Marco Etcheverry

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Marco Etcheverry
Personal information
Full name Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas
Date of birth September 26, 1970 (1970-09-26) (age 37)
Place of birth    Flag of Bolivia Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Height 1.79 m
Playing position Manager
Youth clubs
Flag of Bolivia Tahuichi Academy
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1986-1989
1990-1991
1992-1993
1994
1995
1996-2003
1997
1998
1999
2001
2004
Flag of Bolivia Destroyers
Flag of Bolivia Bolívar
Flag of Spain Albacete Balompié
Flag of Chile Colo Colo
Flag of Colombia América de Cali
Flag of the United States D.C. United
Flag of EcuadorBarcelona SC
Flag of Ecuador Emelec
Flag of Ecuador Barcelona SC
Flag of Bolivia Oriente Petrolero
Flag of Bolivia Bolívar
81 (17)
99 (29)
15 (2)
28 (8)
21 (0)
190 (34)
13 (6)
6 (0)
-
-
7 (0)   
National team
1989-2003 Flag of Bolivia Bolivia 71 (13)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas (born September 26, 1970 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra) is a former Bolivian football (soccer) midfielder, considered as one of the best Bolivian players of all time.

Etcheverry, nicknamed El Diablo, 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 are DC records). He retired at the end of the 2003 season. In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI.

Etcheverry was trained at Bolivia's Tahuichi Academy, after which he played professionally with Bolivian sides (Destroyers, Bolivar, Oriente Petrolero), Spain (Albacete), Chile (Colo-Colo), Colombia (América de Cali) and Ecuador (Barcelona, Emelec).

Etcheverry compiled 71 caps and scored 13 goals for the Bolivian national team between 1989 and 2003[1]. He played for them in the 1994 World Cup, where he is remembered most for getting sent off just minutes after entering the tournament's opening game against Germany. However, he was a critical part of Bolivia's qualifying campaign for that tournament, scoring an especially vital goal to help Bolivia beat Brazil.

The Bolivian Congress awarded him with the Medal of Merit, for his sport achievements, in April 2006, shortly after his retirement, and in a match between players of the Bolivia national team and the Friends of America team of players of the Americas.

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. The only other person on that wall is John Harkes. 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 would do 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 vs. 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.

[edit] Club Titles

Season Club Title
1996 Flag of the United States D.C. United MLS Cup
1997 Flag of the United States D.C. United MLS Cup
1997 Flag of Ecuador Barcelona Ecuatorian League Championship
1999 Flag of the United States D.C. United MLS Cup
2001 Flag of Bolivia Oriente Petrolero Bolivian League Championship

[edit] References

[edit] External links

Preceded by
Preki
Major League Soccer MVP Award
1998
Succeeded by
Jason Kreis