Marcelo Fernández (footballer)
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marcelo Fabián Fernández Benítez | ||
| Date of birth | 25 October 2001 | ||
| Place of birth | Itá, Paraguay | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Libertad | ||
| Number | 28 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2021– | Libertad | 31 | (2) |
| 2022 | → Tacuary (loan) | 37 | (6) |
| International career | |||
| 2023– | Paraguay U23 | 13 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:30, 3 October 2024 (UTC) | |||
Marcelo Fabián Fernández Benítez (born 25 October 2001) is a Paraguayan footballer who plays as a forward for Club Libertad in the Paraguayan Primera División.
Club career
[edit]Born in Itá in the Central department, Fernández came through the ranks of Club Libertad in the capital Asunción. He made his debut on 15 August 2021 in the Paraguayan Primera División, starting in a 3–3 home draw with Club 12 de Octubre de Santo Domingo.[1]
At the start of 2022, Fernández was loaned to fellow top-flight team Tacuary.[2] On 11 March he scored his first goal in a 2–0 win at Sportivo Ameliano, to give his club their first win of the season on the sixth matchday;[3] he finished his spell with 37 games and 6 goals.[4]
Fernández helped Libertad win the Copa Paraguay in 2023. He scored his first goal for them in a 3–0 third-round win at Club Sol de América,[5] followed by the 2–1 winner at Club Sportivo San Lorenzo in the last 16,[6] and opening a 3–0 home win over Deportivo Santaní in the quarter-finals.[7] In the final on 2 December, he came on as a substitute as his team won on penalties against Sportivo Trinidense.[8]
On 18 February 2024, Fernández scored his first league goal for Libertad, the winner off the bench in a 2–1 victory at Sol de América.[9] In April, he was ruled out for a month with appendicitis.[10]
International career
[edit]Fernández was called up to the Paraguay national under-23 football team for the 2024 CONMEBOL Pre-Olympic Tournament in Venezuela. In the first two games, he scored in a 4–3 win over Uruguay,[11] and the only goal against Peru, as his team qualified.[12]
Fernández was chosen for the 2024 Olympic football event in France.[13] In the second group game, he scored twice in a 4–2 win over Israel,[14] followed by the only goal against Mali as his team made the quarter-finals.[15]
References
[edit]- ^ "Con sacrificio y coraje, el "12" rescata un punto ante Libertad" [With sacrifice and courage, "12" snatch a point against Libertad] (in Spanish). Versus. 15 August 2021. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Marcelo Fernández se suma al proyecto Tacuary" [Marcelo Fernández added to the Tacuary project]. Crónica (in Spanish). 2 January 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ Noguera, Andrés (12 March 2023). "Tacuary consiguió su primer triunfo" [Tacuary achieved their first triumph] (in Spanish). RCC. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Descanso y planificación en Tacuary" [Rest and planning at Tacuary] (in Spanish). ABC Color. 5 December 2022. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Copa Paraguay: Libertad, con el último boleto a octavos" [Copa Paraguay: Libertad, with the last ticket to the last 16] (in Spanish). ABC Color. 17 August 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Copa Paraguay: Libertad se impuso con mucho suspenso a San Lorenzo y está en cuartos" [Copa Paraguay: Libertad imposed themselves with a lot of suspense on San Lorenzo and are in the quarter-finals] (in Spanish). Versus. 20 September 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Libertad se mete a semifinales de la Copa Paraguay y quiere ir por todo en el 2023" [Libertad put themselves in the semi-finals of the Copa Paraguay and want to go all the way in 2023] (in Spanish). Versus. 26 October 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Libertad tumba a un corajudo Trinidense y conquista la Copa Paraguay 2023" [Libertad sink a courageous Trinidense and conquer the 2023 Copa Paraguay] (in Spanish). Versus. 2 December 2023. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Libertad de nuevo es único líder" [Libertad is outright leader again]. La Nación (Paraguay) (in Spanish). 19 February 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "El tiempo estimado que Libertad no podrá contar con Marcelo Fernández" [The estimated time that Libertad will not be able to count on Marcelo Fernández] (in Spanish). 13 April 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Un épico triunfo de Paraguay" [An epic triumph for Paraguay]. La Nación (in Spanish). 25 January 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Chile complica a Uruguay; Paraguay derrota a Peru y lidera grupo del Preolimpico Sudamericano" [Chile make things complicated for Uruguay; Paraguay defeat Peru and lead group in South American Pre-Olympic tournament]. San Diego Union-Tribune (in Spanish). 28 January 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Paraguay: Los 18 convocados para los Juegos Olímpicos 2024" [Paraguay: The 18 players chosen for the 2024 Olympic Games] (in Spanish). ABC Color. 4 July 2024. Retrieved 21 July 2024.
- ^ "Paraguay gana un partido increíble y sueña con los cuartos" [Paraguay win an incredible match and dream of the quarter-finals] (in Spanish). Versus. 27 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
- ^ "Paraguay clasificó a los cuartos de final y sueña con la medalla de oro" [Paraguay qualified for the quarter-finals and dream of the gold medal] (in Spanish). ABC Color. 30 July 2024. Retrieved 31 July 2024.
External links
[edit]- Marcelo Fernández at Soccerway
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