Derlis González
Quick Facts
Biography
Derlis Alberto González Galeano (born 20 March 1994) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays for Ukrainian club Dynamo Kyiv and the Paraguay national team.
He began his career with Rubio Ñu in 2009, and in 2012 was signed by Portugal's Benfica, spending his time out on loan in Paraguay with Guaraní and Olimpia Asunción. In 2014, he joined Basel in the Swiss Super League.
In December 2015, González was awarded as the Paraguayan Footballer of the Year.
Club career
Rubio Ñu
González debuted for Rubio Ñu on 9 December 2009 at the age of 15 years in a league match against Club 12 de Octubre, becoming the club's youngest ever first-team player.
Benfica
In 2012, González joined Portuguese club Benfica along with colleague Cláudio Correa, from Primera División Paraguaya club Rubio Ñu. During 2012, González featured for Benfica U19 the Segunda Liga.
Loan to Guaraní
On 12 February 2013, González was loaned to Guaraní until December, to be close with his girlfriend and his newly born son. On 24 May 2013, González was referenced in the Spanish newspaper Marca as a future star, following the steps of Ángel Di María, who moved from Benfica to Real Madrid.
Loan to Olimpia Asunción
In January 2014, González was again loaned, this time to Olimpia, until June 2014. Benfica later announced that González, together with Cláudio Correa, were sold to Master International FZC for €1.7 million.
Basel
On 20 May 2014, González signed with Swiss club FC Basel a five-year contract until 30 June 2019, for an undisclosed fee. He made his first team league debut on 19 July 2014 in the 2–1 away win against Aarau. He scored his first goal for his new club on 31 August 2014 in the 3–1 home win against the Young Boys. On 16 September 2014, González scored his first UEFA Champions League goal for Basel in a 5–1 group stage away defeat to Real Madrid. He added another on 4 November, in a 4–0 win over Ludogorets Razgrad. On 18 February 2015, he opened the scoring in a last 16 first leg at home against FC Porto, the game ended with a 1–1 draw.
The season 2014–15 was a very successful one for González and for Basel. The club won the championship for the sixth time in a row that season and in the 2014–15 Swiss Cup they reached the final. But for the third season in a row, they finished as runners-up, losing 0–3 to FC Sion in the final. Basel entered the Champions League in the group stage and reached the knockout phase as on 9 December 2014 they managed a 1–1 draw at Anfield against Liverpool. But then Basel then lost to Porto in the Round of 16. Basel played a total of 65 matches (36 Swiss League fixtures, 6 Swiss Cup, 8 Champions League and 15 test matches). Under manager Paulo Sousa González totaled 47 appearances, 26 League, 2 Cup, 8 Champions League, as well 11 in test games. He scored 7 goals in these matches.
Dynamo Kyiv
On 30 July 2015, González signed a five-year contract with the Ukrainian champions Dynamo Kyiv. Upon his signing, he became the second most expensive Paraguayan player and the second Paraguayan to play in Ukraine after Pedro Benítez (at Shakhtar Donetsk from 2004 to 2005). On 22 August 2015, González made his official debut for Dynamo in a 0-6 away win in the 1/16 stage of the Ukrainian Cup against a Ukrainian First League team FC Hirnyk-Sport, coming on as 45th-minute substitute. On 4 October 2015, González scored his first goal for Dynamo on the 67th minute in a 0-4 away win against Vorskla Poltava in the Ukrainian Premier League. In his first season he helped Dynamo reach the 1/8 of the UEFA Champions League for this first time in 16 years, getting knocked out by Manchester City 1-3 on aggregate.
International career
González was a member of the Paraguay national under-20 football team and represented the team at 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup held in Turkey. He scored the winning goal in a match against Mexico.
He debuted in the senior team in a friendly match against Costa Rica on 26 March 2014, replacing Pablo Velázquez after 58 minutes. In November of the same year, he scored his first senior international goal with a penalty kick in a 2–1 defeat of Peru.
On 28 May 2015, González was included in Paraguay's 23-man squad for the 2015 Copa América by coach Ramón Díaz. He appeared as a half-time substitute in the team's opening fixture against Argentina, helping Paraguay recover from a two-goal deficit to draw 2–2 in La Serena. On 27 June, after Thiago Silva's handball, González scored a penalty in the quarter-final against Brazil in Concepción to level the score at 1–1; in the resulting penalty shootout, he converted the winning kick to take Paraguay to the semi-final.
During match day one of the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL) on 8 October 2015 González scored the winning goal in the 85 minute as Paraguay beat Venezuela 1–0.
Career statistics
International goals
- Scores and results list Paraguay's goal tally first:
Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 14 November 2014 | Estadio Feliciano Cáceres, Luque, Paraguay | Peru | 2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
2. | 27 June 2015 | Estadio Municipal de Concepción, Concepción, Chile | Brazil | 1–1 | 1–1 (p: 4–3) | 2015 Copa América |
3. | 8 October 2015 | Estadio Cachamay, Ciudad Guayana, Venezuela | Venezuela | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 FIFA WCQ |
4. | 11 October 2016 | Estadio Mario Alberto Kempes, Córdoba, Argentina | Argentina | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2018 FIFA WCQ |
Honours
- Basel
- Swiss Super League: 2014–15
- Swiss Cup runner up: 2014–15
- Dynamo Kyiv
- Ukrainian Premier League: 2015–16
- Ukrainian Super Cup: 2016