Édison Méndez facts for kids
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Édison Vicente Méndez Méndez | ||
| Date of birth | March 16, 1979 | ||
| Place of birth | Ibarra, Ecuador | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Winger, Attacking midfielder, Second striker | ||
| Team information | |||
|
Current team
|
Club Deportivo La Unión | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2001 | Deportivo Quito | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2002 | Deportivo Quito | 193 | (18) |
| 2002–2003 | El Nacional | 34 | (3) |
| 2004 | Irapuato | 16 | (5) |
| 2004 | Santos Laguna | 14 | (2) |
| 2005–2007 | LDU Quito | 60 | (6) |
| 2006–2007 | → PSV (loan) | 26 | (5) |
| 2007–2009 | PSV | 46 | (4) |
| 2009–2010 | LDU Quito | 23 | (6) |
| 2010 | Atlético Mineiro | 9 | (0) |
| 2011 | Emelec | 35 | (5) |
| 2012–2013 | LDU Quito | 47 | (6) |
| 2014 | Santa Fe | 10 | (0) |
| 2015 | El Nacional | 22 | (4) |
| Total | 535 | (64) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2014 | Ecuador | 111 | (18) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2020 | El Nacional | ||
| 2022 | LDU Quito (caretaker) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Édison Vicente Méndez Méndez (born March 16, 1979, in Ibarra) is a famous Ecuadorian football player and coach. He played as a winger, second striker, or attacking midfielder. He is currently the manager of club deportivo La Union.
Méndez played for the Ecuador national team for many years. He is the second player with the most games played for his country.
Contents
Playing Style: How Édison Méndez Played
Édison Méndez was known for being very fast on the field. He could pass the ball accurately to his teammates. He was also great at shooting from far away.
He was a "dead-ball specialist," meaning he was excellent at taking free kicks and corners. Even though he mostly used his right foot, he could play well on both sides of the field. He could also play in the middle of the field.
Club Career: Édison Méndez's Journey in Football
Starting Out at Deportivo Quito
Méndez started his football career in Ecuador with Sociedad Deportivo Quito. After his great performances in the 2002 FIFA World Cup, many English clubs like Aston Villa and Everton were interested in him.
Short Stays in Ecuador and Mexico
In 2004, Méndez moved to Mexico to play for Club Irapuato. He played 16 games and scored 5 goals there. After Irapuato was moved to a lower league, Méndez joined Club Santos Laguna. He played 14 games and scored 2 goals for them.
He then returned to Ecuador and joined LDU Quito. He helped them win the Ecuadorian Apertura season in 2005.
Playing for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands
In 2006, after the World Cup, Méndez signed a loan deal with PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Later, he signed a longer contract until 2010. He made a fantastic debut, scoring two goals in a 3–1 win against Willem II.
The next week, he became the first Ecuadorian to play in the UEFA Champions League. He played against Liverpool F.C. and was named "Man of the Match." In March 2007, he made history again. He became the first Ecuadorian to score in the Champions League in a match against Arsenal. Méndez helped PSV reach the quarterfinals of the tournament.
His excellent play led to him being nominated for the Ballon d'Or award. This award is given to the best players in Europe.
Returning to Ecuador
On August 4, 2009, Méndez went back to Ecuador. He rejoined his former team, LDU Quito, for personal reasons.
Time in Brazil
In March 2010, the Brazilian club Clube Atlético Mineiro announced that Méndez would join their team. He started playing for them after the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
Playing for Independiente Santa Fe
On December 11, 2013, it was confirmed that Méndez would play for the Colombian team Santa Fe.
Back to El Nacional
On January 7, 2015, Méndez returned to Ecuador once more. He joined El Nacional to play for them.
International Career: Playing for Ecuador
Ecuador U20 Team
Méndez played for Ecuador's Under-20 team in 1999. He also played in an Olympic qualifying tournament in Brazil in 2000. Soon after, he was called up to the main national team. He made his debut in a game against Honduras in Quito.
Ecuador National Team Highlights
Méndez played in all three of Ecuador's games at the 2002 World Cup. He scored the winning goal in a 1-0 victory against Croatia. This was Ecuador's first-ever win in a FIFA World Cup. This win surprised many and made Méndez a rising star.
He scored five goals during the qualifying games for the FIFA World Cup. This included two amazing long-range goals against Paraguay in 2005. These goals helped Ecuador win 5–2 and qualify for the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
Méndez played a key role in Ecuador's historic journey in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They reached the round of sixteen, where they lost 1-0 to England. He also provided two assists during the tournament.
He played for Ecuador in the Copa América 2007. In that tournament, he scored a goal against Mexico. On February 26, 2008, Méndez announced he was retiring from the national team. However, he returned on May 12, 2008, after talking with the coach and the football federation.
On June 30, 2014, after the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil, Méndez officially retired from the Ecuador national team. He played for his country for 14 years, with 111 appearances and 18 goals.
Personal Life
Édison Méndez's nephew, Sebas Méndez, is also a professional football player and has played for the Ecuadorian national team.
International Goals
- Scores and results list Ecuador's goal tally first.
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2 June 2001 | Estadio Monumental "U", Lima, Peru |  Peru |
1–1 | 2–1 | 2002 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 2. | 17 July 2001 | Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia |  Venezuela |
3–0 | 4–0 | 2001 Copa América |
| 3. | 13 June 2002 | International Stadium Yokohama, Yokohama, Japan |  Croatia |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2002 FIFA World Cup |
| 4. | 15 November 2003 | Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay |  Paraguay |
1–1 | 1–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 5. | 10 March 2004 | Estadio Víctor Manuel Reyna, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico |  Mexico |
1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 6. | 10 October 2004 | Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador |  Chile |
2–0 | 2–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7. | 17 November 2004 | Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador |  Brazil |
1–0 | 1–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 8. | 27 March 2005 | Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador | Paraguay |
2–2 | 5–2 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 9. | 3–2 | |||||
| 10. | 4 May 2005 | Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States | Paraguay |
1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 11. | 1 July 2007 | Estadio Monumental de Maturín, Maturín, Venezuela | Mexico |
1–2 | 1–2 | 2007 Copa América |
| 12. | 21 November 2007 | Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador | Peru |
3–0 | 5–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 13. | 5–0 | |||||
| 14. | 6 September 2008 | Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador |  Bolivia |
2–1 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 15. | 9 September 2009 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Bolivia |
1–0 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 16. | 10 August 2011 | Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San José, Costa Rica |  Costa Rica |
2–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 17. | 15 November 2011 | Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador | Peru |
1–0 | 2–0 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 18. | 5 March 2014 | The Den, London, England |  Australia |
4–3 | 4–3 | Friendly |
Honours: Trophies and Wins
Édison Méndez won several important titles with his clubs:
- Serie A (2): 2005 Apertura, 2010
- Copa Sudamericana (1): 2009
- Eredivisie (2): 2006–07, 2007–08
See also
In Spanish: Édison Méndez para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
