Agustín Delgado

This is a Spanish name; the first family name is Delgado and the second is Chala.

Agustín Javier Delgado Chala (nicknamed "Tin"; born December 23, 1974, in Piquiucho, a small village in the Chota River valley in Imbabura) is an Ecuadorian football player. He plays center forward for Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito and is a retired national football team member, where he surpassed Eduardo Hurtado as top scorer in 2002.

Club career

He spent 4 years with Southampton in the English FA Premier League. Unfortunately, Tin - as he is affectionately known to his legion of fans - was dogged by injuries that restricted him to few games played for "the Saints". He barely played and spent most of the time in the physio's office. Southampton F.C. tried to bring him back to fitness after the injury he picked in Necaxa, prior to the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers, to no avail.

History might have been different, had the striker refused to play injured during the 2002 World Cup. The pressure on him to play was enormous, Ecuadoreans believed him (and his 9 goals) to be indispensable. Naturally, Delgado dreamed of playing in a FIFA World Cup. All that led to his decision of playing with an injury while heavily medicated on painkillers. Upon return to England, it was found that his injury had become chronic, which effectively destroyed his future in Europe.^[1] Gordon Strachan had also alienated the player, claiming to have signed the player based on his Championship Manager statistics and saying that it was the only time that the game had let him down. When pressed for his plans for the Ecuadorian, Strachan replied "I've got more important things to think about. I've got a yoghurt to finish by today, the expiry date is today. That can be my priority rather than Agustin Delgado."^[2]

However, he scored the winning goal for Southampton in a 3-2 home victory over the then Premiership champions Arsenal, leaving a remarkable memory to the Southampton fans. He remarked on leaving the club that he would be, 'Dancing in the Streets' with the club's fans the day Southampton won the Premiership.

After the Southampton saga, he was released, and returned to Ecuador to play for a Quito based club, Aucas, which was topping the Ecuador Serie A with the likes of Rene Higuita and Gustavo Figueroa leading the way.

He played an impressive half season and this led him to join the Mexican club, UNAM Pumas, where he helped the team win the league championship. This brought to an end a disappointing time for Delgado although this was considered best for both parties.

Delgado was then transferred to Barcelona SC from UNAM Pumas on January 1, 2005, for an undisclosed amount.

While at Barcelona de Guayaquil, he teamed up with his preferred Ecuador strike partner, Iván Kaviedes. With these two formidable strikers leading the attack, the Guayaquil based club were expected to not only bring championships, but to dominate the league. This did not happen. Delgado started strong, but ended the season with 7 goals. He was subsequently accused by the club president, Isidro Romero Carbo, of not taking the club seriously despite earning top wages.

Tin was said to have been caught partying late at wild clubs with his teammates, Edwin Villafuerte and Walter Ayovi, which prompted all their exits from the prestigious club.

Delgado then joined Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito, a team that currently participates regularly in the Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores. With the club, numbers that are more familiar with Tin started to appear and with his goal exploits, he helped Liga surprisingly reach the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores 2006. In 2008 he was part of the squad that won the Copa Libertadores, although he did not play in the final decisive game.

International career

Delgado scored a goal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, the first goal for the Ecuadorian team in a World Cup, against Mexico. Delgado was also joint top scorer (with Hernán Crespo) in the CONMEBOL qualifiers for the tournament, with nine goals.

Delgado is known for being a strong player, equally apt in offense and defense. He is also known for his aerial prowess. Delgado is an excellent finisher with either foot and especially with his head, when he towers over the opposing defences. He has a superb sense of positioning in the box and has excellent field awareness.

All this has given Tin an iconic status in Ecuador, and he obtained a reputation as one of the most feared South American strikers.

He helped Ecuador qualify once again to the World Cup, contributing with 5 goals in 10 games and stated that Germany 06 would be his last.

In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Delgado scored a goal in the 80th minute in Ecuador's opening match against Poland where Ecuador shocked Poland with a score of two goals to none. In the following game, he scored a goal in 55th minute goal in their 3-0 victory over Costa Rica, enabling Ecuador to qualify alongside hosts Germany for the last 16.

The 2006 World Cup, a historic achievement for Ecuador, was the last international tournament for Delgado. Nevertheless, El Tin is looked on as one of Ecuador's best football players of all time.

Post World Cup

Delgado was one of eleven players who were banned for between two and 12 months for taking part in a vicious brawl at the end of LDU's 1-1 draw at home to Barcelona in December 2006. Four Barcelona players were injured in the incident on the last day of the season which shocked the country on December 17, 2006 and overshadowed the title won by El Nacional. The Ecuadorian Football Federation (FEF) said on its web site that the incident started with a clash between former Ecuador striker Agustin Delgado and his marker, Víctor Montoya. Montoya later denied that he had deliberately kicked Delgado's injured knee. However Montoya received no sanction from the FEF. Later was augmented by the player in the National Congress of Ecuador that he was persecuted by the FEF^[3].

Delgado was later involved in some scandals at a night club during New Year's Eve and then left the country to try to continue his career in Major League Soccer. However, FIFA later denied this possibility by extending the ban internationally.

The suspension was changed later in an Extraordinary Congress of the FEF^[4], and Delgado was enabled after 6 months

He has remained in LDU Quito.

Honours

• Ecuadorian Champion 1996 (El Nacional CD)
• Ecuadorian Champion 1997 (Barcelona SC)
• Third Place in the Clubs World Cup 2000 (Necaxa)
• Top Scorer in Verano 2000 of Mexico 1st Division (Necaxa)
• Top Scorer on the qualifyng for the Korea-Japan 2002 World Cup 2002 (Ecuador)
• Mexican Champion 2004 (Pumas)
• Ecuadorian Champion 2007 (Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito)
• Copa Libertadores Champion 2008 (Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito)

Titles

Season	Club	Title
1997	Barcelona Sporting Club	Ecuadorian league
2004	UNAM Pumas	Primera División de México
2007	LDU Quito	Ecuadorian league
2008	LDU Quito	Copa Libertadores

References

External links

• Agustín Delgado career stats at Soccerbase
• International statistics at rsssf
• Agustín Delgado shot a goal against Costa Rica at Worldcup 2006
• Vicious soccer brawl
• Player's own website (Spanish)
• Official Myspace

Ecuador squad – 2002 FIFA World Cup 1 Cevallos • 2 Porozo • 3 Hurtado • 4 de la Cruz • 5 Obregón • 6 Guerrón • 7 Asencio • 8 L. Gómez • 9 Kaviedes • 10 Aguinaga • 11 Delgado • 12 Ibarra • 13 Fernández • 14 Burbano • 15 M. Ayoví • 16 Chalá • 17 Espinoza • 18 C. Tenorio • 19 Méndez • 20 E. Tenorio • 21 Sánchez • 22 Viteri • 23 W. Ayoví • Coach: H. Gómez

Ecuador squad – Copa América 2004 1 J. Espinoza • 2 Guagua • 3 Hurtado • 4 de la Cruz • 5 Obregón • 6 Ambrosi • 7 Salas • 8 Ordóñez • 9 Figueroa • 10 Aguinaga • 11 Delgado • 12 Ibarra • 13 Saritama • 14 Baldeón • 15 Ayoví • 16 Chalá • 17 G. Espinoza • 18 Reasco • 19 Méndez • 20 E. Tenorio • 21 Soledispa • 22 Lanza • Coach: Gómez

Ecuador squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Villafuerte • 2 Guagua • 3 Hurtado • 4 de la Cruz • 5 Perlaza • 6 Urrutia • 7 Lara • 8 Méndez • 9 Borja • 10 Kaviedes • 11 Delgado • 12 Mora • 13 Ambrosi • 14 Castillo • 15 Ayoví • 16 Valencia • 17 Espinoza • 18 Reasco • 19 Saritama • 20 E. Tenorio • 21 C. Tenorio • 22 Lanza • 23 Benítez • Coach: Suárez