Lucas Gabriel Merolla (born 27 June 1995) is an Argentine footballer who plays as a central defender for Liga MX club Mazatlán.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Lucas Gabriel Merolla | ||
| Date of birth | 27 June 1995 | ||
| Place of birth | Buenos Aires, Argentina | ||
| Height | 1.96 m (6 ft 5 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Mazatlán | ||
| Number | 19 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Nueva Chicago | |||
| Huracán | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2016–2023 | Huracán | 77 | (3) |
| 2016–2019 | → Deportivo Español (loan) | 33 | (3) |
| 2017–2018 | → Guillermo Brown (loan) | 21 | (2) |
| 2023– | Mazatlán | 0 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15:10, 28 February 2023 (UTC) | |||
Club career edit
Huracán edit
Merolla was born in Buenos Aires, and joined Huracán's youth setup from Nueva Chicago.[2] Promoted to the main squad for the 2016 season, he was an unused substitute in two first team matches before leaving.
Loan to Deportivo Español edit
In 2016, Merolla was loaned to Primera B Metropolitana side Deportivo Español on loan.[3] He made his senior debut on 28 August of that year, starting in a 1–0 home win over Defensores de Belgrano.
Merolla scored his first goal on 2 April 2017, netting his team's second in a 3–1 away success over Atlanta. He finished the season with three goals in 36 appearances as Deportivo Español reached the promotion play-offs but missed out after losing to eventual winners Deportivo Riestra.[4]
Loan to Guillermo Brown edit
On 28 August 2017, Merolla joined Primera B Nacional side Guillermo Brown.[5] Again regularly used, he scored twice in 22 appearances overall during the season.
Breakthrough edit
Merolla returned to Huracán in July 2018, but was not used by manager Gustavo Alfaro. He only made his first team – and Primera División – debut for the club on 10 March 2019, playing the full 90 minutes in a 3–1 home loss against San Martín de Tucumán;[6][7] it was his only league appearance of the campaign.
Merolla started to feature more regularly from September 2019, after manager Juan Pablo Vojvoda departed the club and interim Néstor Apuzzo took over; on 1 November, he renewed his contract until June 2023, with a US$ 20 million release clause.[8] He scored his first goal in the top tier (and for the Quemeros) on 24 March 2021, netting the equalizer in a 1–1 draw at Atlético Tucumán.
In February 2023, Merolla was separated from the first team squad after failing to agree to a contract renewal.[9]
Career statistics edit
- As of 28 February 2023.[1]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | League Cup[b] | Continental[c] | Other[d] | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Huracán | 2016 | Primera División | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | ||
| 2016–17 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 2017–18 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 2018–19 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2019–20 | 13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 18 | 0 | |||
| 2020–21 | 7[nb 1] | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2021 | 28[nb 1] | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 2 | |||||
| 2022 | 27[nb 1] | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 28 | 1 | |||||
| 2023 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 77 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 85 | 3 | |||
| Deportivo Español (loan) | 2016–17 | Primera B Metropolitana | 33 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 | 36 | 3 | ||
| Guillermo Brown (loan) | 2017–18 | Primera B Nacional | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | 22 | 2 | |||
| Career total | 131 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 143 | 8 | ||
- ^ Includes the Copa Argentina
- ^ Includes the Copa de la Superliga
- ^ Includes the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana
- ^ Includes the Primera B Metropolitana play-offs
Notes edit
- ^ a b c Soccerway counts Copa de la Liga Profesional appearances as league appearances.
References edit
- ^ a b Lucas Merolla at Soccerway. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Lucas Merolla, el muro que pretende Boca y que se forjó en el fútbol del ascenso" [Lucas Merolla, the wall wanted by Boca who was forged in lower league football] (in Spanish). Clarín. 27 January 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Así fue el mercado" [This is how the market went] (in Spanish). Olé. 8 September 2016. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Los 4 jugadores que regresan de sus préstamos" [The 4 players who return from their loans] (in Spanish). Soy Quemero. 11 June 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Merolla se va a préstamo a Brown (PM)" [Merolla moves out on loan to Brown (PM)]. Club Atlético Huracán (in Spanish). 28 August 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
- ^ "Mala noche para debutar" [Bad night to debut] (in Spanish). Soy Quemero. 11 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "El San Martín de Tucumán de Caruso le ganó a Huracán y sueña con la permanencia" [Caruso's San Martín de Tucumán defeated Huracán and dream with permanence] (in Spanish). Infobae. 10 March 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Viene de jugar en la Primera Nacional y vale 20 millones de dólares" [He comes from playing in the Primera Nacional and is worth 20 million dollars] (in Spanish). La Voz del Interior. 1 November 2019. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
- ^ "Merolla no renovará con Huracán y entrenará solo a contraturno" [Merolla will not renew with Huracán and will train alone in a different shift] (in Spanish). TyC Sports. 10 February 2023. Retrieved 28 February 2023.
External links edit
- Lucas Merolla at BDFA (in Spanish)
- Lucas Merolla at WorldFootball.net