Joao Plata facts for kids
Plata playing against the Chicago Fire on May 25, 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Joao Jimmy Plata Cotera | ||
| Date of birth | March 1, 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Guayaquil, Ecuador | ||
| Height | 1.57 m (5 ft 2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | C.D. FAS | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2004–2007 | Barcelona SC | ||
| 2007–2009 | Alfaro Moreno | ||
| 2009–2010 | LDU Quito | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2010–2011 | LDU Quito | 7 | (1) |
| 2011 | → Toronto FC (loan) | 26 | (3) |
| 2012 | Toronto FC | 10 | (0) |
| 2012 | → LDU Quito (loan) | 13 | (1) |
| 2013–2019 | Real Salt Lake | 175 | (46) |
| 2019 | → Real Monarchs (loan) | 1 | (1) |
| 2020–2021 | Toluca | 15 | (1) |
| 2022 | Delfín | 7 | (0) |
| 2023– | C.D. FAS | 11 | (4) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2011–2018 | Ecuador | 5 | (2) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Joao Jimmy Plata Cotera (born March 1, 1992) is an Ecuadorian footballer. He plays as a forward for C.D. FAS in El Salvador.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at LDU Quito
Joao Plata started his football journey in his hometown, playing for the youth teams of Barcelona. Later, he joined the Alfaro Moreno Academia in Guayaquil in 2009. His talent shone through, and he soon moved to the youth ranks of LDU Quito.
Plata impressed the LDU Quito coach, Edgardo Bauza. He was called up to the main team during the 2010 season. On August 22, 2010, Plata played his first professional game for LDU Quito. It was a 1–0 win against Olmedo. His first game was very promising, and he became a regular player for the rest of the season.
On September 18, 2010, Plata scored his first professional goal. It was a winning goal in a 1–0 match against ESPOLI. This goal helped LDU Quito stay at the top of the league. Plata played in 7 league matches that season, scoring one goal. LDU Quito won the national championship for the tenth time.
Time with Toronto FC
After the 2010 season, Plata moved to Major League Soccer (MLS) to improve his skills. Toronto FC chose him in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft. Toronto FC officially signed Plata on March 24, 2011. On April 2, Plata made his debut for Toronto. He came in as a substitute in a 1–1 draw against Chivas USA.
On April 27, Plata started his first game for Toronto. He helped his team win 3–0 against FC Edmonton by setting up two goals. In the next game, he again helped his team win and was named Man of the Match. Toronto won the series and moved to the next round of the Canadian Championship.
Plata scored his first MLS goal in a 2–1 win against Houston Dynamo. He scored a penalty kick and then helped set up another goal. His great performance earned him the MLS Player of the Week award. On July 2, Plata scored a very important goal against Vancouver Whitecaps FC. This goal helped Toronto win their third straight Canadian Championship. This win also earned them a spot in the CONCACAF Champions League. Plata was named the best player of the tournament, winning the George Gross Memorial Trophy.
Plata continued his success in the Champions League. On July 27, he scored two goals in a 2–1 win against Real Esteli F.C. On October 18, he scored two more goals against FC Dallas. This 3–0 win helped Toronto reach the quarter-finals for the first time ever.
In January 2012, Toronto FC signed a new deal to keep Plata. He scored his first goals of the 2012 season on April 4. He scored both goals in a Champions League match against Santos Laguna. Later, on July 11, 2012, Plata returned to LDU Quito for a six-month loan.
Playing for Real Salt Lake
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Plata came back to Toronto in January 2013. However, on January 30, 2013, he was traded to Real Salt Lake (RSL). On May 20, 2013, Plata scored his first goal for Real Salt Lake against Chivas USA.
In 2014, Plata had his best season, scoring 13 goals and making 6 assists. Fans started using the hashtag #PlataEsOro, which means "Plata is gold" in Spanish. This was a fun way to celebrate his name, as "plata" means "silver."
In 2015, he signed a new contract with RSL as a "Young Designated Player." He extended his contract again in 2017. In 2019, he played one match for RSL's reserve team, Real Monarchs, and scored a goal. After the 2019 season, Real Salt Lake decided not to renew his contract.
Later Club Teams
On July 6, 2020, Plata joined Liga MX team Toluca in Mexico. He scored his first goal for Toluca on January 24, 2021, against Necaxa. His contract ended in the summer of 2021.
On January 28, 2022, he joined Ecuadorian Serie A club Delfín. In August 2023, he moved to C.D. FAS in El Salvador.
International Career
Plata was part of the Ecuador Under-20 national team. On May 20, 2011, he was called up to the senior national team for the first time. He made his debut for Ecuador on June 1, 2011, against Canada. He came in as a substitute in a 2–2 draw. Later, he scored two goals in a 5–1 win against El Salvador during a friendly match.
How Joao Plata Plays
Plata is 1.57 meters (about 5 feet 2 inches) tall. He is one of the shortest players in MLS history. Even though he is not big, his small size helps him a lot. He has a low center of gravity, which means he is very balanced and can change direction quickly in small spaces. His strong legs help him run very fast over short distances.
Plata is a quick and energetic player. He is known for his fast starts and his speed when he has the ball. He is also very good at dribbling and has excellent technical skills. Plata is a creative forward who can score goals and help his teammates score. He can play in different attacking positions, like a striker or a supporting forward. However, he prefers to play on the left wing. From there, he can get the ball, dribble past defenders, and then move into the middle to shoot or pass.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Domestic Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| LDU Quito | 2010 | Serie A | 7 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Total | 7 | 1 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 7 | 1 | ||||
| Toronto FC (loan) | 2011 | MLS | 26 | 3 | — | 4 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 35 | 8 | |
| Toronto FC | 2012 | 10 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 2 | ||
| Total | 36 | 3 | — | 7 | 1 | 9 | 6 | 52 | 10 | |||
| LDU Quito (loan) | 2012 | Serie A | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||
| Total | 13 | 1 | — | — | — | 13 | 1 | |||||
| Real Salt Lake | 2013 | MLS | 29 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 2 | — | 36 | 6 | |
| 2014 | 26 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 29 | 13 | |||
| 2015 | 19 | 4 | — | 3 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 6 | |||
| 2016 | 30 | 9 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 35 | 13 | ||
| 2017 | 29 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 29 | 7 | |||
| 2018 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 28 | 8 | |||
| 2019 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||
| Total | 177 | 46 | 8 | 1 | 11 | 5 | 6 | 2 | 202 | 54 | ||
| Real Monarchs (loan) | 2019 | USL Championship | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||
| Total | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 1 | ||||
| Career total | 234 | 51 | 8 | 1 | 18 | 6 | 15 | 8 | 275 | 67 | ||
International
| Ecuador national team | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Apps | Goals | |
| 2011 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 3 | 2 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 5 | 2 | |
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Final | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | October 14, 2014 | Red Bull Arena, New Jersey, United States |  El Salvador |
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Honors and Awards
Club Achievements
- Serie A (1): 2010
- Canadian Championship (2): 2011, 2012
- Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship (2): 2013, 2014
Individual Awards
- George Gross Memorial Trophy: 2011
- Red Patch Boys Player of the Year: 2011
See also
In Spanish: Joao Plata para niños
