Rodolfo Pizarro
Rodolfo Pizarro (Tampico, Tamaulipas, México; 15 de febrero de 1994) es un futbolista mexicano que se desempeña como centrocampista y su actual equipo es el Inter de Miami de la Major League Soccer. Es también jugador internacional habitual con la selección mexicana.
Es un futbolista con gran visión, buena pegada y proyección, aunque en sus inicios en el Pachuca empezó como lateral derecho. Dada su gran visión, fue cambiado a mediocampista en el Guadalajara, donde empezó a jugar como volante ofensivo o volante izquierdo, lo cual lo ha hecho mejorar su juego, destacando aún más en el terreno de juego.
Inicios y Club de Fútbol Pachuca
Rodolfo a los 12 años de edad ingresó a las fuerzas básicas de la Jaiba Brava, comenzando a jugar en las categorías sub-13 y sub-15, tras destacadas actuaciones con el Tampico Madero, fue visoriado e invitado por Pachuca, donde empezó en las categorías sub-17 y Pachuca Juniors.
Tras destacadas actuaciones en fuerzas inferiores, fue llevado al primer equipo donde realizó pre-temporada en el Apertura 2012. Debutó en la Liga MX el 15 de septiembre de 2012 en un partido donde su club se impuso 3-2 a Morelia. El partido fue correspondiente a la jornada 8 del Apertura 2012. Después de varios torneos, Rodolfo fue ganándose la titularidad en el equipo hidalguense.
Su primer gol como profesional lo hizo en un partido de la Copa MX con el Pachuca en el que fueron visitantes contra los Dorados de Sinaloa, correspondiente a la jornada 3. El partido terminó con una derrota del Pachuca por marcador de 5-2 en suelo sinaloense.
Club Deportivo Guadalajara
El 12 de diciembre de 2016 se confirma su traspaso al Club Deportivo Guadalajara por 15 millones de dólares en compra definitiva, convirtiéndose en el primer refuerzo del equipo de cara al Clausura 2017. Consiguió la liga con el Club Deportivo Guadalajara ese mismo torneo, el segundo en su carrera profesional y el año siguiente la Liga de Campeones de la Concacaf
Club de futbol Monterrey
El 8 de junio de 2018 se confirma su traspaso al Monterrey en compra definitiva por 18 millones de dólares2, siendo el segundo refuerzo de cara al Apertura 2018.
Club Internacional de Fútbol Miami
Para la temporada 2020 se convierte en nuevo jugador del Inter de Miami, equipo en expansión en la Major League Soccer siendo el quien anote el primer gol en la historia de ese equipo.
Rodolfo Gilbert Pizarro Thomas (born 15 February 1994) is a Mexican professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Major League Soccer club Inter Miami and the Mexico national team.
Pizarro broke into the senior Pachuca team in 2012, remaining there until he was sold to Guadalajara in 2016, playing for a year and a half, helping the team to claim their twelfth league titleafter an 11-year drought as well as winning the Clausura 2017 Copa MX and the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League before transferring to Monterrey and helping them win the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League and the Liga MX after a near-decade drought.
He has participated for the U-21, the U-23, and the senior levels of Mexico's national team. He has represented Mexico at the 2016 Summer Olympics, the 2017 and 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Pachuca[edit]
Pizarro started his youth career with Orinegros Ciudad Madero, and joined the Pachuca Youth System in 2011. Pizarro made his debut with the senior team on 14 September 2012 coming in on as a substitute in the 71st minute in a 3–2 win over Morelia. At the time of his debut, he played as a right-back.
On 19 February 2013, during a Copa MX group stage match against Dorados de Sinaloa, he would score his first goal in a 5–2 loss.
Pizarro, along with fellow youth system teammates Hirving Lozano and Érick Gutiérrez, proved to be vital in Pachuca's winning of the Clausura 2016 championship.
Guadalajara[edit]
In December 2016, Pachuca announced Pizarro was transferred to Guadalajara for a reported $15 million, in a deal that saw Víctor Guzmán go the other way, permanently joining Pachuca. On 7 January 2017, Pizarro made his debut against Club Universidad Nacional, playing the whole match in which Guadalajara won 2–1. A week later, Pizarro scored his first goal for Guadalajara against Monterrey from a long range shot, the game ended 2–2.[10]
In April, Guadalajara won the Clausura Copa MX final against Morelia.\ The following month, Pizarro would prove to be vital during the Clausura championship, managing to score in the first leg of the final against Tigres UANL as Guadalajara would go on to win the title, finishing an eleven-year-long drought of league titles. As a result, Guadalajara won their first Double since the 1969–70 season.
In the first leg of the 2018 CONCACAF Champions League Finals against Major League Soccer team Toronto FC, Pizarro scored the first goal of the match within the second minute, in an eventual 2–1 victory, also being named Man of the Match. As Guadalajara went on to win the finals following a penalty shoot-out victory of 4–2, Pizarro won the Best Young Player award and was listed on the Best XI of the tournament.
Monterrey[edit]
On 4 June 2018, after much media speculation, Guadalajara sporting director Francisco Gabriel de Anda officially announced that Pizarro was being transferred to fellow league club Monterrey, for a reported $16 million, making him the costliest interleague transfer in Liga MX history. Rejoining former Pachuca manager Diego Alonso, Pizarro would make his debut with Monterrey on 21 July 2018 in a 1–0 victory against his youth club, Pachuca. On 5 November, he would score his first goal with the team in a 2–0 win over Veracruz.[26]
He was an integral part of the team as he helped Monterrey win the 2019 CONCACAF Champions League Finals title against crosstown rivals Tigres UANL, their fourth title. This made Pizarro alongside teammate Angel Zaldívar the first players to win the tournament in back–to–back years with two different teams. Following the end of his first season with Monterrey, he was listed in the Best XI of the Clausura.
Following an impressive campaign with Mexico over the summer, Sky Sport Italia linked Pizarro with A.C. Milan. On 14 December, following Monterrey's 3–2 quarter-final victory over Al Sadd at the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup, he was named Man of the Match. At the end of the month, he would win the Apertura championship against América, with Pizzaro being handed a starting berth in both legs of the final.
Inter Miami[edit]
On 14 February 2020, Pizarro left Monterrey for Major League Soccer expansion side Inter Miami, following a protracted dispute between the clubs about the activation of his release clause, rejoining head coach Diego Alonso for a third time, his coach at both Pachuca and Monterrey. The following day, despite not officially being announced as a signing for the club, Pizarro scored the first goal for Miami in a 2–1 preseason friendly loss to Philadelphia Union. That same day, Monterrey filed a complaint with FIFA against Pizarro and Inter Miami for improper contact between the player and Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham while Pizarro was still under contract with Monterrey. FIFA's investigation was still on-going when news of the complaint broke on 4 March.
On 17 February, Pizarro's move to Miami was made official, labeled as the club's second Designated Player. Pizarro played in the team's league debut on 1 March, in a 0–1 loss to Los Angeles FC. The following week, he scored the team's first league goal in a 1–2 loss against D.C. United. Towards the end of his first season, he alongside teammate Lewis Morgan, was nominated for the Landon Donovan MVP Award.