana; the next year, he was eligible for both the domestic and Copa Libertadores fronts.

Real Sociedad

In early January 2009 Abreu returned to Spain after a ten-year absence, being loaned by River to second level side Real Sociedad, which had lost habitual first-choice Iñigo Díaz de Cerio for the season due to a serious leg injury.[5]

On 14 March, he netted a hat-trick in a 3–1 away win against league leaders Xerez CD.[6] His team, however, ultimately failed in returning to the top flight.

Botafogo

On 13 June 2009, Aris Thessaloniki F.C. in Greece signed Abreu from River Plate.[7] However, in January of the following year, the 33-year-old changed clubs and countries again, agreeing on a two-year contract with Brazil's Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas.

On 18 April 2010 Abreu scored the second goal in Botafogo's 2–1 victory against Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, which gave the team the Campeonato Carioca title. In July he had his link extended until 31 December of the following year with a release clause of US$11.3 million, with the player declaring he had previously held talks with Club Universidad de Chile and Trabzonspor of Turkey.

On 6 February 2011, Abreu was involved in a dramatic match against Fluminense Football Club: as Botafogo was losing 1–2, his team was awarded a penalty kick, and he shot it in Panenka-style, with Diego Cavalieri saving the shot by simply standing still. Just five minutes later Botafogo won another penalty, and Abreu shot it in the same fashion, this time into the right-hand corner of the goal, as Cavalieri dived the other way; a few minutes later, Botafogo scored again and won the game.[8]

On 5 July 2012, Abreu was loaned to fellow Série A side Figueirense Futebol Clube. However, as the season went on to end in relegation, his contract was ended via Twitter on 24 November, one day before the last game against Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense.[9]

Sol de América

From January 2013 to December 2015, Abreu was under contract to Club Nacional de Football, also being loaned to Rosario Central and Sociedad Deportiva Aucas during this timeframe. On 28 December 2015, Paraguayan newspaper D10 reported that he had met in Uruguay with Club Sol de América chairman Miguel Figueredo.[10] He had already received a more lucrative offer from Mexico, but declined in order to be closer to his country,[11] and was officially confirmed on 6 January 2016.[12][13][14]

International career

Abreu training for Uruguay in 2011

Abreu played for Uruguay at the 2002 FIFA World Cup – two matches – and the 1997 and 2007 Copa América editions, netting twice in the latter.[15] He made his debut for the national side on 17 July 1996 in a friendly with China, going on to gain 70 caps.[16]

On 27 May 2010, Abreu stood only five goals short of Uruguayan all-time goalscoring record, held by Héctor Scarone for 79 years. He was selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where he appeared three times as a substitute: in the quarterfinals against Ghana he was charged with taking the decisive penalty shootout attempt (1–1 after 120 minutes), and scored it in Panenka-style, sending Uruguay to the semifinals for the first time in 40 years.

Honours

Club

San Lorenzo
Nacional
River Plate
Botafogo

International

References

  1. ↑ World Cup 2010: Uruguay's Sebastian Abreu 'as mad as he is intelligent'; The Daily Telegraph, 4 July 2010
  2. ↑ Uruguayan set for Deportivo return; UEFA.com, 25 April 2002
  3. ↑ El Barça no gana en el 98 (Barça does not win in 98); Mundo Deportivo, 26 January 1998 (Spanish)
  4. ↑ Beitar strengthened for Wisla challenge; UEFA.com, 1 July 2008
  5. ↑ El "Loco" Abreu ficha por la Real Sociedad ("Loco" Abreu signs for Real Sociedad); Liga Fútbol, 9 January 2009 (Spanish)
  6. ↑ Un hat-trick de Abreu tumba al Xerez (Hat-trick by Abreu downs Xerez); Diario AS, 14 March 2009 (Spanish)
  7. ↑ O Sebastian Abreu στον ΑΡΗ! (Greek)
  8. ↑ The Panenka fail & success: Loco Abreu has a crazy five minutes (Botafogo-Fluminense); Goal.com, 7 February 2011
  9. ↑ Figueirense utiliza twitter para anunciar rescisão com Loco Abreu (Figueirense uses twitter to announce rescision with Loco Abreu); Gazeta Esportiva, 24 November 2012 (Portuguese)
  10. ↑ "El Loco Abreu ya posa con la camiseta de Sol de América" [Loco Abreu already poses with Sol de América jersey] (in Spanish). D10. 28 December 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  11. ↑ "Sol espera por Abreu y Wildo Alonso" [Sol waiting on Abreu and Wildo Alonso] (in Spanish). Hoy. 4 January 2016. Retrieved 4 January 2016.
  12. ↑ "Sebastián Abreu vestirá su camiseta número 21" [Sebastián Abreu will don his shirt number 21] (in Spanish). El Debate. 6 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  13. ↑ "Sebastián Abreu jugará en el fútbol paraguayo" [Sebastián Abreu will play in Paraguayan football] (in Spanish). Torneos y Competencias. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  14. ↑ "Sebastián Abreu signs for Paraguayan club Sol de América, his 22nd club". Box Score News. 7 January 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  15. ↑ Sebastián Abreu – FIFA competition record
  16. ↑ Washington Sebastian Abreu – Goals in International Matches; at RSSSF

External links

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