Edison Méndez
Encyclopedia
Édison Vicente Méndez Méndez (born March 16, 1979 in Ibarra
) is an Ecuador
ian football
midfielder
who plays for Emelec
and the Ecuadorian national team
.
and corners
for his country and club. While he is right-footed, he can play on either wing as well as in the middle.
of his native Ecuador. After his 2002 FIFA World Cup
performances, during which he scored the winning goal in Ecuador's 1-0 win over Croatia
, he was rumored to have attracted interest from English clubs, notably Aston Villa
and Everton
.
of the Primera División de México
for the latter part of the 2004 season, starting 16 games and scoring 5 goals during the remainder of that season. Following Irapuato's relegation the following year, Méndez moved to Santos Laguna
, where he struggled to find a place, in 14 games, and scoring 2 goals
He returned to Ecuador, and was part of the LDU Quito team who won the Ecuadorian Apertura season
in 2005.
outfit until 2010. He made his debut in the Eredivisie
against Willem II, and marked his stamp in his new club by scoring two goals for a 3-1 win. The following week he became the first Ecuador
ian to play in the UEFA Champions League
and made his debut against Liverpool F.C.
. He was voted Man of the Match in the game.
In March 2007, he became the first Ecuadorian to score in the UEFA Champions League
by getting the only goal in the round of 16 match against Arsenal
. Mendez, along with fellow midfielders Timmy Simons
and veteran Philip Cocu helped PSV reach the quarterfinals.
Mendez's reputation was enhanced when he was among 50 players nominated for the Ballon d'Or
-award for the best players in Europe. In Winter 2007, rumors stated that Mendez wanted a move back to Ecuador.
announced Méndez as its new player. The Ecuadorian midfielder started defending his new team after the 2010 FIFA World Cup
.
qualifying tournament in Brazil in January 2000. Two months later, he was called up to the full squad and made his debut in a 3-1 defeat against Honduras in Quito
.
campaign, scoring in the 1-0 victory in the final group stage match over Croatia
, the country's first ever victory in a FIFA World Cup
. The win against Croatia
came as a surprise, eliminating them and sealing Méndez's reputation as a star. He was seen by many to be the promise or Ecuadorian football and gained interest from many clubs.
He scored five goals in the qualifying stage for the FIFA World Cup
, including a dazzling double from long range against Paraguay
in 2005, helping Ecuador to a 5-2 win in Quito
. With his goals, he helped Ecuador
qualify to the Germany 06
edition.
Méndez again played throughout his team's historic campaign in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
, which culminated in a 1-0 defeat to England
in the round of sixteen. He was credited with two assists throughout the whole tournament.
He played for Ecuador
in the Copa América 2007
. In that tournament he scored a consolation goal against Mexico
as they were eliminated 2-1. On February 26, 2008, Mendez announced his retirement from the national team, to the surprise of most Ecuador
ians and the Latin America
n world. He has stated that one of the reasons for his early retirement is dissatisfaction with the newly appointed Ecuador coach, Sixto Vizuete
. However, on 12 May 2008, Méndez announced his return to the national team, after a meeting with Vizuete and the FEF
president, Luis Chiriboga, in which they solved any differences and misunderstandings that could have led the player to his early retirement.
|1997||rowspan="6"|Deportivo Quito
||rowspan="6"|Serie A||27||1||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|1998||28||1||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|1999||39||0||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2000||31||2||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2001||33||4||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2002||32||10||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2003||El Nacional
||Serie A||34||4||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|-
|2003–04||Deportivo Irapuato||Primera División
||16||5||colspan="2"|N/A||—||—||16||5
|-
|2004–05||Santos Laguna||Primera División
||14||2||colspan="2"|N/A||—||—||14||2
|-
|-
|2005||rowspan="2"|LDU Quito||rowspan="2"|Serie A||42||4||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2006||18||2||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="3"|PSV||rowspan="3"|Eredivisie
||26||5||?||?||?||?||?||?
|-
|2007–08||20||1||?||?||?||?||?||?
|-
|2008–09||26||3||?||?||?||?||?||?
|-
|-
|2009||rowspan="2"|LDU Quito||rowspan="2"|Serie A||8||1||colspan="2"|N/A||9||7||16||8
|-
|2010||15||6||colspan="2"|N/A||0||0||15||6
|-
|-
|2010||Atlético Mineiro
||Série A
||9||0||—||—||3||0||12||0
|-
|-
|2011||Emelec
||Serie A||0||0||colspan="2"|N/A||0||0||0||0
307||35||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
30||7||colspan="2"|N/A||—||—||30||7
72||8||?||?||?||?||?||?
9||0||0||0||3||0||12||0
418||50||?||?||?||?||?||?
PSV
Ibarra, Ecuador
Ibarra is a city in northern Ecuador and the capital of the Imbabura Province. It lies at the foot of the Imbabura Volcano and on the left bank of the Tahuando river. It is about northeast of Ecuador's capital Quito....
) is an Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
who plays for Emelec
Club Sport Emelec
Club Sport Emelec is a Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil that is best known for their professional football team. The football team plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of professional football in the country....
and the Ecuadorian national team
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
.
Playing style
He is known for his pace, accurate passing and long range shooting. He is also known as a dead-ball specialist, and generally takes free kicksDirect free kick
A direct free kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football following a foul. Unlike an indirect free kick, a goal may be scored directly against the opposing side without the ball having first touched another player.-Award:...
and corners
Corner kick
A corner kick is a method of restarting play in a game of association football. It was first devised in Sheffield under the Sheffield Rules 1867...
for his country and club. While he is right-footed, he can play on either wing as well as in the middle.
Deportivo Quito
Méndez began his career with Sociedad Deportivo QuitoSociedad Deportivo Quito
Sociedad Deportivo Quito is a Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league....
of his native Ecuador. After his 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
performances, during which he scored the winning goal in Ecuador's 1-0 win over Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, he was rumored to have attracted interest from English clubs, notably Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
and Everton
Everton F.C.
Everton Football Club are an English professional association football club from the city of Liverpool. The club competes in the Premier League, the highest level of English football...
.
Short spells in Ecuador and Mexico
He transferred to Club IrapuatoClub Irapuato
The Club Deportivo Irapuato, is located in Irapuato, Mexico. That has mostly played in the second tier of Mexican football . From 2000 to 2004, the team briefly rose to prominence and to the first division reaching the playoffs or liguilla...
of the Primera División de México
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
for the latter part of the 2004 season, starting 16 games and scoring 5 goals during the remainder of that season. Following Irapuato's relegation the following year, Méndez moved to Santos Laguna
Santos Laguna
Club Santos Laguna is a Mexican football club. They represent the urban area of Comarca Lagunera, which is made up of Torreón, Gomez Palacio, and Lerdo. Santos Laguna currently plays in the Primera División. The club was founded in 1982, and reached Mexico's top division after buying the franchise...
, where he struggled to find a place, in 14 games, and scoring 2 goals
He returned to Ecuador, and was part of the LDU Quito team who won the Ecuadorian Apertura season
Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol
The Primera Categoría Serie A, simply known as the Serie A or the Primera A, is a professional football league in Ecuador. At the top of the Ecuadorian football league system, it is the country's premier and primary football competition...
in 2005.
PSV Eindhoven
In 2006, shortly after the World Cup, there was speculation of a move to Germany, more specifically Hannover. He ended all rumours in August 2006 by signing a one season loan deal with PSV Eindhoven, which was followed by a contract for three and a half years which would tie him to the Philips StadionPhilips Stadion
Philips Stadion is the 35,000 seater stadium of football club, PSV Eindhoven. It was first inaugurated on 31 August 1913. The stadium is located in the Philipsdorp part of the Eindhoven borough of Strijp, close to Eindhoven's city centre....
outfit until 2010. He made his debut in the Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
against Willem II, and marked his stamp in his new club by scoring two goals for a 3-1 win. The following week he became the first Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian to play in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
and made his debut against Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool F.C.
Liverpool Football Club is an English Premier League football club based in Liverpool, Merseyside. Liverpool has won eighteen League titles, second most in English football, seven FA Cups and a record seven League Cups...
. He was voted Man of the Match in the game.
In March 2007, he became the first Ecuadorian to score in the UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League 2006-07
The 2006–07 UEFA Champions League was the 15th season of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, since it was rebranded from the European Cup, and the 52nd season overall. The final was contested by Milan and Liverpool on 23 May 2007...
by getting the only goal in the round of 16 match against Arsenal
Arsenal F.C.
Arsenal Football Club is a professional English Premier League football club based in North London. One of the most successful clubs in English football, it has won 13 First Division and Premier League titles and 10 FA Cups...
. Mendez, along with fellow midfielders Timmy Simons
Timmy Simons
Timmy Simons is a Belgian football central defender and defensive midfielder who plays for FC Nuremberg in the German Bundesliga. Simons' former clubs include Lommel, Club Brugge, and PSV Eindhoven. He won the Belgian Golden Shoe in 2002 while playing for Club Brugge.In the summer 2005 he decided...
and veteran Philip Cocu helped PSV reach the quarterfinals.
Mendez's reputation was enhanced when he was among 50 players nominated for the Ballon d'Or
European Footballer of the Year
The "", literally translated as "the golden ball" and often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year award, was an annual association football award. It was presented to the player who had been considered to have performed the best over the previous calendar year...
-award for the best players in Europe. In Winter 2007, rumors stated that Mendez wanted a move back to Ecuador.
Return to Ecuador
On August 4, 2009, it was reported the Mendez will return to Ecuador for personal reasons to play for his former team LDU Quito.Going to Brazil
In March, Brazilian club Clube Atlético MineiroClube Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro , are a Brazilian football club based in Belo Horizonte, the oldest in the city. Founded in 1908, they play in the Campeonato Mineiro and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão. Atlético Mineiro have been Brazilian champions once, state winners a record 40 times and...
announced Méndez as its new player. The Ecuadorian midfielder started defending his new team after the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
.
Ecuador U20
He participated at the South American U-20 Championship in Paraguay in 1999, and OlympicOlympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
qualifying tournament in Brazil in January 2000. Two months later, he was called up to the full squad and made his debut in a 3-1 defeat against Honduras in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
.
Ecuador national team
He played all three games of Ecuador's 2002 World Cup2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
campaign, scoring in the 1-0 victory in the final group stage match over Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
, the country's first ever victory in a FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
. The win against Croatia
Croatia national football team
The Croatia national football team represents Croatia in international football. The team is controlled by the Croatian Football Federation, the governing body for football in the country, and has been managed since 2006 by former player Slaven Bilić...
came as a surprise, eliminating them and sealing Méndez's reputation as a star. He was seen by many to be the promise or Ecuadorian football and gained interest from many clubs.
He scored five goals in the qualifying stage for the FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
, including a dazzling double from long range against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
in 2005, helping Ecuador to a 5-2 win in Quito
Quito
San Francisco de Quito, most often called Quito , is the capital city of Ecuador in northwestern South America. It is located in north-central Ecuador in the Guayllabamba river basin, on the eastern slopes of Pichincha, an active stratovolcano in the Andes mountains...
. With his goals, he helped Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
qualify to the Germany 06
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
edition.
Méndez again played throughout his team's historic campaign in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
, which culminated in a 1-0 defeat to England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in the round of sixteen. He was credited with two assists throughout the whole tournament.
He played for Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
in the Copa América 2007
Copa América 2007
The 2007 Campeonato Sudamericano Copa América, known simply as the 2007 Copa América or 2007 Copa América Venezuela, was the 42nd edition of the Copa América, the South-American championship for international association football teams...
. In that tournament he scored a consolation goal against Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
as they were eliminated 2-1. On February 26, 2008, Mendez announced his retirement from the national team, to the surprise of most Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ians and the Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n world. He has stated that one of the reasons for his early retirement is dissatisfaction with the newly appointed Ecuador coach, Sixto Vizuete
Sixto Vizuete
Sixto Rafael Vizuete Toapanta is the Ecuadorian football manager who currently manages the Ecuadorian U-20 national team.-Early career:...
. However, on 12 May 2008, Méndez announced his return to the national team, after a meeting with Vizuete and the FEF
Federación Ecuatoriana de Fútbol
The Ecuadorian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Ecuador. Its seat is in Guayaquil, and it organizes the country's various football competitions and oversees the Ecuadorian national team.-See also:*Ecuador national football team...
president, Luis Chiriboga, in which they solved any differences and misunderstandings that could have led the player to his early retirement.
Career statistics
|-|1997||rowspan="6"|Deportivo Quito
Sociedad Deportivo Quito
Sociedad Deportivo Quito is a Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league....
||rowspan="6"|Serie A||27||1||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|1998||28||1||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|1999||39||0||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2000||31||2||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2001||33||4||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2002||32||10||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2003||El Nacional
Club Deportivo El Nacional
Club Deportivo "El Nacional" is a Ecuadorian sports club from Quito, known best for their professional football team. The team currently plays in the Serie A, the top-flight football league in the country....
||Serie A||34||4||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|-
|2003–04||Deportivo Irapuato||Primera División
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
||16||5||colspan="2"|N/A||—||—||16||5
|-
|2004–05||Santos Laguna||Primera División
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
||14||2||colspan="2"|N/A||—||—||14||2
|-
|-
|2005||rowspan="2"|LDU Quito||rowspan="2"|Serie A||42||4||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|2006||18||2||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
|-
|-
|2006–07||rowspan="3"|PSV||rowspan="3"|Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
||26||5||?||?||?||?||?||?
|-
|2007–08||20||1||?||?||?||?||?||?
|-
|2008–09||26||3||?||?||?||?||?||?
|-
|-
|2009||rowspan="2"|LDU Quito||rowspan="2"|Serie A||8||1||colspan="2"|N/A||9||7||16||8
|-
|2010||15||6||colspan="2"|N/A||0||0||15||6
|-
|-
|2010||Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro
Clube Atlético Mineiro , are a Brazilian football club based in Belo Horizonte, the oldest in the city. Founded in 1908, they play in the Campeonato Mineiro and Campeonato Brasileiro Série A or Brasileirão. Atlético Mineiro have been Brazilian champions once, state winners a record 40 times and...
||Série A
Campeonato Brasileiro Série A
The Campeonato Brasileiro de Clubes da Série A , popularly known as the Brasileirão , is a professional football league at the top of the Brazilian football league system held annually since 1959. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates a system of promotion and relegation with the Série B...
||9||0||—||—||3||0||12||0
|-
|-
|2011||Emelec
Club Sport Emelec
Club Sport Emelec is a Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil that is best known for their professional football team. The football team plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of professional football in the country....
||Serie A||0||0||colspan="2"|N/A||0||0||0||0
307||35||colspan="2"|N/A||?||?||?||?
30||7||colspan="2"|N/A||—||—||30||7
72||8||?||?||?||?||?||?
9||0||0||0||3||0||12||0
418||50||?||?||?||?||?||?
Honors
LDU Quito- Serie A: 2005 Apertura
- Copa SudamericanaCopa SudamericanaThe Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
: 20092009 Copa SudamericanaThe 2009 Copa Sudamericana de Clubes is the 8th edition of the CONMEBOL's secondary international club tournament. Internacional were the defending champions, having won the trophy the previous season...
PSV
- EredivisieEredivisieThe Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
: 2006–07, 2007–08