Andy Jorman Polo Andrade (born 29 September 1994), commonly known as La Joya (The Jewel), is a Peruvian professional

footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby lea ...

who plays as a

right winger In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

for Peruvian Liga 1 club

Universitario de Deportes Club Universitario de Deportes is a Peruvian sports club based in Lima, which has Association football, soccer as its main activity. It also has women's football, volleyball and basketball sections. The football team, popularly known as Universi ...

and the Peru national team. Polo made his professional debut with Peruvian club Universitario in the 2011 season at the young age of 16. Polo built a name for himself with his rapid acceleration and scoring skills. Being able to play in any of the four attacking positions, in his first season he quickly became an asset in the attacking force of his team. As the team's top scorer, Polo helped the Universitario under-20 squad win the 2011 U-20 Copa Libertadores.

Club career

Universitario de Deportes

Polo got his start in the youth ranks of

and was promoted to the first team in 2011 under manager José del Solar. He made his official debut in the Torneo Descentralizado on 23 April 2011, against Alianza Atletico in the ninth round of the 2011 Descentralizado season, at the age of 16. His debut match was played at home in the Monumental and finished 1–0 in favor of Universitario de Deportes. Polo played from the start and was later substituted for

Raúl Ruidíaz Raúl Mario Ruidíaz Misitich (; born 25 July 1990) is a Peruvian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Atlético Grau in the Peruvian Primera División. His nickname, "The Flea", stems from his small frame and his ability to get ...

in the 67th minute. In his second professional match, he scored his first senior career goal on 6 May 2011 in a league match at home against Cienciano del Cuzco. Polo scored the goal in the 8th minute of the match by controlling with his head a lobbed through ball from Pablo Vitti and finishing with a strong left-footed shot into the top-right corner of the net. In a very short time, he earned a spot in the starting eleven and played in the following league games. In round 15, Polo was on the scoresheet again in the 3–0 home win over

Unión Comercio Club Deportivo Unión Comercio, simply known as Unión Comercio, is a Peruvian professional football club based in the city of Nueva Cajamarca, San Martín, Peru. The club plays in the Liga 2, the second tier of Peruvian football, after being ...

. Then, he made his Torneo Intermedio (now known as the Copa Inca) debut on 28 May 2011 in the

First Round First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

against Sport Ancash. With Universitario starting the match mainly with players from the reserves and already behind two goals, Polo entered the match in the 46th minute but could not help his side avoid the 3–2 elimination away to the Rosas Pampa Stadium in

Huaraz Huaraz () (from Quechua: ''Waraq'' or ''Warash'', "''dawn''"), formerly designated as San Sebastián de Huaraz, is a city in Peru. It is the capital of the Ancash Region (State of Ancash) and the seat of government of Huaraz Province. The urb ...

. With the league in the mid season rest, Polo, aged 16 years, was selected by manager Javier Chirinos for the under-20 Universitario squad to participate in the first edition of the 2011 U-20 Copa Libertadores. He managed to score three goals in six games and finished as the team's top scorer. Polo went on to help his side win the very first

U-20 Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Under-20 Libertadores ( Portuguese and Spanish: CONMEBOL Libertadores Sub 20) is the international association football club competition for teams that play in CONMEBOL leagues. It was created by Manuel Burga Seoane and the Peruvian ...

alongside notable players such as Edison Flores and Willyan Mimbela. Chirinos included him in the starting eleven in all of the games including the final against

Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...

, which his side defeated 4–2 on penalties. Polo made his debut in a senior international competition on 1 September 2011 in the second round of the

Copa Sudamericana The CONMEBOL Sudamericana, also known as Copa Sudamericana (; ), is an annual international club football competition organized by CONMEBOL, the governing body of football in South America, since 2002. It is the second-most prestigious club com ...

away to Deportivo Anzoategui. He was in the starting line up and later provided the assist for teammate

Johan Fano Johan Javier Fano Espinoza (born 9 August 1978) is a Peruvian football manager and former player who played as a forward. Career His professional football debut was on 5 March 1995, playing for León de Huánuco. Fano has played for many Peru ...

's winning goal in the 49th minute, which gave his club a 2–1 win in the first leg. After his club got through to the next round and on the day of his 17th birthday, Polo was voted man of the match after he provided an assist for Raul Ruidiaz's goal in the 1–1 draw in the first leg match away to Godoy Cruz. In his fourth match of the tournament, he scored his first goal in the Copa Sudamericana in the second leg at home ( Miguel Grau stadium) against Godoy Cruz. His goal came in the 85th minute by heading in a cross from Edison Flores and eventually forced the match to a penalty shootout, which Universitario won 3–2. At the end of the season, Polo was given the award for ''Jugador Revelación'' (Breakthrough Player) of the 2011 Torneo Descentralizado season. In January 2012, he signed a contract with

Serie A The Serie A (), officially known as Serie A Enilive in Italy and Serie A Made in Italy abroad for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Italy and the highest tier of the Italian football league system. Establish ...

club

Genoa Genoa ( ; ; ) is a city in and the capital of the Italian region of Liguria, and the sixth-largest city in Italy. As of 2025, 563,947 people live within the city's administrative limits. While its metropolitan city has 818,651 inhabitan ...

to join the club upon reaching 18 years of age. Thus, Polo was to remain for six more months in Universitario; however, he ended up staying in the club during the whole year. In February 2013, he announced that his deal with

had been annulled, for the club did not want to contract his services anymore. and that he would stay in Peru. On 23 March, Universitario made public that Polo would not stay in the club.

Universidad de San Martín

On 27 March, Universidad de San Martín announced that it had registered Polo before the transfer deadline date, but that he first had to solve irregularities in his contract with Universitario before being able to sign a contract with San Martín. In April, Polo was enabled to play with San Martín by the Chamber of Conciliation and Dispute Resolution of the

Peruvian Football Federation The Peruvian Football Federation ( or ) is the body that governs Association football in Peru. It was founded on August 23, 1922, and affiliated with FIFA in 1924. It is a member of CONMEBOL since 1925, and directly oversees the Peru national fo ...

. He played his first game with ''los Albos'' against Universidad Técnica de Cajamarca, coming from the bench in the second half. In July, Polo scored his first goal with the club against Alianza Lima.

Inter Milan

On 31 January 2014, Italian club

Inter Milan Football Club Internazionale Milano, commonly referred to as Internazionale () or simply Inter, and colloquially known as Inter Milan in English-speaking countries, is an Italian professional Association football, football List of football ...

signed Polo on a short-term contract for an undisclosed fee. He then joined the youth sector of the club, comprised by under-19 players. He played his first game in March against Padova and scored his first goal on the next matchday against Cagliari. Polo played a total of 9 matches, becoming the starting right winger, and scored 2 goals. He was also on the bench for a first team game against ChievoVerona on the last matchday of the season, but did not manage to play.

Millonarios and loan to Universitario

In July 2014, Colombian club Millonarios bought 50% of Polo's playing rights in 2014 and loaned Polo for 3 years with the option to buy the other 50%. He played his first game with the club in a Copa Colombia group stage 1–2 defeat against

Llaneros A (, 'plainsman') is a Venezuelan and Colombian herder. The name is taken from the Llanos grasslands occupying eastern Colombia and western-central Venezuela. During the Spanish American wars of independence, lancers and cavalry served in b ...

, in which he gave an assist. He scored 2 goals in 11 games in six months in the team, during which his playing time diminished. In January 2015, Polo was loaned to Universitario, initially barely playing under manager Luis Fernando Suárez. During the Torneo Clausura, the arrival of manager Roberto Chale saw him quickly entering the starting XI. In November, Polo scored his only goal of the season on matchday 17, with a free kick in a 1–2 victory against

Sporting Cristal Club Sporting Cristal S.A., shortened to Sporting Cristal, is a Peruvian sports club located in the city of Lima, best known for its association football, soccer team. It was founded on 13 December 1955 in the Rímac District, Rímac district by e ...

. He remained in Universitario for the 2016 season, becoming a key player in an offensive quartet that also included Edison Flores,

and Diego Guastavino, which led the club to victory in the 2016 Torneo Apertura. Flores was sold and Ruidíaz left on a loan before the Torneo Clausura, which led to a decrease in performance in this stage. Despite that, the team managed to reach the playoffs' semifinals, where they were eliminated by

FBC Melgar Foot Ball Club Melgar, known simply as FBC Melgar or Melgar, is a Peru, Peruvian professional Association football, football club based in Arequipa. It is one of Peru's oldest football teams, founded in 1915 under the name Juventud Melgar by a ...

3–4 on aggregate, with Polo scoring in the away match. For the third place match, they defeated

Deportivo Municipal Club Centro Deportivo Municipal, commonly known as Deportivo Municipal, is a Peruvian Association football, football club based in Lima, Peru. They are among Peru's most recognizable clubs and enjoy considerable popularity. The bulk of their succ ...

3–2.

Monarcas Morelia

In January 2017, Polo moved to

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

and signed for Monarcas Morelia. He played his first game with the club on 22 January, in a 1–1 tie against

Santos Laguna Club Santos Laguna S.A. de C.V., simply known as Santos Laguna or Santos, is a Mexican professional football club based in Torreón, Coahuila. The club competes in Liga MX, the top division of Mexican football. Founded in 1983 as Club Santos I ...

. He scored 2 goals in 15 league matches in his first season with the team. In the

Copa MX Copa MX, also known as Copa Corona MX for sponsorship reasons, was an association football competition in Mexico and the domestic cup tournament for clubs at the highest and second levels of Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Copa ...

, where the club reached the final, losing to

CD Guadalajara Club Deportivo Guadalajara S.A de C.V. (;), nicknamed ''"Chivas"'' () and simply known as Guadalajara or internationally as Chivas de Guadalajara, is a Mexican professional Association football, football club based in the Guadalajara metropolit ...

, Polo scored 1 goal in 1 match. During the 2017–18 season, he played a total of 9 league matches and 1

cup A cup is an open-top vessel (container) used to hold liquids for drinking, typically with a flattened hemispherical shape, and often with a capacity of about . Cups may be made of pottery (including porcelain), glass, metal, wood, stone, pol ...

match without scoring a goal.

Portland Timbers

In January 2018, due to a lack of minutes at

Morelia Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid; Otomi language, Otomi: ) is a city and municipal seat of the municipalities of Mexico, municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. It is both th ...

, he signed on loan for one season with

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Timbers have p ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

. Targeted Allocation Money was used to avoid the use of a designated player contract. Polo made his debut in the opening round of the 2018 MLS fixtures. He started the game as the Timbers lost 2–1 to

LA Galaxy The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Gal ...

at the StubHub Center. The team managed to reach the

MLS Cup 2018 MLS Cup 2018 was the 23rd edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS), which took place on December 8, 2018. It was the final match of the 2018 MLS Cup Playoffs and was contested by Atlanta United FC and the ...

in December, which they lost 2–0 to

Atlanta United Atlanta United FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Atlanta. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. Domestically, the club has won o ...

with Polo playing as a starter. After good performances and securing a starting spot, his move to Portland became permanent at the end of that season, earning $150,000 guaranteed salary per year. On 9 February 2022, he was suspended by MLS pending an investigation into allegations of domestic violence made by his ex-wife. The following day Portland terminated Polo's contract with the club.

Return to Universitario

After being terminated by the Timbers, he signed with

in March 2022. The contract was paid in full by MLS upon his termination with his Contract with the Timbers. Despite his return, there was backlash by fans of the club as well as from the Peruvian

Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations The Ministry of Women and Vulnerable Populations (, MIMP) of Peru is the government ministry in charge of national policy in favor of women and vulnerable populations. Its headquarters is located in Lima, Peru. It is the only ministry in the coun ...

, with the Ministry releasing a statement expressing their solidarity with Genesis Alarcon and her children and urged the club to take immediate actions in response to the events related to Polo. In 2023, after the arrival of manager Jorge Fossati, Polo was reconverted into a right wing-back, later winning the 2023 Liga 1 after defeating

Alianza Lima Club Alianza Lima, more commonly known as simply Alianza Lima, is a Peru, Peruvian professional sports club based in La Victoria District, Lima, La Victoria District of Lima, Peru. The club was founded under the name of Sport Alianza on February ...

in the finals. In 2024, he played a total of 40 matches, scoring 3 goals and giving 15 assists, winning a second consecutive national championship with Universitario in the year of its centennial.

International career

Polo began playing for Peru at the U15 level in the 2009 South American U-15 Championship, being later called at the U17 level for the

2010 South American Games The IX South American Games (Spanish: ''Juegos Sudamericanos''; Portuguese: ''Jogos Sul-Americanos'') was a multi-sport event held between 19 and 30 March 2010 in Medellín, Colombia. The Games were organized by the South American Sports Organi ...

and the 2011 South American U-17 Championship and at the U20 level for the 2013 South American Youth Football Championship, where Polo scored in the 3–2 victory against

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

in the final stage. He made his debut with the senior team in 2016, in a 1–0 away defeat against

Uruguay Uruguay, officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay, is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast, while bordering the Río de la Plata to the south and the A ...

for the 2018 World Cup CONMEBOL qualification, later being included in the squad for the

Copa América Centenario The Copa América Centenario (, , ; literally ''Centennial America Cup'') was an international men's soccer tournament that was hosted by the United States in 2016. The competition was a celebration of the centennial of CONMEBOL and the Copa Am� ...

. In May 2018, he was named in Peru's

squad In military terminology, a squad is among the smallest of Military organization, military organizations and is led by a non-commissioned officer. NATO and United States, U.S. doctrine define a squad as an organization "larger than a fireteam, ...

for the

2018 World Cup The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in l ...

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Personal life

Polo was born in the Barrios Altos neighbourhood of Lima. In 2022, his estranged wife filed a civil suit against him for domestic violence. In 2024, the jury in Oregon awarded her $600,000 in damages, finding Polo liable for assault, battery, and negligence.

Career statistics

Club

International

:''As of match played 20 March 2025. Peru score listed first, score column indicates score after each Polo goal.''

Honours

Universitario de Deportes *

Peruvian Primera División The Peru First Division (; known simply as ''First Division'', and Liga 1 Te Apuesto for sponsorship reasons), officially known as Liga 1, is the top flight of association football in Peru. It has been referred to as Torneo Descentralizado since ...

: Apertura 2016,

2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...

2024 The year saw the list of ongoing armed conflicts, continuation of major armed conflicts, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Myanmar civil war (2021–present), Myanmar civil war, the Sudanese civil war (2023–present), Sudane ...

Universitario de Deportes U20 *

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

Portland Timbers *

MLS is Back Tournament The MLS is Back Tournament took place during the 2020 Major League Soccer season to mark the league's return to action after being suspended as a result of the Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on sports, COVID-19 pandemic. Of the 26 Major League ...

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

References

External links

Goal.com Profiledepor.pe
* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Polo, Andy 1994 births Living people Footballers from Lima Men's association football forwards Peruvian men's footballers 21st-century Peruvian sportsmen Peru men's international footballers Peru men's youth international footballers Peruvian Primera División players Categoría Primera A players Liga MX players Club Universitario de Deportes footballers Club Deportivo Universidad de San Martín de Porres players Inter Milan players Millonarios F.C. players Atlético Morelia players Portland Timbers players Portland Timbers 2 players Peruvian expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Colombia Expatriate men's footballers in Italy Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in Colombia Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in Italy Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Peruvian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Copa América Centenario players Major League Soccer players 2018 FIFA World Cup players 2019 Copa América players 2024 Copa América players USL Championship players