Joselito Vaca

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Joselito Vaca (born August 12, 1982 in Santa Cruz, Bolivia) is a Bolivian soccer player, who currently plays attacking midfielder for Blooming in the Bolivian Premier League.

Vaca established himself as one of Bolivia's most exciting young prospects, and the potential successor to Marco Etcheverry. Vaca joined Oriente Petrolero in 1999 at the age of 17, and played 33 games for the team his first year. In 2000, he was named the Best Player in the Bolivian League, as he helped lead Petrolero to a second-place finish in the league and concomitant Copa Libertadores berth.

Following the 2000 season, Vaca signed with Major League Soccer, and was selected fifth overall by the Dallas Burn in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft. Vaca did not immediately set the league afire, however, as many had expected, but did put in a solid rookie season. His second season was Vaca's best, as he played right midfield for the Burn, and was named to the All-Star team. Vaca played a significant amount of minutes in 2003, but remained a disappointment as he seemed incapable of leading the team.

A trade to the MetroStars for a conditional draft pick in the 2003 offseason did little to change Vaca's performance -- Vaca was only average, before missing out on the end of the season because of injury. In four years in MLS, his numbers are average at best: just six goals and 18 assists in league play. He returned to Bolivia, signing with Blooming in early 2005.

Although Vaca was initially a hugely touted Bolivian prospect, his prospects with the national team have cooled with his tepid performance in MLS. Since returning to Bolivia, he has been called back to the national team after years.