Nicholas Duarte
{{Short description|Australian association football player}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Nicholas Duarte
| fullname = Nicholas Recoba Duarte
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2003|12|16|df=yes}}
| birth_place =
| height = {{height|m=1.77}}
| position = Striker
| currentclub = Central Coast Mariners
| clubnumber = 29
| youthyears1 = –2022
| youthclubs1 = Wollongong Wolves
| youthyears2 = 2023–2024
| youthclubs2 = Central Coast Mariners
| years1 = 2021–22
| clubs1 = Wollongong Wolves
| caps1 = 19
| goals1 = 1
| years2 = 2023–2024
| clubs2 = CCM Academy
| caps2 = 34
| goals2 = 6
| years3 = 2023–
| clubs3 = Central Coast Mariners
| caps3 = 13
| goals3 = 1
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 =
| nationalcaps1 =
| nationalgoals1 =
| club-update = 5 May 2025
| nationalteam-update =
}}
Nicholas Recoba Duarte (born 16 December 2003) is an Australian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Central Coast Mariners.
Career
=Wollongong Wolves=
Duarte begun his senior career at Wollongong Wolves in the National Premier Leagues NSW (NPL NSW) competition, breaking into their first grade team in the 2021 season. Duarte made 19 league appearances for Wollongong, scoring his first senior goal in a 3-0 home win over Mount Druitt Town Rangers in April 2022.{{cite web|url=https://mens.nplnsw.com.au/2022/04/22/wolves-pick-up-crucial-victory-over-rangers/|title=Wolves pick up crucial victory over Rangers|publisher=National Premier Leagues NSW|date=22 April 2022}} Duarte also came off the bench against future club, Central Coast Mariners, in an FFA Cup tie.
=Central Coast Mariners=
Duarte moved to the Central Coast Mariners to join their youth set up for the 2023 season. However, Duarte found himself immediately in calculations for the senior team,{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/match-preview-western-sydney-wanderers-vs-central-coast-mariners-2/|title=Match Preview: Western Sydney Wanderers vs Central Coast Mariners|publisher=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=4 March 2023}} making his A-League debut against the Western Sydney Wanderers on 4 March 2023 at Western Sydney Stadium.{{cite web|url=https://aleaguestats.com/A-League%20(Men)_27MatchDetails_2957.html|title=Western Sydney Wanderers 2-0 Central Coast Mariners|publisher=aleaguestats.com|date=4 March 2023}} Duarte also appeared off the bench the following week against Macarthur FC at Glen Willow Regional Sports Stadium,{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/mariners-secure-statement-win-against-the-bulls-in-mudgee/|title=Mariners secure statement win against the Bulls in Mudgee|publisher=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=12 March 2023}} before spending the rest of the season playing for the Mariners' youth team in the NPL NSW.
Duarte received a scholarship contract to be part of the Mariners' senior squad for the 2023-24 season.{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/bailey-brandtman-and-nicholas-duarte-sign-scholarship-deals/|title=Bailey Brandtman and Nicholas Duarte sign Scholarship deals|publisher=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=30 October 2023}} Duarte had an injury interrupted season, only making 2 appearances for the senior team, however he returned mid-way through the 2024 NPL season, where he finished the season with 6 goals, including two goals in the second-leg to help overturn a first-leg deficit in a promotion/relegation play-off against Bulls FC Academy.{{cite web|url=https://mens.nplnsw.com.au/2024/09/06/mariners-prove-too-strong-for-bulls-to-reclaim-their-npl-mens-nsw-status/|title=Mariners prove too strong for Bulls to reclaim their NPL Men’s NSW status|publisher=National Premier Leagues NSW|date=6 September 2024}}{{cite web|url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/central-coast-mariners-npl-play-off-macarthur-bulls-score-result-reaction-latest-news-a-league/|title=‘Pure brilliance’ from Mariners young gun preserves top-flight status: ‘That showed’|publisher=A-Leagues|date=6 September 2024}}
Duarte scored his first senior goal for the Mariners in an AFC Champions League Elite match against Shanghai Port on 23 October 2024.{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/doka-and-duarte-on-target-but-mariners-fall-just-short-in-shanghai/|title=Doka and Duarte on target but Mariners fall just short in Shanghai|publisher=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=23 October 2024}} Having broken through to become a regular member of the senior team for the 2024-25 season, in November he suffered a broken ankle at training,{{cite web|url=https://aleagues.com.au/news/central-coast-mariners-injury-news-nicholas-duarte-unite-round-tickets-f3-derby-a-league/|title=Central Coast Mariners coach’s update on ‘training ground accident’: ‘Missing for a significant time’|publisher=A-Leagues|date=22 November 2024}} which sidelined him for four months. Duarte made his return in early March,{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/ccmariners/p/DGrYAybsl3y|title=After being sidelined for four months due to injury, it was great to see you back out on the pitch on Friday, Nico|publisher=Central Coast Mariners FC|via=Instagram|date=2 March 2025}} scoring his first ever A-League goal a couple of weeks later against Auckland FC.{{cite web|url=https://ccmariners.com.au/news/mariners-match-wrap-central-coast-auckland-fc-a-league/|title=Feijao and Duarte grab first A-League goals in Auckland draw|publisher=Central Coast Mariners FC|date=16 March 2025}}
Honours
Central Coast Mariners
- A-League Men Championship: 2022–23, 2023–24
- A-League Men Premiership: 2023–24
- AFC Cup: 2023–24
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{Soccerway|nicholas-duarte/724037}}
{{Central Coast Mariners FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Duarte, Nicholas}}
Category:Australian men's soccer players
Category:Men's association football forwards
Category:Wollongong Wolves FC players
Category:Central Coast Mariners Academy players
Category:Central Coast Mariners FC players
Category:National Premier Leagues players
Category:Australian people of Uruguayan descent