Salomón Rodríguez had already missed one chance against Danubio on Friday night. The Montevideo City Torque striker, 26 from Uruguay, missed a sitter before halftime, then made up for it in the 59th minute, scoring with a header to secure a 1-0 win. Three more points, and with that, Torque are sitting atop Uruguay’s Clausura table with a 7-1-2 record.
For Rodríguez, the goal was another reminder of how much has changed in a year. For Torque it was perfect timing: on Wednesday they travel to Brazil for the first leg of their first-ever Copa Sudamericana semifinal, against Atlético Mineiro.
A striker who struggled to score in Chile for Colo-Colo. Rodríguez has been the leading goalscorer for Torque, the nearly 20 year old club funded by Manchester City’s City Football Group. A continental final is 180 minutes away, and there’s a new team from Montevideo battling in South American tournament football.
Salomón Rodríguez Finds Renewal in Uruguay
Rodríguez arrived at Colo-Colo in January 2025 from Godoy Cruz in Argentina as a $1.2 million bet — the Chilean club bought 50% of his rights. He scored three goals in 26 games. One season, and he was done there. Torque took him on a free season-long loan the following January. What a difference that move home has made.
19 goals in 37 appearances this year, including seven in the Sudamericana, where he leads the scoring charts ahead of Gabigol from Santos. His brace against Cienciano (Peru) in September did the heavy lifting in the 3-0 remontada at the Centenario that overturned a 2-0 first-leg deficit from Cusco.
The player who couldn’t find his rhythm at Colo-Colo is now a goal hunting striker in the Copa Sudamericana, as a loan player. He’s still contracted to Colo-Colo through 2027, with Torque holding a purchase option until December, meaning what happens after this season remains unsettled.
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As reported by Conmebol, Rodríguez told the media “(Torque Manager) Marcelo Méndez’s call was fundamental in my return to Uruguayan football, as was his confidence in me to have this good run of form and score goals. I’m back to being the player I used to be. Sometimes you need a change of scenery. Returning to Uruguay was very good for me to recharge, regain my confidence, and be the player I was”
Montevideo City Torque: A Football Laboratory in Uruguay
Montevideo City Torque is part of the new wave of corporate backed football clubs, and it’s an interesting story.
Club Atlético Torque was founded in December 2007 by Raúl Aquino Reynoso, a Uruguayan businessman based in Mexico. The name came from mechanics — torque, twisting force. They started in Uruguay’s third tier in 2008.
On April 6, 2017, ten years after its founding, Torque became the first South American club acquired by the City Football Group, the Abu Dhabi-backed group behind Manchester City. This was around the same time that CFG acquired Girona in Spain. CFG had reportedly approached Nacional first and was turned away. So they bought Torque instead, rebranded it Montevideo City Torque, and dressed it in sky blue. They’d later add Bahia in Brazil in 2023.
The small Liga Uruguaya was a league open for more competition. Nacional and Peñarol, the giants of Montevideo, aren’t football clubs so much as civic religions. Loyalties are inherited. The rivalry is stitched into the country’s identity. According to some surveys, more than 90% of Uruguayans support either club. A blog post from the writer Serial Localism from 2015 described Uruguayan football as “it’s like having Ohio State and Michigan play in a conference full of high school teams”
This season, Torque has been able to stand up to those giants on the pitch, with Nacional still below expectations at 6th in the table, despite beating Montevideo Torque 2-0 on October 5th. On September 30th, Torque managed a draw with Penarol, who sit 3rd on the table.
Despite the backing of the City Football Group, success hasn’t come easily. Promoted in 2017, relegated, back in 2019, down again, up through the playoffs in late 2024. The money didn’t buy stability. It bought a project, and they still play in a stadium with few established traditions or supporters.
City Football Group’s Academy in Uruguay
The academy is the jewel of City Torque. The Montevideo City Football Academy and its scouting network exist to find young players and move them through the CFG system. Valentín “Taty” Castellanos — through New York City FC (MLS) to Europe — is the proof of concept. Sporting director Germán Brunati keeps buying young, with youth-international pedigree. After 23 games at Torque, Castellanos career brought him to Lazio, and currently West Ham United.
Now the laboratory is holding its ground in the domestic league and preparing for a continental semifinal, time will tell if they can sustain this relevance.
Montevideo City Torque Are More Than Just Salomón Rodríguez
Rodríguez is the headline. Marcelo Méndez’s squad is the story underneath.
Argentine Esteban Obregón (24) is a great example of Torque’s transfer model: an Estudiantes youth product who played every match of the 2024 promotion, eight league goals in 21 appearances this season, and the equalizer against Peñarol. Torque paid $380,000 for 80% of his rights.
Méndez has shown a willingness to shift formations: 4-3-3 in the league, a 5-4-1 with Rodríguez isolated up top to chase the Cienciano tie. Rodríguez is the main man, not Torque’s entire twist, a squad entirely made up of Uruguayans or Argentines with an average age of 24.9. Eduardo Aguero, 22, starts regularly in the backline and has been a standout.
Atlético Mineiro Have Their Own Unfinished Business
Atlético Mineiro are the favorites in the Sudamericana semifinal: in last year’s final they lost to Lanús (Argentina) on penalties. Eduardo Domínguez has them back in the semifinals for another go with Tomas Cuello of Argentina the key attacking midfielder.
They’ve already survived a scare. 2-0 down to Santos after the first leg of the quarterfinal, then 4-2 at Arena MRV and through on penalties. There’s No relegation stress, either: 44 points from 29 in the Brasileirão, plus a Copa do Brasil semifinal against Grêmio. They have their own high ambitions, it will be a great matchup over two legs.
Extra Time Notes
For Rodríguez, this Copa Sudamericana semifinal could be his showcase. His future is unwritten — Torque’s director general Javier Nóblega has admitted keeping him will be nearly impossible per a report by ADN Radio.
“We know that Salomón is a player any South American club would want, but the excellent season he had will open doors for him in many places, not only in South America, but also in Europe. “
Montevideo City Torque, a club that didn’t exist 20 years ago is 180 minutes from a continental final. Top of the Clausura, and rising among the ranks of South American clubs.
The City Football Group badge makes them an odd challenger, but it’s still something new to see in South American football. A year ago, Rodríguez could barely score for Colo-Colo. Now Torque are counting on him for the biggest matches in club history. These two matches could change where both the player and the club go next.
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Main Photo Credit: Imago Images/Photosport
