| Cristian Benitez | ||
| Personal information | ||
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cristian Rogelio Benitez Betancourt | |
| Date of birth | May 1 1986 | |
| Place of birth | Quito, Ecuador | |
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in) | |
| Playing position | Striker | |
| Club information | ||
| Current club | Santos Laguna | |
| Number | 11 | |
| Senior clubs1 | ||
| Years | Club | App (Gls)* |
| 1997–2006 2007– | El Nacional Santos Laguna | 83 (29) 15 (8) |
| National team2 | ||
| 2006– | Ecuador | 14 (7) |
|
1 Senior club appearances and goals | ||
Christian Rogelio Benítez Betancourt, also known as Chucho Benitez (born May 1 1986 in Quito) is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays as a forward for Santos Laguna in Mexico.
International Career
Benítez is the son of one of Ecuador's all time top scoring players, Ermen Benítez, and was a member of the Ecuador national team at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. His speed, elusiveness, and skill with the ball made him look good and ready for the World Cup in Germany.[1] Benitez was considered by many as a surprise selection from Ecuador's Colombian-born coach Luis Fernando Suarez. He was a candidate for the Gillete Best Young Player Award that was awarded for the first time at the end of the FIFA World Cup to the best young player born on or after January 1, 1985. He only came on in the 3-0 loss to Germany in the World Cup, replacing Felix Borja in the middle of the game. His first international goal came in August 2006 against Peru. He also scored a goal in an international friendly between the Ecuadorian national team and Ireland on May 23, 2006. They later drew 1-1 in New Jersey. ,[2] He scored again on 27 June, 2007, against Chile, during Copa America 2007. In an international friendly against El Salvador on 8 September 2007, Benitez scored twice in an emphatic 5-1 home win in Quito.[1] He is being considered as the successor to former international star Agustin Delgado in the striker position.
Club Career
Known as one of the best players in the Ecuadorian top flight, he was scouted by many important clubs, such as Villarreal CF of Spain in January of 2007 due to his marvelous performances in his club El Nacional. Though later it was confirmed that there was no real interest from the Spanish team,[3] he was reported with a move to Red Star Belgrade in the Serbian Superliga on July 2007.[4]
He is now currently playing for Santos Laguna of the Primera División de México. He is consider one of the best foreign strikers in the Mexican league. He is having much success with Santos Laguna and is currently one of the top scorers in the league. There has been some recent interest from Benfica and Sporting Lisbon from Portugal. [2] Benitez got an award for being the best player playing outside of Ecuador in the year 2007.[[3]]
References
- ^ "Christian Benitez, el hijo de la Pantera y el punta del futuro", Diario AS, 2007-06-01. Retrieved on 2007-06-01.
- ^ "Ecuador 1-1 Ireland", ESPNsoccernet, 2007-05-23. Retrieved on 2007-05-24.
- ^ "El Nacional no conoce interès del Villareal", CRE Satelital Ecuador, 2007-01-16. Retrieved on 2007-05-20.
- ^ "Neka bude Makedonija", Vecernje Novosti, 2007-07-03. Retrieved on 2007-07-03.
Ecuador squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup | |
|---|---|
| 1 Villafuerte • 2 Guagua • 3 Hurtado • 4 de la Cruz • 5 Perlaza • 6 Urrutia • 7 Lara • 8 Méndez • 9 Borja • 10 Kaviedes • 11 Delgado • 12 Mora • 13 Ambrosi • 14 Castillo • 15 Ayoví • 16 Valencia • 17 Espinoza • 18 Reasco • 19 Saritama • 20 E. Tenorio • 21 C. Tenorio • 22 Lanza • 23 Benítez • Coach: Suárez |  |
Santos Laguna – current squad |
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