Carlos Lobatón

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Lobatón and the second or maternal family name is Espejo.

Carlos Lobatón

File:Carlos Lobaton 2014.jpg
Personal information
Full name	Carlos Augusto Lobatón Espejo
Date of birth	(1980-02-06) February 6, 1980
Place of birth	Lima, Peru
Height
Position(s)	Center midfielder
Team information
Current team	Sporting Cristal
Number	27
Youth career
1987–????	Academia Cantolao
	Sporting Cristal
	Sport Boys
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1998–2001	Sport Boys	53	(8)
2002	Estudiantes de Medicina	13	(4)
2002	Universitario de Deportes	9	(2)
2003	Unión Huaral	17	(1)
2003–2005	Cienciano	63	(12)
2005–present	Sporting Cristal	297	(56)
International career‡
2005–present	Peru	35	(1)
Medal record Representing Peru Association football Copa America Argentina 2011
*Club domestic league appearances and goals ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of October 12, 2011

Carlos Augusto Lobatón Espejo (born February 6, 1980 in Lima, Peru) is a Peruvian footballer who currently plays as a center midfielder for Torneo Descentralizado club Sporting Cristal and the Peru national team.

Club career

Lobatón first developed as footballer in the popular Academia Cantolao along with his brother Abel Lobatón, at the age of 7. There he had as his first coach Víctor "El Chino" Rivera. Lobatón later joined the renowned youth system of Sporting Cristal. At the age of 18, he was loaned to Sport Boys. In 1998, he made his professional debut wearing their famous pink jersey. Later he played for various clubs in the Peruvian league until arriving at Cienciano. There he would find both national and international success. In 2003 he helped Cienciano win the Copa Sudamericana beating River Plate in the final. In the following year he also won the Recopa Sudamericana this time defeating Boca Juniors. Then in 2005 he won the Peruvian Torneo Apertura with Cienciano. Later in the second half of the 2005 season he returned to Sporting Cristal and helped them win the 2005 Torneo Clausura. In 2007 he suffered burns on the soles of his feet after playing on artificial turf or artificial pitch in the blazing sun.

In the last years, Carlos Lobatón has been an emblatic player in Sporting Cristal. He has played in the club for the last 10 years, winning the national championship three times (2005, 2012 and 2014) and scoring amazing goals.

International career

In 2003 Lobatón made his first national team appearance for Peru. Throughout much of his international career his appearances were sporadic. However on November 12, 2010, after a three year absence, the new Peruvian national team coach Sergio Markarián called him up to play in a friendly against Colombia. He started in the 1–1 draw versus Colombia, which was Peru's final game of 2010. On June 29, 2011 current coach Sergio Markarián included Lobatón in his squad to participate in the 2011 Copa America. On July 16, 2011, in the quarterfinal match of the Copa America versus Colombia, he scored the winning goal in extra time that sent Peru to the semifinals.

Career statistics

As of 31 December 2013.

Club	Season	League		Cup		Continental		Total
		Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Peru		Descentralizado		Copa Inca		CONMEBOL1		Total
Sport Boys	1998	?	?	–		–		?	?
	1999	?	?	–		–		?	?
	2000	24	5	–		–		24	5
	2001	29	3	–		–		29	3
Sport Boys Total		53	8	0	0	0	0	53	8
Estudiantes de Medicina	2002	13	4	–		–		13	4
Est. de Medicina Total		13	4	0	0	0	0	13	4
Universitario	2002	9	2	–		–		9	2
Universitario Total		9	2	0	0	0	0	9	2
Unión Huaral	2003	17	1	–		–		17	1
Unión Huaral Total		17	1	0	0	0	0	17	1
Cienciano	2003	10	2	–		1	0	11	2
	2004	40	10	–		10	3	50	13
	2005	13	0	–		2	1	15	1
Cienciano Total		63	12	0	0	13	4	76	16
Sporting Cristal	2005	18	2	–		–		18	2
	2006	32	5	–		3	0	35	5
	2007	35	5	–		2	0	37	5
	2008	47	13	–		–		47	13
	2009	40	8	–		2	0	42	8
	2010	34	3	–		–		34	3
	2011	25	2	0	0	–		25	2
	2012	35	5	–		–		35	5
	2013	32	6	–		6	3	38	9
	2014	43	19	–		2	1	45	20
Sporting Cristal Total		341	68	0	0	15	4	356	72
Career Total		496	95	0	0	28	8	524	123

• ¹ CONMEBOL competitions include the Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana