Marco Etcheverry
Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas (born 26 September 1970) is a retired Bolivian footballer who played as a forward. A creative playmaker, he is considered one of the greatest Bolivian players of all time.[2] Etcheverry played for D.C. United of Major League Soccer from 1996 to 2003. He helped D.C United win eight trophies during that time, and was nominated to the MLS Best XI in four consecutive seasons from 1996 to 1999.
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas | ||
Date of birth | 26 September 1970 | ||
Place of birth | Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia | ||
Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
Position(s) | Forward | ||
Youth career | |||
1984–1986 | Tahuichi Academy | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1986–1989 | Destroyers | 81 | (17) |
1989–1991 | Bolívar | 41[1] | (21[1]) |
1991–1992 | Albacete | 15 | (2) |
1993–1994 | Colo-Colo | 28 | (8) |
1994–1995 | América de Cali | 21 | (0) |
1996–2003 | D.C. United | 190 | (34) |
1997 | → Barcelona SC (loan) | 13 | (6) |
1998 | → Emelec (loan) | 6 | (0) |
1999 | → Barcelona SC (loan) | ||
2001 | → Oriente (loan) | 4 | (1) |
2004 | Bolívar | 7 | (0) |
National team | |||
1989–2003 | Bolivia | 71 | (13) |
Teams managed | |||
2009 | Aucas | ||
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only |
Club career
Etcheverry, is nicknamed El Diablo (The Devil).
Etcheverry was trained at Bolivia's Tahuichi Academy, after which he played professionally with Bolivian sides (Destroyers, Bolívar, Oriente Petrolero), Spain (Albacete), Chile (Colo-Colo), Colombia (América de Cali) and Ecuador (Barcelona, Emelec).
Etchverry joined D.C. United of Major League Soccer in its inaugural season of 1996, and led the team to three MLS Cups and was named MLS MVP in 1998. In eight years with the team, Etcheverry played 191 league games, scoring 34 goals and registering 101 assists (the games and assists were DC records). He retired at the end of the 2003 season.
DC United honors
In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI.
On September 23, 2006, Etcheverry was honored at a home game against the New York Red Bulls. During halftime he was put up on the "D.C. United Tradition of Excellence" sign in the stadium. After all of this Etcheverry walked over to the La Barra Brava part of the stadium and did his trademark clap in front of them, he did after every game, win or lose.
On October 20, 2007, Etcheverry was honored with a tribute match at RFK Stadium, prior to United's regular-season finale versus Columbus. Etcheverry is the first United player to be so honored. Etcheverry, playing with teammates from the club's 1997 MLS Cup winning side, defeated Hollywood United (a collection of former players and actors), 2–1, with Etcheverry drawing and scoring the winning penalty in the final minute.
International career
Etcheverry compiled 71 caps and scored 13 goals for the Bolivian national team between 1989 and 2003.[3] He scored four times during qualification for the 1994 FIFA World Cup, including an 88th minute opening goal in a 2–0 defeat of Brazil in La Paz - the first ever loss by the Seleção in World Cup qualifying, to help Bolivia participate in its first FIFA World Cup since 1950.[4] At the tournament finals, El Diablo was sent off for kicking Lothar Matthäus four minutes after appearing as a substitute in the tournament's opening game against Germany.[5] The subsequent suspension meant that Etcheverry played no further part in Bolivia's tournament, as La Verde finished bottom of Group C with two losses and a draw to South Korea.[6]
Etcheverry scored twice in the 1997 Copa América as Bolivia reached the final to achieve its best performance in the competition since winning in 1963. He went on to represent the team in the subsequent FIFA Confederations Cup in 1999.[7]
On April 12, 2006, the Bolivian Congress awarded him with the "Order of Merit" and a title of "Distinguished Citizen", for his sport achievements, shortly after his retirement.[8]
International goals
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | 20 June 1993 | Estadio 9 de Mayo, Machala, Ecuador | Colombia | 0-1 | 1–1 | 1993 Copa América |
2. | 25 July 1993 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Brazil | 1-0 | 2–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
3. | 8 August 1993 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Uruguay | 2-0 | 3-1 | |
4. | 22 August 1993 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Venezuela | 5-0 | 7–0 | |
5. | 6-0 | |||||
6. | 11 July 1995 | Estadio Parque Artigas, Paysandú, Uruguay | United States | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1995 Copa América |
7. | 25 October 1995 | Estadio Ramón Aguilera, Santa Cruz, Bolivia | Ecuador | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
8. | 14 February 1996 | Estadio Olímpico Patria, Sucre, Bolivia | Paraguay | 4–1 | 4–1 | |
9. | 7 July 1996 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Venezuela | 2–0 | 6–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
10. | 12 January 1997 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Ecuador | 2–0 | 2–0 | |
11. | 15 June 1997 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Peru | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1997 Copa América |
12. | 21 June 1997 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Colombia | 1–0 | 2–1 | |
13. | 20 July 1997 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Uruguay | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Coaching career
Etcheverry made his debut as football coach in early 2009 after he accepted an offer from second division club Sociedad Deportiva Aucas, but he was sacked after only four months in charge.[9] On 6 October 2009, Etcheverry was announced as the new Oriente Petrolero coach, replacing Pablo Sánchez.[10] But in the middle of the negotiations he decided not to go through.
Honors
Club
- D.C. United
- MLS Cup: 1996, 1997, 1999
- MLS Supporters' Shield: 1997, 1999
- CONCACAF Champions League: 1998
- Copa Interamericana: 1998
- U.S. Open Cup: 1996
- Barcelona S.C.
- Oriente Petrolero
Individual
- MLS Best XI: 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999
- MLS Goal of the Year: 1997, 1999
- MLS Most Valuable Player: 1998
- MLS All-Star Game MVP: 2002
- MLS All-Time Best XI
References
- R.Moya, Ruben (August 23, 2014). "El "Diablo" Etcheverry, a legend of Bolivian football". Hanging by Futbol.
- "FIFA - FIFA.com". www.fifa.com. Archived from the original on June 2, 2010.
- "Bolivia - Record International Players". www.rsssf.com. Archived from the original on June 9, 2009.
- "Classic Football - Bolivia vs Brazil". FIFA. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
- "Klinsmann provides Germany's first thrust". The Independent. 18 June 1994. Retrieved 15 June 2011.
- "MARCO ETCHEVERRY AND THE TWO-TOUCH WORLD CUP". In Bed With Maradona. 19 March 2014.
- "Happy Birthday to you!". FIFA. 22 September 2013.
- "Etcheverry fue distinguido como "Ciudadano Meritorio"". 13 April 2006.
- Ed, Uncle (December 19, 2008). "Football in Miami and Beyond: DC United's old Captain Marco "El Diablo"Etcheverry to coach Aucas in Ecuador".
- "2019 Soccer news, photos, stats, schedules, standings and videos". sports.yahoo.com.
External links
- International statistics at rsssf
- Marco Etcheverry at National-Football-Teams.com