Kevin_Rodríguez_(footballer,_born_2000)
Kevin Rodríguez (footballer, born 2000)
Ecuadorian footballer
Kevin José Rodríguez Cortez (born 4 March 2000) is an Ecuadorian footballer who plays as a forward for Belgian Pro League club Royale Union Saint-Gilloise and the Ecuador national team.[2]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kevin José Rodríguez Cortez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (2000-03-04) 4 March 2000 (age 24) | ||
| Place of birth | Ibarra, Ecuador | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Union SG | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2013–2017 | Imbabura | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017–2022 | Imbabura | 67 | (25) |
| 2023 | Independiente del Valle | 16 | (4) |
| 2023– | Union Saint-Gilloise | 15 | (3) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2022– | Ecuador | 11 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 14 April 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21 November 2023 | |||
Imbabura
Born in Ibarra, Rodríguez joined hometown side Imbabura at the age of 13. He progressed through the youth setup until making his first team debut in 2017, featuring in two matches as his club was relegated from the Serie B.
Rodríguez started to feature more regularly in 2018, scoring seven times in the national stage of the Segunda Categoria. After scoring 11 goals overall during the 2019 season, he only scored once in five matches in 2020. In 2021, he only scored twice as his side returned to the second level.
Rodríguez became a regular starter for Imbabura in the 2022 Serie B, scoring ten times as his side finished fifth.[3] In the 2022 Copa Ecuador, he notably scored the winner to knock out LDU Quito in the round of 16.[4]
Independiente del Valle
On 2 December 2022, Independiente del Valle announced the signing of Rodríguez.[5]
Union Saint-Gilloise
On 1 September 2023, Belgian Pro League club Union Saint-Gilloise announced the signing of Rodríguez on a 4-year deal, with an option for an additional year.[6]
Rodriguez made his debut as a substitute in Union's opening UEFA Europa League group game against Toulouse on 20 September 2023, which Union drew 1-1.
Mainly used in his first few months in Belgium as a substitute opposed to being a regular starter, Rodriguez missed a last-minute penalty against Club Brugge on 5 November - Union still held on to win 2-1 - with Rodriguez scoring twice in Union's next game, a 3-0 win over lowly Kortrijk.
Rodriguez played in Union's 2-1 win over Liverpool in their final Europa League group game to progress to the knockout stages of the 2023-24 UEFA Conference League.
Rodríguez was called up to the Ecuador national team for the first time in November 2022, as part of a preparation match against Iraq ahead of the 2022 FIFA World Cup later that month.[7] He made his debut in the match, which finished as a 0–0 draw, coming on as a substitute in the 63rd minute for José Cifuentes.[8] Two days later, he was included by coach Gustavo Alfaro in Ecuador's squad for the World Cup.[9]
On 12 October 2023, Rodríguez scored his first international goal – a 96th minute winner against Bolivia in a 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier.[10]
Club
- As of 14 April 2024[11]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Imbabura | 2017[12] | Serie B | 2 | 0 | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| 2018[12] | Segunda Categoría | 9 | 7 | — | — | 9[lower-alpha 1] | 1 | 18 | 8 | |||
| 2019[12] | 12 | 5 | 1 | 0 | — | 10[lower-alpha 1] | 6 | 23 | 11 | |||
| 2020[12] | 4 | 1 | — | — | 1[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 5 | 1 | ||||
| 2021[12] | 11 | 2 | — | — | 2[lower-alpha 1] | 0 | 13 | 2 | ||||
| 2022[12] | Serie B | 29 | 10 | 4 | 2 | — | — | 33 | 12 | |||
| Total | 67 | 25 | 5 | 2 | — | 22 | 7 | 94 | 34 | |||
| Independiente del Valle | 2023 | Serie A | 16 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 6[lower-alpha 2] | 1 | 3[lower-alpha 3] | 0 | 25 | 5 |
| Union SG | 2023–24 | Belgian Pro League | 15 | 3 | 3 | 1 | 6[lower-alpha 4] | 0 | — | 24 | 4 | |
| Career total | 98 | 30 | 8 | 3 | 12 | 1 | 21 | 7 | 143 | 41 | ||
- Appearance(s) in the Copa Libertadores
- Appearance in the Supercopa Ecuador and two appearances in the CONMEBOL Recopa
- Appearance(s) in the UEFA Europa League
International
- As of 22 November 2023[13]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 12 October 2023 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia |  Bolivia | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification |
- "FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 – Squad list: Ecuador (ECU)" (PDF). FIFA. 15 November 2022. p. 10. Retrieved 15 November 2022.
- Kevin Rodríguez at Soccerway
- "Kevin Rodríguez, el máximo arponero gardenio" [Kevin Rodríguez, the top scorer gardenio] (in Spanish). Diario El Norte. 16 June 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- "Kevin Rodríguez luego de eliminar a LDU: "Estoy concentrado en que quiero comerme al mundo"" [Kevin Rodríguez right after knocking out LDU: "I am focused on taking on the world"] (in Spanish). La Nación. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- "OFICIAL: Kevin Rodríguez, nuevo refuerzo de IDV" [OFFICIAL: Kevin Rodríguez, new addition of IDV] (in Spanish). Studio Fútbol. 2 December 2022. Retrieved 3 December 2022.
- "Union secures striker Kevin Rodriguez". RUSG. Retrieved 1 September 2023.
- "Kevin Rodríguez, del Imbabura SC, convocado para amistoso con la Tricolor" [Kevin Rodríguez, from Imbabura SC, called up for a friendly with the Tricolor]. Diario El Norte (in Spanish). 5 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- "Kevin Rodríguez, jugador del Imbabura, debutó en la Selección de Ecuador" [Kevin Rodríguez, Imbabura player, debuted in the Ecuador National Team]. El Comercio (in Spanish). 12 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- "¿Quién es Kevin Rodríguez? El delantero sorpresa en la nómina de Ecuador para Qatar 2022" [Who is Kevin Rodríguez? The surprise striker in Ecuador's squad for Qatar 2022]. El Universo (in Spanish). 14 November 2022. Retrieved 14 November 2022.
- "De criticado a héroe: Kevin Rodríguez fue el autor del gol y de la victoria de la Tri sobre Bolivia". ESPN (in Spanish). 12 October 2023. Retrieved 11 November 2023.
- Kevin Rodríguez at Soccerway
- "Rodriguez Cortez Kevin Jose" (in Spanish). Ecuadorian Football Federation. Retrieved 3 December 2022.[dead link]
- Kevin Rodríguez at National-Football-Teams.com
- Kevin Rodríguez at WorldFootball.net
- Kevin Rodríguez at BeSoccer
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