Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bolivia. Show all posts

Sunday, September 25, 2011

26 September 1970 - The Number Of This Beast Was 10

On 26 September 1970, DC United playmaker Marco Etcheverry was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia. Widely regard as one of Bolivia's greatest players, he was named in 2005 as one of the MLS All-Time Best XI.

Nicknamed "El Diablo," he started his professional career in 1986 and played for a handful of teams in South America and Spain before moving to DC United in 1996 for the inaugural MLS season. By that time, he was an established Bolivian international, with over 30 caps, including a single appearance in the 1994 World Cup in which he was sent off for a foul on Germany's Lothar Matthäus only three minutes after coming on as a substitute.

In that first season in DC, he was instrumental in leading United to the MLS Cup, including scoring the only goal in DC's victory over the NY/NJ MetroStars in the Eastern Conference semifinals en route to being named the tournament MVP. In eight seasons with DC, he won two more MLS Cups (1997, 1999), the US Open Cup (1996), and two Supporters Shields for having the league's best record (1997, 1999).

Individually, he was named the league MVP in 1998 and was included in the MLS All-Star team in each of his first four seasons. By the time he left DC in 2003, he was the club's leader in several statistical categories including assists (101) and appearances (191).

After leaving DC in 2003, he played briefly for Bolívar (where he had played in 1990-91), then retired in 2004.

Friday, April 29, 2011

30 April 1949 - Sorry, Larissa Riquelme Wasn't There

On 30 April 1949, Paraguay secured their record victory, beating Bolivia 7-0 in the Copa América.

Dating back to 1910, the national team of Paraguay had finished as runners-up in the tournament three times, but had never won it. By the time they played Bolivia in 1949, they were again in second place, just behind Brazil, after losing to Uruguay ten days earlier.

Playing before a crowd of 45,000 at Rio de Janeiro's Estádio São Januário, Paraguay looked determined to maintain their title challenge with a first-half hat-trick from Jorge Benítez. Forward Dionisio Arce added a fourth before the break. They contributed another goal each in the second half, while Pedro Fernández joined them on the scoresheet. It was a crushing defeat for Bolivia, but not their worst of the tourney--they had already lost to Brazil 10-1 earlier that month.

Paraguay went on to beat Brazil 2-1 in the last scheduled match. The win drew the teams level in the table, forcing a playoff. That match ended 7-0, but Paraguay were on the wrong end that time as Brazil claimed their third Copa América title. Paraguay did eventually win the tournament in 1953 and again in 1979.

In 2010, Paraguay matched the 7-0 scoreline with a win over Hong Kong in a post-World Cup friendly.

Monday, January 18, 2010

19 January 1974 - I Wonder If He Wore Golden Booties

On 19 January 1974, DC United captain and all-time MLS scoring leader Jaime Moreno was born in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.

Moreno started his professional career in 1991 with his hometown club, Blooming. After two successful seasons, he transferred to Colombian side Independiente Santa Fe, but made only 5 league appearances before transferring again in 1994, this time to English Division One side Middlesbrough. When Boro were promoted for the 1995-96 season, he became the first Bolivian to play in the Premier League.

After playing sparingly for Middlesbrough, Moreno returned to the Western hemisphere in 1996 to play for DC United in the new American league. Other than one season (2003) with the MetroStars, Moreno has remained with DC ever since. Along the way, he earned several honors, including four MLS Cups (1996, 1997, 1999, 2004), two US Open Cups (1996, 2008), and one CONCACAF Champions Cup (1998).

In 1997, he won the MLS' Golden Boot, scoring 16 goals in 20 league appearances. He is currently the league's all-time top scorer, with 131 goals through the 2009 season.

Monday, November 16, 2009

17 November 2007 - Zanetti Pops A Record Cap

On 17 November 2007, Argentina defeated Bolivia, 3-0, in a World Cup qualifier before a crowd of 43,308 at Buenos Aires' Estadio Antonio V. Liberti. In that match, Argentina captain Javier Zanetti made his 116th appearance for his country, becoming Argentina's most-capped player.

Zanetti made his international debut on 16 November 1994. He represented Argentina for the 1998 and 2002 World Cups, but was controversially omitted from the 2006 World Cup squad by then-coach José Pekerman. Pekerman resigned after the tournament, however, and was replaced by Alfio Basile, who recalled Zanetti for a friendly against France on 7 February 2007. Since then, he has remained a mainstay of the national team, with 136 caps at present.

The match against Bolivia was a convincing win, with a first-half goal from Sergio Agüero (40') and a second-half brace from Juan Román Riquelme (56', 74'). Argentina struggled throughout the remainder of qualification, though, securing its trip to South Africa only on the last day with a 0-1 away win over Uruguay.



Tuesday, April 7, 2009

8 April 1908 - One Of The Best Football Club Names Ever

On 8 April 1908, Bolivian club The Strongest was founded in La Paz by Jose Leon Lopez Villamil, making it the oldest active football club in the country, as well as the only one that has played in Bolivia's top flight for over 100 years without interruption.

The club's colors are yellow and black, adopted in 1908 from the colors of the Chayñita, a local bird.

The Strongest have earned numerous honors, their first being the inaugural (and only) Copa Prefectural championship in 1911. That was the first football tournament played in Bolivia and was contested between amateur sides. They went on to win the first of 28 league titles in 1914.

The Strongest also have the distinction of being the only Bolivian team to finish a season without conceding a goal (in 1933, though they did not win the league that year).