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Kevin Benítez

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Kevin Benítez
Personal information
Full name Kevin Benítez León[1]
Date of birth (1994-09-30) 30 September 1994 (age 30)[1]
Place of birth Cali, Colombia
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward
Team information
Current team
 Municipal San Ramón
Number 24
Youth career
Boca Juniors de Cali
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Deportes Quindío 18 (4)
2012–201? Universitario Popayán 13 (1)
2014 Boyacá Chicó 1 (0)
2015 Petrolero 12 (2)
2016–2017 Universitario de Sucre 0 (0)
2017 Independiente de Cauquenes 7 (0)
2018 Royal Obrero
2018– Municipal San Ramón
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 March 2018

Kevin Benítez León (born September 30, 1994) is a Colombian footballer who plays as a forward for Municipal San Ramón in Costa Rica.

He previously played domestically for Deportes Quindío and Boyacá Chicó of the Primera A and for Primera B club Universitario Popayán, as well as for Bolivian Primera División club Petrolero and Independiente de Cauquenes of the Segunda División de Chile (Chilean third tier). He was on the books of another Bolivian Primera club, Universitario de Sucre, without playing for them in league competition. Internationally, he represented his country from under-15 to under-20 level.

Life and career

Benítez was born in Cali,[2] Colombia. He played youth football under the auspices of the Liga vallecaucana[3] and in the Boca Juniors de Cali academy.[4] He represented his country at levels from under-15 to under-20. At the 2009 South American Under-15 Championship, he scored three goals in the group stage,[5] and repeated the feat for the under-15s at the 2009 Torneo Internacional de las Américas, a nominally under-17 tournament.[6] He was a member of the under-17 squad that won the gold medal at the 2010 South American Games,[4][7] and scored in the final as his team beat Club Atlas U17 5–2 to win the 2010 Torneo de las Américas.[8] He also participated in training camps with Colombia's under-20 squad.[9]

His first professional club was Deportes Quindío. He made his debut on 27 March 2011, aged 16, against Boyacá Chicó in the Primera A. Entering the match after 68 minutes with his team 2–0 down, he scored his first senior goal 12 minutes later with a powerful shot from inside the penalty area, the match ended 2–1.[10] His second appearance, on 11 April, was in a 5–0 defeat against Millonarios when manager Fernando Castro fielded a youth team in protest over non-payment of the first team's wages.[11] He played five more matches in the 2011 Apertura and scored another three goals, followed by five appearances without scoring in the Torneo Finalización and six, again without scoring, in the 2012 Apertura.[1]

Benítez left Quindío for Primera B club Universitario Popayán ahead of the 2012 Torneo Finalización.[12] His first appearance was on the opening day of the campaign, as a late substitute in a 1–1 draw away to Fortaleza;[2] the match was later awarded as a 3–0 win to the hosts because Universitario had fielded a suspended player.[13] He played eight times in the 2012 season and five in the next, scoring once, in a 3–2 defeat away to Cortuluá.[2] On his last Primera B appearance, on 31 March against the same opponents, he missed what El Pueblo called the best chance of the match, which would have given his team a 2–1 win.[14]

Reportedly a transfer target for América de Cali in December 2013,[15] the 19-year-old Benítez returned to the Primera A the following July with Boyacá Chicó,[16] the club against which he made his debut. He played in nine of Chicó's twelve matches in the 2014 Copa Colombia,[2] but made only one league appearance at the higher level, starting in a goalless draw with Deportivo Pasto on 20 September.[1][17] He was released at the end of the season.[18]

His next port of call was Petrolero, newly promoted to the Bolivian Primera División. He made 12 appearances in the 2015 Clausura and scored twice:[1] in a 2–1 away win against Universitario de Sucre,[19] and with a penalty in stoppage time to give his team a 3–2 victory against The Strongest.[20] He left the club at the end of the tournament,[21] and moved on to Universitario de Sucre – against which he had scored for Petrolero – but played no Primera División football for them.[2]

He spent the latter part of 2017 with Independiente de Cauquenes of the Segunda División de Chile, making his debut as a half-time substitute in a goalless draw with Vallenar.[22] He went on to make seven appearances, mostly as a substitute, without scoring, and an analysis of the foreign contribution to Chilean third-tier football did not rate him highly.[23] He returned to Bolivia in 2018 where he signed for the Tarija-based Royal Obrero of the Torneo Nacional Interprovincial (third tier).[24] Later in 2018, he joined Costa Rican club Municipal San Ramón.[25][26]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f "Kevin Benítez: Club matches". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e "K. Benítez". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  3. ^ "Selección Sub-15 viaja a Bolivia para Sudamericano de la categoría" [U15 team travel to Bolivia for the South American Under-15 Championships] (in Spanish). Federación Colombiana de Fútbol. 4 November 2009. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Colombia Sub-17 debutará ante Ecuador en los IX Juegos Suramericanos" [Colombia U17 will begin against Ecuador in the IX South American Games] (in Spanish). Federación Colombiana de Fútbol. 19 March 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  5. ^ "Colombia debuta con victoria en Sudamericano sub 15 de fútbol" [Colombia begin with victory in the South American U15 Football Championship] (in Spanish). ADN Radio. 8 November 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
    "Colombia igualó ante Ecuador en Sudamericano Sub-15" [Colombia equalise against Ecuador in the South American U15 Championship] (in Spanish). Federación Colombiana de Fútbol. 9 November 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  6. ^ "Colombia cae ante Atlas y se despide del Torneo de Las Américas" [Colombia go down to Atlas and exit the Torneo de Las Américas] (in Spanish). Federación Colombiana de Fútbol. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  7. ^ "IX Games Medellin 2010 first victory in the Olympic cycle". Colombian Olympic Committee. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  8. ^ "Selección Sub-17 gana en Cali el IX Torneo Internacional de Las Américas" [U17 national team win the IX Torneo Internacional de Las Américas in Cali] (in Spanish). Federación Colombiana de Fútbol. 5 December 2010. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  9. ^ "Jugadores del Huila a Selección Colombia Sub 20" [Huila players in the Colombia U20 squad]. La Nación (in Spanish). Neiva. 8 March 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Chicó le ganó con lo justo al Quindío" [Chicó do just enough to beat Quindío]. El País (in Spanish). Cali. 27 March 2011. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
    "Colombia: Primera A 2011 Apertura: 8. Round: Boyacá Chicó – Deportes Quindío 2:1". worldfootball.net. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Conozca qué pasó con los juveniles del Quindío que enfrentaron a Millonarios en 2011" [Find out what happened to the Quindío youngsters who took on Millonarios in 2011]. Eje 21 (in Spanish). December 2016. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  12. ^ Muñoz Morales, Anuar Arley (7 July 2012). "Inició el segundo semestre Universitario" [Universitario's second half begins] (in Spanish). Torneo Postobón. Archived from the original on 1 January 2013.
  13. ^ "Universitario de Popayán, sancionado por alinear a jugador suspendido" [Universitario de Popayán, penalised for fielding a suspended player]. El Tiempo (in Spanish). Bogotá. 1 August 2012. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  14. ^ Bedoya, Sebastian (1 April 2013). "Cortuluá rescató un punto en su visita al Universitario de Popayán" [Cortuluá rescued a point in their visit to Universitario de Popayán]. El Pueblo (in Spanish). Cali. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  15. ^ "América de Cali se refuerza para buscar el regreso a la Liga Postobón" [América de Cali strengthen as they seek a return to the Liga Postobón] (in Spanish). Win Sports. 28 December 2013. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  16. ^ "Dos argentinos y un caleño, las novedades de Chicó para la Liga Postobón 2014-II" [Two Argentines and a man from Cali, Chicó's newcomers for the second half of the Liga Postobón] (in Spanish). Win Sports. 16 July 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  17. ^ "Pasto sumó un punto en Tunja tras su empate 0–0 con Chicó" [Pasto got a point at Tunja through their 0–0 draw with Chicó]. Vanguardia Liberal (in Spanish). Bucaramanga. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  18. ^ "Boyacá Chicó arrancará la pretemporada en diciembre" [Boyacá Chicó will begin pre-season in December]. ESPN Deportes (in Spanish). 12 November 2014. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  19. ^ "Petrolero de Yacuiba vence de visitante a la U de Sucre y Baldivieso renuncia al cargo de DT" [Petrolero de Yacuiba beat U de Sucre away from home and Baldivieso resigns his post as coach]. La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. 18 March 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  20. ^ "Petrolero logra milagroso triunfo ante The Strongest" [Petrolero get a miraculous win against The Strongest]. El Día (in Spanish). Santa Cruz. 9 April 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  21. ^ "Petrolero empieza a trabajar con sus divisiones inferiores" [Petrolero begin working with their junior teams]. El Chaco Informa (in Spanish). 27 May 2015. Retrieved 20 March 2018.
  22. ^ Aravena M., Matías (10 September 2017). "En el Fiscal repartieron puntos Independiente de Cauquenes y Vallenar" [Independiente de Cauquenes and Vallenar share the points in the Fiscal]. La Voz de la Provincia (in Spanish). Cauquenes. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  23. ^ Molina, Rodrigo (5 January 2018). "Nivel de los extranjeros en Segunda División 2017" [Level of foreigners in the 2017 Segunda División]. En El Camarín (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  24. ^ Jordán Azurduy, Joaquín (20 February 2018). "Benítez y Guardia son los nuevos jugadores" [Benítez and Guardia are the new players]. El Periódico de Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 March 2018.
  25. ^ Deportivo Municipal San Ramón - Facebook, facebook.com, 11 November 2018
  26. ^ Deportivo Municipal San Ramón - Facebook, facebook.com, 15 July 2018
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