kids encyclopedia robot

Nelson Valdez facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal family name is Haedo and the second or maternal family name is Valdez.
Quick facts for kids
Nelson Valdez
Nelson Valdez.jpg
Valdez playing for Paraguay in 2010
Personal information
Full name Nelson Antonio Haedo Valdez
Date of birth (1983-11-28) 28 November 1983 (age 41)
Place of birth Caaguazú, Paraguay
Height 1.78 m
Playing position Striker
Club information
Current club Werder Bremen II (assistant coach)
Youth career
Primero de Mayo
1998–2000 Tembetary
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2000–2001 Tembetary 22 (11)
2001–2005 Werder Bremen II 51 (24)
2002–2006 Werder Bremen 80 (21)
2006–2010 Borussia Dortmund 113 (15)
2010–2011 Hércules 25 (8)
2011–2013 Rubin Kazan 20 (3)
2012–2013 → Valencia (loan) 28 (6)
2013–2014 Al Jazira 12 (4)
2014 → Olympiacos (loan) 10 (6)
2014–2015 Eintracht Frankfurt 10 (1)
2015–2016 Seattle Sounders FC 31 (1)
2017–2020 Cerro Porteño 83 (20)
National team
2003 Paraguay U20 4 (1)
2004–2017 Paraguay 77 (13)
Teams managed
2022– Werder Bremen II (assistant)
Honours
Representing  Paraguay
Copa América
Runner-up 2011 Argentina Team
  • Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).

Nelson Antonio Haedo Valdez (born 28 November 1983), known as Nelson Valdez, is a Paraguayan football coach and former player. He played as a striker for many clubs around the world. He also played for the Paraguay national team from 2000 to 2021.

Today, he is an assistant coach for the German club Werder Bremen II. Valdez started his career in Paraguay. He then moved to Germany, Spain, Russia, and other countries. He was known for his energy and hard work on the field.

Early Life and Start in Football

Nelson Valdez grew up in a very poor area of Paraguay called San Joaquín. Even though his family was poor, he remembers a happy childhood. They couldn't afford a football, so he learned to play using an orange or even a pair of socks!

He started playing club football with a local team called 1º de Mayo. At 15, he left home to join the Youth Academy of Atlético Tembetary. The club couldn't pay him much. For two years, he lived under the stadium's wooden stands. He slept on blankets and cardboard. He also worked night shifts at a sawmill to earn money for food.

A German football official, Jürgen Born, saw Valdez play. He was impressed by how much Valdez ran. Born helped Valdez get a trial with Werder Bremen in Germany. Valdez didn't do well at first. But the club president's wife, who was also Paraguayan, asked for another chance for him. This time, he scored four goals in a trial match and got a contract with Werder Bremen's second team.

Club Career Highlights

Werder Bremen

When Valdez first arrived in Germany in 2001, he didn't know German. He mostly spoke Guaraní. He found it hard at first, especially with the cold weather and ordering food. For months, he only ate chicken and chips because he could see them through the restaurant glass!

He quickly moved from the youth teams to Werder Bremen's main team. In the 2003–04 season, he helped his team win the 2003–04 Bundesliga (the German league) and the 2003–04 DFB-Pokal (the German cup). He scored five goals in 21 league games that season.

Valdez also played in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League. He scored his first two Champions League goals in a 2–0 win against Valencia in December 2004. He scored nine goals in the 2005–06 season.

Borussia Dortmund

In 2006, Valdez moved to another German club, Borussia Dortmund. He played 113 league games for them over four years, scoring 15 goals. He was known for his energy and creativity, even if he didn't score a lot of goals. He helped Dortmund qualify for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League.

Valdez2
Valdez with Dortmund in 2007

Hércules

After playing well in the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Valdez joined the Spanish club Hércules in 2010. He became their most expensive player ever. In his very first game, he scored two goals in a surprising 2–0 win against Barcelona at their home stadium, Camp Nou! He scored eight goals in 25 league games for Hércules.

Valdez en su presentación con el Hércules
Valdez during his presentation at Hércules CF, 2010
Nelson A. Valdez
Valdez in action for Hércules CF, 2011

Rubin Kazan and Loans

In 2011, Valdez moved to the Russian club Rubin Kazan. He won the 2011–12 Russian Cup and the 2012 Russian Super Cup with them. He was then loaned to Valencia in Spain, where he scored important goals.

After Valencia, he played for Al Jazira in the United Arab Emirates. He was then loaned to Olympiacos in Greece. With Olympiacos, he won the 2013–14 Super League Greece title.

Return to Germany and MLS

In 2014, Valdez returned to Germany to play for Eintracht Frankfurt. He was happy to play again for his former coach, Thomas Schaaf. However, he suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out for about six months. He made a strong comeback, scoring in his first game back.

In 2015, Valdez joined Seattle Sounders FC in the MLS in the United States. He scored in his first game for the team. In 2016, he helped Seattle win their first-ever MLS Cup championship, scoring important goals in the playoffs.

Cerro Porteño and Retirement

In 2017, Valdez returned to Paraguay to play for Cerro Porteño. He played for them until 2020. In 2021, Nelson Valdez announced his retirement from playing professional football.

International Career

Nelson Valdez chose to play for Paraguay instead of Germany. He played for the Paraguay under-20 national team in the 2003 FIFA U-20 World Cup. He even scored a goal against Germany in that tournament!

He played for the senior Paraguay national team from 2004 to 2017. He played in two FIFA World Cups: 2006 and 2010. He also played in several Copa América tournaments.

In 2009, Valdez scored a famous goal against Argentina. This 1–0 victory helped Paraguay qualify for the 2010 World Cup. In the 2010 World Cup, Paraguay reached the quarter-finals, their best result ever.

In the 2011 Copa América, Valdez scored a goal against Brazil in a 2–2 draw. Paraguay finished as runners-up in that tournament. In the 2015 Copa América, he scored a goal against Argentina in a 2–2 draw, earning him the Man of the Match award.

Coaching Career

In June 2022, Nelson Valdez returned to SV Werder Bremen as an assistant coach for their reserve team, SV Werder Bremen II.

Personal Life

Nelson Valdez is married to Martynka Haedo Valdez. They have two children. Valdez and his wife created a foundation to help his hometown, San Joaquín, in Paraguay. The foundation provides money and buys presents for children every Christmas.

Valdez is a big fan of the Paraguayan club Cerro Porteño. He admired famous players like Ronaldo and Roque Santa Cruz. In 2014, Valdez helped organize a charity football match to raise money for his former national teammate, Salvador Cabañas, who had faced financial difficulties.

Career Statistics

Club

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Tembetary 2000 – –
2001 – –
Total 22 11 – – 22 11
Werder Bremen 2002–03 Bundesliga 2 0 1 0 0 0 – 3 0
2003–04 Bundesliga 21 5 5 1 0 0 – 26 6
2004–05 Bundesliga 27 7 4 2 8 2 0 0 39 11
2005–06 Bundesliga 30 9 3 0 9 2 0 0 42 11
Total 80 21 13 3 17 4 0 0 110 28
Borussia Dortmund 2006–07 Bundesliga 29 1 2 1 — — 31 2
2007–08 Bundesliga 27 2 3 0 — — 30 2
2008–09 Bundesliga 29 7 3 1 2 0 — 34 8
2009–10 Bundesliga 28 5 3 0 — — 31 5
Total 113 15 11 2 2 0 — 126 17
Hércules 2010–11 La Liga 26 8 0 0 — — 26 8
Rubin Kazan 2011–12 Russian Premier League 17 3 2 0 8 3 — 27 6
2012–13 Russian Premier League 3 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 4 0
Total 20 3 2 0 8 3 1 0 31 6
Valencia 2012–13 La Liga 28 6 5 2 7 1 — 40 9
Al Jazira 2013–14 UAE Pro League 12 4 2 0 — — 14 4
Olympiacos 2013–14 Super League Greece 10 6 2 0 2 0 — 14 6
Eintracht Frankfurt 2014–15 Bundesliga 2 0 1 0 — 1 0 4 0
Seattle Sounders FC 2015 MLS 7 1 3 1 — — 10 2
2016 MLS 24 0 2 2 — 1 1 27 3
Total 31 1 5 3 — 1 1 37 5
Cerro Porteño 2017 Paraguayan Primera División 23 1 — 4 2 — 27 3
2018 Paraguayan Primera División 21 6 — 6 2 — 27 8
2019 Paraguayan Primera División 27 10 — 10 4 — 37 14
2020 Paraguayan Primera División 12 3 — 3 0 — 15 3
Total 83 20 — 23 8 — 106 28
Career total 396 94 36 7 59 16 3 1 490 117

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Paraguay 2004 4 0
2005 4 2
2006 6 2
2007 6 2
2008 9 2
2009 9 1
2010 8 1
2011 11 2
2012 5 0
2013 3 0
2014 1 0
2015 7 1
2016 2 0
2017 1 0
Total 77 13
Scores and results list Paraguay U20's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Valdez goal.
List of international goals scored by Nelson Valdez
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 5 December 2003 Al-Nahyan Stadium, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates  Germany 2–0 2–0 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship
Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Valdez goal.
List of international goals scored by Nelson Valdez
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 17 August 2005 Estadio Antonio Oddone Sarubbi, Ciudad del Este, Paraguay  El Salvador 3–0 Friendly
2 8 October 2005 Estadio José Pachencho Romero, Maracaibo, Venezuela  Venezuela 1–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 24 May 2006 Ullevaal Stadion, Oslo, Norway  Norway 2–2 Friendly
4 31 May 2006 Birkenwiese Dornbirn, Dornbirn, Austria  Georgia 1–0 Friendly
5 17 October 2007 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay  Uruguay 1–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
6 17 November 2007 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay  Ecuador 5–1 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
7 18 June 2008 Estadio Hernando Siles La Paz, Bolivia  Bolivia 2–4 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
8 9 September 2008 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay  Venezuela 2–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 9 September 2009 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay  Argentina 1–0 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
10 12 October 2010 Westpac Stadium, Wellington, New Zealand  New Zealand 2–0 Friendly
11 11 June 2011 Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay  Romania 2–0 Friendly
12 9 July 2011 Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba, Argentina  Brazil 2–2 2011 Copa América
13 13 June 2015 Estadio La Portada, La Serena, Chile  Argentina 2–2 2015 Copa América

Honours

Club

Werder Bremen

Borussia Dortmund

  • DFB-Pokal runner-up: 2007–08

Rubin Kazan

  • Russian Cup: 2011–12
  • Russian Super Cup: 2012

Olympiacos

Seattle Sounders FC

Cerro Porteño

  • Primera División: 2017 Clausura, 2020 Apertura

International

Paraguay

Individual

  • Best Paraguayan footballer abroad (APF): 2010
  • Best Paraguayan footballer abroad (Premios Guaraní – Canal 2 Red Guaraní): 2010
  • Most favourite player of Albirroja (Premios Guaraní – Canal 2 Red Guaraní): 2010
  • Special Consideration (President of Paraguayan Republic: Fernando Lugo): 2010

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Nelson Haedo Valdez para niños

kids search engine
All content from Kiddle encyclopedia articles (including the article images and facts) can be freely used under Attribution-ShareAlike license, unless stated otherwise. Cite this article:
Nelson Valdez Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.