Wuilker Faríñez

Wuilker Faríñez
Personal information
Full name Wuilker Faríñez Aray
Date of birth (1998-02-15) 15 February 1998
Place of birth Caracas, Venezuela
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11 1⁄2 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current team
 Millonarios
Number 1
Youth career
Nueva Esparta
Gramoven
2011–2014 Caracas
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2014–2017 Caracas 85 (0)
2018– Millonarios 29 (0)
National team‡
2013 Venezuela U15 2 (0)
2015 Venezuela U17 4 (0)
2017 Venezuela U20 16 (1)
2016– Venezuela 9 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 16:39, 30 September 2018 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 03:30, 08 September 2018 (UTC)

Wuilker Faríñez Aray (born 15 February 1998) is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Colombian club Millonarios and the Venezuela national team.

Club career

Caracas

Born in Caracas, Faríñez joined Caracas FC's youth setup in 2011.[1] On 12 June 2013 he signed a three-year professional deal with the club, being promoted to the main squad.[2] After Alain Baroja left Caracas FC, Faríñez became the first-choice goalkeeper of the club for the 2015 Torneo Adecuación despite being only 17 years old at the time. On 30 August he established a new record at the club after playing 689 minutes without conceding a goal.[3]

After great performances during the tournament he was chosen again as first-choice for 2016 Venezuelan Primera División season. In February 2016 he started for Caracas FC in a 2016 Copa Libertadores first stage match against Huracán, and had a brilliant performance only allowing one goal and keeping his team with options to pass to the second stage.[4] Despite his efforts Caracas was eliminated from the competition after a last-minute goal of Huracán in the second leg match.

On December 14 Faríñez was included in the AUFP Venezuela´s Team of the Season, as the 2016 Venezuelan Primera División season´s best goalkeeper.[5]

Millonarios

On 12 September 2017, Faríñez signed for Colombian club Millonarios. He joined the club on 1 January 2018.[6] Faríñez made his debut for Millonarios during the first leg of the 2018 Superliga Colombiana, playing for the full ninety minutes in the 0-0 tie against Atlético Nacional. [7] On the second leg he made a crucial save in a 1-2 win that gave him his first career championship.

International career

Youth career

Faríñez has represented Venezuela at all youth levels, from the under-15 side to the under-20 side. He started the 2013 South American Under-15 Football Championship as the first-choice goalkeeper in the opening match against Colombia and conceded four goals on a 2-4 defeat for Venezuela.[8] Faríñez was an un-used substitute on the next game against Brazil. He returned to the starting line-up for the game against Uruguay in which he conceded four goals again on the third defeat in a row for the Venezuelan team.[9] He ended the tournament playing two games of the possible four and conceding eight goals.

Faríñez was the first-choice goalkeeper of the under-17 side for the 2015 South American Under-17 Football Championship, having a great performance against Brazil saving the team in a lot of occasions and securing a 3-2 come-back victory.[10] He played four games, conceding eight goals that proved crucial as Venezuela was eliminated in the group stage on goal difference.[11]

Faríñez started in the opening match of the 2017 South American Youth Football Championship for the under-20 side playing against Uruguay, saving a penalty and keeping a clean sheet in a 0-0 draw.[12] Faríñez started all nine games for Venezuela conceding only six goals, being the less scored goalkeeper of the tournament as they qualified to the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup.[13]

At the 2017 FIFA U-20 World Cup, he started all of his team games. Faríñez scored from the penalty spot in a 7-0 group stage win against Vanuatu becoming the first goalkeeper to score in a FIFA U-20 World Cup.[14] Faríñez didn´t allow a goal until quarter-finals against United States in extra-time, for a total 506 minutes unbeaten, the second longest consecutive run without conceding a goal at the U-20 World Cup. In the semi-finals against Uruguay, Faríñez made four crucial saves during the game and stopped two shots in the penalty shootout to send Venezuela to their first FIFA tournament final ever.[15] In the World Cup final Faríñez again had a great performance for Venezuela but eventually allowed a goal, the only one in the match as Venezuela lost the final. Faríñez ended the tournament allowing only 3 goals in 7 games tiying as the less scored goalkeeper of the tournament.

Senior team

Despite his young age, Farínez was called up by the Venezuela national football team's coach Noel Sanvicente to play in the 2015 Copa América, being recognized for his great talent by the press and signaled as the future goalkeeper of the national team and becoming the youngest player of that tournament.[16] Despite being called for the national team continuously he never made his debut under Sanvicente's era.

He earned his first cap on 20 May 2016 in an unofficial game against Galicia, also being the first game of the team under the lead of new coach Rafael Dudamel, Farínez allowed one goal and the game ended in a 1-1 draw. He made his official debut for the national team on 24 May 2016 when Venezuela faced Panama, he didn't allow goals and became the youngest player in the national team's history to keep a clean sheet.[17] He made the final list for the Copa América Centenario.

He played his first official match for the senior team in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification game against Peru on 23 March 2017, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to play for Venezuela in a World Cup qualification. The game ended in a 2-2 draw with Faríñez delivering a stellar performance. After the match, coach and former national team goalie Rafael Dudamel, said ¨Venezuela has a goalkeeper for the next 20 years¨,[18] with the press acknowledging that Faríñez ¨shined¨.[19] On his second World Cup qualification game against Chile Faríñez again had a great performance despite allowing 3 goals, he saved the team in several opportunities and stopped a penalty kick from Alexis Sanchez, becoming the youngest goalkeeper to do so for the national team.[20]

Career statistics

Club

As of 24 June 2018
Club Season League Cup Continentala Otherb Total
Apps GA Apps GA Apps GA Apps GA Apps GA
Caracas FC
2014–150010000010
2015200300000230
2016320102000350
2017240101000260
Total 760603000850
Millonarios F.C.
2018180006020260
Total 180006020260
Career totals 9406090201110

    a Includes Copa Libertadores and Copa Sudamericana. b Includes Superliga Colombiana.

    International

    As of 11 September 2018
    National
    Team    		 Year Friendlies World Cup Qualifiers Copa América Total
    Pld GA Pld GA Pld GA Pld GA
    Venezuela 2016 10000010
    2017 10600070
    2018 10000010
    Career Totals 3 0 6 0 0 0 9 0

    Records

    Honours

    Club

    Millonarios

    International

    Venezuela U-20

    Individual

    References

    1. ↑ "Wuilker Fariñez: Una Copa América y un coqueteo con los grandes" [Wuilker Fariñez: A Copa América and a spell with the biggest ones] (in Spanish). La Pizarra Del DT. 22 June 2015. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
    2. ↑ "El Caracas FC apuesta al futuro con Wuilker Fariñez" [Caracas FC bets on the future with Wuilker Fariñez] (in Spanish). Caracas' official website. 12 June 2013. Retrieved 22 January 2016.
    3. ↑ "Wuilker Faríñez rompió récord de imbatibilidad". liderendeportes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    4. ↑ "Fariñez mantuvo con vida a Caracas en la Libertadores". liderendeportes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    5. ↑ "Jugadores fueron premiados en la Primera Gala de la AUFP Venezuela". balonazos.com. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
    6. ↑ "Comunicado de prensa Wuilker Faríñez". millonarios.com.co. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
    7. ↑ "Dimayor". dimayor.com.co (in Spanish). Retrieved 2018-02-01.
    8. ↑ "Colombia superó a Venezuela; Brasil y Uruguay empataron sin goles". conmebol.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    9. ↑ "Sub 15: Uruguay derrotó a Venezuela (4 - 2)". conmebol.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    10. ↑ "Venezuela venció 3-2 a Brasil en el Suramericano Sub 17". avn.info.ve. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    11. ↑ "Venezuela se despidió del Suramericano sub17". panorama.com.ve. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    12. ↑ "Wuilker Fariñez le salvó los papeles a una combativa vinotinto sub 20". meridiano.com.ve. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    13. ↑ "Wuilker Fariñez, portero menos goleado del Sudamericano". analitica.com. Retrieved 14 February 2017.
    14. ↑ "A progressing pair and a few firsts". fifa.com. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
    15. ↑ "Venezuela indebted to unflappable Farinez". fifa.com. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
    16. ↑ "Conoce a Wuilker Fariñez, el jugador más joven de la Copa América". desdelaplaza.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    17. ↑ "El récord que rompió Wuilker Fariñez tras amistoso contra Panamá". ovaciondeportes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    18. ↑ "Dudamel elogió a Wuilker Faríñez: "Tenemos portero para 20 años"". panorama.com.ve. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
    19. ↑ "Uno por uno de Venezuela: Faríñez brilla, Otero deja huella". futbol.as.com. Retrieved 23 March 2017.
    20. ↑ notitarde.com http://www.notitarde.com/El-penal-que-le-atajo-Wuilker-Farinez-a-Alexis-Sanchez/Deportes/2017/03/28/1053275/. Retrieved 28 March 2017. Missing or empty |title= (help)
    21. ↑ "Wuilker Faríñez rompió récord de imbatibilidad". liderendeportes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    22. ↑ "El récord que rompió Wuilker Fariñez tras amistoso contra Panamá". ovaciondeportes.com. Retrieved 19 January 2017.
    23. ↑ "Faríñez no se cansa de hacer historia". ovaciondeportes.com. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
    24. ↑ "Faríñez no se cansa de hacer historia". ovaciondeportes.com. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
    25. ↑ "A progressing pair and a few firsts". fifa.com. Retrieved 23 May 2017.
    26. ↑ "El tigre goleador y la final de la Vinotinto". es.fifa.com. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
    27. ↑ "Jugadores fueron premiados en la Primera Gala de la AUFP Venezuela". balonazos.com. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
    28. ↑ "La AUFPV realizó la II Gala del Futbolista Profesional 2017". balonazos.com. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
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