Wilfredo Rivera (footballer)

Last updated

Wilfredo Rivera
Personal information
Full name Wilfredo Aramat Rivera Cepeda
Date of birth (2003-10-14) October 14, 2003 (age 21)
Place of birth San Juan, Puerto Rico
Height 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Winger, forward
Team information
Current team
 Orlando City B
Number 32
Youth career
2008–2010 Academia Quintana
2010–2017 Clay County Soccer Club
2017–2018 Jacksonville FC
2018–2020 Orlando City
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2020– Orlando City B 55 (10)
2021–2023 Orlando City 0 (0)
2022 → Indy Eleven (loan) 11 (0)
International career‡
2018 United States U16
2019 Puerto Rico U17 3 (0)
2021–2022 Puerto Rico U20 5 (3)
2021– Puerto Rico 22 (5)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 15, 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of November 19, 2024

Wilfredo Aramat Rivera Cepeda (born October 14, 2003) is a Puerto Rican professional footballer who plays as a winger for the Puerto Rico national team and MLS Next Pro club Orlando City B.

Contents

Club career

Youth

Rivera grew up in the Quintana barrio of San Juan, Puerto Rico and began playing soccer for the Academia Quintana team. [1] [2] His family moved to Florida, United States in 2010 and he joined Clay County Soccer Club. [3] After seven seasons at Clay County SC, Rivera moved to Jacksonville FC before joining the SIMA/Orlando City DA program at Montverde Academy. [4] [5]

Orlando City

In March 2020, Rivera signed an academy contract with Orlando City B, Orlando City's USL League One affiliate. [6] He made his debut in the season opener on August 1, 2020, starting against South Georgia Tormenta [7] and scored his first goal for the club the following week in a 2–0 victory over New England Revolution II. [8] He started in all 15 games and finished the season as the team's top scorer with three goals. [9]

Having originally committed to playing college soccer for South Florida Bulls beginning fall 2021, [10] Rivera joined the Orlando City senior team's preseason camp ahead of the 2021 season and on March 22, 2021, signed a professional three-year homegrown contract. He became the club's ninth homegrown and second youngest player to sign a first-team contract after Tommy Redding in 2014. [9]

Rivera continued to play for Orlando City B during the inaugural 2022 MLS Next Pro season until July 25, 2022, when he joined USL Championship side Indy Eleven on loan for the remainder of the season. [11]

In December 2023, as part of the end of season roster moves, it was announced Rivera had his option declined and released as a free agent. [12]

International

In September 2018, Rivera was called-up to the United States under-16 training camp. [3]

Rivera made his Puerto Rico under-17 debut in 2019 during 2019 CONCACAF U-17 Championship qualifying and later represented the team during the knockout stage, starting in a 2–1 loss to Mexico in the Round of 16. [13] [14]

On January 19, 2021, he made his senior debut with Puerto Rico as an 80th-minute substitute in a friendly 1–0 win over Dominican Republic. [15] [16]

Career statistics

Club

As of 15 May 2024
ClubSeasonLeagueCupPlayoffsTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Orlando City B 2020 USL League One 153——153
2022 MLS Next Pro 101——101
2023 223—10233
2024 83——83
Total551000105610
Indy Eleven 2022 USL Championship 11000—110
Career total661000106710

International

As of match played June 11, 2024
Scores and results list Puerto Rico's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Rivera goal.
List of international goals scored by Wilfredo Rivera
No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1November 18, 2023 ABFA Technical Center, Piggotts, Antigua and BarbudaFlag of Antigua and Barbuda.svg  Antigua and Barbuda 1–03–2 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League B
23–2
3November 21, 2023 Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto RicoFlag of the Bahamas.svg  Bahamas 6–16–1
4June 11, 2024 Juan Ramón Loubriel Stadium, Bayamón, Puerto RicoFlag of Anguilla.svg  Anguilla 3–08–0 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification
56–0

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orlando City SC</span> Soccer club in Major League Soccer

Orlando City Soccer Club, known as Orlando City SC or simply Orlando City, is an American professional soccer club based in Orlando, Florida. The club competes as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS), the top division in the United States soccer league system. Orlando City SC began play in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS, succeeding the USL Pro team of the same name. In doing so they became the first MLS team in Florida since Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny both folded following the 2001 season. The team plays in Downtown Orlando at Inter&Co Stadium, which it owns and operates.

Thomas Redding is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender.

Sidney Adam Rivera is a professional soccer player who plays for United Premier Soccer League side New York Braveheart SC. Born in the United States, he represents Puerto Rico internationally.

Luca Allan Petrasso is a Canadian soccer player who plays as a left-back for Major League Soccer club Orlando City SC.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2019 Orlando City B season</span> Season of American association football team

The 2019 Orlando City B season was the club's third year of existence and their first returning from hiatus during the 2018 season. It was their first season as a founding member of USL League One, the third tier of the United States soccer pyramid, after moving from the second tier now rebranded as USL Championship in the restructuring. The team also moved from Orlando City Stadium where they spent the 2017 season, to Montverde Academy which already housed Orlando City's Development Academy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mason Stajduhar</span> American soccer player

Mason James Stajduhar is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Orlando City.

Moises Tablante is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for FC Cincinnati 2 in MLS Next Pro.

Jahlane Forbes is an American soccer player who plays as a defender for Charlotte FC of Major League Soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Orlando City SC season</span> Season of American association football team

The 2020 Orlando City SC season was the club's 10th season of existence in Orlando and sixth season as a Major League Soccer franchise, the top-flight league in the United States soccer league system. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Open Cup was canceled.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Orlando City B season</span> Orlando City B 2020 soccer season

The 2020 Orlando City B season was the club's fourth season of existence and their second since returning from hiatus during the 2018 season. It was their second season as a founding member of USL League One, the third tier of the United States soccer pyramid, after moving from the second tier in the restructuring. The team also moved from Montverde Academy where they spent the 2019 season, to the newly refurbished Osceola County Stadium at Orlando City's new training complex in Kissimmee, Florida.

Nick O'Callaghan is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for South Georgia Tormenta in USL League One.

Michael Anthony Halliday is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club Orlando City.

Aleksandar Gluvačević is an American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for Albion San Diego in the National Independent Soccer Association.

Theodore Ndje is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder.

Thomas Ivory Williams III is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Orlando City in Major League Soccer.

Raul Aguilera Jr. is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder.

Daniel Rosario Rodríguez is a Puerto Rican footballer.

Javier Alejandro Otero León is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Orlando City in Major League Soccer and the Venezuela national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Orlando City SC season</span> Season of American association football team

The 2024 Orlando City SC season is the club's 14th season of existence in Orlando and 10th season as a Major League Soccer franchise, the top-flight league in the United States soccer league system. Orlando will also play in two other competitions: the Leagues Cup and the CONCACAF Champions Cup. As a result of a decision by Major League Soccer, Orlando City did not contest the U.S. Open Cup for the first time in club history.

References

  1. ↑ Reynoso, Paulo. "Orlando City anuncia la firma de Wilfredo Rivera". Futbol Boricua (in Spanish).
  2. ↑ "Futbolista boricua de 17 años firma en la MLS". El Vocero de Puerto Rico (in Spanish).
  3. 1 2 "Congratulations Wilfredo Rivera for being called up to the U16 Youth National Team". United Soccer Alliance. September 20, 2018.
  4. ↑ "Wilfredo Rivera Called to the U17 Puerto Rico National Team". Sima Aguilas. April 18, 2019.
  5. ↑ "Orlando City SC". ocsc.ussoccerda.com.
  6. ↑ Poe, Julia (March 3, 2020). "Orlando City B announces roster for 2020 USL League One season". Pro Soccer USA.
  7. ↑ "South Georgia Tormenta FC vs. Orlando City B – August 1, 2020". www.uslleagueone.com.
  8. ↑ "New England Revolution II vs. Orlando City B – August 7, 2020". www.uslleagueone.com.
  9. 1 2 "Orlando City SC Signs Forward Wilfredo Rivera as Club's Ninth All-Time Homegrown". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  10. ↑ "Orlando City sign homegrown forward Wilfredo Rivera to three-year contract". Orlando Soccer Journal. March 22, 2021.
  11. ↑ "Orlando City SC Loans Homegrown Wilfredo Rivera to Indy Eleven". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  12. ↑ "Orlando City SC announces end-of-season statuses following end of 2023 MLS Season". www.orlandocitysc.com.
  13. ↑ "La Sub17 en busca de cambiar la historia" (in Spanish).
  14. ↑ "2019 CONCACAF U-17 Championship: Mexico v Puerto Rico". www.concacaf.com.
  15. ↑ "Histórica victoria de Puerto Rico ante República Dominicana". Federación Puertorriqueña de Fútbol.
  16. ↑ "Victoria para Puerto Rico en el "Clásico Caribeño"" (in Spanish).
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.