Edison Azcona
 Azcona training with Inter Miami in 2023 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Edison Alexander Azcona Vélez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 21 November 2003[1] | ||
| Place of birth | La Romana, Dominican Republic | ||
| Height | 1.68 m (5 ft 6 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Las Vegas Lights | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2017–2018 | Boca United FC | ||
| 2018–2019 | Orlando City | ||
| 2019–2020 | Inter Miami | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2024 | Inter Miami II | 39 | (7) |
| 2021–2024 | Inter Miami | 10 | (0) |
| 2022 | → El Paso Locomotive (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2024 | → Las Vegas Lights (loan) | 13 | (0) |
| 2024– | Las Vegas Lights | 3 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021–2023 | Dominican Republic U20 | 10 | (5) |
| 2021– | Dominican Republic U23 | 3 | (1) |
| 2024 | Dominican Republic Olympic | 3 | (0) |
| 2021– | Dominican Republic | 13 | (0) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 8 July 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 19 November 2024 | |||
Edison Alexander Azcona Vélez (born 21 November 2003) is a Dominican professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club Las Vegas Lights and the Dominican Republic national team.[2]
Career
[edit]Fort Lauderdale CF
[edit]Azcona made his league debut for the club on 18 July 2020 in a 2–0 defeat to the Greenville Triumph.[3] In November, 2020, Azcona was named to the USL League One All-League Second Team and was nominated for the USL League One Young Player of the Year award.[4] He scored three goals during his first season with the club, the second of which (a fifth-minute opener against Orlando City B) finished runner-up in the USL League One Fans' Choice Goal of the Year vote.[5]
Inter Miami
[edit]On 26 January 2021, Inter Miami[6] announced Azcona's signing as a homegrown player. On 2 May 2021, Azcona made his MLS debut against Nashville SC and became the first Inter Miami homegrown player to appear in an MLS match.[7]
In 2023, Inter Miami won the 2023 Leagues Cup, with Azcona being part of the squad as a substitute.[8]
El Paso Locomotive (loan)
[edit]In July 2022, Azcona was loaned to USL Championship club El Paso Locomotive FC for the remainder of the 2022 season.[9]
Las Vegas Lights (loan)
[edit]On 19 February 2024, Azcona joined USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights for their 2024 season, with Las Vegas holding the option to make the deal permanent on 1 July 2024.[10] The deal was made permanent on 9 July 2024.[11]
Las Vegas Lights
[edit]On 9 July 2024, Las Vegas exercised their purchase option on Azcona's loan agreement. The permanent transfer was the largest transaction fee in the club's history.[12]
International career
[edit]On 28 October 2020, Azcona was called up by the senior Dominican Republic national football team.[13] He made his international debut on 19 January 2021, as a starter in a 0–1 home friendly loss to Puerto Rico. On 25 January 2021, Azcona also started in the 0–0 home friendly against Serbia.
In March 2021, Azcona was named to the Dominican Republic squad for the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship.[14] He scored the only goal of the tournament for his country as they bowed out in the group stage.
In November 2021, he was named to the U-20 side for the 2022 CONCACAF U-20 Championship qualifying tournament in Santo Domingo.[15] In the opening match of the tournament, Azcona scored the final goal in a 6–0 victory over Anguilla.[16] In the final match against Saint Lucia, Azcona scored the goal that gave the Dominican Republic a 2–2 draw with Saint Lucia and a spot in next year's 2022 Concacaf Men's Under-20 Championship.[17] Azcona's decisive goal in the 90+4 minute, allowed the Dominican Republic to accumulate 10 points and finish as Group B's leader, giving the host country the ticket to the next round.[18]
In 2023, Azcona got called up for the 2023–24 CONCACAF Nations League, against Nicaragua and Montserrat.[19]
Personal
[edit]Born in the Dominican Republic, Azcona moved to the United States with his family the day before his fourth birthday, originally going to Tennessee before the family settled in Florida when Edison was eight. He has a black belt in taekwondo.[20]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c "Men's Olympic Football Tournament Paris 2024: Squad list" (PDF). FIFA. 24 July 2024. p. 2. Retrieved 24 July 2024.
- ^ "Dominican Republic – E. Azcona – Profile with news, career statistics and history – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
- ^ "Fort Lauderdale vs. Greenville Triumph – 19 July 2020 – Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 18 July 2020.
- ^ "Edison Azcona Nominated for USL League One Young Player of the Year". intermiamicf.com. 5 November 2020.
- ^ "FC Tucson's Josh Coan Claims League One's Fans' Choice Goal of the Year". uslleagueone.com. 30 November 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- ^ "Inter Miami CF Signs Academy Products Edison Azcona and Ian Fray as Homegrown Players". intermiamicf.com. Retrieved 26 January 2021.
- ^ "Edison Azcona becomes first Inter Miami homegrown player to appear in MLS match". sun-sentinel.com. 2 May 2021. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
- ^ leaguescup. "How many Inter Miami CF players became first-time champions following the Leagues Cup 2023 title? | LeaguesCup.com". leaguescup. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ Fox, Derick. "Locomotive Acquires Edison Azcona on Loan from MLS Club Inter Miami CF". EPLocomotiveFC.com. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
- ^ "Las Vegas Lights FC acquires Dominican Republic international Edison Azcona from Inter Miami CF".
- ^ mlssoccer. "Inter Miami transfer Edison Azcona to Las Vegas Lights | MLSSoccer.com". mlssoccer. Retrieved 11 November 2024.
- ^ "Las Vegas Lights FC complete historic transaction, executing purchase option on Edison Azcona's loan from Inter Miami CF". LasVegasLightsFC.com. Las Vegas Lights. Retrieved 10 July 2024.
- ^ "Fedofútbol anuncia convocados para ventana FIFA de noviembre". Dominican Republic Football Federation (in Spanish). 28 October 2020. Retrieved 29 October 2020.
- ^ "Definida la lista de jugadores para el preolímpico de concacaf".
- ^ "Arranca el sueño mundialista para la Sedofútbol Sub-20". 4 November 2021.
- ^ "República Dominicana y Granada entre los ganadores en el inicio del Sub 20". 6 November 2021.
- ^ "Dominican Republic reach 2022 CMU20 with dramatic comeback". 14 November 2021.
- ^ "Azcona salva a Sedofutbol en el descuento ante Santa Lucía". 13 November 2021.
- ^ intermiamicf. "Called Up: Edison Azcona Called Up by Dominican Republic | Inter Miami CF". intermiamicf. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
- ^ "Azcona on Olympic pinnacle, Vegas glitz and playing with Messi". FIFA.
External links
[edit]- Edison Azcona en Fútbol Dominicano. Net
- Edison Azcona at US Soccer Development Academy
- Edison Azcona at Soccerway
- 2003 births
- Living people
- Sportspeople from La Romana, Dominican Republic
- Dominican Republic men's footballers
- Dominican Republic men's international footballers
- Dominican Republic emigrants to the United States
- Naturalized citizens of the United States
- Men's association football midfielders
- Inter Miami CF II players
- Inter Miami CF players
- USL League One players
- Homegrown Players (MLS)
- Dominican Republic expatriate men's footballers
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Dominican Republic expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- American men's soccer players
- Major League Soccer players
- Dominican Republic men's under-20 international footballers
- MLS Next Pro players
- El Paso Locomotive FC players
- USL Championship players
- Footballers at the 2023 Pan American Games
- Las Vegas Lights FC players
- Footballers at the 2024 Summer Olympics
- Olympic footballers for the Dominican Republic
- 21st-century American sportsmen