Karel Espino
{{short description|Cuban footballer (born 2001)}}
{{family name hatnote|Espino|Contreras|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Karel Espino
| fullname = Karel Aldair Espino Contreras
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|10|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = San Cristóbal, Cuba
| image =
| height = 1.88 m{{cite web |url=https://comunicacionesfc.com/primer-equipo/ |title=Karel Espino |publisher=Comunicaciones FC |access-date=3 March 2022}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Comunicaciones
| clubnumber = 4
| years1 = 2019–2021 | clubs1 = Artemisa | caps1 =73 | goals1 =2
| years2 = 2021– | clubs2 = Comunicaciones | caps2 =126 | goals2 =3
| nationalyears1 = 2017 | nationalteam1 = Cuba U17 | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018 | nationalteam2 = Cuba U20 | nationalcaps2 = 4 | nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2019– | nationalteam3 = Cuba | nationalcaps3 = 29 | nationalgoals3 = 2
| pcupdate = 20:00, 4 May 2025 (UTC)
| ntupdate = 20:00, 10 September 2024 (UTC)
}}
Karel Aldair Espino Contreras (born 27 October 2001) is a Cuban professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Liga Nacional club Comunicaciones and the Cuba national team.
Debuting for Artemisa in 2019, Espino would go on to sign for Comunicaciones two years later. He has gone on to make over 100 appearances for the club, as well as scoring four goals. Espino has also won two league titles, along with one CONCACAF League title with Comunicaciones.
Having previously been capped by the U17 and U20 teams, Espino made his senior debut in 2019 at the age of 17. He also been part of Cuba's squads for the 2019 and 2023 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Club career
=Comunicaciones=
====2021–22: Debut season, CONCACAF League title, and first league title====
On 1 July 2021, Comunicaciones had announced the official signing of Espino.{{Cite news|url=https://www.prensalibre.com/deportes/futbol-nacional/comunicaciones-le-da-la-bienvenida-al-cubano-karel-espino-como-refuerzo-para-la-temporada-2021-2022/|title=Comunicaciones le da la bienvenida al cubano Karel Espino como refuerzo para la temporada 2021-2022|work=PrensaLibre|date=1 July 2021|accessdate=12 January 2025}} He made his debut and scored his first goal for the club in a 4–0 win over Sololá on 1 August.{{Cite news|url=https://futbolcentroamerica.com/noticias/Liga-Nacional-de-Guatemala--Comunicaciones-4-0-Solola-VER-AQUI-goles-mejores-jugadas-y-highlights-por-primera-fecha-del-Apertura-2021-VIDEO-20210801-0010.html|title=Comunicaciones debutó en el Apertura 2021 goleando a Sololá|work=FútbolCentroamerica|date=1 August 2021|accessdate=12 January 2025}} Four days later, Espino started in the preliminary round of the 2021 CONCACAF League against Once Deportivo, where he received a yellow card at the 90th minute in a 1–1 draw.{{Cite news|url=https://www.guatemala.com/deportes/futbol-guatemalteco/resultado-partido-ida-comunicaciones-vs-11-deportivo-liga-concacaf-2021.html|title=Resultado de partido de ida Comunicaciones vs. 11 Deportivo, Liga Concacaf 2021|work=Guatemala.com|date=5 August 2021|accessdate=6 June 2025}}
International career
Espino made his Cuba national football team debut on 27 February 2019 in a friendly against Bermuda, as a 79th-minute substitute for Yasmany López, at the age of 17 years and 120 days old.{{cite web|publisher=Soccerway|url=https://int.soccerway.com/matches/2019/02/27/world/friendlies/cuba/bermuda/2990979/|title=Cuba v Bermuda game report|date=27 February 2019}}
On 13 June, he was selected for the country's 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup squad by Raúl Mederos.{{Cite news|url=https://www.goal.com/es/noticias/plantel-cuba-copa-oro-2019-quienes-juegan-equipos-figuras/24k2nqe0brmm1uqo6ojmqrrnc|title=Plantel de Cuba para la Copa Oro 2019: Quiénes juegan ahí, en qué equipos y figuras|work=GOAL|date=13 June 2019|accessdate=16 March 2025}} In the first match of Group A, Espino was subbed off at the 87th minute for Alejandro Portal in the 7–0 loss against Mexico.{{Cite news|url=https://vivaligamx.com/2019/06/16/mexico-cruises-win-cuba/|title=Brilliant Mexico cruises to easy 7-0 win over Cuba|work=VivaLigaMX|date=16 June 2019|accessdate=16 March 2025}} In the second match on 19 June, Espino received a yellow card at the 21st minute in a 3–0 defeat to Martinique.{{Cite news|url=https://www.concacaf.com/gold-cup/article/headers-help-hand-martinique-victory-over-cuba/|title=Headers help hand Martinique victory over Cuba|work=Concacaf|date=20 June 2019|accessdate=16 March 2025}} In the third match against Canada, Espino was subbed on at the 58th minute for Aníbal Álvarez in another 7–0 loss, as Cuba ended their campaign.{{Cite news|url=https://www.espn.com/soccer/report/_/gameId/539226|title=Canada thrashes Cuba 7-0 with pase of hat tricks|work=ESPN|date=16 May 2023|accessdate=16 March 2025}}
Honours
;Comunicaciones
- Liga Nacional de Guatemala: 2022 Clausura,{{Cite news|url=https://www.guatemala.com/noticias/deportes/comunicaciones-campeon-de-guatemala-del-torneo-clausura-2022.html?amp|title=Comunicaciones, campeón del Torneo Clausura 2022|work=Guatemala.com|date=29 May 2022|accessdate=6 May 2025}} 2023 Apertura{{Cite news|url=https://www.publinews.gt/gt/deportes/2023/12/23/comunicaciones-campeon-torneo-apertura-2023.html|title=¡Llegó la 32! Comunicaciones es campeón del Torneo Apertura 2023|work=PubliNews|date=23 December 2023|accessdate=6 May 2025}}
- Copa Campeón de Campeones runner-up: 2024{{Cite news|url=https://eventos.guatemala.com/deportes/copa-independencia-2024-comunicaciones-fc-vs-rojos-municipal-california.html|title=Copa Independencia 2024: Comunicaciones FC vs Rojos del Municipal en California|website=Guatemala.com|date=1 September 2024|accessdate=6 May 2025}}
- CONCACAF League: 2021{{Cite news|url=https://elcomercio.pe/deporte-total/futbol-mundial/espn-2-y-deportes-tvc-en-vivo-comunicaciones-vs-motagua-hoy-por-liga-concacaf-2021-cuando-que-dia-juegan-y-quien-transmite-la-final-ver-teleonce-y-fox-sports-2-online-nczd-noticia/|title=Comunicaciones derrotó 4-2 a Motagua y es el nuevo campeón de la Liga Concacaf|work=El Comercio Perú|date=15 December 2021|accessdate=6 May 2025}}
References
{{Reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|481495}}
- {{NFT player|73697}}
{{Cuba squad 2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Espino, Karel}}
Category:Cuban men's footballers
Category:Cuba men's international footballers
Category:Cuba men's youth international footballers
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:2019 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Category:People from San Cristóbal, Cuba
Category:Sportspeople from Artemisa Province
{{Cuba-footy-bio-stub}}