Mateo Bajamich

Mateo Bajamich (Croatian: Bajamić, pronounced [matěo bǎjamitɕ];[2][3] born 3 August 1999) is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for Houston Dynamo.[4] He primarily plays as a right winger, but can also play as a striker.[5]

Mateo Bajamich
Personal information
Date of birth (1999-08-03) 3 August 1999
Place of birth Morrison, Argentina
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Right winger[1]
Club information
Current team
 Houston Dynamo
Youth career
Unión de Morrison
2016–2018 Instituto
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2018–2020 Instituto 28 (10)
2020– Houston Dynamo 0 (0)
2020–2021 → Instituto (loan) 8 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 14:08, 18 January 2021 (UTC)

Career

Instituto

Bajamich's career started with Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba, joining in 2016 from his local club Unión de Morrison.[6] Ahead of the 2018–19 Primera B Nacional season, Bajamich was promoted to the Instituto first team.[7][8] He made his Instituto debut on 23 February 2019, coming on as a substitute in a 3–2 defeat to Nueva Chicago.[9] Bajamich was a late addition to the match day squad after Facundo Affranchino was injured in the pre-match warm up.[10] He had previously been an unused substitute in 2018 for matches with Villa Dálmine and Arsenal de Sarandí.[11][12] Bajamich made his first start in senior football in a 1–0 loss against Guillermo Brown on 3 March 2019.[13] On 21 April, he scored his first professional goal in the final match of the season in a 1–1 draw against Gimnasia y Esgrima (M).[14] Bajamich and Instituto finished the 2018–19 season 22nd in the league table.[15] After the season, he signed a contract with Instituto lasting until 2022.[16]

Bajamich netted four goals in his first five games to start the 2019–20 season, including a brace in a 3–0 win at Brown de Adrogué on 14 September 2019.[13][17] He scored twice again on 9 November in a 2–0 win against Santamarina.[18] On 15 March Bajamich scored once to help La Gloria defeat Tigre 3–0.[13][19] That would end up being the final game of the season for Instituto as the season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[20] Bajamich ended the season with 9 goals and 3 assists from 21 games, helping Instituto finish 9th in group B.[4][21][22]

Houston Dynamo

On 5 October 2020, Bajamich joined the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.[21] The transfer fee is reportedly $1,200,000, with Instituto receiving 20% of his next sale.[23][24] The contract with Houston lasts until 2022, with the Dynamo having team options until 2025.[21]

Instituto loan

On 9 November 2020, Bajamich was loaned back to Instituto until Houston's pre-season training, allowing Bajamich "to help him continue playing and gaining rhythm as we prepare for next season".[25] He scored on his first appearance back, netting the opener in a 2–1 victory over Chacarita Juniors on 28 November.[4] He netted again in his fifth appearance versus Gimnasia y Esgrima (J) on 27 December.[4] A total of eight appearances arrived, as Instituto lost in the first round of the promotion play-offs to Defensores de Belgrano.[4]

Personal life

Born in Argentina, Bajamich is of Croatian descent.[26] In 1921, his great-grandfather Mariano Bajamich (Croatian: Marin Bajamić) left Trnbusi, Croatia (then part of Yugoslavia) and moved to Argentina where he married a Spaniard Carmen. Bajamich expressed his desire to play for the Croatian national team. In 2020, he received the Croatian citizenship.[27]

Career statistics
As of 18 January 2021.[4][28]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup League Cup Continental Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Instituto 2018–19 Primera B Nacional 7100——0071
2019–20 21910——00229
Total 2810100000002910
Houston Dynamo 2020 Major League Soccer 0000——0000
2021 0000——0000
Total 0000——0000
Instituto (loan) 2020 Primera B Nacional 8200——0082
Career total 3612100000003712

    References
    1. "Mateo Bajamich". World Football. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
    2. "Màtej". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 15 June 2020. Matèo
    3. "bàjam". Hrvatski jezični portal (in Croatian). Retrieved 15 June 2020.
    4. "Argentina - M. Bajamich". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
    5. "Dynamo see new signing Mateo Bajamich as "a contributor for down the road"". SBI Soccer. 6 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    6. "Bajamich, el único "pibe" que subió Franco en Instituto". Mundo D - La Voz. 27 June 2018. Retrieved 4 March 2019.
    7. "Cómo le fue a Bajamich, el "9" que debutó en Instituto". Mundo D (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    8. Luna, Juan Pablo. "La ficha técnica del plantel temporada 2018 / 2019". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    9. "Instituto vs. Nueva Chicago - 23 February 2019 - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    10. Luna, Juan Pablo. "Mateo Bajamich: "Estoy muy feliz"". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    11. Luna, Juan Pablo. "Caída en Campana". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    12. Luna, Juan Pablo. "Los viajeros a Sarandí". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba.
    13. "Argentina - M. Bajamich - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". us.soccerway.com. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    14. Luna, Juan Pablo. "Empate en Alta Córdoba". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    15. "Summary - Primera Nacional - Argentina - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    16. "Instituto se aseguró a Mateo Bajamich hasta 2022". Mundo D (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    17. "Triunfazo de La Gloria". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    18. "¡Victoria! Instituto le ganó a Santamarina". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    19. "Goleada ante Tigre". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    20. "El comunicado completo de la AFA con las decisiones por el coronavirus - TyC Sports". www.tycsports.com (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    21. "Dynamo sign winger Mateo Bajamich on full transfer from Instituto AC". Houston Dynamo. 5 October 2020. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    22. "Summary - Primera Nacional - Argentina - Results, fixtures, tables and news - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    23. "Ya es oficial: Mateo Bajamich jugará en la MLS". Mundo D (in Spanish). Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    24. "Gracias Mateo Bajamich". Instituto Atlético Central Córdoba. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
    25. https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2020/11/09/houston-dynamo-loan-forward-mateo-bajamich-back-argentina-until-preseason
    26. "Croatia hone in on talented 20-year-old Argentine-Croat". Croatia Week. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
    27. "Sportske novosti - DOMOVNICA JE TU! VELIKI ARGENTINSKI TALENT DOBIO HRVATSKO DRŽAVLJANSTVO, A ZA SN PRVI PUT OTKRIVA NAJLJEPŠU PRIČU 'Od srca želim igrati za Hrvatsku!'". sportske.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 1 March 2020. Retrieved 15 June 2020.
    28. "Mateo Bajamich". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 30 October 2020.
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