Lionard Pajoy Explained

Lionard Pajoy
Upright:0.8
Full Name:Lionard Fernando Pajoy Ortiz
Birth Date:7 June 1981
Birth Place:Villa del Rosario, Colombia
Height:1.85 m
Position:Striker
Currentclub:Alianza Universidad
Clubnumber:11
Years1:2004
Years2:2005
Years3:2006
Years4:2007–2009
Years5:2010
Years6:2010
Years7:2011
Years8:2012
Years9:2012–2013
Years10:2014
Years11:2015
Years12:2016–2017
Years13:2019–
Clubs1:Cortuluá
Clubs2:Atlético Huila
Clubs3:Boyacá Chicó
Clubs4:Cúcuta Deportivo
Clubs5:Deportivo Cali
Clubs6:Millonarios
Clubs7:Itagüí Ditaires
Clubs8:Philadelphia Union
Clubs9:D.C. United
Clubs10:La Equidad
Clubs11:Unión Comercio
Clubs12:Alianza Lima
Clubs13:Alianza Universidad
Caps1:26
Caps2:27
Caps3:35
Caps4:74
Caps5:7
Caps6:15
Caps7:32
Caps8:20
Caps9:33
Caps10:20
Caps11:31
Caps12:76
Caps13:64
Goals1:2
Goals2:2
Goals3:12
Goals4:17
Goals5:0
Goals6:1
Goals7:13
Goals8:5
Goals9:5
Goals10:1
Goals11:18
Goals12:23
Goals13:22
Club-Update:1 January 2024

Lionard Fernando Pajoy Ortiz (born June 7, 1981) is a Colombian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Alianza Universidad.

Career

Early career in Colombia

Pajoy began his career with Cortulua debuting with the first team during the 2004 season. In 2005, he joined Atlético Huila and remained at the club for one year. The following season, he joined Boyacá Chicó and had his finest season scoring 12 goals in 35 matches.

As a result of his play with Boyacá Chicó, Pajoy was signed by the 2006 Colombian 1st division Champion Cúcuta Deportivo and helped Cúcuta to the semi-finals of the Copa Libertadores 2007. He scored his club's 2nd goal in the away match against Nacional de Montevideo which ended in a 2–2 draw and sealed Cúcuta's semifinal spot. After three years with Cúcuta he joined Deportivo Cali during January 2010. However, he was released from the club at the end of may due to poor play. He joined Millonarios for the remainder of the 2010 season but only scored 1 goal in 15 matches.

In early 2011 he was sent on loan to newly promoted Itagüí Ditaires. While with Itagüí he recovered the form that made him a respected scorer in Colombia. On October 1, 2011, Pajoy scored Itagüí's three goals in a 3–1 victory over Real Cartagena.[1] In his one year at the club Pajoy helped lead the club to a 9th place overall finish and a second-place finish in Torneo Finalización, in which he was one of the top scorers with 10 goals in 17 matches.

Major League Soccer

Pajoy signed with Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer on February 8, 2012.[2] On August 16, 2012, Pajoy was traded with an international roster spot to D.C. United in exchange for Danny Cruz.[3] He scored his first goal for United in a 4–2 win against Chicago one week later. On September 20, Pajoy's half-volley proved the difference in a 1–0 win at his old club.

Return to Colombia

At the end of the 2013 season, Pajoy left DC after they declined the option on his contract.[4] He would return to Colombian football for the 2014 season, signing with top flight side La Equidad on a one-year contract.[5] Unable to find consistent playing time with the Bogotá-based club, he finished the season with just one goal from 20 league appearances.

Peru

Following the expiry of his contract with La Equidad, Pajoy moved to Peru to sign for Unión Comercio.[5] Rediscovering his goalscoring form, Pajoy would finish the first phase of the 2015 season – the Torneo del Inca – with 7 goals from just 8 games, including 4 on his debut in a 4–2 win over Sport Loreto. However, he was unable to prevent the Nueva Cajamarca club from getting knocked out at the group stage. Continuing this form into the 2015 Apertura campaign, the Colombian scored another 8 goals to propel him to the top of the league goalscoring charts. Pajoy would remain among the league's top goalscorers for the rest of the 2015 Torneo Descentralizado, with 10 goals in 15 Clausura appearances. A hat-trick (in a 5–2 win) against bottom club Sport Loreto in the final round of fixtures would confirm his position as the league's top goalscorer with 25 goals in 39 games (scoring at a rate of once every 137 minutes), though his team would fail to qualify for the Playoff Phase.[6]

Following his form in the 2015 season, Pajoy opted not to re-sign with Unión Comercio and instead signed a one-year deal with Alianza Lima, historically one of the most successful and popular clubs in Peru, with the ambition of helping them secure their first Peruvian championship since 2006.[7] Just as he had with his previous club, Pajoy scored on his Alianza debut, netting a 21st-minute winner in a 2–1 win over Alianza Atlético. He remained in the headlines in the next round, being sent off in the club's 2–1 win over Deportivo Municipal. Having been suspended for round 3, he returned to action the next week against Sporting Cristal where he scored both his side's goals in a 4–2 loss.[8]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueNational cupContinentalOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Cortuluá2004Categoría Primera A2620000262
Atlético Huila2005Categoría Primera A2720000272
Boyacá Chicó2006Categoría Primera A351200003512
Cúcuta Deportivo2007Categoría Primera A311300103213
2008Categoría Primera A1510000151
2009Categoría Primera A2830000283
Total74170010007517
Deportivo Cali2010Categoría Primera A70000070
Millonarios2010Categoría Primera A1510000151
Itagüí Ditaires2011Categoría Primera A321310003313
Philadelphia Union2012Major League Soccer2054200247
D.C. United2012Major League Soccer123000040163
20132023100233
Total325310040396
La Equidad2014Categoría Primera A201201
Unión Comercio2015Peruvian Primera División311887204125
Alianza Lima2016Peruvian Primera División411700004117
20173560010366
Total76230010007723
Career total395991494040417108

Honors

Alianza Lima

D.C. United

Cúcuta

Notes and References

  1. http://www.futbolred.com/liga-postobon/noticias/fecha10finalizacin2011/itagui-con-tres-goles-de-lionard-pajoy-vencio-3-1-a-real-cartagena/10479048 Itagüí con tres goles de Pajoy vence 3-1 a Real Cartagena
  2. Web site: Union sign Colombian forward Pajoy. February 8, 2012. philadelphiaunion.com. February 8, 2012.
  3. News: D.C. United trades midfielder Danny Cruz to Philadelphia Union for Colombian striker Lionard Pajoy - The Washington Post. The Washington Post.
  4. Web site: DC United decline contract options for Carlos Ruiz, Lionard Pajoy and Marcelo Saragosa MLSsoccer.com. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20131105205732/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/10/30/dc-united-decline-contract-options-carlos-ruiz-lionard-pajoy-and-marcelo-sar. 2013-11-05.
  5. Web site: Paulo César Arango y Lionard Pajoy, nuevos refuerzos de la Equidad . es . El Espectador . 2014-01-08 . 2022-09-04.
  6. Web site: ADFP . 2016-12-06 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20150630222527/http://www.adfp.org.pe/tabla_goleadores.aspx . 2015-06-30 .
  7. Web site: Alianza Lima: Lionard Pajoy fue confirmado como refuerzo 'blanquiazul' [VIDEO]].
  8. Web site: Colombia - L. Pajoy - Profile with news, career statistics and history. Soccerway.