Fidel Escobar

Fidel Escobar Mendieta (born 9 January 1995) is a Panamanian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Liga FPD club Saprissa and the Panama national team.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Escobar and the second or maternal family name is Mendieta.

Fidel Escobar
Escobar with Panama at the 2018 FIFA World Cup
Personal information
Full name Fidel Escobar Mendieta
Date of birth (1995-01-09) 9 January 1995
Place of birth Panama City, Panama
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)[1]
Position(s) Centre-back
Team information
Current team
 Deportivo Saprissa
Number 21
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 San Francisco 16 (1)
2014–2020 San Miguelito 65 (6)
2016–2017 → Sporting B (loan) 14 (0)
2017–2018 → New York Red Bulls (loan) 12 (0)
2017–2018 → New York Red Bulls II (loan) 6 (1)
2019 → Correcaminos UAT (loan) 0 (0)
2019–2020 → Córdoba (loan) 20 (0)
2020–2022 Alcorcón 24 (0)
2022 → Cultural Leonesa (loan) 14 (1)
2022– Deportivo Saprissa 36 (0)
International career‡
2015 Panama U20 7 (3)
2015– Panama 74 (3)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Panama
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Runner-up2023 United States–CanadaTeam
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 30 June 2023
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 16 July 2023

Club career

San Francisco

Born in Panama City, Escobar graduated from San Francisco's youth setup, and made his senior debut during the 2012–13 campaign, aged only 18. During the next season he established himself as a first team regular making 14 starts and scoring one goal. On 26 October 2013, Escobar scored his first goal for Los Monjes in a 2–0 victory over Chorrillo.[2]

Sporting San Miguelito

After impressing with San Francisco, Escobar was signed by Sporting San Miguelito for the 2014 Clausura season. He made 14 appearances scoring one goal in his first season at the club. On 16 March 2014, Escobar scored his first goal with San Miguelito in a 2–2 draw with Alianza.[3] In his two and a half seasons with the club Escobar made 65 league appearances scoring six goals.

Sporting B (loan)

As a result of his impressive play with his club and at the Under-20 World Cup Escobar received the attention of European clubs. During July 2016, Escobar was sent on loan with an option to buy to Sporting Clube de Portugal's reserve side Sporting B.[4] Escobar made his debut for Sporting B on 6 August 2016 playing the entire match in a 1–2 loss to Portimonense S.C.[5] In January 2017, Escobar attempted to terminate his contract with Sporting in search of other opportunities and was threatened with legal action by the Portuguese side.[6] Escobar eventually apologized to the club and was reinstated for the second half of the season. He made his return to the side on 15 April 2017, starting in a 2–0 victory over União da Madeira.[7]

New York Red Bulls (loan)

On 27 July 2017 it was announced that Escobar was joining New York Red Bulls on an 18-month loan.[8] For his play on 10 March 2018, in which he helped lead New York to a 4–0 victory over Portland Timbers in the team's first league match of the season, Escobar was named to the Starting XI for Major League Soccer's Team of the Week.[9]

Escobar was loaned to affiliate side New York Red Bulls II of the United Soccer League for the match against Tampa Bay Rowdies on 14 April 2018. He opened the scoring for New York in the 5–0 victory.[10]

Escobar's loan was not extended by the Red Bulls at the end of their 2018 season.[11]

Córdoba (loan)

On 10 July 2019, after a six-month spell at Correcaminos UAT, Escobar joined Spanish Segunda División B side Córdoba CF on loan for one year.[12]

Alcorcón

On 28 July 2020, Escobar agreed to a three-year contract with AD Alcorcón in Segunda División.[13] On 31 January 2022, he was loaned to Primera División RFEF side Cultural y Deportiva Leonesa.[14]

International career

Escobar played at the 2015 FIFA U-20 World Cup in New Zealand.[15] He made his debut in the competition on 30 May 2015 scoring an 84th-minute equalizer in a 2–2 draw against heavily favored side Argentina.[16]

Escobar made his senior debut for Panama in a February 2015 friendly match against the United States.

In May 2018 he was named in Panama's preliminary 35 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia, and played all three matches in an eventual group-stage exit.[17]

Career statistics

Club
As of 28 October 2018[18]
Club Season League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
San Francisco 2012–13 Liga Panameña de Fútbol 20———20
2013–14 141———141
Total 161———161
San Miguelito 2013–14 Liga Panameña de Fútbol 141———141
2014–15 252———252
2015–16 263———263
Total 656———656
Sporting B (loan) 2016-17 LigaPro 140———140
New York Red Bulls (loan) 2017 Major League Soccer 6010——70
2018 60—00—60
Total 1201000—130
New York Red Bulls II (loan) 2017 United Soccer League 10———10
2018 51———51
Total 61———61
Career total 11381000001148

International
As of match played 16 July 2023[19]
Panama
YearAppsGoals
201520
201671
2017110
2018110
2019110
202010
202180
2022131
2023101
Total743

International goals
Scores and results list Panama's goal tally first.[20]
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.11 November 2016Estadio Olímpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras Honduras1–01–02018 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.9 June 2022Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Martinique3–05–02022–23 CONCACAF Nations League A
3.4 July 2023Shell Energy Stadium, Houston, United States El Salvador1–12–22023 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Honours

New York Red Bulls

Panama U20

Individual

References
  1. "2018 FIFA World Cup: List of players" (PDF). FIFA. 8 July 2018. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 June 2018.
  2. "Chepo y San Francisco creen en las semifinales". lpf.com.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 27 October 2013.
  3. "Chorrillo es líder tras 11 jornadas completas". lpf.com.pa (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 March 2014.
  4. "Sporting: Fidel Escobar está a caminho de Lisboa". maisfutebol.iol.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 5 July 2016.
  5. "SPORTING B-PORTIMONENSE, 1-2: PIRES BISA NA REVIRAVOLTA ALGARVIA". record.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 6 August 2016.
  6. "Sporting: Fidel no quiere volver a Lisboa". futbolcentroamerica.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 6 September 2017. Retrieved 12 January 2017.
  7. "SPORTING B-UNIÃO DA MADEIRA, 2-0: LEÕES REGRESSAM ÀS VITÓRIAS". record.pt (in Portuguese). Retrieved 15 April 2017.
  8. "New York Red Bulls Add Panama International Fidel Escobar on Loan". newyorkredbulls.com. Retrieved 27 July 2017.
  9. "Fidel Escobar in Starting XI for Team of the Week presented by Audi". newyorkredbulls.com. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 12 March 2018.
  10. "Red Bulls II Romp Past Rowdies". uslsoccer.com. 14 April 2018. Retrieved 14 April 2018.
  11. "New York Red Bulls Announce End of Season Roster Updates". NewYorkRedBulls.com.
  12. "Fidel Escobar, tercer fichaje del Córdoba CF" [Fidel Escobar, third signing of Córdoba CF] (in Spanish). Córdoba CF. 10 July 2019. Retrieved 16 August 2019.
  13. "Fidel Escobar, primer fichaje de la A.D. Alcorcón 2020–2021" [Fidel Escobar, first signing of A.D. Alcorcón 2020–2021] (in Spanish). AD Alcorcón. 28 July 2020. Retrieved 9 August 2020.
  14. "Salidas de futbolistas de la primera plantilla alfarera" [Departure of footballers from the first team alfarero] (in Spanish). AD Alcorcón. 31 January 2022. Retrieved 1 February 2022.
  15. Fidel Escobar – FIFA competition record (archived)
  16. "Argentina empató con Panamá en el debut del Mundial Sub-20". lanacion.com.ar (in Spanish). 30 May 2015. Retrieved 30 May 2015.
  17. "Revealed: Every World Cup 2018 squad - Final 23-man lists | Goal.com". Retrieved 5 June 2018.
  18. Fidel Escobar at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  19. "Fidel Escobar". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 8 July 2018.
  20. "F. Escobar". Soccerway. Retrieved 18 July 2018.
  21. "Pineda, Gray and Carrasquilla lead way in Gold Cup Best XI". CONCACAF. 18 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
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