Sebastián Abreu

Sebastián Abreu
Abreu training for Uruguay in 2011
Personal information
Full name	Washington Sebastián Abreu Gallo
Date of birth	(1976-10-17) 17 October 1976 (age 37)
Place of birth	Minas, Uruguay
Height	1.93 m (6 ft 4 in)
Playing position	Striker
Club information
Current team	Rosario Central (loan from Nacional)
Number	13
Youth career
1994–1996	Defensor
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1996	Defensor	24	(13)
1996–1997	San Lorenzo	43	(26)
1998–2004	Deportivo La Coruña	15	(3)
1998	→ Grêmio (loan)	7	(1)
1999–2000	→ Tecos (loan)	33	(27)
2000–2001	→ San Lorenzo (loan)	25	(10)
2001	→ Nacional (loan)	18	(16)
2002–2003	→ Cruz Azul (loan)	39	(34)
2003	→ América (loan)	16	(3)
2004	→ Tecos (loan)	17	(5)
2004–2005	Nacional	31	(16)
2005–2006	Sinaloa	34	(22)
2006	Monterrey	16	(7)
2007	San Luis	14	(6)
2007–2008	Tigres	15	(7)
2008	→ River Plate (loan)	17	(2)
2008	Beitar Jerusalem	0	(0)
2008–2009	River Plate	0	(0)
2009	→ Real Sociedad (loan)	18	(11)
2009–2010	Aris	8	(3)
2010–2012	Botafogo	93	(55)
2012	→ Figueirense (loan)	5	(0)
2013–	Nacional	11	(2)
2013–	→ Rosario Central (loan)	27	(7)
National team
1996–2012	Uruguay	70	(26)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 June 2014. † Appearances (Goals).

Washington Sebastián Abreu Gallo (Spanish pronunciation: [seβasˈtjan aˈβɾeu]; born 17 October 1976) is an Uruguayan professional footballer who plays for Rosario Central on loan from Club Nacional de Football as a striker.

Best known by his nickname El Loco (Madman in Spanish), the prolific goalscorer – for club and national team – played for more than 20 teams during his professional career, in seven different countries.^[1]

A Uruguayan international during more than 15 years, Abreu represented the country in two World Cups and three Copa América tournaments.

Club career

Early career

Born in Minas, Lavalleja Department, Abreu played in numerous clubs throughout the Americas (Uruguay, Argentina, Mexico and Brazil). He also had an unsuccessful stint with Spain's Deportivo de La Coruña, which loaned him several times for the duration of his contract.^[2]

In his sole season in La Liga, which started in January 1998, having been signed from Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro, Abreu scored for the Galicians in a 3–1 home win against FC Barcelona on 25 January.^[3]

River Plate: First Term

After having joined Mexico's Tigres de la UANL in 2007, Abreu was able to rescind his contract with them in order to join Club Atlético River Plate – the Mexican Football Federation stalled on recognizing the transfer because of an imposed moratorium between the clubs. With Tigres he became the only foreigner to score in the Clasico Regio (Tigres vs. Club de Fútbol Monterrey, which he represented the previous year) against each team.

Beitar Jerusalem

In the summer of 2008, after exhausting negotiations, Abreu signed a contract with Israeli League champions Beitar Jerusalem FC.^[4][5] He appeared in 5 games for Beitar Jerusalem:

In the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Champions League:

• 1) On 30 July 2008, in a win 2:1 vs. Wisla Krakow in which Abreu gave an assist to Aviram Baruchyan who scored the 2 goals of Beitar Jerusalem.^[6]
• 2) On 6 August 2008, in a defeat 0:5 vs. Wisla Krakow and Beitar Jerusalem was disqualified.^[7]

Abreu next games in Beitar Jerusalem were in Toto Cup of 2008-2009 Season:

• 1) On 9 August 2008, in a draw 1:1 vs. Maccabi Haifa F.C..^[8]
• 2) On 16 August 2008, in a win 3:0 vs. Bnei Yehuda.^[9]
• 3) On 23 August 2008, in a defeat 0:1 vs. Maccabi Netanya.^[10]

Arcadi Gaydamak hoped that he could finance Abreu 1 Million USA Dollars contract by success in UEFA Champions League but the failure of beitar made it impossible, and Abreu was released on 31 August 2008.

River Plate: Second Term

Abreu re-signed with River Plate in September 2008 after rescinding his link with Beitar, with a deal lasting until June 2009. Due to a being a late addition, he was not able to play for the side in the national championship, only featuring in the Southamerican Cup; the next year, he was eligible for both the domestic and Libertadores Cup fronts.

Real Sociedad

In early January 2009 Abreu returned to Spain after a ten-year absence, being loaned by River to second level side Real Sociedad, which had lost habitual first-choice Iñigo Díaz de Cerio for the season due to a serious leg injury.^[11]

On 14 March, he netted a hat-trick in a 3–1 away win against league leaders Xerez CD.^[12] His club, however, ultimately failed in returning to the top flight.

Botafogo

On 13 June 2009, Greek club Aris Thessaloniki F.C. signed Abreu from River Plate.^[13] However, in January of the following year, the 33-year-old changed teams and countries again, agreeing on a two-year contract with Brazil's Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas.

On 18 April 2010 Abreu scored the second goal in Botafogo's 2–1 victory against Clube de Regatas do Flamengo, which gave the team the Carioca Championship title. In July he had his link extended until 31 December of the following year with a release clause of US$11.3 million, with the player declaring he had previously held talks with Club Universidad de Chile and Trabzonspor of Turkey.

On 6 February 2011, Abreu was involved in a dramatic match against Fluminense Football Club: as Botafogo was losing 1–2, his team was awarded a penalty kick, and he shot it in Panenka-style, with Diego Cavalieri saving the shot by simply standing still. Just five minutes later Botafogo won another penalty, and Abreu shot it in the same fashion, this time into the right-hand corner of the goal, as Cavalieri dived the other way; a few minutes later, Botafogo scored again and won the game.^[14]

On 5 July 2012, Abreu was loaned to fellow Série A outfit Figueirense Futebol Clube. However, as the season went on to end in relegation, his contract was ended via Twitter on 24 November, one day before the last game against Grêmio Foot-Ball Porto Alegrense.^[15]

International career

Abreu played for Uruguay at the 2002 FIFA World Cup – two matches – and the 1997 and 2007 Copa América editions, netting twice in the latter.^[16] He made his debut for the national side on 17 July 1996 in a friendly with China, going on to gain 70 caps.^[17]

On 27 May 2010, Abreu stood only five goals short of Uruguayan all-time goalscoring record, held by Héctor Scarone for 79 years. He was selected for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, where he appeared three times as a substitute: in the quarterfinals against Ghana he was charged with taking the decisive penalty shootout attempt (1–1 after 120 minutes), and scored it in Panenka-style, sending Uruguay to the semifinals for the first time in 40 years.

Honours

Club

San Lorenzo

• Argentine Primera División: 2001 Clausura

Nacional

• Uruguayan Primera División: 2001 Clausura/Uruguayo, 2003 Apertura, 2004 Apertura, 2005 Uruguayo

River Plate

• Argentine Primera División: 2008 Clausura

Botafogo

• Campeonato Carioca: 2010

International

• Copa América: 2011

References

External links

• Argentine League statistics (Spanish)
• Stats at Liga de Fútbol Profesional (Spanish)
• BDFutbol profile
• Stats at Football.org (Hebrew)
• National team data (Spanish)
• Sebastián Abreu at National-Football-Teams.com
• Soccerway profile
• Official site (Spanish)