Leonardo Alves Chú Franco (born 6 April 2000), known as Léo Chú, is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays as a winger for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC.
 Chú with Seattle in 2024 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Leonardo Alves Chú Franco[1] | ||
| Date of birth | 6 April 2000[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Porto Alegre, Brazil | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Winger | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Seattle Sounders FC | ||
| Number | 23 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2010–2019 | Grêmio | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020–2021 | Grêmio | 4 | (0) |
| 2020–2021 | → Ceará (loan) | 22 | (3) |
| 2021– | Seattle Sounders FC | 54 | (4) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 04:30, 11 July 2023 (UTC) | |||
Club career
editGrêmio
editLéo Chú was born in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, and joined Grêmio's youth setup at the age of ten. On 5 February 2020, he renewed his contract until the end of 2024.[2]
Ceará (loan)
editOn 10 February 2020, Léo Chú was loaned to fellow Série A side Ceará until the end of the season.[3] He made his senior debut twelve days later, coming on as a second-half substitute for Wescley in a 1–0 Campeonato Cearense home win against Caucaia.[4]
Léo Chú made his top tier debut occurred on 12 October 2020, as he started in a 2–1 home success over Corinthians.[5] He scored his first goal in the category on 25 November, netting the equalizer in a 1–1 home draw against São Paulo.
2021 season
editBack to Grêmio for the 2021 campaign, Léo Chú made his debut for the club on 14 March, starting in a 2–0 Campeonato Gaúcho away win against Esportivo.[6] Late in the month, he scored the equalizer in a 2–2 draw at São Luiz-RS.[7]
Seattle Sounders FC
editOn August 5, 2021, Léo Chú signed with Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer.[8] He made his debut for the club on September 14, coming on as a substitute and providing an assist to Raúl Ruidíaz's goal in stoppage time to win a Leagues Cup semifinal against Santos Laguna. Chú made his MLS debut on September 29 against the San Jose Earthquakes with another substitute appearance.[9]
He set a club record with four assists—all to Jordan Morris—in a 4–1 defeat of Sporting Kansas City in March 2023.[10]
Career statistics
edit- As of 4 April 2021[11]
| Club | Season | League | State League | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Ceará | 2020 | Série A | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 30 | 3 | |
| Grêmio | 2021 | Série A | 0 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3[b] | 0 | — | 12 | 2 | |
| Seattle Sounders FC | 2021 | MLS | 8 | 1 | – | – | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2022 | MLS | 25 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 25 | 0 | |
| 2023 | MLS | 31 | 5 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 31 | 5 | |
| Career total | 86 | 9 | 11 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 106 | 11 | ||
- ^ Appearance(s) in Copa do Nordeste
- ^ Two appearances in Copa Libertadores, one appearance in Copa Sudamericana
Honours
editGrêmio
Seattle Sounders FC
References
edit- ^ a b c "FIFA Club World Cup Morocco 2022™: List of Players: Seattle Sounders FC" (PDF). FIFA. 7 February 2023. p. 6. Archived (PDF) from the original on 12 February 2023. Retrieved 18 February 2023.
- ^ "Promessa da base, Léo Chú renova com o Grêmio e será emprestado ao Ceará" [Youth prospect, Léo Chú renews with Grêmio and will be loaned to Ceará] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Gaúcha ZH. 5 February 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Atacante Léo Chú é o novo contratado do Ceará para a temporada 2020" [Forward Léo Chú is the new signing of Ceará for the 2020 season] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Ceará SC. 10 February 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Rodrigão marca de cabeça e Ceará vence o Caucaia pelo Campeonato Cearense" [Rodrigão scores from a header and Ceará defeat Caucaia for the Campeonato Cearense] (in Brazilian Portuguese). Ceará SC. 22 February 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Léo Chu agradece chance dada por Guto e se diz ansioso por primeiro gol no profissional" [Léo Chu thanks chance given by Guto and says he is anxious for his first professional goal] (in Brazilian Portuguese). O Povo. 14 October 2020. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
- ^ "Léo Chú lembra início sem chuteiras e vibra com nova chance no Grêmio: "Só o começo"" [Léo Chú remembers beginnings without boots and vibrates with new chance at Grêmio: "Only the beginning"] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 16 March 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Após primeiro gol pelo Grêmio, Léo Chú se emociona: "Que seja início de uma trajetória linda"" [After first goal for Grêmio, Léo Chú gets emotional: "May it be the beginning of a beautiful path"] (in Brazilian Portuguese). GloboEsporte.com. 1 April 2021. Retrieved 17 May 2021.
- ^ "Sounders FC adds Brazilian attacker Léo Chú and French winger Nicolas Benezet on transfer deadline day". Seattle Sounders FC. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 5 August 2021.
- ^ Krasnoo, Ryan (30 September 2021). "Leó Chú showcases potential in MLS debut against San Jose". SoundersFC.com. Retrieved 9 October 2021.
- ^ Evans, Jayda (21 April 2023). "How a 'hunger' and team-first approach have earned Leo Chu a Sounders starting spot". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
- ^ Léo Chú at Soccerway. Retrieved 6 November 2020.
External links
edit- Ceará profile (in Brazilian Portuguese)