Liberato Cacace

Liberato Gianpaolo Cacace (/kəˈkɑːtʃeɪ/ kə-KAH-chay; born 27 September 2000) is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a left-back for Sint-Truiden in the Belgian First Division A.[1]

Liberato Cacace
Personal information
Full name Liberato Gianpaolo Cacace
Date of birth (2000-09-27) 27 September 2000
Place of birth Wellington, New Zealand
Position(s) Left-back
Club information
Current team
 Sint-Truiden
Number 13
Youth career
2006–2015 Island Bay United
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2018 Wellington Phoenix Reserves 23 (0)
2018–2020 Wellington Phoenix 58 (4)
2020– Sint-Truiden 18 (0)
National team‡
2017 New Zealand U-17 8 (1)
2019 New Zealand U-20 3 (0)
2019– New Zealand U-23 4 (0)
2018– New Zealand 3 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 28 January 2021
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 1 December 2019

Club career

Island Bay

As a youth, Cacace played for Island Bay United[2] and was also a representative player of Capital Football for two years in their 1999 squad.[3] He was chosen by former Wellington Phoenix and All Whites coach Ricki Herbert to be part of his junior elite academy.[3]

Cacace also played for his school team at St Patrick's College in Wellington, helping them win the Wellington Premier Youth football league, scoring in the 2–1 final against Hutt International Boys' School.[4]

Wellington Phoenix Reserves

Cacace started playing for the Wellington Phoenix Reserves in the New Zealand Football Championship in the 2016–2017 season, making 8 appearances, including 4 starts.[5]

During the winter season, Cacace played with Wellington Phoenix feeder club Wellington United in the local Central League.[6]

Wellington Phoenix

On 2 February 2018, Cacace made his debut for the senior side, coming on as a substitute in a 4–0 defeat against Sydney FC in the A-League.[7][8] Following the end of the 2017-18 A-League season, and having made seven appearances for the club, Cacace signed a three-year professional contract with Wellington Phoenix.[9]

In the 2018–19 season, following the departure of Scott Galloway and injury to Tom Doyle, Cacace became the first-choice left-back under new manager Mark Rudan, one month after his 18th birthday.[10] Cacace scored his maiden A-League goal against Central Coast Mariners in an 8-2 victory on 9 March 2019.[11] After playing more minutes than any other Wellington Phoenix player that season, Cacace won the club's Young Player of the Year award ahead of fellow starter Sarpreet Singh.[12]

The following season, Cacace established himself as one of Wellington's most important players, with captain Steven Taylor calling him "the best left-back in the league without a shadow of a doubt".[13] On 8 March 2020, Cacace played his 50th game for Wellington Phoenix against Central Coast Mariners, the youngest player in the club's history to do so.[14]

Sint-Truiden

After a stellar season with the Wellington Phoenix,[15] Cacace signed a three year contract with Sint-Truiden for a suspected transfer fee of around €1.2 million.[16]

International career

Cacace was part of the New Zealand U-17 team that won the 2017 OFC U-17 Championship, where he scored one goal. This meant that the team qualified for the 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup in India. Cacace then played at the FIFA U-17 World Cup,[17] making his World Cup debut in the 1–1 draw with Turkey,[18] before starting again in a 4–2 loss to Paraguay[19] and a 3–1 loss to Mali.[20]

Cacace was selected to join the All Whites squad in the 2018 Intercontinental Cup in June 2018.[21] He made his All Whites debut in Mumbai on 5 June 2018, against Chinese Taipei, in a 1-0 victory.[22]

Personal life

Cacace was born in Wellington to Italian immigrants. His father, Antonio, arrived in the country in 1992 from Massa Lubrense, a small commune in Naples, and operates "La Bella Italia" an Italian restaurant in Wellington.[23][24] He attended St Patrick's College.[25]

Cacace supports his father's hometown team, Napoli.[26]

Honours

International

Individual

References
  1. "21st-century sports stars: Five Kiwis just getting started on the international stage". Stuff. Retrieved 1 January 2021.
  2. "Island Bay United Association Football Club". Facebook. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  3. "Club Garibaldi News" (PDF). Club Garibaldi. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  4. Hyslop, Liam (29 August 2017). "St Pat's Town rejoice in unexpected football triumph". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  5. "Liberato Cacace Profile". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  6. Singh, Anendra (23 April 2017). "Football: Rovers succumb heavily against Wellington United in Napier". Hawkes Bay Today. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  7. Rollo, Phillip (2 February 2018). "Sydney FC swat Wellington aside as Phoenix punished for costly mistakes". Stuff.co.nz.
  8. "Wellington Phoenix Squad: Round 20 v Sydney FC". Wellington Phoenix. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  9. "Wellington Phoenix bring back Andrew Durante and Liberato Cacace for coming season". Stuff.co.nz. 18 May 2018.
  10. "Liberato Cacace's contract leaves Wellington Phoenix in a tricky situation". Stuff.
  11. Rollo, Phillip (9 March 2019). "Wellington Phoenix climb into top-four after thumping Central Coast Mariners 8-2". Stuff.co.nz.
  12. "Wellington Phoenix Players Recognised At New Zealand Football Awards 2019". Wellington Phoenix. 28 July 2019.
  13. "Wellington Phoenix rising star Liberato Cacace has Premier League potential". Stuff.
  14. "Young star Liberato Cacace to play milestone 50th A-League game for Wellington Phoenix". Stuff.
  15. Rollo, Phillip (27 August 2020). "Wellington Phoenix rising star Liberato Cacace joins Belgian club Sint-Truiden". Stuff (website).
  16. "STVV legt ruim miljoen euro neer voor Nieuw-Zeelander - Khammas van Genk naar W.-Beveren - Plzen denkt aan Krmencik". Het Laatste Nieuws. 28 August 2020.
  17. "New Zealand U-17 coach Danny Hay has delivered a clear message to his squad ahead of the FIFA U-17 World Cup in India". New Zealand Football. Archived from the original on 23 September 2017. Retrieved 21 September 2017.
  18. "New Zealand v Turkey Match Report". FIFA.com. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  19. "New Zealand v Paraguay Match Report". FIFA.com. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  20. "New Zealand v Mali Match Report". FIFA.com. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
  21. Voerman, Andrew (27 May 2018). "Nothing changes for schoolboy footballer Liberato Cacace despite his rapid rise". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  22. "Football: All Whites win scrappy encounter over Chinese Taipei". New Zealand Herald. 6 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  23. Rollo, Phillip (4 February 2018). "Wellington boy Liberato Cacace makes Phoenix debut at 17". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  24. Williams, Shirley; Taonga, New Zealand Ministry for Culture and Heritage Te Manatu. "Antonio Cacace". teara.govt.nz.
  25. Rollo, Phillip (25 April 2018). "Back to school for Wellington Phoenix teenager Liberato Cacace". Stuff.co.nz. Retrieved 26 April 2018.
  26. michael.burgess@nzherald.co.nz @mikeburgess99, Michael Burgess Sports writer for NZME (27 April 2019). "Football: Wellington Phoenix A-League defender Liberato Cacace closes in on lofty goal" – via www.nzherald.co.nz.
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