Nelson Valdez facts for kids
Valdez playing for Paraguay in 2010
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| Personal information | |||||||||||||
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| Full name | Nelson Antonio Haedo Valdez | ||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 28 November 1983 | ||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Caaguazú, Paraguay | ||||||||||||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||||||||||||
| Team information | |||||||||||||
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Current team
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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) | ||||||||||
| International career | |||||||||||||
| 2003 | Paraguay U20 | 4 | (1) | ||||||||||
| 2004–2017 | Paraguay | 77 | (13) | ||||||||||
| Managerial career | |||||||||||||
| 2022– | Werder Bremen II (assistant) | ||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||||||||||||
Nelson Antonio Haedo Valdez (born November 28, 1983) is a famous Paraguayan football coach and former player. He was known as a strong striker for many clubs. These clubs were in countries like Paraguay, Germany, Spain, and the USA. Nelson 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 began his football journey with Atlético Tembetary in Paraguay. He joined their youth program and made his first-team debut at age 16 in 2000. He later moved to Germany to play for Werder Bremen II in 2001. After showing great skill, he joined the main Werder Bremen team. With Werder Bremen, he won the 2003–04 Bundesliga league title and the 2003–04 DFB-Pokal cup. He also played in the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, scoring important goals.
In 2006, Valdez joined another German club, Borussia Dortmund. He played there for four years and helped them qualify for the 2010–11 UEFA Europa League. After a strong performance at the 2010 FIFA World Cup, he moved to Spain to play for Hércules. He made a big impact by scoring two goals in his first game against Barcelona. Later, he played for clubs like Rubin Kazan in Russia, Valencia in Spain, Al Jazira in the UAE, and Olympiacos in Greece. He returned to Germany with Eintracht Frankfurt in 2014. From 2015 to 2016, he played for Seattle Sounders FC in the USA, where he helped them win the MLS Cup. He finished his playing career with Cerro Porteño in Paraguay.
Valdez proudly represented Paraguay in two FIFA World Cup tournaments, in 2006 and 2010. He also played in the Copa América in 2004, 2011, and 2015. In 2011, Paraguay finished as runners-up in the Copa América. He played over 70 games for his national team and scored 13 goals. One of his most memorable goals was in 2009, when he scored against Argentina, helping Paraguay qualify for the 2010 World Cup.
Contents
Early Life and Dreams
Nelson Valdez grew up in a very poor area of Paraguay called San Joaquín. His family was loving, but they didn't have much money. He dreamed of playing for the Paraguay national team, also known as the Albirroja.
Because his family couldn't afford a real football, Nelson practiced his skills using an orange or even a pair of socks. He started playing club football with a local team called 1º de Mayo. His father supported his dream, which helped Nelson move to Asunción to pursue football.
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Paraguay
At 15, Nelson Valdez left his home to join the youth academy of Atlético Tembetary. He made his first-team debut in 2000. Life was tough because the club couldn't pay him much. For two years, he lived under the stadium stands, sleeping on blankets and cardboard. He worked night shifts at a sawmill to earn money for food.
A German football official, Jürgen Born, saw Valdez play and was very impressed by his energy. He helped Valdez get a trial with Werder Bremen in Germany. Even though his first trial wasn't great, he got another chance. He scored four goals in his next trial match and was offered a contract to join Werder Bremen II.
Playing in Germany
When Valdez first arrived in Germany in 2001, he didn't know German and mostly spoke Guaraní. He found it hard to order food and mostly ate chicken and chips because he could see them through the restaurant glass.
He quickly moved from the youth teams to the main Werder Bremen team. In the 2003–04 season, he helped Werder Bremen win both the Bundesliga league title and the DFB-Pokal cup. He scored five goals in 21 league games that season. In 2004, he made his debut in the UEFA Champions League and scored two goals against Valencia.
In August 2006, Valdez joined another Bundesliga team, Borussia Dortmund. He became a regular player, known for his energy and creativity, even if he didn't score a lot of goals. He played 113 league games for Dortmund and helped them qualify for the UEFA Europa League.
Adventures in Spain and Russia
After the 2010 FIFA World Cup, Valdez moved to Spain to play for Hércules. He made a fantastic start, scoring 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.
In 2011, Valdez moved to Russia to play for Rubin Kazan. He scored important goals in the UEFA Europa League. He also helped Rubin Kazan win the Russian Cup in 2012 and the Russian Super Cup in 2012.
He was then loaned to Valencia in Spain, where he scored a header in a Champions League match against Bayern Munich. He also scored a last-minute winner against Athletic Bilbao. Valencia later bought his contract.
Middle East, Greece, and Return to Germany
In 2013, Valdez joined Al Jazira in Abu Dhabi. He scored four goals in 12 league games. In January 2014, he was loaned to Olympiacos in Greece. He quickly made an impact, scoring six goals in ten league appearances, including a hat-trick against Ergotelis. Olympiacos won the Super League Greece title that season.
In July 2014, Valdez returned to Germany and signed with Eintracht Frankfurt. He was excited to work again with his former Werder Bremen coach, Thomas Schaaf. Unfortunately, he suffered a knee injury that sidelined him for several months. However, he recovered faster than expected and scored a goal in his return match in March 2015.
Playing in the USA
Valdez joined Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the USA in August 2015. He scored a goal in his very first game for the club. In 2016, he scored two important goals in the MLS Cup Playoffs, helping Seattle Sounders FC win their first-ever MLS Cup.
Back Home in Paraguay
On January 4, 2017, Valdez signed with Cerro Porteño, a club in Paraguay's top league. He played for them until 2020, winning two league titles: the 2017 Clausura and the 2020 Apertura.
After leaving Cerro Porteño, Valdez considered playing for one more year. He even said he would play for his first club, Atlético Tembetary, if needed. However, on July 1, 2021, Nelson Haedo Valdez announced his retirement from playing football through his social media.
International Career for Paraguay
Youth and Early Senior Career
In 2003, Nelson Valdez chose to play for Paraguay instead of Germany, even though he was invited to join the German under-21 team. He played for the Paraguay under-20 national team in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship. He scored a goal against Germany in a 2–0 victory.
Valdez was part of the Paraguay squad for the 2004 Copa América. He later made his debut for the senior Paraguay squad in 2005, scoring his first goal against El Salvador. He also scored a crucial goal against Venezuela in 2005, helping Paraguay qualify for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. At the 2006 World Cup, he played in all three group-stage matches.
World Cup Appearances
Valdez played a key role in Paraguay's qualification for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. He scored five goals during the qualification campaign. One of his most famous goals was against Argentina in September 2009, which secured Paraguay's spot in the World Cup.
At the 2010 World Cup, Valdez played in all of Paraguay's matches. Paraguay topped their group and reached the quarter-finals, where they faced Spain. Valdez scored a goal that was unfortunately ruled offside, and Paraguay eventually lost 1–0 to the future champions.
Copa América and Later Years
Valdez was also part of the squad for the 2011 Copa América. He scored a goal against Brazil in a 2–2 draw. Paraguay reached the final of the tournament, finishing as runners-up.
In 2015, Valdez was again selected for the 2015 Copa América. In Paraguay's opening match against Argentina, he scored a goal from about 25 yards out, helping Paraguay come back from a 0–2 deficit to draw 2–2. He received the Man of the Match award for his performance.
Coaching Career
In June 2022, SV Werder Bremen announced that Nelson Valdez had returned to the club. He joined as an assistant coach for their reserve team, SV Werder Bremen II.
Personal Life
Nelson Valdez married Martynka Haedo Valdez in 2008. They have two children, Nelson Samuel and Noemi Beata. His parents and family live in Coronel Oviedo, Paraguay.
Nelson and his wife created a foundation to help his hometown of San Joaquín. This foundation provides money each month and buys presents for 1,500 children every Christmas. Nelson feels a strong connection to his community and wants to give them better opportunities than he had.
In 2014, Valdez helped organize a charity football match to raise money for his former national teammate, Salvador Cabañas, who had faced financial difficulties after a serious injury.
Honours
Club
Werder Bremen
- Bundesliga: 2003–04
- DFB-Pokal: 2003–04
Rubin Kazan
- Russian Cup: 2011–12
- Russian Super Cup: 2012
Olympiacos
- Super League Greece: 2013–14
Seattle Sounders FC
Cerro Porteño
- Primera División: 2017 Clausura, 2020 Apertura
International
Paraguay
- Copa América: runner-up 2011
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
In Spanish: Nelson Haedo Valdez para niños
