Joao Rojas

Joao Robin Rojas Mendoza (Spanish pronunciation: [ʝoˈao ˈroxas]; born 14 June 1989) is an Ecuadorian professional footballer who plays as a right winger for Brazilian club São Paulo FC. He also holds Mexican citizenship.[1]

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Rojas and the second or maternal family name is Mendoza.
Joao Rojas
Rojas playing for Morelia in 2011
Personal information
Full name Joao Robin Rojas Mendoza
Date of birth (1989-06-14) 14 June 1989
Place of birth La Troncal, Ecuador
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position(s) Winger
Club information
Current team
 São Paulo
Youth career
2006 Municipal Cañar
2008 River Plate
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2008 Técnico Universitario 67 (6)
2009–2011 Independiente DV 0 (0)
2009–2010 → Emelec (loan) 75 (13)
2011 → Morelia (loan) 42 (7)
2012–2013 Morelia 53 (11)
2013–2018 Cruz Azul 111 (20)
2017–2018 → Talleres (loan) 12 (1)
2018– São Paulo 18 (1)
National team
2009 Ecuador U-20 4 (2)
2008– Ecuador 34 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 12:38, 16 November 2018 (UTC)

Club career

Ecuadorian clubs

At a young age, he had already played more than 80 games as a professional. He began in Municipal de Cañar as a juvenile for twelve months. The following year, he moved on to Deportivo Quevedo, but was then transferred to Barcelona for a while. In 2007, he moved to Tecnico Universitario where he began his real career. In the 2008 season, he won the award of best juvenile player of the tournament with Tecnico. However, since Tecnico did not qualify for the liguilla final, the club loaned him to River Plate in the Ecuadorian Second Division until January. He has currently been linked with a move to Emelec in the offseason.[2] LDU Quito, El Nacional, and Barcelona have been interested in him as well but they have been put down because of his $1 million price tag.[3] On February 10, 2009, Rojas signed a contract with Emelec.

Monarcas Morelia

2011 season

Emelec loaned Rojas to Morelia in January 2011, in his first season Rojas scored five goals in 22 games, two of which goals were on the semi-final match against Club America, and also scored on the final against UNAM at home, drawing 1–1 in the first leg. but failed to win the championship, and settled for second.

2011–12 season

Monarcas secured his pass to the Michoacán club and received the number 10 shirt for the club. Rojas played 20 games and scored 2 goals. The second half of the season, also called the Clausura, Rojas helped the club to reach the semi-final stages of both the Mexican league and CONCACAF Champions League as well.

2012–13 season

Before the start of the Apertura 2012 season Morelia signed Jefferson Montero, Rojas' former Ecuador U-20 teammate, Rojas and Montero continuously assisted each other in both League and Copa MX matches. His first league goal of the season came in a 3–0 win against Puebla. Later he would score against Club León both league and cup matches, both within a week. He would go on to score two more goals against Querétaro and Atlas.

Cruz Azul

2013–14 season

On the Liga MX draft day, Joao Rojas was transferred to Cruz Azul, and was given the number 11 shirt. His club debut came on July 20, winning 1-0 against Monterrey. On July 26, Joao scored his first goal for Cruz Azul, losing 3-2 against Santos Laguna.

São Paulo

On 22 June 2018, Rojas joined Brazilian club São Paulo FC on a two-year contract.[4]

International career

He was called up to perform at the international level, getting his first cap against Mexico in November 2008. He came on as a substitute in the final minutes of the game. Rojas earned his first senior start the next year in March 2009, in a friendly played against El Salvador.

Rojas have been compared by "El Universo" to Christian Benítez because of his speed, skills, and size. He performed in the U-20 team in Venezuela for the 2009 South American Youth Championship.[5] He scored the two goals in Ecuador's 2-1 win against Peru in the youth championship. Rojas has now been called up for the upcoming South American World Cup Qualifiers and is in contention for a starting line up alongside Carlos Tenorio due to a shoulder injury. Rojas was picked in the 2014 World Cup by Reinaldo Rueda. He came on in the 77' in Ecuador first match against Switzerland.

International goals
#DateVenueOpponentScoreFinalCompetition
1.11 November 2011Estadio Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay Paraguay1–21–22014 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.21 March 2013Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador El Salvador5–05–0International Friendly

Career statistics
As of February 21, 2016
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
Técnico Universitario 2007 363––363
2008 313–00313
Total 676–00676
Emelec 2009 326–40366
2010 447–1145511
Total 7613–1549117
Morelia 2011 Clausura 2250000225
2011-12 3840063447
2012-13 35942003911
Total 9518426310523
Cruz Azul 2013-14 3280080408
2014-15 2840051335
2015–16 2122000232
Total 8114201319615
Career total 319516234835961

National team
Ecuador national team
YearAppsGoals
200810
200930
201060
201131
201240
2013101
201460
201510
Total342

Honours
Cruz Azul
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References
  1. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2015-07-26.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  2. http://emelecpasion.blogspot.com/2008/12/joao-rojas-en-conversaciones-con-emelec.html
  3. http://www.goal.com/en/news/1784/south-american-u-20/2009/01/20/1070051/south-american-under-20-profile-player-of-the-first-day-joao-roj
  4. "São Paulo anuncia a contratação do equatoriano Joao Rojas" [São Paulo announces the hiring of the Ecuadorian Joao Rojas] (in Portuguese). Globo Esporte. 22 June 2018. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  5. http://www.goal.com/es-la/news/1720/sudamericano-sub-20/2009/01/09/1051802/los-perfiles-del-campeonato-sudamericano-sub-20-ecuador
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