Isaác Brizuela

Isaác Brizuela

Personal information
Full name	Isaác Brizuela Muñoz
Date of birth	(1990-08-28) 28 August 1990
Place of birth	San Jose, California, United States
Height
Position(s)	Attacking Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Guadalajara
Number	11
Youth career
2007–2009	Toluca
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009–2014	Toluca	149	(13)
2013	→ Atlas (loan)	18	(2)
2015–	Guadalajara	29	(1)
International career‡
2011–2012	Mexico U23	6	(0)
2013–	Mexico	7	(0)
Medal record Representing Mexico Pan American Games 2011 Guadalajara Team Competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 10 January 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 10 June 2014

Isaác Brizuela Muñoz (Spanish pronunciation: [iˈsa(a)k βɾiˈswela]; born 28 August 1990) is a Mexican footballer who currently plays for Guadalajara in the Liga MX.

Brizuela was born in the United States to Mexican parents, though he returned to Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco when he was two-years-old while his parents stayed working in California. He began playing football in his town until he was scouted to play for Toluca's youth squad in Guadalajara. Brizuela was promoted to the club's first-team squad in 2009 after good performances with the club's farm team, Atlético Mexiquense, from the second division. He also had a brief loan-spell with Club Atlas in 2013.

He is commonly referred to by his nickname Conejito (Spanish: little rabbit.)

Club career

Toluca

Brizuela debuted with Toluca on 26 July 2009 in the 2009 Apertura against Guadalajara. He won the 2010 Bicentenario tournament with Toluca, winning his first professional championship in his career. In January 2013 Brizuela was loaned to Atlas for six months in order to get more playing time. His successful campaign at Atlas, where he was crucial for the team finishing the 2013 Clausura in third place, entering the quarterfinals and avoiding relegation, prompted Toluca coach José Cardozo to include him in the club's squad once again.

Guadalajara

On 17 December 2014 C.D. Guadalajara announced that they had signed Brizuela. Guadalajara owner Jorge Vergara revealed in an interview with ESPN's Futbol Picante that Brizuela's transfer fee was more than 100 million pesos ($6.8 million). Brizuela made his debut on 10 January 2015 against Chiapas F.C. and the club lost 2-1. On 30 August 2015 he scored his first league goal in a 4-1 win at home against Chiapas.

International career

In May 2013, Brizuela revealed that he was born in San José, California to Mexican parents even though he had initially reported to the FMF (Mexican Football Federation) that he was born in Lagos de Moreno, Jalisco. Therefore, he was eligible to play for both the United States and Mexico. Brizuela stated that despite his initial interest in playing for Mexico, he would play for the United States if the opportunity was presented. Two days later, Mexican coach José Manuel de la Torre and youth-coach Luis Fernando Tena listed Isaác Brizuela in Mexico's 35-man preliminary squad for the Gold Cup due to his good performances with Atlas. He was subsequently included in the final 23-player squad. Brizuela made his first competitive appearance for Mexico with the senior squad in a 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup match against Panama that also, given his dual US-Mexican citizenship, cap-tied him to Mexico. He was included in Miguel Herrera 23-man world cup squad, but didn't appear in any matches.

Honours

Guadalajara

• Copa MX: Apertura 2015

External links

• (Spanish) Isaác Brizuela's statistics.
• Isaác Brizuela at National-Football-Teams.com