Gastón Merlo

Sebastián Gastón Merlo (born 26 January 1985), also referred to as Đỗ Merlo, is an Argentine professional footballer who played as a striker.

Sebastián Gastón Merlo
Đỗ Merlo

Gastón Merlo in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Sebastián Gastón Merlo
Date of birth	(1985-01-26) 26 January 1985 (age 40)
Place of birth	Jovita, Córdoba, Argentina
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 4 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Youth career
	Moto Kart Jovita
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2005	Moto Kart Jovita	50	(45)
2005–2009	Ferro Carril Oeste	60	(36)
2009–2014	SHB Đà Nẵng	105	(85)
2015	Ferro Carril Oeste	18	(10)
2016–2019	SHB Đà Nẵng	70	(48)
2020	Nam Định	23	(12)
2021–2023	Sài Gòn	25	(10)
2023	Costa Brava	?	(?)
2024	LPBank Ho Chi Minh City	?	(?)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

Merlo was one of the best goalscorers in the V.League 1, the top tier of Vietnamese football. During his first passage with SHB Đà Nẵng, he won the league's top scorer award three times in a row from 2009 to 2011. He also won the league's best foreign player award in 2009 and 2011.^[1]

After taking a year to recover from a leg injury in his native Argentina, Merlo rejoined SHB Đà Nẵng in February 2016 and won the V.League 1 top scorer award for the fourth time in his career.^[2] In June 2017, he was granted Vietnamese citizenship and got a new name, Đỗ Merlo.

In 2023, Merlo returned to his birth country and signed for CA Costa Brava and later announced his retirement. However, in May 2024, he resumed his playing career, signing for LPBank Ho Chi Minh City in the Vietnamese Second Division.^[3]

Career statistics

As of 14 September 2019^[4]

Appearances and goals by club, season and competition

Club	Season	League			Cup		International		Other		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Ferro Carril Oeste[5]	2005–06	Primera B Nacional	4	0	–		–		–		4	0
	2006–07		6	4	–		–		–		6	4
	2007–08		17	10	–		–		–		17	10
	2008–09		33	22	–		–		–		33	22
	Total		60	36	–		–		–		60	36
SHB Đà Nẵng	2009	V.League 1	18	15	–		–		–		18	15
	2010		21	19	–		7	9	–		28	28
	2011		24	22	–		–		–		24	22
	2012		17	16	–		–		–		17	16
	2013		21	11	–		6	6	–		27	17
	2014		4	2	–		–		–		4	2
	Total		105	85	–		13	15	–		118	100
Ferro Carril Oeste[6]	2015	Torneo Federal A	18	10	–		–		–		18	10
SHB Đà Nẵng	2016	V.League 1	24	24	–		–		–		24	24
	2017		11	6	–		–		–		11	6
	2018		14	5	–		–		–		14	5
	2019		22	11	–		–		–		22	11
	Total		69	48	–		–		–		69	48
Career total			263	179	–		13	5	–		247	194

Honours

SHB Đà Nẵng

• V.League 1: 2009, 2012; runner-up: 2013
• Vietnamese Super Cup: 2013
• Vietnamese National Cup: 2009

Individual

• V.League 1 Top scorer: 2009, 2010, 2011, 2016