Fernando Arce

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Fernando Enrique Arce Ruiz (born April 24, 1980 in Tijuana, Baja California) is a Mexican football midfielder who currently plays for CA Monarcas Morelia in the Mexican First Division. An impressive player who has consolidated himself among the elite players in the Mexican league, Arce is one of the few soccer players to come from Tijuana, traditionally an area known for producing major-league caliber baseball talent.

[edit] Career

Arce debuted for Irapuato in a game against Toluca on October 28, 2000. Arce played the last eleven minutes and helped preserve the 3-2 win over the Choriceros. After being relegated to the bench for most of his first year at Irapuato, Arce's breakout season in 2001 in which he scored two goals and had five assists helped garner attention from other teams. Prior to the Verano (summer) 2002 season, Arce was transferred to Veracruz, where he remained until the following year. At Veracruz, he scored 8 goals while also dishing out 4 assists, asserting himself as one of the top scoring midfielders in the league. He was part of a Veracruz team that reached the league playoff semifinals in his last season at the club.

Despite his success at Veracruz, the team decided let him go, and Fernando was transferred to Atlante before the Apertura 2003 season. In his lone year with the Potros, he scored seven goals and had seven assists, while playing in 40 games - all but one in which he played in its entirety. After the Clausura 2004 season in which he helped Atlante reach the quarterfinals, Arce was once again transferred, this time to Morelia.

At Morelia, Arce has consolidated himself as a team leader, helping the team reach the semifinals during the Clausura 2005 season, while anchoring the midfield with three goals and two assists. Arce has also made numerous appearances for the Mexican national football team, under the tutelage of current head coach Ricardo LaVolpe.