Sergio Goycochea

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Sergio Javier Goycochea [ˈzeɾ.xjo xa.ˈβjeɾ ɰoj.ko.ˈʧe.a] (born October 17, 1963 in Lima, Buenos Aires) is a famous Argentine former football goalkeeper. He is best known for his penalty kick saves.

Goycochea was the substitute for Nery Pumpido both in River Plate and in the Argentine national team, and got his big break in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, when Pumpido was injured in Argentina's second group game against the Soviet Union. Goycochea was then the goalkeeper in the penalty shootout in the quarterfinal game against the Yugoslavian team. In the semifinal game against Italy, he saved penalty kicks in the penalty shootout from players Roberto Donadoni and Aldo Serena. He was also close to saving the heavily criticized game-winning penalty kick of the 1990 World Cup final against Germany, which Argentina lost 0-1.

El Goyco also played a few months in 1991 for the team Stade Brestois 29 from Brest in the region of Bretagne, which was then named Brest Armorique, and was in the French second division and included players David Ginola, Corentin Martins and Stéphane Guivarc'h. Nonetheless, the team went bankrupt in November of that year, and was moved to the third division and lost its professional-team status.

With the national team, Goycochea also won the 1993 Copa América final in Ecuador on July 4, 1993 with Argentina 2-1 against goalkeeper Jorge Campos' Mexican national team. On the occasion of that 1993 Copa América tournament, Goycochea appeared on TV commercials for a Pepsi promotion by PepsiCo's division in Guayaquil. He also was on TV commercials for Adidas soccer apparel some years later.

His last name, Goycochea, spelled without e, but which other people of the same genealogy spell as Goycoechea, is derived from a Basque-language expression meaning topmost house (from goyko, above, and etxe, house), and so Sergio is frequently nicknamed El Vasco, but also El Goyco.

Goycochea played for the following football teams:

1983-1988: River Plate (Argentina)
1988-1990: Millonarios (Colombia)
1990-1991: Racing (Argentina)
1991: Brest (France)
1992: Cerro Porteño (Paraguay)
1992-1993: Olimpia (Paraguay)
1993-1994: River Plate
1994-1995: Mandiyú (Argentina)
1995-1996: Internacional (Brazil)
1996-1997: Vélez Sársfield (Argentina)
1997-1998: Newell's Old Boys (Argentina)

For Argentina, Goycochea played in the following competitions:

1990 FIFA World Cup Italy (runners-up)
(Catalan) Chile (champions)
(Catalan) Ecuador (champions)
1994 FIFA World Cup U.S. (second round, substitute)

Nowadays, Goycochea is a football journalist hosting Resto del mundo (Argentina's Canal 13) and he partnered Diego Maradona at La noche del Diez.

	Argentina Squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup
1 Pumpido (Comizzo) \| 2 Batista \| 3 Balbo \| 4 Basualdo \| 5 Bauza \| 6 Calderón \| 7 Burruchaga \| 8 Caniggia \| 9 Dezotti \| 10 Maradona \| 11 Fabbri \| 12 Goycochea \| 13 Lorenzo \| 14 Giusti \| 15 Monzón \| 16 Olarticoechea \| 17 Sensini \| 18 Serrizuela \| 19 Ruggeri \| 20 Simón \| 21 Troglio \| 22 Cancelarich \| Coach Bilardo

	Argentina squad - 1994 World Cup
1 Goycochea \| 2 Vázquez \| 3 Chamot \| 4 Sensini \| 5 Redondo \| 6 Ruggeri \| 7 Caniggia \| 8 Basualdo \| 9 Batistuta \| 10 Maradona \| 11 Medina Bello \| 12 Islas \| 13 Cáceres \| 14 Simeone \| 15 Borelli \| 16 Díaz \| 17 Ortega \| 18 Pérez \| 19 Balbo \| 20 Rodríguez \| 21 Mancuso \| 22 Scoponi \| Coach: Basile