- Maximiliano Pereira
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Maxi Pereira Personal information Full name Victorio Maximiliano Pereira Páez Date of birth June 8, 1984 Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in) Playing position Wingback Club information Current club Benfica Number 14 Youth career Defensor Sporting Senior career* Years Team Apps† (Gls)† 2002–2007 Defensor Sporting 118 (25) 2007– Benfica 101 (5) National team‡ 2005– Uruguay 59 (1) * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14 May 2011.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 24 July 2011This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Pereira and the second or maternal family name is Páez.Victorio Maximiliano "Maxi" Pereira Páez (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈmaksi peˈrejra]; born 8 June 1984 in Montevideo) is an Uruguayan footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in the Portuguese first division.
Mainly a right back, he can occasionally appear as a midfielder.
Contents
Club career
Pereira started playing professional football for Defensor Sporting, as a 18-year-old, early in the 2002–03 season. He took no time to adjust to the first team, being a crucial part alongside Álvaro González, and netting a career-best 16 goals in the first division in the 2005 season. After 2006–07, Defensor lost both gems, as González was transferred to Boca Juniors and Pereira went to Sport Lisboa e Benfica, accompanied by countryman Cristian Rodríguez.[1] The Lisbon side signed the player for €3 million and 70% of his rights.[2]
In his first season, Pereira was initially played as a right midfielder, failing to adjust to that position. He did net in two consecutive home games in November 2007, in a 6–1 league thrashing of Boavista FC, and in the Champions League 1–1 tie against A.C. Milan, where he scored with his left foot from outside the box.[3]
The following season, Pereira switched to right-back, after Nélson Marcos moved to Real Betis, and became an everpresent fixture during the Reds' campaign. In 2009–10, as Benfica won the league after five years - adding the season's domestic League Cup - he appeared in a total of 40 games, scoring five goals in 2,932 minutes of action.
International career
An Uruguayan international since 26 October 2005, in a friendly loss in Mexico, Pereira quickly became a regular for the country, and represented it at the 2007 Copa América.
He was selected for the squad at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, playing all the matches and minutes for the eventual semfinalists: in the quarterfinals against Ghana, he missed his penalty shootout attempt, but Uruguay eventually qualified for the next stage, where he scored his first goal as an international, in a 2–3 loss against Holland, finding the net in the 91st minute.[4]
Pereira was again an undisputed starter for Uruguay in the 2011 Copa América held in Argentina, with the national team winning its 15th continental tournament.
International goals
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. 6 July 2010 Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa 
Netherlands2–3 2–3 2010 FIFA World Cup Honours
Club
- Benfica:
- Portuguese League: 2009–10
- Portuguese League Cup: 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11
Country
References
- ^ Mantorras out for three months; BBC Sport, 27 August 2007
- ^ "Comunicado [Announcement]" (in Portuguese). CMVM. 27 August 2007. http://web3.cmvm.pt/english/sdi2004/emitentes/docs/FR14717.pdf. Retrieved 4 October 2010.
- ^ Goals, goals, goals; UEFA.com, 14 December 2007
- ^ Bevan, Chris (6 July 2010). "Uruguay 2–3 Netherlands". BBC Sport. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/world_cup_2010/matches/match_61/default.stm. Retrieved 7 July 2010.
External links
- Stats and profile at Zerozero
- Stats at ForaDeJogo (Portuguese)
- National team data (Spanish)
- Maximiliano Pereira at National-Football-Teams.com
Uruguay squads Uruguay squad – 2007 Copa América Fourth Place 
Uruguay squad – 2010 FIFA World Cup Fourth Place 1 Muslera • 2 Lugano (c) • 3 Godín • 4 Fucile • 5 Gargano • 6 Victorino • 7 Cavani • 8 Eguren • 9 Suárez • 10 Forlán • 11 Á. Pereira • 12 Castillo • 13 Abreu • 14 Lodeiro • 15 Pérez • 16 M. Pereira • 17 Arévalo Ríos • 18 I. González • 19 Scotti • 20 Á. Fernández • 21 S. Fernández • 22 Cáceres • 23 Silva • Coach: TabárezUruguay squad – 2011 Copa América Winners (15th Title) 1 Muslera • 2 Lugano (c) • 3 Godín • 4 Coates • 5 Gargano • 6 Victorino • 7 Rodríguez • 8 Eguren • 9 Suárez • 10 Forlán • 11 Á. Pereira • 12 Castillo • 13 Abreu • 14 Lodeiro • 15 Pérez • 16 M. Pereira • 17 Arévalo Ríos • 18 Hernández • 19 Scotti • 20 González • 21 Cavani • 22 Cáceres • 23 Silva • Coach: TabárezS.L. Benfica – current squad 1 Artur · 3 Emerson · 4 Luisão (C) · 5 R. Amorim · 6 Javi García · 7 Cardozo · 8 Bruno César · 9 Nolito · 10 Aimar · 14 Maxi Pereira · 16 Oliveira · 19 Rodrigo · 20 Gaitán · 21 Matić · 22 Mora · 24 Garay · 26 David Simão · 27 Miguel Vítor · 28 Witsel · 30 Saviola · 33 Jardel · 35 Enzo Pérez · 36 Luís Martins · 37 Rúben Pinto · 38 Capdevila · 39 Mika · 47 Eduardo · Manager: Jesus
Categories:- 1984 births
- Living people
- Uruguayan footballers
- Association football defenders
- Association football midfielders
- Defensor Sporting Club players
- Primeira Liga players
- S.L. Benfica footballers
- Uruguay international footballers
- 2007 Copa América players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- 2011 Copa América players
- Uruguayan expatriate footballers
- Expatriate footballers in Portugal
- Uruguayan expatriates in Portugal
- Benfica:
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