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Luis Argudo
Argudo with Columbus in 2018
Personal information
Full name Luis Alejandro Argudo[1]
Date of birth (1995-12-13) December 13, 1995 (age 28)
Place of birth New York City, New York, United States
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)[2]
Position(s) Midfielder
Team information
Current team
New York Pancyprian-Freedoms
Youth career
2012–2014 Albertson SC
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2015 Elon Phoenix 39 (1)
2016–2017 Wake Forest Demon Deacons 48 (9)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2017 Carolina Dynamo 10 (2)
2018–2019 Columbus Crew 39 (1)
2019Hartford Athletic (loan) 2 (0)
2020 Inter Miami 1 (0)
2021 Norrby IF 17 (3)
2022 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 20 (1)
2023 Zala FFF (7v7) 6 (2)
2023– New York Pancyprian-Freedoms
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 25, 2023

Luis Alejandro Argudo (born December 13, 1995) is an American soccer player who plays as a midfielder for the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms. He previously appeared at the semi-professional level for Carolina Dynamo, played professionally with Columbus Crew SC, Inter Miami, Norrby IF, and Pittsburgh Riverhounds, and spent time on loan with Hartford Athletic.

Argudo was born in New York City and attended Francis Lewis High School in Queens. He played two collegiate seasons at Elon University before transferring and playing his final two seasons at Wake Forest University, finishing as national runner-up with the Demon Deacons in 2016. He also appeared during the collegiate off-season with Carolina Dynamo. Columbus Crew SC drafted Argudo in the third round of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft; he eventually signed for the club almost two months later. After two seasons with the Crew, including his first professional goal, Argudo was selected by Inter Miami in the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft. He made just one appearance for Miami, then moved overseas the following year to join Swedish club Norrby IF. A native of the United States, Argudo is also eligible to play for the Colombian or Ecuadorian national teams through his parental heritage.

Early life[edit]

Born in New York City, Argudo attended Francis Lewis High School in Fresh Meadows, Queens. He was a four-year varsity soccer player for the Patriots, finishing his prep career with 13 goals and 20 assists.[3] At club level, he played for Albertson SC under Paul Riley.[4] He also played for New York Ecuador in the NYC Futsal League.[5]

Argudo was set to play college soccer at St. John's out of high school, but did not qualify academically.[6] After taking classes at a community college for a semester, he instead committed to Elon, one of five members of the last recruiting class for head coach Darren Powell before his resignation.[7]

College and amateur[edit]

Argudo made his debut for new head coach Chris Little and Elon on August 29, 2014, starting against Stetson in the John Rennie/Nike Classic.[8] He appeared 18 times as a freshman, starting 10 matches and tallying a goal and an assist. His first collegiate goal came on October 11, the third tally of a 5–0 victory over Northeastern.[9] As a sophomore, Argudo appeared 21 times for an Elon team that was Colonial Athletic Association co-regular season champions and qualified for the NCAA Tournament for just the fourth time in the school's history. Although he did not score, he provided two assists during the season and started both NCAA Tournament matches.[3] After two seasons, 39 games, and one goal for the Phoenix, Argudo transferred to Wake Forest.[10]

Argudo debuted for the Demon Deacons on August 26, 2016, coming off the bench in a 1–0 defeat against Saint Louis.[11] He worked his way into the starting lineup by September, tallying an assist against NC State in his first start for Wake Forest.[4] Argudo scored for the first time in the second round of the NCAA Tournament, helping his team defeat Coastal Carolina 2–0.[12] He tallied one goal in 25 appearances on the season as the Demon Deacons fell to Stanford in the national championship game.[13] As a senior, Argudo had his best collegiate season: eight goals and six assists in 23 matches. He scored five times in the season's first four games, scored the game-winning goal against Elon on October 17, and converted during the penalty shootout in the ACC Tournament championship game.[14][15] Argudo was named to the All-Atlantic Coast Conference Third Team following the season; he concluded his two seasons at Wake Forest with nine goals in 48 appearances.[16][4]

Carolina Dynamo[edit]

Before his senior season at Wake Forest, Argudo appeared for Premier Development League club Carolina Dynamo. He made his debut on May 25, 2017 in a 2–0 defeat against North Carolina FC U23.[17] He found his scoring touch in the back half of the season, with goals on June 17 against Wilmington Hammerheads and on July 13 against Tobacco Road FC.[18][19] Argudo finished with two goals from 10 appearances in his lone season with Carolina.[17]

Club career[edit]

Columbus Crew SC[edit]

"[Argudo]’s a Colombian immigrant from the Bronx that’s got a little edge, and I love that in him. He’s bought in. He’s got some talent. He’s got some confidence. I think he’s versatile. I think he’s a really nice player."

—Columbus head coach Caleb Porter, speaking about Argudo in 2019[20]

Initially, Argudo was not selected to take part in the 2018 MLS Combine; however, he was added to the Combine roster just two days before the event began after an injury to Drew Skundrich.[21] On January 21, Columbus Crew SC drafted Argudo with the 67th overall pick of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.[22] After taking part in the team's preseason camp, he officially signed with Columbus on March 1.[23] Argudo made his professional debut just two days later, replacing Pedro Santos in the 77th minute of a season-opening victory against Toronto FC.[24] He missed three matches in April due to a MCL sprain but returned to the pitch on May 9 to earn his first start of the season in a victory over Philadelphia Union.[25][26] Argudo went on to appear 21 times across all competitions in his rookie season, including two appearances in the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs. The club picked up his contract option on December 9, 2018.[27]

2019: Loan to Hartford[edit]

After making just one appearance in Columbus through the first two months of the season, Argudo was sent on loan to USL Championship club Hartford Athletic on April 11, 2019. He was joined in Hartford by Crew teammate Jon Kempin.[28] Argudo made his club debut two days later, starting and playing 90 minutes in a 4–1 defeat against Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC.[29] After appearing just once more for Hartford, he was recalled by the Crew on April 23.[30] He broke into the Columbus lineup over the summer with the club shorthanded due to injuries and international duty, going on to make 23 appearances for the Crew in all competitions. On July 17, Argudo provided his first MLS assist during a draw against Chicago Fire.[31] Ten days later, he scored his first professional goal as part of a 3–2 victory over New York Red Bulls.[32] After finishing the season with one goal and three assists across 23 matches with Columbus, Argudo had his contract option picked up by the Crew.[33]

Inter Miami[edit]

After being left unprotected by Columbus, Argudo was selected by Inter Miami with the seventh overall pick of the 2019 MLS Expansion Draft.[34] He made his debut, and his lone appearance for the club, during the group stage of the MLS is Back Tournament. He played 11 minutes off the bench in a defeat against Orlando City.[35] Argudo was waived by Miami on September 5, having appeared on the bench just four other times outside of his one appearance.[36] At the end of the season, he was not selected in the 2020 MLS Re-Entry Draft.[37]

Norrby IF[edit]

Ahead of the 2021 season, Argudo went on trial in Major League Soccer (MLS) with expansion club Austin FC.[38] He scored the first unofficial goal in the club's history, coming in a friendly against OKC Energy on March 19, and remained in Austin through the beginning of the 2021 MLS season.[39][40] However, at the end of April he was released without a contract.[41] He moved to Sweden in May to train with IK Sirius, but again did not earn a permanent contract.[42] Argudo ended his search for a club on June 17, signing with Superettan side Norrby IF on a one-year deal with an option for two further seasons.[43] He made his club debut on July 17, scoring the winning goal in the 65th minute of a 3–0 victory against Akropolis IF.[44] Argudo tallied three goals in 18 appearances on the season, with one of those coming in a victory over GAIS on November 1.[45] However, Norrby were unable to accomplish the goal that Argudo had stated when he joined the club in the summer: they missed out on promotion to the Allsvenskan, finishing in fourth place in the Superettan.[46]

Pittsburgh Riverhounds[edit]

On March 25, 2022, Argudo signed with USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds.[47]

New York Pancyprian-Freedoms[edit]

Argudo joined the New York Pancyprian-Freedoms in 2023.[48]

Personal life[edit]

Argudo was born in the United States to a Colombian mother and an Ecuadorian father. He lived in Ecuador as a child and possesses passports from all three countries. He has expressed interest in representing either Colombia or Ecuador, saying, "If there is an opportunity, obviously one would accept the possibilities when they arrive."[49]

Career statistics[edit]

As of October 1, 2022[50][51][52]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup[a] Continental Other Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Carolina Dynamo 2017[17] PDL 10 2 0 0 10 2
Columbus Crew SC 2018 Major League Soccer 18 0 1 0 2[b] 0 21 0
2019 21 1 2 0 23 1
Total 39 1 3 0 0 0 2 0 44 1
Hartford Athletic (loan) 2019 USL Championship 2 0 0 0 2 0
Inter Miami 2020 Major League Soccer 1 0 0 0 1 0
Norrby IF 2021 Superettan 17 3 1 0 18 3
Pittsburgh Riverhounds 2022 USL Championship 20 1 2 0 0 0 22 1
Career total 89 7 6 0 0 0 2 0 97 7
  1. ^ Includes the U.S. Open Cup and Svenska Cupen
  2. ^ Appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs

Honors[edit]

Elon[53]
Wake Forest[54]
Individual

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Luis Argudo, Gustav Adolfsgatan 8, Borås". Hitta.se (in Swedish). Schibsted. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  2. ^ Luis Argudo at Major League Soccer
  3. ^ a b "Luis Argudo – Elon profile". Elon Phoenix. Elon University. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d "Luis Argudo – Wake Forest profile". Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest University. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  5. ^ Bell, Jack (August 2, 2014). "For Young Soccer Players, Vast Ambitions Grow in Tight Spaces". The New York Times. Retrieved February 25, 2019.
  6. ^ "Luis Argudo from Inter Miami". Rooster and the Villain: An American Soccer Podcast (Podcast). May 7, 2020. Event occurs at 4:10. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  7. ^ "Men's Soccer Welcomes Five in 2014 Signing Class". Elon Phoenix. Elon University. February 11, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  8. ^ "Stetson 3–2 Elon". Elon Phoenix. Elon University. August 29, 2014. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  9. ^ Krause, Matt (October 11, 2014). "History abound: Elon routs Northeastern for first CAA triumph". Elon News Network. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  10. ^ Dell, John (November 29, 2016). "Argudo quietly helping Deacons thrive this season". Winston-Salem Journal. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  11. ^ "#5 Wake Forest 0–1 Saint Louis". Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest University. August 26, 2016. Archived from the original on December 15, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  12. ^ "CCU men's soccer falls to Wake Forest in NCAA's Round of 16". The Sun News. McClatchy. November 20, 2016. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  13. ^ Reinhard, Robert (December 11, 2016). "Wake Forest Falls to Stanford in National Championship Match". Blogger So Dear. SB Nation. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  14. ^ Costa, Roman (October 17, 2017). "Men's soccer unable to pull off upset against No. 2 Wake Forest". Elon News Network. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  15. ^ "Wake Forest defends ACC Men's Soccer Title". WFMY-TV. Tegna Inc. November 12, 2017. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  16. ^ a b "ACC Announces 2017 Men's Soccer Award Winners". Atlantic Coast Conference. November 7, 2017. Archived from the original on March 4, 2018. Retrieved February 24, 2018.
  17. ^ a b c "Luis Argudo – Carolina Dynamo profile". Premier Development League. United Soccer League. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  18. ^ "Carolina Dynamo 4–1 Wilmington Hammerheads". Premier Development League. United Soccer League. June 17, 2017. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  19. ^ Nash, Tim (July 13, 2017). "Carolina Dynamo soccer team loses to Tobacco Road". News & Record. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  20. ^ Hintz, Abigail (July 24, 2019). "Confidence and skill gives Luis Argudo an edge". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  21. ^ Baer, Benjamin (January 11, 2018). "Edward Opoku added to Generation adidas class". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on September 22, 2018. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  22. ^ Journal staff report (January 21, 2018). "Wake's Argudo taken in third round of MLS". Winston-Salem Journal. Berkshire Hathaway. Retrieved February 20, 2018.
  23. ^ Erickson, Andrew (March 1, 2018). "Crew SC signs draft picks Argudo, Lundgaard to contracts". The Columbus Dispatch. GateHouse Media. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  24. ^ Erickson, Andrew (March 13, 2018). "Low pick Luis Argudo delivering key minutes". The Columbus Dispatch. GateHouse Media. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  25. ^ @AEricksonAU (April 13, 2018). "Berhalter said of Luis Argudo (knee): "He's well on his way to recovery." Indicated it won't belong before he's ready to return. Suffered a grade 1 MCL sprain in practice last week. #CrewSC" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  26. ^ Erickson, Andrew (May 11, 2018). "Crew Cuts: Argudo reflects on first start with Crew SC". The Columbus Dispatch. GateHouse Media. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  27. ^ Crew SC Communications (November 26, 2018). "Columbus Crew SC exercises options on contracts of eight players ahead of 2019". Columbus Crew SC. Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on November 27, 2018. Retrieved November 26, 2018.
  28. ^ "Hartford Athletic adds Kempin, Argudo on loan". Hartford Athletic. United Soccer League. April 11, 2019. Retrieved April 12, 2019.
  29. ^ Guldan, Patrick (April 16, 2019). "Loan report: A busy week away from the Crew". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  30. ^ "Hartford Athletic acquires Collin Martin on loan". Hartford Athletic. United Soccer League. April 23, 2019. Archived from the original on April 23, 2019. Retrieved April 23, 2019.
  31. ^ Myers, Jacob (July 25, 2019). "Luis Argudo's strong play puts charge into Columbus Crew". The Columbus Dispatch. GateHouse Media. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  32. ^ Crosky, Mike (July 29, 2019). "What We Learned: Crew vs New York Red Bulls". Massive Report. SB Nation. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  33. ^ Crew SC Communications (October 21, 2019). "Columbus Crew SC announces roster updates ahead of 2020 season". Columbus Crew SC. Major League Soccer. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  34. ^ Dusenbury, Wells (November 19, 2019). "Inter Miami CF adds Ben Sweat, four other players in MLS Expansion Draft". Sun-Sentinel. Tribune Publishing. Retrieved December 19, 2019.
  35. ^ Venegas, Mauricio (July 10, 2020). "Ambrose, Argudo, Carranza and Chapman Make Inter Miami Debuts". Inter Miami CF. Major League Soccer. Retrieved November 28, 2020.
  36. ^ "Inter Miami CF Waives Midfielder Luis Argudo". Inter Miami CF. Major League Soccer. September 5, 2020. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  37. ^ MLSsoccer staff (December 17, 2020). "Eligible players for MLS 2020 Re-Entry process stage 2". Major League Soccer. Retrieved December 22, 2020.
  38. ^ Craven, Mike (March 1, 2021). "Austin FC set to start training on March 8, exploring international contests". Austin American-Statesman. Gannett. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  39. ^ Healey, Adrian [@AdrianHealey] (March 19, 2021). "Practice all around today. 1-1 at H/T AustinFC v OKC. Luis Argudo with a smart finish for the equalizer after Frank Lopez stunning free kick for visitors" (Tweet). Retrieved June 17, 2021 – via Twitter.
  40. ^ Bils, Chris (April 20, 2021). "Luis Argudo still with Austin FC and more from Josh Wolff's weekly press conference". The Striker Texas. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  41. ^ Bils, Chris (April 26, 2021). "Austin FC adds midfielder Manny Perez in exchange with Portland Timbers". The Striker Texas. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  42. ^ "Luis Argudo tränar med Sirius Fotboll" [Luis Argudo trains with Sirius Football]. IK Sirius Fotboll (in Swedish). Idrottsklubben Sirius. May 18, 2021. Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  43. ^ Falk, Mikael (June 17, 2021). "Varmt välkommen, Luis Argudo!" [A warm welcome, Luis Argudo!]. Norrby IF (in Swedish). Retrieved June 17, 2021.
  44. ^ "Akropolis föll mot Norrby på hemmaplan" [Akropolis fell against Norrby at home]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Schibsted. July 17, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  45. ^ "Norrby vann efter Strömbergs dubbel" [Norrby won after Strömberg's double]. Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Schibsted. November 1, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  46. ^ "Från David Beckhams gäng till Norrby: "Gillade vad jag såg"" [From David Beckham's gang to Norrby: "Liked what I saw"]. Borås Tidning (in Swedish). Gota Media AB. May 31, 2021. Retrieved December 28, 2021.
  47. ^ Krysinsky, John (March 23, 2022). "Riverhounds SC sign former Columbus Crew midfielder Luis Argudo". Pittsburgh Soccer Now. Pittsburgh Sports Now. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  48. ^ Battista, Michael. "USOC qualifying starts this week in New York". HudsonRiverBlue.com. Hudson River Blue. Retrieved October 25, 2023.
  49. ^ Rojas, John (June 28, 2018). "Luis Argudo: fútbol global desde la cuna" [Luis Argudo: global football from the cradle]. Diario AS (in Spanish). PRISA. Archived from the original on September 9, 2018. Retrieved September 9, 2018.
  50. ^ Luis Argudo at Soccerway. Retrieved March 3, 2018.
  51. ^ Luis Argudo at Elite Football. Retrieved June 23, 2021.
  52. ^ Luis Argudo at the Swedish Football Association (in Swedish) . Retrieved October 18, 2021.
  53. ^ "Elon Men's Soccer Championships". Elon Phoenix. Elon University. June 2, 2014. Archived from the original on December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.
  54. ^ "Wake Forest Men's Soccer Record Book" (PDF). Wake Forest Demon Deacons. Wake Forest University. August 21, 2018. Retrieved December 18, 2018.

External links[edit]