Andy Baquero Explained

Andy Baquero
Fullname:Andy Baquero Ruiz
Birth Date:17 August 1994
Birth Place:Havana, Cuba
Height:1.72 m
Position:Midfielder, Right-back
Currentclub:Vaughan Azzurri
Clubnumber:2
Years1:2013–2017
Clubs1:La Habana
Caps1:26
Goals1:7
Years2:2017
Clubs2:Villa Clara
Caps2:9
Goals2:0
Years3:2018
Clubs3:La Habana
Caps3:6
Goals3:1
Years4:2018
Goals4:2
Years5:2019
Clubs5:La Habana
Goals5:3
Years6:2019
Caps6:9
Goals6:3
Years7:2021–2023
Clubs7:Valour FC
Caps7:74
Goals7:2
Years8:2024–
Clubs8:Vaughan Azzurri
Caps8:1
Goals8:0
Nationalyears1:2011
Nationalteam1:Cuba U17
Nationalcaps1:3
Nationalgoals1:0
Nationalyears2:2012–13
Nationalteam2:Cuba U20
Nationalcaps2:13
Nationalgoals2:1
Nationalyears3:2014
Nationalteam3:Cuba U21
Nationalcaps3:4
Nationalgoals3:0
Nationalyears4:2014–2019
Nationalteam4:Cuba
Nationalcaps4:29
Nationalgoals4:5
Nationalyears5:2016–2019
Nationalteam5:Cuba (futsal)
Club-Update:April 28, 2024
Nationalteam-Update:26 June 2021

Andy Baquero Ruiz (born 17 August 1994) is a Cuban professional footballer who plays for Vaughan Azzurri in League1 Ontario. He previously played for the Cuba national team and Cuba national futsal team until his defection in 2019. He plays as a midfielder and a right back.[1] [2]

Early life

In his youth, Baquero did karate and later baseball, before switching to football at age nine.[3] [4]

Club career

Baquero began his professional career at 18 with La Habana, where he played six seasons across two stints, while also having brief tenures with Villa Clara and Pinar del Río.[5] [6]

In 2019, he was granted permission to leave Cuba and go to the Dominican Republic where he went on trial with Atlántico FC, before signing with played with Delfines del Este of the Liga Dominicana de Fútbol for a half season,[7] scoring three goals and adding two assists in nine appearances.[8] He had previously received an offer from A.D. Chalatenango of the Primera División de Fútbol de El Salvador on a ten month contract, however, it was rejected by the Football Association of Cuba, due to concerns about the intermediary who sent the offer.[9] In total, he had 4 contract offers that were rejected.[10]

After his defection from Cuba to Canada, he began to work in construction,[11] but also began to train with Vaughan Azzurri of League1 Ontario and was set to join them for their 2020 season, however, the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[12] Ahead of the 2021 season, he went on trial with Canadian Premier League side Valour FC.[13] In June 2021, Baquero signed with the club.[14] [15] [16] In his first season, he made 23 appearances for the side, playing the fourth-most minutes on the team.[17] In January 2022, he re-signed with the club.[18] [19] Although the club had held a club option on his contract for 2022, they agreed to a new contract to retain him for 2023 as well.[20]

International career

Baquero has played in the 2011 CONCACAF U-17 Championship, 2013 CONCACAF U-20 Championship, 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup and the 2014 Central American and Caribbean Games. In June 2015, he scored a goal in a friendly hosted in Cuba against North American Soccer League club team New York Cosmos.[21] [22]

In 2016, he was recruited to join the Cuba national futsal team.[23]

On 7 September 2019, following a match in Toronto, Canada in the 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League against Canada, Baquero defected from Cuba along with teammate Alejandro Portal and settled in Canada.[24] [25] As a result of his defection, he would be banned from representing the national team and from returning to Cuba (where the rest of his family was) for eight years until 2027. In November 2023, he was able reunite with his mother, who he had been unable to see due to his defection, when she came to Canada.[26] [27]

Personal life

Baquero is also a musician, releasing music under his stage name AB2.[28] [29] In 2020, he was nominated by the Latin Awards Canada for the Breakthrough Artist of the Year in Canada.[30] At the 2022 Latin Awards Canada, his song "Garantizo" was nominated in the Best Urban Pop Fusion Song and Best Music Video categories (winning the Best Urban Pop Fusion Song honour).[31]

Career statistics

International goals

Scores and results list Cuba's goal tally first.[32]

No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 29 August 2018 align=center 2–0 align=center 2–0 Friendly
2. 8 September 2018 align=center 3–0 11–0 2019–20 CONCACAF Nations League qualification
3. align=center 5–0
4. 29 September 2018 Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba align=center ?–0 align=center 5–0 Friendly
5. 25 February 2019 Estadio Pedro Marrero, Havana, Cuba align=center ?–? align=center 2–2 Friendly

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Andy, un «vaquero» de contención. Andy, a containment "cowboy". es. December 3, 2015. José Luis. López. Juventud Rebelde.
  2. Web site: ‘A really handy player to have’: Versatile defender Baquero making huge contribution to Valour FC's success. Joseph. Bernacki. July 13, 2021. Winnipeg Free Press.
  3. Web site: Eduardo. Grenier Rodriguez. 26 June 2019. Andy Baquero: futbolista, músico… ¿y loco?. Andy Baquero: soccer player, musician... and crazy?. es. Medium.
  4. Web site: Andy Baquero, y el sueño es ser profesional. Andy Baquero, and the dream is to be a professional. es. DeporCuba. Darien. Medina Bonilla. 13 June 2020.
  5. Web site: 'Soccer changed my life': Andy Baquero and a Cuban soccer dream. 20 June 2022. OneSoccer.
  6. Web site: Valour FC Signs Cuban International Andy Baquero. June 26, 2021. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  7. Web site: Andy Baquero’s dream comes true as he joins Eikon Sports Group. Cody. Bomek. June 20, 2021. Eikon Sports.
  8. Web site: “Despite all his professional experience he came in with a hunger to prove himself”. June 26, 2021. Valour FC. Ed. Tait.
  9. Web site: Fútbol cubano: contratos frustrados por la inoperancia. 2 August 2019. Cuban soccer: contracts frustrated by ineffectiveness. OnCuba News. Alexander. Ramírez Tápanes. es.
  10. Web site: Andy Baquero: yo tenía el sueño de ser jugador profesional y en Cuba no iba a poder lograrlo. Andy Baquero: I had the dream of being a professional player and in Cuba I was not going to be able to achieve it. Sport Blog. es. April 18, 2020.
  11. Web site: Andy Baquero: “Me fugué del Hotel con la camiseta del juego, la billetera y el teléfono”. Andy Baquero: “I escaped from the hotel with the game jersey, wallet and phone”. es. June 9, 2023. Henry. Morales Marquez. All in 1 Desportes.
  12. Web site: Andy Baquero regresa al fútbol profesional y firma con el Valour FC. Andy Baquero returns to professional football and signs with Valour FC. Playoff Magazine. 26 June 2021. es. Alexander. Ramírez.
  13. Web site: Cuban International Andy Baquero Set For CPL. 21 June 2021. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  14. Web site: Valour FC signs midfielder Andy Baquero. Valour FC. 26 June 2021.
  15. Web site: Valour FC signs Cuban midfielder Andy Baquero. 26 June 2021. Canadian Premier League. Charlie. O'Connor-Clarke.
  16. Web site: Andy Baquero firma con el Valour FC. Andy Baquero signs with Valour FC. es. 26 June 2021. Futbol de Cuba.
  17. Web site: Andy Baquero and Federico Peña return to Valour FC. January 24, 2022. Canadian Premier League. Charlie. O'Connor-Clarke.
  18. Web site: Valour FC re-sign fullbacks Federico Peña and Andy Baquero. January 24, 2022. Valour FC.
  19. Web site: Valour Re-Signs Full-Backs Pena And Baquero. January 24, 2022. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  20. Web site: “They are two guys from the get-go that we knew we wanted back.” - Peña, Baquero return for 2022. 24 January 2022. Valour FC. Ed. Tait.
  21. Web site: Andy Baquero, Cuba cambia su paradigma. Andy Baquero, Cuba changes its paradigm. es. July 9, 2015. Omar. Flores Aldana. Excélsior.
  22. Web site: El defensa de la selección cubana de fútbol quiere jugar en el extranjero. The defender of the Cuban soccer team wants to play abroad. 9 July 2015. Radio y Televisión Martí. es.
  23. Web site: Andy Baquero Ruiz: A passion for soccer. October 5, 2016. Yosel M.. Castellanos. Granma.
  24. Web site: Tres cubanos más escapan en torneo de CONCACAF y ya suman cinco los que abandonan el equipo. Three more Cubans escape in the CONCACAF tournament and there are already five who leave the team. Jorge. Ebro. Pedro J.. González. 11 September 2019. El Nuevo Herald. es.
  25. Web site: Former Cuba Internationals Set To Face Toronto FC In Stadium Where ‘New Life’ Began. April 24, 2024. Northern Tribune. John. Jacques.
  26. Web site: 4 años después: Futbolista cubano Andy Baquero abrazó a su madre en Canadá. 4 years later: Cuban soccer player Andy Baquero hugged his mother in Canada. Jose Adrian. Hernandez. November 20, 2023. Swing Completo. es.
  27. Web site: Futbolista cubano, Andy Baquero, se reencuentra con su madre después de cuatro años. November 21, 2023. Cuban soccer player, Andy Baquero, reunites with his mother after four years. Cubanos por el mundo. es. Mateo. Orozco.
  28. Web site: Andy Baquero, un futbolista y cantante que sueña ser jugador profesional. Andy Baquero, a soccer player and singer who dreams of being a professional player. es. 30 September 2020. Playoff Magazine. Gian Franco. Gil.
  29. Web site: Futbolista cubano Andy Baquero en El Francotirador: "A mí me obligaron a irme". Cuban soccer player Andy Baquero in El Francotirador: "They forced me to leave". es. 15 April 2021. CiberCuba. Michel. Contreras.
  30. Web site: Futbolista cubano Andy Baquero, ¡nominado al Latin Awards Canadá!. Cuban soccer player Andy Baquero, nominated for the Latin Awards Canada!. es. December 1, 2020. Playoff Magazine.
  31. Web site: Lo que le han enseñado el fútbol y el rap al cubano Andy Baquero. What soccer and rap have taught Cuban Andy Baquero. es. 23 April 2024. Brenda. González Betancourt. Diario de Cuba.
  32. Web site: Baquero, Andy. national-football-teams.com. National Football Teams. 31 August 2018.

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