Juan Cruz Mascia

Juan Cruz Mascia

Personal information
Full name	Juan Cruz Mascia Paysée
Date of birth	(1994-01-03) 3 January 1994
Place of birth	Ottawa, Canada
Height
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Nacional
Youth career
2009–2010	Miramar Misiones
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–2011	Miramar Misiones	6	(1)
2012–	Nacional	16	(6)
International career
2011	Uruguay U-17	10	(9)
Medal record Representing Uruguay Men's Football Pan American Games 2015 Toronto Team Competition
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 11:30, 30 September 2014 (UTC)

Juan Cruz Mascia (born 3 January 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a striker for Nacional in the Uruguayan Primera División.

Club career

Juan was born in Ottawa to Uruguayan parents, and came through the youth system at Miramar Misiones. He was promoted to the first team in the 2010–11 Uruguayan Primera División season, making two substitute appearances in the campaign.

His debut came in a 5–2 loss against Danubio F.C. on 20 February 2011, when he was a 64th-minute substitute. His second match of the 2010–11 season, again as a substitute, was a 0–0 draw with Bella Vista on 8 May 2011. This was his first appearance in home stadium Parque Luis Méndez Piana. He scored his first goal with Miramar Misiones on 22 December 2011 against Deportivo Maldonado in the 2011–12 season of the Uruguayan Segunda División.

International career

Juan entered the Uruguay under-15s in 2009 and his first official international tournament was the 2009 South American Under-15 Football Championshipin which he played six matches and scored three goals. Juan is a prolific goalscorer for the Uruguay under-17s. He was the top goalscorer, with six goals, in the 2011 South American Under-17 Football Championship, which was held in Ecuador. His first tournament goals came against the Bolivia under-17s on 15 March 2011. In this match he scored both Uruguay goals in a 2–0 group stage victory. He scored another double in a 3–2 win against the Colombia under-17s in a final group stage game on 6 April 2011, helping Uruguay finish the competition as runners up to champions Brazil.

He also represented Uruguay in the 2011 FIFA U-17 World Cup in Mexico. He scored against the Canada under-17s in the group stage on 19 June 2011. Uruguay advanced to the final of the high-status tournament, where they lost 2-0 to hosts Mexico under-17s on 10 July 2011.

Reputation

Following his success at under-17 level, Juan is a reported transfer target for clubs in England, Spain and Italy. He has also been favourably compared to 2010 FIFA World Cup star Diego Forlán in the English and South American media. For example, in April 2011 articles, the UK tabloids The Daily Mail and The Daily Mirror referred to him as the “new Forlán” and the “heir to Forlán” respectively. In the same month, Uruguay newspaper El Observador reported that Forlán is, in fact, a keen admirer of the player and had arranged for him to attend a training session with Atlético Madrid.

Career statistics

As of 30 June 2011

Club statistics

Club	Season	League		National Cup		League Cup		Other		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Miramar Misiones	2010–11	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Miramar Misiones	2011–12	4	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	4	1
Total		6	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	1

Achievements

Uruguay under-17s:

Runner Up

• 2011 FIFA Under-17 World Cup
• 2011 South American Under-17 Football Championship

Uruguay U-23

• Pan American Games:

Champion : 2015

Top Goalscorer

• 2011 South American Under-17 Football Championship

External links

• Official Miramar Misiones website (Spanish)