Native name
Conventional long name	Republic of Ecuador
Common name	Ecuador
Image coat	Coat of arms of Ecuador.svg
National motto	''"Dios, patria y libertad"''''"Pro Deo, Patria et Libertate"''"God, homeland and liberty"
National anthem	''Salve, Oh Patria''''Hail, Oh Homeland''
Official languages	Spanish1
Demonym	EcuadorianEcuadorean
Capital	Quito
Largest city	Guayaquil
Government type	Unitary presidential republic
Leader title1	President
Leader title2	Vice President
Leader name1	Rafael Correa
Leader name2	Lenín Moreno
Area rank	75th
Area magnitude	1 E11
Area km2	272,046 (with Galapagos)
Area sq mi	109,483
Percent water	5
Population estimate	15,007,343
Population estimate rank	65th
Population estimate year	2011
Population census	14,306,876
Population census year	2010
Population density km2	53.8
Population density sq mi	139.4
Population density rank	151st
Gdp ppp	$119.963 billion
Gdp ppp year	2011
Gdp ppp per capita	$8,327
Gdp nominal	$64,831 billion
Gdp nominal year	2011
Gdp nominal per capita	$4,921
Sovereignty type	Independence
Established date1	August 10, 1809
Established event1	declared
Established date2	May 24, 1822
Established event2	from Spain
Established date3	May 13, 1830
Established event3	from Gran Colombia
Established date4	February 16, 1830
Established event4	Recognized by Spain
Gini	▼49
Gini year	2009
Gini category	high
Hdi	0.695
Hdi rank	77th
Hdi year	2010
Hdi category	high
Currency	U.S. dollar2
Currency code	USD
Time zone	ECT, GALT
Utc offset	−5, −6
Drives on	right
Cctld	.ec
Calling code	+593
Footnote1	Quechua and other Amerindian languages spoken by indigenous communities.
Footnote2	Sucre until 2000, followed by the U.S. dollar and Ecuadorian centavo coins }}

Ecuador (), officially the Republic of Ecuador (; , which literally translates to the Republic of the Equator) 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 with Brazil. The country also includes the Galápagos Islands in the Pacific, about west of the mainland.

Ecuador straddles the equator, from which it takes its name, and has an area of 272,046 km² (109,483 sq mi). Its capital city is Quito, which was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in the 1970s for having the best preserved and least altered historic centre in Latin America. The country's largest city is Guayaquil. The historic centre of Cuenca, the third largest city in the country, was also declared a World Heritage Site in 1999, for being an outstanding example of a planned inland Spanish style colonial city in the Americas. Ecuador is also home—despite its size—to a great variety of species, many of them endemic, like those of the Galápagos islands. This species diversity makes Ecuador one of the 17 megadiverse countries in the world. The new constitution of 2008 is the first in the world to recognize legally enforceable Rights of Nature, or ecosystem rights.

Ecuador is a presidential republic and became independent in 1830, after having been part of the Spanish colonial empire and the republic of Gran Colombia. It is a medium-income country with an HDI score of 0.695 (2010), and about 35.1% of its population lives below the poverty line.

History

Evidence of human cultures in Ecuador exists from circa 8800 BCE Many civilizations rose throughout Ecuador, such as the Valdivia Culture and Machalilla Culture on the coast, the Quitus (near present day Quito) and the Cañari (near present day Cuenca). Each civilization developed its own distinctive architecture, pottery, and religious interests, although consolidated under a confederation called the Shyris which exercised organized trading and bartering between the different regions and whose political and military power was under the rule of the Duchicela blood line before the Inca invasion. After years of fiery resistance by the Cañaris and other tribes, as demonstrated by the battle of Yahuarcocha (Blood Lake) where thousands of resistance fighters were killed and thrown in the lake, the region fell to the Incan expansion and was assimilated loosely into the Incan empire.

Inca Empire

Through a succession of wars and marriages among the nations that inhabited the valley, the region became part of the Inca Empire in 1463. When the Spanish conquistadors arrived from the north, the Inca Empire was ruled by Huayna Capac, who had two sons: Atahualpa, being in charge of the northern parts of the empire, and Huascar, seated in the Incan capital Cusco. Upon Huayna Capac's death in 1525, the empire was divided in two: Atahualpa received the north, with his capital in Quito; Huascar received the south, with its capital in Cusco. In 1530, Atahualpa defeated his own brother, Huascar, and claimed control over the entire empire. Atahualpa's victory was short-lived as he was soon captured by the Spanish conquistadors in Cajamarca, and later executed for the murder of his brother.

Colonization

Disease decimated the indigenous population during the first decades of Spanish rule — a time when the natives also were forced into the ''encomienda'' labor system for the Spanish. In 1563, Quito became the seat of a real audiencia (administrative district) of Spain and part of the Viceroyalty of Peru, and later the Viceroyalty of New Granada.

After nearly 300 years of Spanish colonization, Quito was still a small city of only 10,000 inhabitants. It was there, on August 10, 1809 (the national holiday), that the first call for independence from Spain was made in Latin America ("Primer Grito de la Independencia"), under the leadership of the city's ''criollos'' like Juan Pío Montúfar, Quiroga, Salinas, and Bishop Cuero y Caicedo. Quito's nickname, "''Luz de América''" ("Light of America"), comes from the fact that it was the first successful attempt to produce an independent and local government, although for no more than two months, that had an important repercussion and inspiration for the emancipation of the rest of Spanish America. Quito is also known as "Carita de Dios" ("The Face of God") for the beauty of its religious colonial art and architecture cloistered in the amazing equatorial Andes landscape.

Independence

On October 9, 1820, Guayaquil became the first city in Ecuador to gain its independence from Spain. On May 24, 1822, the rest of Ecuador gained its independence after Antonio José de Sucre defeated the Spanish Royalist forces at the Battle of Pichincha, near Quito. Following the battle, Ecuador joined Simón Bolívar's Republic of Gran Colombia – joining with modern day Colombia and Venezuela – only to become a republic in 1830.

The 19th century for Ecuador was marked by instability, with a rapid succession of rulers. The first president of Ecuador was the Venezuelan-born Juan José Flores, who was ultimately deposed, followed by many authoritarian leaders such as Vicente Rocafuerte; José Joaquín de Olmedo; José María Urbina; Diego Noboa; Pedro José de Arteta; Manuel de Ascásubi; and Flores's own son, Antonio Flores Jijón, among others. The conservative Gabriel Garcia Moreno unified the country in the 1860s with the support of the Roman Catholic Church. In the late 19th century, world demand for cocoa tied the economy to commodity exports and led to migrations from the highlands to the agricultural frontier on the coast.

Liberal Revolution

The coast-based Liberal Revolution of 1895 under Eloy Alfaro reduced the power of the clergy and the conservative land owners of the highlands, and this liberal wing retained power until the military "Julian Revolution" of 1925. The 1930s and 1940s were marked by instability and emergence of populist politicians, such as five-time President José María Velasco Ibarra.

War with Peru

Control over territory in the Amazon basin led to a long-lasting dispute between Ecuador and Peru. In 1941, amid fast-growing tensions between the two countries, war broke out. Peru claimed that Ecuador's military presence in Peruvian-claimed territory was an invasion; Ecuador, for its part, claimed that Peru had invaded Ecuador. In July 1941, troops were mobilized in both countries. Peru had an army of 11,681 troops who faced a poorly supplied and inadequately armed Ecuadorian force of 2,300, of which only 1,300 were deployed in the southern provinces. Hostilities erupted on July 5, 1941, when Peruvian forces crossed the Zarumilla river at several locations, testing the strength and resolve of the Ecuadorian border troops. Finally, on July 23, 1941, the Peruvians launched a major invasion, crossing the Zarumilla river in force and advancing into the Ecuadorian province of El Oro.

During the course of the war, Peru gained control over part of the disputed territory and some parts of the province of El Oro, and some parts of the province of Loja, demanding that the Ecuadorian government give up its territorial claims. The Peruvian Navy blocked the port of Guayaquil, almost cutting all supplies to the Ecuadorian troops. After a few weeks of war and under pressure by the United States and several Latin American nations, all fighting came to a stop. Ecuador and Peru came to an accord formalized in the Rio Protocol, signed on January 29, 1942, in favor of hemispheric unity against the Axis Powers in World War II favoring Peru with the territory they occupied at the time the war came to an end.

Recession and popular unrest led to a return to populist politics and domestic military interventions in the 1960s, while foreign companies developed oil resources in the Ecuadorian Amazon. In 1972, construction of the Andean pipeline was completed. The pipeline brought oil from the east side of the Andes to the coast, making Ecuador South America's second largest oil exporter. The pipeline in southern Ecuador did nothing, however, to resolve tensions between Ecuador and Peru.

The Rio Protocol failed to precisely resolve the border along a small river in the remote ''Cordillera del Cóndor'' region in southern Ecuador. This caused a long-simmering dispute between Ecuador and Peru, which ultimately led to fighting between the two countries; first a border skirmish in January–February 1981 known as the Paquisha Incident, and ultimately full-scale warfare in January 1995 where the Ecuadorian military shot down Peruvian aircraft and helicopters and Peruvian infantry marched into southern Ecuador. Each country blamed the other for the onset of hostilities, known as the Cenepa War. Sixto Durán Ballén, the Ecuadorian president, famously declared that he would not give up a single centimeter of Ecuador. Popular sentiment in Ecuador became strongly nationalistic against Peru: graffiti could be seen on the walls of Quito referring to Peru as the "''Cain de Latinoamérica''," a reference to the murder of Abel by his brother Cain in the Book of Genesis.

Ecuador and Peru reached a tentative peace agreement in October 1998, which ended hostilities, and the Guarantors of the Rio Protocol ruled that the border of the undelineated zone was set the line of the ''Cordillera del Cóndor''. While Ecuador had to give up its decades-old territorial claims to the eastern slopes of the Cordillera, as well as to the entire western area of Cenepa headwaters, Peru was compelled to give to Ecuador, in perpetual lease but without sovereignty, one square kilometre of its territory, in the area where the Ecuadorian base of Tiwinza — focal point of the war — had been located within Peruvian soil and which the Ecuadorian Army held as their strong hold all the time during the conflict. The final border demarcation came into effect on May 13, 1999.

Military governments (1972–1979)

In 1972, a "revolutionary and nationalist" military junta overthrew the government of Velasco Ibarra. The coup d'état was led by General Guillermo Rodríguez and executed by navy commander Jorge Queirolo G. The new president exiled José María Velasco to Argentina. He remained in power until 1976, when he was removed by another military government. That military junta was led by Admiral Alfredo Poveda, who was declared chairman of the Supreme Council. The Supreme Council included two other members: General Guillermo Durán Arcentales and General Luis Leoro Franco. The civil society more and more insistently called for democratic elections. Colonel Richelieu Levoyer, Government Minister, proposed and implemented a Plan to return to the constitutional system through universal elections. This Plan enabled the new democratically elected president to assume the duties of the executive office.

Return to democracy

Elections were held on April 29, 1979, under a new constitution. Jaime Roldós Aguilera was elected president, garnering over one million votes, the most in Ecuadorian history. He took office on August 10 as the first constitutionally elected president after nearly a decade of civilian and military dictatorships. In 1980, he founded the ''Partido Pueblo, Cambio y Democracia'' (People, Change and Democracy Party) after withdrawing from the ''Concentracion de Fuerzas Populares'' (Popular Forces Concentration) and governed until May 24, 1981, when he died along with his wife and the minister of defense, Marco Subia Martinez, when his Air Force plane crashed in heavy rain near the Peruvian border. Many people believe that he was assassinated, given the multiple death threats leveled against him because of his reformist agenda, deaths in automobile crashes of two key witnesses before they could testify during the investigation and the sometimes contradictory accounts of the incident.

Roldos was immediately succeeded by Vice President Osvaldo Hurtado who was followed in 1984 by León Febres Cordero from the Social Christian Party. Rodrigo Borja Cevallos of the Democratic Left (Izquierda Democrática or ID) party won the presidency in 1988, running in the runoff election against Abdalá Bucaram (brother in law of Jaime Roldos and founder of the Ecuadorian Roldosist Party). His government was committed to improving human rights protection and carried out some reforms, notably an opening of Ecuador to foreign trade. The Borja government concluded an accord leading to the disbanding of the small terrorist group, "¡Alfaro Vive, Carajo!" ("Alfaro Lives, Dammit!") named after Eloy Alfaro. However, continuing economic problems undermined the popularity of the ID, and opposition parties gained control of Congress in 1990.

The emergence of the indigenous population (approximately 25%) as an active constituency has added to the democratic volatility of the country in recent years. The population has been motivated by government failures to deliver on promises of land reform, lower unemployment and provision of social services, and historical exploitation by the land-holding elite. Their movement, along with the continuing destabilizing efforts by both the elite and leftist movements, has led to a deterioration of the executive office. The populace and the other branches of government give the president very little political capital, as illustrated by the most recent removal of President Lucio Gutiérrez from office by Congress in April 2005. Vice President Alfredo Palacio took his place and remained in office until the presidential election of 2006, in which Rafael Correa gained the presidency. On September 30, 2010, in a police revolt, many police officers were killed after a militar intervention in a police hospital. President Rafael Correa alleged that he was taken hostage in the hospital by police officers as part of a series of protests against cuts to the benefits of public service workers that were part of a financial austerity package. What angered police and elements of the army was a law to end the practice of giving medals and bonuses with each promotion. It would also extend from five to seven years the usual period required for promotions. The government called the revolt a coup and declared a one-week state of emergency which put the military in charge of public order and suspended civil liberties. Peru shut its border with Ecuador. Numerous social movements claim that civil rights are been violated by the governement. The President Rafael Correa has filed a criminal complaint against the journalist Emilio Palacio, the directors of the Ecuadorian newspaper El Universo and the journal. He asked for 80 millions of dollars to repair the damage and loss of earnings caused by an opinion article in wich the journalist implied that the president could be judged for the deads of september 30.

Politics

Ecuador is governed by a democratically elected President, for a four year term. The current president of Ecuador, Rafael Correa, exercises his power from the presidential Palacio de Carondelet in Quito. The current constitution was written by the Ecuadorian Constituent Assembly elected in 2007, and was approved by referendum in 2008.

The executive branch includes 25 ministries. Provincial governors and councilors (mayors, aldermen, and parish boards) are directly elected. The National Assembly of Ecuador meets throughout the year except for recesses in July and December. There are thirteen permanent committees. Justices of the National Court are appointed by the Council of Social Participation, for nine year terms.

Ecuador has often placed great emphasis on multilateral approaches to international issues. Ecuador is a member of the United Nations (and most of its specialized agencies) and a member of many regional groups, including the Rio Group, the Latin American Economic System, the Latin American Energy Organization, the Latin American Integration Association, the Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of Our America, the Andean Community of Nations and the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR).

Administrative divisions

Ecuador is divided into 24 provinces (), each with its own administrative capital:

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	Province	Surface (km²)	Population (2010)	Capital
1	Azuay	8,639	702,893
2		3,254	182,744	Guaranda
3	Cañar	3,908	223,463	Azogues
4	Carchi	3,699	165,659	Tulcan
5		5,287	452,352	Riobamba
6		6,569	406,798	Latacunga
7		5,988	588,546	Machala
8		15,216	520,711
9		8,010	22,770	Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
10		17,139	3,573,003	Guayaquil
11	Imbabura	4,599	400,359
12		11,027	446,743
13		6,254	765,274	Babahoyo
14	Manabi	18,400	1,345,779	Portoviejo
15	Morona Santiago	25,690	147,886
16		13,271	104,047
17		20,773	137,848	Puerto Francisco de Orellana
18		29,520	84,329	Puyo
19		9,494	2,570,201	Quito
20		3,763	301,168
21	Santo Domingo de los Tsachilas	3,857	365,965
22	Sucumbios	18,612	174,522	Nueva Loja
23		3,334	500,775	Ambato
24	Zamora Chinchipe	10,556	91,219

The provinces are divided into cantons, and further subdivided into parishes (''parroquias'').

Military

The Ecuadorian Armed Forces (Fuerzas Armadas del Ecuador), consisting of the Army, Air Force and Navy, have responsibility for the preservation of the integrity and national sovereignty of the national territory.

The military tradition starts in the Gran Colombia, where a sizeable army was stationed in Ecuador due to border disputes with Peru, which claimed territories under its political control when it was a Spanish vicerroyalty. Once the Gran Colombia was dissolved after the death of Simon Bolivar in 1830, Ecuador inherited the same border disputes and had the need of creating its own professional military force. So influential was the military in Ecuador in the early republican period, that its first decade was under the control of Gral. Juan Jose Flores, first president of Ecuador of Venezuelan origin. The Gral. Jose Ma. Urbina and Gral. Robles are examples of military figures who became president of the country in the early republican period.

Due to the continuous border disputes with Peru, finally settled in the early 2000s, and due to the ongoing problem with the Colombian guerrilla insurgency infiltrating Amazonian provinces, the Ecuadorian Armed Forces has gone through a series of changes as an essential part of the country's existence. In 2009, the new administration at the Defense Ministry launched a deep restructuring within the forces, increasing spending budget to $1,691,776,803, an increase of 25%. (FY08)

The icons of the Ecuadorian military forces are the Marshall Antonio Jose de Sucre and Gral. Eloy Alfaro. The Military Academy "Gral. Eloy Alfaro" (c. 1838) graduates the army officers and is located in Quito. The Ecuadorian Navy Academy (c. 1837) located in Salinas graduates the navy officers, and the Air Academy "Cosme Rennella" (c.1920) located in Salinas, graduates the air force officers. Other training academies for different military specialties are found across the country.

Geography

Ecuador lies between latitudes 2°N and 5°S, and longitudes 75° and 92°W.

The country has three main geographic regions, plus an insular region in the Pacific Ocean:

La Costa, or the coast, comprises the low-lying land in the western part of the country, including the Pacific coastline.

La Sierra, ("the highlands") is the high-altitude belt running north-south along the centre of the country, its mountainous terrain dominated by the Andes mountain range.

La Amazonía, also known as ''El Oriente'' ("the east"), comprises the Amazon rainforest areas in the eastern part of the country, accounting for just under half of the country's total surface area, though populated by less than 5% of the population.

The Región Insular is the region comprising the Galápagos Islands, some 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) west of the mainland in the Pacific Ocean.

Ecuador's capital is Quito, which is in the province of Pichincha in the Sierra region. Its largest city is Guayaquil, in the Guayas Province. Cotopaxi, which is just south of Quito, features one of the world's highest active volcanoes. The top of Mount Chimborazo (6,310 m above sea level) is considered to be the most distant point from the centre of the earth, given the ovoid shape of the planet.

Climate

There is great variety in the climate, largely determined by altitude. It is mild year-round in the mountain valleys; Humid Subtropical Climate incoastal and Rain Forests in lowlands. The Pacific coastal area has a tropical climate, with a severe rainy season. The climate in the Andean highlands is temperate and relatively dry; and the Amazon basin on the eastern side of the mountains shares the climate of other rain forest zones.

Because of its location at the equator, Ecuador experiences little variation in daylight hours during the course of a year. Both sunrise and sunset occur each day at the two six o'clock hours.

Biodiversity

Ecuador is one of 17 megadiverse countries in the world according to Conservation International, and it has the most biodiversity per square kilometer of any nation. In addition to the mainland, Ecuador owns the Galapagos Islands, for which the country is most well known.

Ecuador has 1,600 bird species (15% of the world's known bird species) in the continental area, and 38 more endemic in the Galápagos. In addition to over 16,000 species of plants, the country has 106 endemic reptiles, 138 endemic amphibians, and 6,000 species of butterfly. The Galápagos Islands are well known as a region of distinct fauna, famous as the place of birth of Darwin's Theory of Evolution, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ecuador has the first constitution to recognize the rights of nature. The protection of the nation's biodiversity is an explicit national priority as stated in the National Plan of "Buen Vivir", or good living, objective 4, Guarantee the rights of nature, policy 1: "Sustainably conserve and manage the natural heritage including its land and marine biodiversity which is considered a strategic sector". As of the writing of that Plan in 2008, 19% of Ecuador's land area was in a protected area, however, the Plan also states that 32% of the land must be protected in order to truly preserve the nation's biodiversity. Current protected areas include 11 national parks, 10 wildlife refuges, 9 ecological reserves and other areas. A program begun in 2008, Sociobosque, is preserving another 2.3% of total landarea (629,475.5 hectares or 6,295 km²) by paying private landowners or community landowners (such as indigenous tribes) incentives to maintain their land as native ecosystems such as native forests or grasslands. Eligibility and subsidy rates for this program are determined based on the poverty in the region, the number of hectacres that will be protected, the type of ecosystem of the land to be protected among other factors.

Despite being on the UNESCO list, the Galapagos are endangered by a range of negative environmental effects, threatening the existence of this exotic ecosystem. Additionally, oil exploitation of the Amazon rain forest has led to the release of billions of gallons of untreated wastes, gas, and crude oil into the environment, contaminating ecosystems and causing detrimental health effects to indigenous peoples.

Economy

Ecuador's economy has heavily depended on exporting resources such as petroleum, fish, shrimp, timber and gold. In addition, it has rich agriculture: bananas, flowers, coffee, cacao, guayusa, sugar, tropical fruits, palm oil, palm hearts, rice, roses, and corn. The country´s greatest national export is crude oil. Fluctuations in world market prices can have a substantial domestic impact. Industry is largely oriented to servicing the domestic market, with some exports to the Andean Community of Nations.

Deteriorating economic performance in 1997–98 culminated in a severe economic and financial crisis in 1999. The crisis was precipitated by the ''El Niño'' weather phenomenon in 1997, a sharp drop in global oil prices in 1997–98, and international emerging market instability in 1997–98. These factors resulted in a 7.3% contraction of GDP, annual year-on-year inflation of 52.2%, and a 65% devaluation of the national currency, the Sucre, in 1999, which helped precipitate a default on external loans later that year. In January 2000, President Jamil Mahuad announced a policy to adopt the U.S. dollar as the official currency of Ecuador, and although Mahuad was forced from office, his successor Gustavo Noboa continued with the plan, and also entered into negotiations with the IMF.

Transportation

Ecuador has a network of national highways maintained by the ''Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Comunicaciones'' (Ministry of Public Works and Communication). The Pan-American Highway connects the northern and southern portions of the country as well as connecting Ecuador with Colombia to the north and Peru to the south. The quality of roads, even on truck routes, is highly variable.

There is an extensive network of intercity buses that use these mountain roads and highways. The most modern Ecuadorian Highway connects Guayaquil with Salinas.

The Empresa de Ferrocarriles Ecuatorianos is the Ecuadorian national railway. The Interandean Railroad is essentially defunct; only the short "devil's nose" section is usable. Tourists usually board the train in Alausí, although some opt for a longer trip from Riobamba (if available).

Demographics

2011 estimates put Ecuador's population at 15,007,343. CIA World Factbook gives the flowing statistics: "mestizo (mixed Amerindian and white) 65%, Amerindian 25%, Spanish and others 7%, black 3%". Ecuador's population is ethnically diverse. The largest ethnic group (as of 2007) is the ''Mestizos'', who are the descendants of Spanish colonists and the indigenous people which constitute 65% of the population based on a self-determined census. Amerindians account for 25% of the current population. The unmixed descendants of early Spanish colonists, independently of their ethnic Iberian or Mediterranean origin called "Criollos", as well as immigrants from other European countries account for about 7% of the population. Afro-Ecuadorians, including Mulattos and ''zambos'', are also a minority, are largely based in Esmeraldas and Imbabura provinces, and make up 3% of the population.

Religion

Approximately 95% of Ecuadorians are Roman Catholic (see List of Roman Catholic dioceses in Ecuador), and 5% belong to other religious denominations including Protestants. In the rural parts of Ecuador, indigenous beliefs and Catholicism are sometimes syncretized. Most festivals and annual parades are based on religious celebrations, many incorporating a mixture of rites and icons.

The Jewish community of Ecuador, which maintains a synagogue, a school and a home for the aged in Quito, has about 500 members. There is a small number of Eastern Orthodox Christians, indigenous religions, Muslims (see Islam in Ecuador), Buddhists and Bahá'í. Ecuador has a number of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, about 1.4% of the population or about 185,000 members. In 2010, there were 73,215 Jehovah's Witnesses in the country.

Population density

The majority of Ecuadorians live in the central provinces inland in the Andes mountains or along the Pacific coast. The tropical forest region to the east of the mountains (El Oriente) remains sparsely populated and contains only about three percent of the population. {|class="infobox" style="text-align:center; width:97%; margin-right:10px; font-size:90%" ! align=center colspan=4 style="font-weight:bold" | Largest cities |- ! rowspan=13 width:100| border|100px|GuayaquilGuayaquil border|100px|QuitoQuito border|100px|CuencaCuenca ! align=center style="background:#f5f5f5;"|Rank ! align=center style="background:#f5f5f5;"|City ! align=center style="background:#f5f5f5;"|Province ! align=center style="background:#f5f5f5;"|Population ! rowspan=13| border|100px|PortoviejoPortoviejo border|100px|MachalaMachala border|100px|Santo DomingoSanto Domingo |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 1 ||align=left| Guayaquil ||align=left| Guayas || 2,286,800 || |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 2 ||align=left| Quito ||align=left| Pichincha || 1,619,800|| |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 3 ||align=left| Cuenca ||align=left| Azuay || 400,000 || |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 4 ||align=left| Portoviejo ||align=left| Manabí || 257,000 || |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 5 ||align=left| Machala ||align=left| El Oro || 250,000 || |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 6 ||align=left| Santo Domingo de los Colorados ||align=left| Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas || 231,000 || |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 7 ||align=left| Ambato ||align=left| Tungurahua || 224,000 || |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 8 ||align=left| Manta ||align=left| Manabí || 210,700 || |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 9 ||align=left| Durán ||align=left| Guayas|| 201,000 || |- |align=center style="background:#f0f0f0;"| 10 ||align=left| Riobamba ||align=left| Chimborazo || 190,000 || |- | colspan="7" align=center style="background:#f5f5f5;" | Estimate for 2010 |}

Nations

The Ecuadorian constitution recognizes the "pluri-nationality" of those who want to exercise their affiliation with their native ethnic groups. Therefore, in addition to criollos, mestizos, and Afro-Ecuadorians, some people belong to the indigenous nations scattered in a few places in the coast, Quechua Andean villages, and the Amazonian jungle.

Immigration and emigration

A small east Asian Latino community estimated at 2,500 mainly consists of those of Japanese and Chinese descent, whose ancestors arrived as miners, farm hands and fishermen in the late 19th century.

In the early years of World War II, Ecuador still admitted a certain number of immigrants, and in 1939, when several South American countries refused to accept the 165 Jewish refugees from Germany aboard the ship "Koenigstein," Ecuador granted them entry permits.

Culture

Ecuador's mainstream culture is defined by its Hispanic mestizo majority and, like their ancestry, is traditionally of Spanish heritage influenced at different degrees with Amerindian traditions and in some cases with African elements.The first and most substantial wave of modern immigration to ecuador consisted of Spanish colonists, following the arrival of Europeans in 1499. However a low number of other Europeans and North Americans migrated to the country in the late 19th and early twentieth centuries, and, in smaller numbers, Poles, Lithuanians, English, Irish, and Croats during and after the Second World War. Since African slavery was not the workforce of the Spanish colonies in the "Terra Firme" (South-America) given the subjugation of the indigenous people through evangelism and encomiendas, the minor African descendant elements are found in the northern provinces of Esmeraldas and Imbabura thanks to the 17th century shipwreck of a slave-trading galleon in front of the northern coast of Ecuador. The few black African survivors swam to the shore and penetrated the then thick jungle under the leadership of Anton, the chief of the group, where they remained as free-men while maintaining their original culture not influenced by the typical elements found on other provinces of the coast or in the Andean region.

Ecuador's indigenous communities are integrated into the mainstream culture to varying degrees, but some may also practice their own indigenous cultures, particularly the more remote indigenous communities of the Amazon basin. Spanish is spoken as the first language by more than 90% of the population and as a first or second language by more than 98%. One part of Ecuador's population can speak Amerindian languages, in some cases as a second language. Two percent of the population speak only Amerindian languages.

Cuisine

Ecuadorian cuisine is diverse, varying with altitude and associated agricultural conditions. Most regions in Ecuador follow the traditional three course meal of soup, a second course which includes rice and a protein such as meat or fish, and then dessert and coffee to finish. Supper is usually lighter and sometimes consists only of coffee or herbal tea with bread.

In the highland region, pork, chicken, beef, and ''cuy'' (guinea pig) are popular and are served with a variety of grains (especially rice and corn) or potatoes.

In the coastal region seafood is very popular, with shrimp and lobster being key parts of the diet. Plantain- and peanut-based dishes are the basis of most coastal meals. Churrasco is a staple food of the Coast Region specially Guayaquil. Arroz con menestra y carne asada (rice with beans and grilled beef) is one of the traditional dishes of Guayaquil, as is fried plantain which is often served with it.

In the Amazon region, a dietary staple is the yuca, elsewhere called cassava. Many fruits are available in this region, including bananas, tree grapes, and peach palms. This region is a lead producer of bananas, cacao beans (to make chocolate), shrimp, tilapia, mangos and passion fruit, among other products.

Literature

Early literature in colonial Ecuador, as in the rest of Spanish America, was influenced by the still existing tendencies of the Spanish Golden Age. One of the earliest examples is Jacinto Collahuazo, an indigenous chief of a northern village in today's Ibarra born in the late 1600s. Despite of the early repression and discrimination of the native people by the Spanish, Jacinto learned to read and write in Castilian but his work was written in Quechua. Collahuazo was imprisoned, and all of his work burned. The existence of his literary work came to light many centuries later, while a crew of masons were restoring the walls of a colonial church in Quito and found a hidden manuscript. The salvaged fragment is an Spanish translation from Quechua of the "Elegy to the Dead of Atahualpa", a poem written by Collahuazo, which describes the sadness and impotence of the Inca people of having lost their king Atahualpa.

Other early Ecuadorian writers include the Jesuits Juan Bautista Aguirre, born in Daule in 1725, and Father Juan de Velasco, born in Riobamba in 1727. Juan de Velasco wrote about the nations and chiefdoms which existed in the ''Kingdom of Quito'' (today Ecuador) before the arrival of the Spanish. His historical accounts are nationalistic, featuring a romantic perspective of pre-colonial history.

Famous authors from the late colonial and early republic period include: Eugenio Espejo a printer and main author of the first newspaper in Ecuadorian colonial times; Jose Joaquin de Olmedo (born in Guayaquil), famous for his ode to Simon Bolivar titled ''Victoria de Junin''; Juan Montalvo, a prominent essayist and novelist; Juan Leon Mera, famous for his work "Cumanda" or "Tragedy among Savages" and the Ecuadorian National Anthem; Juan A. Martinez with ''A la Costa'', Dolores Veintimilla, and others.

Contemporary Ecuadorian writers include the novelist Jorge Enrique Adoum; the poet Jorge Carrera Andrade; the essayist Benjamín Carrión; the poets Fanny Carrión de Fierro, Luis Alberto Costales; the novelist Enrique Gil Gilbert; the novelist Jorge Icaza (author of the novel ''Huasipungo'', translated to many languages); the short story author Pablo Palacio; the novelist Alicia Yanez Cossio; Alfonso Oramas; Guayaquilean poet Karina Galvez (author of the poem "La Batalla del Pichincha"); and U.S.-based, half Ecuadorian poet Emanuel Xavier.

Art

The best known art tendencies from Ecuador belonged to the ''Escuela Quiteña'', which developed from the 16th to 18th centuries, examples of which are on display in various old churches in Quito. Ecuadorian painters include: Oswaldo Guayasamín, Camilo Egas and Eduardo Kingman from the Indiginist Movement; Manuel Rendon, Jaime Zapata, Enrique Tábara, Aníbal Villacís, Theo Constanté, León Ricaurte and Estuardo Maldonado from the Informalist Movement; and Luis Burgos Flor with his abstract, Futuristic style. The indigenous people of Tigua, Ecuador are also world renowned for their tradicional paintings.

Sport

The most popular sport in Ecuador, as in most South American countries, is football (soccer). Its best known professional teams include Barcelona and Emelec from Guayaquil; LDU Quito, Deportivo Quito, and El Nacional from Quito; Olmedo from Riobamba; and Deportivo Cuenca from Cuenca. Currently the most successful football club in Ecuador is LDU Quito and it is the only Ecuadorian club that have won the Copa Libertadores, the Copa Sudamericana and the Recopa Sudamericana, they were also runners-up in the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. The matches of the Ecuadorian national team are the most watched sporting events in the country. Ecuador qualified for the final rounds of both the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. The 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifying campaign was considered a huge success for the country and for its inhabitants, because it was said that it had changed the people's point of view and mentality of goals that used to be very hard to achieve for Ecuadorians and now they seem much possible; Ecuador finished in 2nd place on the qualifiers behind and above the team that would become World Champion, . In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Ecuador finished ahead of and to come in second to in Group A in the 2006 World Cup. Futsal, often referred to as ''índor'', is particularly popular for mass participation.

There is considerable interest in tennis in the middle and upper classes in Ecuadorian society, and several Ecuadorian professional players have attained international fame. Basketball has a high profile, while Ecuador's specialties include ''Ecuavolley'', a three-person variation of volleyball. Bullfighting is practiced at a professional level in Quito, during the annual festivities that commemorate the Spanish founding of the city, and also features in festivals in many smaller towns. Rugby union is found to some extent in Ecuador, with teams in Guayaquil, Quito, and Cuenca.

Ecuador has won only two medals in the Olympic Games, both gained by 20 km racewalker Jefferson Pérez, who took gold in the 1996 games and silver 12 years later. Pérez also set a world best in the 2003 World Championships of 1:17:21 for the 20 km distance.

Health

The current structure of the Ecuadorian public health care system dates back to 1967. The Ministry of the Public Health (Ministerio de Salud Publica del Ecuador) is the responsible entity of the regulation and creation of the public health policies and health care plans. The "Minister of Public Health" is appointed directly by the President of the republic. His current "ministro", or Ecuadorian general surgeon, is Dr. David Chiriboga, an specialist and investigator in communitarian medicine.

The philosophy of the Ministry of Public Health is the social support and service to the most vulnerable population and its main plan of action lies around communitarian health and preventive medicine.

The public health care system allows patients to be attended daily in public general hospitals, with no previous appointment, by general practitioners and specialists in the "Consulta Externa" (External Consultation) at no cost. This is done in the 4th basic specialties of pediatric, gynecology, clinic medicine, and surgery. There are also public hospitals specialized to treat chronic diseases, target a particular group of the population, or to provide a better attention in some medical specialties. Some examples in this group are the Gynecologic Hospitals or Maternities, Children Hospitals, Geriatric Hospitals and Oncology Institutes.

Although well equipped, general hospitals are found in the major cities or capitals of province, there are basic hospitals in the smaller towns and canton cities, for family care consultation and treatments in pediatrics, gynecology, clinic medicine, and surgery.

Community health care centers (Centros de Salud), are found inside metropolitan areas of cities and in rural areas. These are Day Hospitals with attention to patients whose hospitalization is inferior to 24 hours. The doctors assigned to rural communities, where the population of indigenous people can be substantial, have under their responsibility small clinics for the attention of the patients in the same fashion as the Day Hospitals in the major cities. The attention in this case observes and respect the culture of the community.

The public health care system shouldn't be confused with the Ecuadorian Social Security health care service which is dedicated to the individuals with formal employment and who are affiliated obligatorily through their employers. Citizens with no formal employment, may still tribute to the social security system voluntarily and have access to the medical services rendered by the social security system. The Ecuadorian Institute of Social Security (IESS) has under its administration several major hospitals and medical sub-centers across the nation.

Ecuadorians have a life expectancy of 75 years. The infant mortality rate is 13 per 1,000 live births, a major improvement from approximately 76 in the early 1980s and 140 in 1950. 23% of children under five are chronically malnourished. Population in some rural areas have no access to potable water and its supply is provided by mean of water tankers. There are 686 malaria cases per 100,000 people. Basic health care, including doctor's visits, basic surgeries, and basic medications, has been provided free since 2008. However, some public hospitals are in poor condition and often lack necessary supplies to attend the high demand of patients. Private hospitals and clinics are well equipped but still expensive for the majority of the population.

Education

The Ecuadorian Constitution requires that all children attend school until they achieve a "basic level of education," which is estimated at nine school years. In 1996, the net primary enrollment rate was 96.9 percent, and 71.8 percent of children stayed in school until the fifth grade. The cost of primary and secondary education is borne by the government, but families often face significant additional expenses such as fees and transportation costs.

Provision of public schools falls far below the levels needed, and class sizes are often very large, and families of limited means often find it necessary to pay for education. In rural areas, only 10% of the children go on to high school. The Ministry of Education states that the mean number of years completed is 6.7.

Ecuador has 61 universities, many of which still confer terminal degrees according to the traditional Spanish education system, honoring a long tradition of having some of the oldest universities in the Americas: University of San Fulgencio founded in 1586 by the Augustines, San Gregorio Magno University founded in 1651 by the Jesuits, and University of Santo Tomas of Aquino, founded in 1681 by the Dominican order.

Among the traditional conferred terminal degrees can be noted the Doctorate for medicine and law schools; Engineer, Physicist, Chemist, or Mathematician for polytechnic or technology institutes. These terminal degrees, as in the case of the Ph.D. in other countries, were the main requirement for an individual to be accepted in academia as a professor or researcher. In the professional realm, a terminal degree granted by an accredited institution provided automatically a professional license to the individual.

However, in 2004 the National Council of Higher Education (CONESUP), started the reorganization of all the degree grating schemes of the accredited universities in order to pair them with foreign counterparts. The new structure of some careers caused the dropping of subjects, credits or even the name of the previously conferred diplomas. The terminal degree in law, previously known as J.D. Juris Doctor (Doctor en Jurisprudencia) was replaced by the one of ''attorney'' (Abogado) with the exception of the modification of the number of credits to equate it to an undergraduate degree. In the same fashion for Med School, the required time of education was considerably reduced from 9 years (the minimum needed to obtain the title of M.D. Doctor in Medicine and Surgery) to almost five, with the provision that the diploma is not terminal anymore and it is given with the title of ''Medic'' (Medico). Therefore, an M.D. or Ph.D. in medicine is only to be obtained overseas until the universities adjust themselves to granting schemes and curriculum as in foreign counterparts. Nonetheless, a "medico" can start a career as family practitioner or general medicine physician.

This new reorganization, although very ambitious, lacked the proper path to the homologation of diplomas for highly educated professionals graduated in the country or even for the ones graduated in foreign institutions. One of the points of conflict was the imposition of obtaining foreign degrees to current academicians. As today, a master degree is as a requirement to keep an academic position and at least a foreign Ph.D. to attain or retain the status of Rector (President of a university) or Decano (Dean). For Ecuadorian researchers and many academicians trained in the country, these regulations sounded illogical, disappointing, and unlawful since it appeared a question of a title name conflict rather than specialization or science advancement.

A debate to modify this and other reforms, specially the one which granted control of the Higher Education System by the government, was practically passed with consensus by the multi-partisan National Assembly on August 4, 2010 but vetoed by the president Rafael Correa, who wanted to keep the law strictly as it was originally redacted by his political party and SENPLADES (National Secretary of Planning and Development). Due to this change, there are many highly educated professionals and academicians under the old structure but estimated that only 87% of the faculty in public universities have already obtained a master's degree and fewer than 5% have Ph.D. (although many of them have already Ecuadorian granted Doctorate degrees).

About 300 institutes of higher education offer two to three years of post-secondary vocational or technical training.

Sciences and research

The most notable icons in Ecuadorian sciences are the mathematician and cartographer Pedro Vicente Maldonado, born in Riobamba in 1707, and the printer, independence precursor, and medical pioneer Eugenio Espejo, born in 1747 in Quito. Among other notable Ecuadorian scientists and engineers are Lieutenant Jose Rodriguez Lavandera, a pioneer who built the first submarine in Latin America in 1837; Reinaldo Espinosa Aguilar (1898–1950), a botanist and biologist of Andean flora; and José Aurelio Abelardo Dueñas (1880–1961), a chemist and inventor of a method of textile serigraphy.

The major areas of scientific research in Ecuador have been in the medical fields, tropical and infectious diseases treatments, agricultural engineering, pharmaceutical research, and bioengineering. Being a small country and consumer of foreign technology, Ecuador has favored the research supported by entrepreneurship in information technology. The antivirus ''Checkprogram'' and banking protection system ''MdLock'' and the Core Banking Software ''Cobis'' are a product of Ecuadorian development.

The scientific production in hard sciences has been limited due to lack of funding but focused around science of materials in Physics and Statistics in Mathematics. In the case of engineering fields, the majority of the scientific production comes from the top three polytechnic institutions: ''ESPOL'' (Escuela Superior Politecnica del Litoral), ''ESPE'' (Escuela Superior Politecnica del Ejercito) and ''EPN'' (Escuela Politecnica Nacional).

Contemporary Ecuadorian scientists who have been recognized by international institutions are Eugenia del Pino (born 1945), the first Ecuadorian to be elected to the United States National Academy of Science, and Arturo Villavicencio, who was part of the working group of the IPCC which shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore for their dissemination of the effects of climate change.

Currently, the politics of research and investigation are managed by the National Secretary of Higher Education, Science and Technology ''Senescyt''.

See also

Ingapirca

International rankings of Ecuador

List of Ecuadorians

List of mountains in Ecuador

List of national parks in Ecuador

Lost Pyramid of Puñay

National symbols of Ecuador

South America Life Quality Rankings

References

Further reading

Ades, H. and Graham, M. (2010) ''The Rough Guide to Ecuador'', Rough Guides

Becker, M. (2008) ''Indians and Leftists in the Making of Ecuador's Modern Indigenous Movements'', Duke University Press Books

Becker, M. and Clark, A. K. (2007) ''Highland Indians and the State in Modern Ecuador'', University of Pittsburgh Press

Blakenship, J. (2005) ''Cañar: A Year in the Highlands of Ecuador'', University of Texas Press

Brown, J. and Smith, J. (2009) ''Moon Guidebook: Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands'', Avalon Travel Publishing

Crowder, N. (2009) ''Culture Shock! Ecuador: A Survival Guide to Customs and Etiquette'', Marshall Cavendish Corporation

Gerlach, A. (2003) ''Indians, Oil, and Politics: A Recent History of Ecuador'', SR Books

Handelsman, M. H. (2008) ''Culture and Customs of Ecuador'', Greenwood

Hurtado, O. (2010) ''Portrait of a Nation: Culture and Progress in Ecuador'', Madison Books

O'Connor, E. (2007) ''Gender, Indian, Nation: The Contradictions of Making Ecuador, 1830–1925'', University of Arizona Press

Pineo, R. (2007) ''Ecuador and the United States: Useful Strangers'', University of Georgia Press

Roos, W. and Van Renterghem, O. (2000) ''Ecuador in Focus: A Guide to the People, Politics, and Culture'', Latin America Bureau

Sawyer, S. (2004) ''Crude Chronicles: Indigenous Politics, Multinational Oil, and Neoliberalism in Ecuador'', Duke University Press Books

Striffler, S. (2001) ''In the Shadows of State and Capital: The United Fruit Company, Popular Struggle, and Agrarian Restructuring in Ecuador – 1900–1995'', Duke University Press Books

Torre, C. de la and Striffler, S. (2008) ''The Ecuador Reader: History, Culture, Politics'', Duke University Press Books

Various (2010) ''Insight Guidebook: Ecuador & Galápagos'', Insight Guides

Various (2009) ''Lonely Planet Guide: Ecuador & the Galapagos Islands'', Lonely Planet

Whitten, N. E. (2011) ''Histories of the Present: People and Power in Ecuador'', University of Illinois Press

Whitten, N. E. (2003) ''Millennial Ecuador: Critical Essays on Cultural Transformations and Social Dynamics'', University Of Iowa Press

External links

Global Integrity Report: Ecuador has analysis of corruption and anti-corruption in Ecuador.

President of Ecuador

Chief of State and Cabinet Members

Ecuador at ''UCB Libraries GovPubs''

''Poema 'La Batalla del Pichincha'''.

Category:Countries bordering the Pacific Ocean Category:Former Spanish colonies Category:Member states of OPEC Category:Member states of the Union of South American Nations Category:Republics Category:South American countries Category:Spanish-speaking countries Category:States and territories established in 1830 Category:Member states of the United Nations

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playername	Juan Agudelo
fullname	Juan Sebastián Agudelo
dateofbirth	November 23, 1992
cityofbirth	Manizales
countryofbirth	Colombia
height
position	Forward
currentclub	New York Red Bulls
clubnumber	17
youthyears1	2007–2009
youthclubs1	New York Red Bulls
years1	2010–
clubs1	New York Red Bulls
caps1	22
goals1	5
nationalyears1	2008–2009
nationalteam1	United States U17
nationalcaps1	16
nationalgoals1	12
nationalyears2	2010–
nationalteam2	United States U20
nationalcaps2	8
nationalgoals2	2
nationalyears3	2010–
nationalteam3	United States
nationalcaps3	11
nationalgoals3	2
pcupdate	August 25, 2011
ntupdate	June 22, 2011 }}

Juan Sebastián Agudelo (born November 23, 1992 in Manizales) is a Colombian-born American soccer player. He currently plays for the New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.

Agudelo has played internationally for the United States U-17, U-20 national team and the senior national team.

Early life

Agudelo moved with his family from Colombia to the New York area at the age of seven. He grew up and played soccer in Barnegat Township, New Jersey, where he currently lives with his family.

Career

Professional

Agudelo began his career with the New York Red Bull Academy and quickly established himself as one of the more skilled prospects at the club. In 2009 he was offered a chance to join the junior team but decided to accept a trial with Colombian side Millonarios in 2010. Although it was reported that he had signed with Millonarios, he returned to the United States to join Red Bulls during their pre-season. While with Millonarios, Agudelo played with the youth side, including a match against Santa Fe C.D. on January 17, which served as a tribute match to Brazilian great Pelé.

On March 26, 2010, Agudelo officially joined the New York Red Bulls. He made his professional debut on April 27, 2010, in a U.S. Open Cup game against Philadelphia Union. Agudelo made his MLS debut against Real Salt Lake October 9, 2010, entering in the 85th minute in a match that ended in a scoreless draw. He scored his first professional goal on March 19, 2011, in the Red Bulls' 2011 MLS season opener, a 1–0 victory over Seattle Sounders FC.

International

Agudelo represented the United States at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup. In 2010, he also debuted for the United States Under-20 side. On January 23, 2010, he scored the equalizing goal for the United States Under-20 national team in a 1–1 draw with Brazil. On November 11, 2010, Agudelo was called up to the United States senior national side for the first time as part of an 18-man roster for a match against South Africa on November 17 in Cape Town. He made his debut for the team coming on against South Africa in the Nelson Mandela Challenge wearing the number 17 shirt. Agudelo scored the only goal of the game on a volley that went in off the underside of the crossbar. In doing so, he became the youngest player in national team history to score in a senior game. On January 22. 2011, Agudelo drew the penalty that led to the USA's only goal of the match in a 1–1 draw against Chile. In an international friendly on March 26, 2011, he scored the equalizer in a 1–1 draw against Argentina.

International goals

!#	!Date	!Venue	!Opponent	!Score	!Result	!Competition
1.	November 17, 2010			0 – 1	0 – 1
2.	March 26, 2011			1 - 1	1 – 1

Career statistics

{|border=1 align=center cellpadding=4 cellspacing=2 style="background: ivory; font-size: 95%; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; clear:center" |+ All-time club performance |- style="background:beige" !rowspan="2"|Club !rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="2"| Major League Soccer !colspan="2"|US Open Cup !colspan="2"|MLS Cup !colspan="2"|CONCACAF !colspan="2"|Total |- style="background:beige" !App !Goals !App !Goals !App !Goals !App !Goals !App !Goals |- |rowspan="3" align=center valign=center|New York Red Bulls |align="center"|2010 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|3 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|2 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|7 |align="center"|0 |- |align="center"|2011 |align="center"|19 |align="center"|5 |align="center"|1 |align="center"|0 |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|- |align="center"|20 |align="center"|5 |- style="background:lemonchiffon" ! colspan="1" align="left"| Club Total !! 21 !! 5 !! 4 !! 0 !! 2 !! 0 !! -!! - !! 27 !! 5 |- |}

References

External links

MLS player profile

Juan Agudelo, el futuro yankee

Stupid dance video

Category:1992 births Category:Living people Category:American soccer players Category:Colombian footballers Category:New York Red Bulls players Category:People from Caldas Department Category:Colombian emigrants to the United States Category:Association football forwards Category:United States men's international soccer players Category:2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup players Category:Soccer players from New Jersey

de:Juan Agudelo es:Juan Agudelo fr:Juan Agudelo it:Juan Agudelo pl:Juan Agudelo pt:Juan Agudelo fi:Juan Agudelo

name	Clint Dempsey
fullname	Clinton Drew Dempsey
birth date	March 09, 1983
birth place	Nacogdoches, Texas, United States
height
currentclub	Fulham
position	Attacking Midfielder, Winger, Striker
clubnumber	23
youthyears1	1998–2001
youthyears2	2001–2003
youthclubs1	Dallas Texans
youthclubs2	Furman Paladins
years1	2004–2006
years2	2006-
clubs1	New England Revolution
clubs2	Fulham
caps1	71
caps2	148
goals1	25
goals2	34
nationalyears1	2004–
nationalteam1	United States
nationalcaps1	77
nationalgoals1	22
pcupdate	20:34, August 28 2011 (UTC)
ntupdate	21:00, June 22 2011 (UTC) }}

Clinton Drew "Clint" Dempsey (born March 9, 1983) is an American soccer player who plays for Fulham and the United States national team.

He is the second American to score goals in two different FIFA World Cup finals tournaments, in 2006 and 2010, and has the record for the highest number of goals in a single season for an American in the Premier League; as well as the record for Fulham's career Premier League scoring leader.

Youth

Dempsey was born in Nacogdoches, Texas and, for much of his childhood, his family lived in a trailer park, where he and his siblings grew up playing soccer with the local children or his imaginary friends. His older brother Ryan was offered a tryout for the Dallas Texans, an elite youth soccer club, but young Clint, who had come along, was noticed and recruited while passing time juggling a ball on the sidelines. Dempsey became a standout on the team at an early age, but had to quit due to his family's time and money constraints as his eldest sister Jennifer was becoming a ranked youth tennis player. But several parents of his teammates with the Texans offered to assist the Dempseys with expenses and travel, allowing him to rejoin the club.

He went on to be the captain and high scorer of the Texans and was honored with MVP in the Tampa Bay Sun Bowl tournament. He was offered a place in the youth Arsenal team but because cousin Arya Ashtari was severely ill, he had to move on from the Arsenal academy. Always getting straight A's and doing his work, Dempsey was on his way. Dempsey studied the play of Argentina, especially Diego Maradona. Clint was heartbroken when the news came to Nacogdoches that Maradona would not be playing in the 1994 World Cup game played in the Cotton Bowl. He attended Furman University as a health and exercise major and a key player for the Paladins. In his three seasons at Furman, Dempsey started 61 out of 62 games in central midfield and scored 17 goals.

Club career

New England Revolution

The New England Revolution selected Clint Dempsey 8th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft. His rookie season he started 23 of 24 matches scoring 7 goals. Dempsey helped the Revolution to the Eastern Conference Finals and earned 2004 MLS Rookie of the Year Honors. In 2005 Dempsey scored 10 goals and added 9 assists in 26 games. He scored the game winning goal in the Eastern Conference Final on the way to the MLS Cup Final. The following year Dempsey added 8 more goals in 2006 but missed significant time in the playoffs due to injury. He came on as a substitute in the MLS Cup Final but the Revolution lost their second straight final this time on penalties.

Fulham

2007–2009

In December 2006, English club Fulham offered the MLS $4 million for the transfer of Dempsey, then the largest amount ever offered for an MLS player. On 11 January 2007, he was granted a work permit from the Home Office as Fulham announced his signing on a long-term deal. This made Dempsey the most expensive US export to the Premier League in a deal worth a reported £2 million. He made his Fulham debut in a 1–1 home draw against Tottenham Hotspur on 20 January. His FA Cup debut followed seven days later in a 3–0 home win over Stoke City. Dempsey scored his first goal for Fulham on 5 May as he struck the only goal of a 1–0 home win over Liverpool. This goal saved Fulham from relegation and effectively guaranteed their place in the top-flight for the following season.

On 25 August, Dempsey scored his first goal of the 2007–08 season in a 2–1 away loss to Aston Villa. He followed this up by scoring in Fulham's next fixture in a 3–3 home draw against Tottenham on 1 September. Two weeks later he opened the scoring in Fulham's 1–1 away draw against Wigan Athletic. These goals gave Dempsey three in as many games after Fulham manager Lawrie Sanchez's decision to convert Dempsey into a striker following an injury to compatriot Brian McBride. On 29 September, Dempsey was involved in an aerial collision with John Terry during a 0–0 draw at Stamford Bridge which resulted in Terry being substituted. There was some suggestion that Dempsey used a deliberate elbow on Terry, however, he wasn't punished for the incident as referee Martin Atkinson didn't report it to the Football Association. On 3 November, Dempsey scored during Fulham's 3–1 home win over Reading to secure just a second league win of the season. He scored his last goals of the season in a 1–1 home draw with Wigan Athletic and 5–1 away loss to Tottenham in December. In May 2008, Fulham announced Dempsey had signed a contract extension which will keep him at the club until the summer of 2010. Fulham beat Portsmouth 1–0 on the final day of the season to secure Premier League status for another year. He ended the season as Fulham's top Premier League goalscorer with six goals.

Dempsey scored his first goal of the 2008–09 season in a 1–1 away draw at Portsmouth on 26 October. His first home goal of the season came in a 3–0 win over Middlesbrough on 20 December. Eight days later he scored twice in the West London derby against Chelsea which included a last-minute equaliser in a 2–2 home draw. On 24 February 2009, Dempsey scored the first FA Cup goal of his career in a 2–1 home win over Swansea City in the fifth-round. His final home goal of the season came in a 2–1 defeat to Blackburn Rovers on 11 March. Fulham came from a goal down to beat Manchester City 3–1 away from home as Dempsey scored two goals on 12 April. For the second successive season, Dempsey ended as Fulham's top Premier League goalscorer joint with Andrew Johnson with seven goals. These goals helped Fulham secure a seventh-place finish in the Premier League, the highest in the clubs history, and confirmed their qualification for the newly formed UEFA Europa League for the following season.

2009–10 season

On August 13, 2009, Dempsey signed a contract extension to remain with Fulham through 2013. On August 20, he scored his first goal in European competition, in the newly formed Europa League, netting Fulham's second goal in a 3–1 win against Amkar Perm in the play-off round. On December 30, ''La Gazzetta dello Sport'' named Dempsey as one of the top eleven Premier League players of the season. On January 17, 2010, Dempsey suffered a suspected cruciate knee ligament injury in a 2–0 away defeat to Blackburn Rovers. On March 11, Dempsey returned, coming on in the last minute of Fulham's loss away to Juventus and then completed 72 minutes of their away loss to Manchester United in the league. On March 18, Dempsey came off the bench against Juventus in their second leg last 16 tie in the Europa League and scored the winner on a long chip shot. ''The Guardian'' suggested that the goal "might become the most famous goal in Fulham's history". On May 12, Dempsey replaced Bobby Zamora in the 55th minute of the 2010 UEFA Europa League Final, thus making history in becoming the first ever American to appear in a major European final. In the end, Fulham lost the match, as Atlético Madrid's Diego Forlán scored in the 116th minute of extra time, giving Atlético a 2–1 win. His performances throughout 2009–10 earned him the designation of Most Valuable Player among Americans in Europe by SoccerOverThere.com, among other sources.

2010–11 season

Dempsey remained a regular starter, one of only five Americans in the Premier League to do so currently. On 18 September 2010, he scored an equalising goal on 56 minutes with a header against Blackburn Rovers at Ewood Park in the 1-1 draw and continue Fulham's undefeated streak in the Barclays Premier League. On October 2, he scored against West Ham United past Robert Green, the same keeper that he had scored against in the World Cup. He then continued his form by scoring two goals against Wigan Athletic on October 30 as Fulham ran out 2 – 0 winners. On January 22, Dempsey scored another double versus Stoke, putting Fulham temporarily out of relegation contention. ''

On March 19, Dempsey became the first American to score 10 goals in a Premier League season, beating Brian McBride's previous record of nine, also set while at Fulham in the 2005-06 season and 2006-07 season.

Clint Dempsey broke Fulham's Premier League goalscoring record by netting twice in a 3-0 victory over Bolton on April 27, 2011. He has scored a total of 33 goals for the team in the Premier League, topping both Brian McBride and Steed Malbranque, each with 32. With these goals, he has now scored 12 goals for Fulham in the 2010-11 season.

At the end of the season, Dempsey was voted Fulham player of the season by Fulham fans.

2011-12 season

Dempsey marked his return to the first team by scoring a brace in the first leg of their Europa League play-off clash against Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk at Craven Cottage. Dempsey ended with two goals as Fulham ran out 3-0 winners, setting up a comfortable second leg in Ukraine.

International career

Dempsey first played for the American national team at the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates. He made his first appearance with the senior team on November 17, 2004 against Jamaica. He has frequently lined up as a striker due to his scoring threat and aerial ability, but his preferred and more normal role is on the wing. He won the highest individual honor in American soccer when he was named Honda Player of the Year for 2006, beating Fulham teammates Kasey Keller and Brian McBride in a poll of sportswriters. Dempsey received 237 points in voting by 207 sports journalists to claim the award.

On May 2, 2006, Dempsey was named to the U.S. roster for the 2006 tournament in Germany. He was the only American player to score a goal in the tournament with his equalizing goal in the Americans' eventual 2–1 loss to Ghana.

In the United States' opening 2010 World Cup qualifier, Dempsey recorded the fastest goal in U.S. qualifying history with a chest trap and sliding shot 53 seconds into a 8–0 defeat of Barbados. But thereafter, Dempsey experienced a dip in form leading some to doubt his first-choice status with the national team. However, Dempsey turned his fortunes around in the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup. In the final group stage match against Egypt, Dempsey scored a trademark diving header off a Jonathan Spector cross, making the final result 3–0. This, combined with Brazil's 3–0 victory against Italy in the other group match that was being played simultaneously, put the U.S. through to the semifinals. In the semi-final match against Spain, Dempsey scored to put the USA up 2–0 to send them to the finals. He was named the Man of the Match for his performance. Dempsey scored in his third straight game in the Confederations Cup Final against Brazil, redirecting a similar cross from Spector in the 10th minute to open the scoring. Following the loss, he was awarded the Bronze Ball as the tournament's 3rd best performer. He ended the World Cup qualifying campaign tied with Landon Donovan as the team's 2nd top scorer, behind Jozy Altidore, with five goals in thirteen matches.

On June 12, 2010, Dempsey became the second American (after Brian McBride) to score in more than one World Cup when he scored the equalizer goal against England in the Americans' first game of the 2010 World Cup after the West Ham and English goalkeeper Robert Green made a major error.

International goals

Chicago, Illinois July 7, 2005 February 2, 2006 March 1, 2006 May 26, 2006 June 22, 2006 June 2, 2007 June 7, 2007 September 8, 2007 rowspan=2>June 15, 2008 rowspan=2>2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_-_CONCACAF_Second_Round#United_States_v_Barbados September 6, 2008 September 10, 2008 June 21, 2009 June 24, 2009 June 28, 2009 September 5, 2009 May 30, 2010 June 12, 2010 June 7, 2011 June 19, 2011 June 22, 2011

#
1	May 28, 2005	|		1–2	1–2	Friendly match
2	|	Seattle, Washington (U.S. state)>Washington		1–1	2005_CONCACAF_Gold_Cup#Group_B_2>4–1	2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup
3	|	San Francisco, California		2–0	3–2	Friendly
4	|	Kaiserslautern, Germany		1–0	1–0	Friendly
5	|	Cleveland, Ohio		2–0	2–0	Friendly
6	|	Nuremberg, Germany		1–1	2006_FIFA_World_Cup_Group_E#Ghana_vs_United_States>1–2	2006 FIFA World Cup
7	|	San Jose, California		3–1	4–1	Friendly
8	|	Carson, California		1–0	2007_CONCACAF_Gold_Cup#Group_B>1–0	2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup
9	|	Chicago, Illinois		2–2	2–4	Friendly
10	|	Carson, California	<		1–0	8–0 |	2010 FIFA World Cup Qual.
11	5–0
12	|	Havana, Cuba		1–0	2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_-_CONCACAF_Third_Round#Cuba_v_United_States>1–0	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying>2010 FIFA World Cup Qual.
13	|	Bridgeview, Illinois		2–0	2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_-_CONCACAF_Third_Round#United_States_v_Trinidad_and_Tobago>3–0	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying>2010 FIFA World Cup Qual.
14	|	Rustenburg, South Africa		3–0	2009_FIFA_Confederations_Cup_Group_B#Egypt_v_United_States>3–0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
15	|	Bloemfontein, South Africa		2–0	2009_FIFA_Confederations_Cup_knockout_stage#Spain_v_United_States>2–0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
16	|	Johannesburg, South Africa		1–0	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup Final>2–3	2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
17	|	Sandy, Utah>Sandy, Utah		1–1	2010_FIFA_World_Cup_qualification_-_CONCACAF_Fourth_Round#United_States_v_El_Salvador>2–1	2010 FIFA World Cup Qualifying>2010 FIFA World Cup Qual.
18	|	Philadelphia, Pennsylvania>Philadelphia, Pennsylvania		2–1	2–1	Friendly
19	|	Rustenburg, North West>Rustenburg, South Africa		1–1	2010_FIFA_World_Cup_Group_C#England_vs_United_States>1-1	2010 FIFA World Cup
20	|	Detroit, Michigan		2–0	2–0	2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
21	|	Washington, D.C., United States		2–0	2–0	2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
22	|	Houston, Texas		1–0	1–0	2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Playing style

Known for his toughness, Dempsey played two games with a broken jaw in 2004 before the team trainer diagnosed it, and upon his return, he played through the pain of a sprained ankle. Despite usually playing in wide positions, he frequently scores close-range goals and has scored repeatedly with diving headers in crowded situations. His tenacity in midfield combined with his audacious dribbling skills frequently results in opponents fouling him, and Dempsey has gained a reputation for fierce play. He was suspended by the New England Revolution for two weeks in March 2006 for a fist fight with teammate Joe Franchino during a practice game and was twice suspended by MLS during the 2006 season for violent conduct against opponents, including an elbow that broke the jaw of national teammate Jimmy Conrad. In a similar incident with Fulham in 2007, Dempsey broke the cheekbone of Chelsea defender John Terry in an aerial challenge but was not penalized.

Dempsey is a versatile attacking midfielder normally played on the left or right for Fulham and the United States. However, he has proven to be more of a threat the closer to goal he gets. His goals against Egypt and Spain in the Confederations Cup came almost immediately after being moved to forward by a substitution from Bob Bradley.

Career statistics

Club

7 10 8 1 6 9 9 12 1

Club	Season	League	Cup	League Cup	Continental	Other	Total
!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals	!Apps	!Goals
rowspan="4" valign="centre"	New England		24	|	1	0	–		–		3	0	28	7
2005 Major League Soccer season	2005	26	|	0	0	–		–		4	1	30	11
2006 Major League Soccer season	2006	21	|	1	0	–		2	0	2	0	26	8
!Total	–!!2!!0!!9!!1!!84!!26
rowspan="7" valign="centre"	Fulham		10	|	2	0	0	0	–		–		12	1
2007–08 Premier League	2007–08	36	|	2	0	2	0	–		–		40	6
2008–09 Premier League	2008–09	35	|	5	1	1	0	–		–		41	11
2009–10 Premier League	2009–10	29	|	2	0	0	0	13	2	–		44	11
2010–11 Premier League	2010–11	35	|	3	0	2	1	–		–		40	13
2011–12 Premier League	2011–12	3	|	0	0	0	0	2	2	–		5	3
Total	–!!183!!40
Career total	!217!!59!!16!!1!!5!!1!!17!!4!!9!!1!!267!!67

''Statistics accurate as of match played 20:35, 18 August 2011''

International

National team!!Year!!Apps!!Goals
rowspan="8"	United States		1	0
2005 in American soccer	2005	13
2006 in American soccer	2006	9
2007 in American soccer	2007	13
2008 in American soccer	2008	10
2009 in American soccer	2009	14
2010 in American soccer	2010	8
2011 in American soccer	2011	5
colspan=2	Total	72

Honors

Club

;New England Revolution

Runner-up

*MLS Cup (2): 2005, 2006

;Fulham

Runner-up

*UEFA Europa League (1): 2009–10

International

;United States

CONCACAF Gold Cup (2): 2005, 2007

Individual

MLS Rookie of the Year Award (1): 2004

Honda Player of the Year (1): 2006

MLS Best XI (2): 2005, 2006

U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year (1): 2007

FIFA Confederations Cup Bronze Ball (1): 2009

Personal life

Dempsey is married to Bethany Keegan Dempsey. They have a daughter named Elyse and a son named Jackson.They live in Wimbledon and Clint loves to play golf. He rarely goes on holiday but when he does he goes back home to Texas.

Music

One of Dempsey's passions outside of football is hip hop music. Using the alias "Deuce," he, along with fellow Texas rappers XO and the late Houston rapper Big Hawk from the Screwed Up Click, are featured rapping the song "Don't Tread" in a Nike football advertising campaign for the 2006 World Cup with the intention to showcase both the sport's working-class roots and the United States team ahead of the World Cup. The song's video is dedicated to his sister Jennifer, who, at age sixteen, was suddenly struck with a fatal brain aneurysm. At Dempsey's request, the video ends with a shot of him placing a flower at her grave.

Notes

References

External links

Clint Dempsey News followUSsoccer.com

Clint Dempsey profile Fulham FC

Clint Dempsey Yanks Abroad

Profile and Stats – Clinton Dempsey Footbalistic

Dempsey Footballdatabase.com

Andrea Scanzi La palombella rossa di Clint Dempsey La Stampa, 19 March 2010

Premier League profile

Profile at SoccerSurfer.com

Category:Expatriate footballers in England Category:American soccer players Category:American expatriate soccer players Category:Furman University alumni Category:Furman Paladins men's soccer players Category:CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players Category:2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup players Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players Category:2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup players Category:2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players Category:2010 FIFA World Cup players Category:2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup players Category:United States men's international soccer players Category:People from Nacogdoches, Texas Category:Fulham F.C. players Category:Premier League players Category:New England Revolution players Category:American people of Irish descent Category:Soccer players from Texas Category:1983 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate sportspeople in the United Kingdom

ar:كلينت ديمبسي be-x-old:Клінт Дэмпсі ca:Clint Dempsey cs:Clint Dempsey da:Clint Dempsey de:Clint Dempsey es:Clint Dempsey fa:کلینت دمپسی fr:Clint Dempsey ko:클린트 뎀프시 hr:Clint Dempsey id:Clint Dempsey it:Clint Dempsey he:קלינט דמפסי la:Clint Dempsey lt:Clint Dempsey hu:Clint Dempsey mr:क्लिंट डेम्प्सी nl:Clint Dempsey ja:クリント・デンプシー no:Clint Dempsey nn:Clint Dempsey pl:Clint Dempsey pt:Clint Dempsey ro:Clint Dempsey ru:Демпси, Клинт simple:Clint Dempsey fi:Clint Dempsey sv:Clint Dempsey tr:Clint Dempsey uk:Клінт Демпсі zh:奇連·丹普西

playername	Brek Shea
fullname	Dane Brekken Shea
dateofbirth	February 28, 1990
cityofbirth	College Station, Texas
countryofbirth	United States
height
position	Winger, Second Striker
currentclub	FC Dallas
clubnumber	20
youthyears1	2005–2007
youthclubs1	IMG Soccer Academy
years1	2008–
clubs1	FC Dallas
caps1	72
goals1	15
nationalyears1	2005–2007
nationalteam1	United States U-17
nationalcaps1	19
nationalgoals1	0
nationalyears2	2007–2009
nationalteam2	United States U-20
nationalcaps2	12
nationalgoals2	4
nationalyears3	2010–
nationalteam3	United States
nationalcaps3	3
nationalgoals3	0
pcupdate	August 28, 2011
ntupdate	January 22, 2011 }}

Dane Brekken "Brek" Shea (born February 28, 1990 in College Station, Texas) is an American soccer player who currently plays midfielder for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer and the U.S. national team. A versatile attacking player known for his ball skills, size, and strength, Shea can be used as either a midfielder or as a defender.

Career

Youth and Club

Shea attended Brazos Christian School before transferring to St. Joseph Catholic School in Bryan, Texas, and played for the Texans FC youth soccer organization in Houston, Texas, now known as the Dallas Texans, Houston Division. During his tenure with the Texans, Shea won four consecutive state championships. After his years in Bryan, Shea moved to U.S. Residency in Bradenton, Florida, while there Shea graduated in the top ten of his class at Edison Academy and later went to train with Bolton Wanderers F.C. in England in October 2007.

Professional

Shea did not play college soccer and instead turned professional straight out of high school. He was drafted 2nd overall by FC Dallas in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, and he signed a Generation adidas contract. He made his MLS debut for Dallas on April 20, 2008, as a substitute against CD Chivas USA in the 86th minute. Four minutes into the game Shea would pick up his first yellow card. Brek appeared in five of the team's six international friendlies and made eight starts with the reserve team before he underwent season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee on September 19, 2008. Shea Earned his first professional start on May 23, 2009 in a match versus the LA Galaxy. Shea Recorded his first MLS assist on Kenny Cooper’s game-tying goal during a match versus the Earthquakes on June 7, 2009. Shea also recorded two assists in a 6-0 blowout win over Kansas City on August 1, 2009 at Pizza Hut Park Shea spent his first two seasons with the club playing as a utility man, including spells as a striker, a central midfielder and as a defender. He eventually settled in at left winger during the 2010 MLS season. Shea scored his first professional goal on May 15 against the Philadelphia Union. During the 2010 Season Shea finished seventh on the team in minutes played (1,797) and made a career high 25 regular season appearances, Shea ended the season with five goals and four assists, as well as having 2 assists in four playoff games.

Shea graduated from the MLS Generation Adidas program at the end of the 2010 season. After playing central defender during a Generation Adidas trip to Spain, Shea started the 2011 season at centerback, with manager Schellas Hyndman saying he found Shea's talents better used there.

During a match against the Vancouver Whitecaps MVP David Ferreira came down with an injury and much of his scoring role was passed onto Shea. Coach Schellas Hyndman soon started Brek at the midfield, and he blossomed into a top player of the 2011 MLS season. Shea was named to the MLS Team of Week 11,14, and 16 in the 2011 MLS season for his performances against Seattle Sounders, Houston Dynamo, Chivas USA, and Columbus Crew. Following Ferreira's injury he led FC Dallas to 10 wins (the first team in the 2011 MLS season to do so) led the club in goals, and as a result he was named to the MLS All-Star Game as a midfielder. However, Shea was unable to play in the MLS All-Star game due to a CONCACAF Champions League match. During a match against Sporting Kansas City Brek Shea helped Dallas rally back from down 0-2 to win 3-2, with two crosses in the final two minutes, to Maicon Santos and Bobby Warshaw respectively.

International

Shea was a member of the U.S. residency program in Bradenton, Florida, and played extensively for the Under-17 team during that time. He later moved on to the U-20 national team, whom he has represented most recently at the 2009 CONCACAF U-20 Championship. He received his first call-up to the senior national team at the age of eighteen, when he was called in late for a second round World Cup qualifier on June 18, 2008, at Barbados.

In September 2010, he was called up for an October friendly against Colombia. Shea earned his first international cap playing the first half of the 0-0 draw and in the process became the first player born in the 1990's to make an appearance for the full US National team

Shea received his third call up and second cap when he joined Eric Alexander, Zach Loyd and Ugo Ihemelu and made FC Dallas the most-represented MLS teams at the 2011 January U.S. National Team camp. Shea started the January 22, 2011 match against Chile, playing 60 minutes.

Under new U.S. National Team coach Jürgen Klinsmann, Shea was named as one of seven midfielders for a friendly match vs. Mexico on August 10, 2011 in Philadelphia. In the 60th minute, Shea came on as a substitute for Jermaine Jones and recorded his first international assist on the equalizing goal from Robbie Rogers.

Personal Life

Brek Shea is the son of Charles and Kirsten Shea. Charles Shea played football at Virginia Tech. Shea is the middle of five children with two older brothers and two younger sisters. Shea was drafted with the second pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft, and as a result he was able to stay in Texas. By being a local player, and having some unique hairstyles Shea has become a favorite among FC Dallas fans.

During Shea's personal time he often paints. Shea stated his inspiration to paint came when he was at a friend’s house who painted, and Shea was inspired. Shea said. “I started with little bitty canvas and trying to draw things, and it became bigger canvases and more abstract.” On June 26 2011, Shea showcased 10 of his abstract pieces to the Controlled Chaos Art Show and Auction at NYLO Hotel in Plano, raising almost $10,000 for the FC Dallas Foundation benefiting disadvantaged youth through soccer. During the art showcase FC Dallas owner Dan Hunt attended and purchased one of Shea's paintings. To sell and display his art Brek Shea has opened his own studio named Left Foot Studio. On the Left Foot Studio website fans can purchase Shea's paintings which all benefit the FC Dallas Foundation.

On July 22 2011 Shea and New York Red Bulls player Tim Ream rang the closing bell at the New York stock exchange in New York City. While attending the stock exchange, Shea and Ream were accompanied by Chris Heck, the New York Red Bulls President of Business Operation

Brek Shea has stated that his favorite TV show is Rob & Big and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and that his favorite type of music is hip-hop and techno. Shea says that he is a big fan of Assassin’s Creed, FIFA, Halo and Guitar Hero and that his favorite films are 300, Troy and Superbad. Shea has listed Lance Armstrong as a huge inspiration and is his favorite athlete. Brek Shea is also a fan of the Dallas Mavericks, Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys.

Career Statistics

Club

0 0 5 10

Club

Season

League

U.S. Open Cup

League Cup

CONCACAF

Other

Total

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

!Apps

!Goals

rowspan="4" valign="centre"

FC Dallas

2

|

–

–

–

–

2

0

2009 Major League Soccer season

2009

19

|

–

–

–

–

19

0

2010 Major League Soccer season

2010

29

|

–

3

0

–

–

32

5

2011 Major League Soccer season

2011

26

|

3

0

0

0

4

0

0

0

28

10

!Total

!4 Seasons!!76!!15!!3!!0!!3!!0!!3!!0!!0!!0!!81!!15

Honors

FC Dallas

Major League Soccer MLS Cup Runners-up''': 2010

Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship (1): 2010

Major League Soccer All Star (1): 2011

See also

List of current MLS players

References

External links

MLS player profile

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:American soccer players Category:FC Dallas players Category:American people of Norwegian descent Category:United States men's international soccer players Category:Soccer players from Texas

da:Brek Shea de:Brek Shea es:Brek Shea it:Brek Shea nl:Brek Shea pl:Brek Shea

playername	Kevin Molino
fullname	Kevin Molino
dateofbirth
cityofbirth	Carenage
countryofbirth	Trinidad and Tobago
height
position	Midfielder
currentclub	Orlando City
clubnumber	18
years1	2008
clubs1	San Juan Jabloteh
years2	2009–2011
clubs2	Ma Pau SC
years3	2011–
clubs3	Orlando City
caps3	11
goals3	2
nationalyears1	2010–
nationalteam1
nationalcaps1	4
nationalgoals1	0
club-update	June 10, 2011
nationalteam-update	}}

Kevin Molino (born June 17, 1990 in Carenage) is a Trinidadian footballer currently playing for Orlando City in the USL Professional Division.

Career

Club

After playing for several years in the TT Pro League, with San Juan Jabloteh and Ma Pau SC, Molino signed with Orlando City in the USL Professional Division on 18 March 2011. He scored his first goal for his new club on 14 May in a 1-0 win over the Pittsburgh Riverhounds.

International

Molino has represented at the international level. He was named in their 2010 Caribbean Championship squad, and made his international début versus on 4 November 2010.

References

External links

Profile at SocaWarriors.net

Category:1990 births Category:Living people Category:Trinidad and Tobago footballers Category:Trinidad and Tobago international footballers Category:Orlando City S.C. players Category:USL Professional Division players