Mista (footballer)

Mista
Personal information
Full nameMiguel Ángel Ferrer Martínez
Date of birth12 November 1978
Place of birthCaravaca de la Cruz, Spain
Height1.84 m (6 ft 1⁄2 in)
Playing positionStriker
Youth career
1990–1994Peña Madridista Caravaca Cruz
1994–1995Caravaca Promesas
1995–1996Real Madrid
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps†(Gls)†
1996–1997Real Madrid C29(9)
1997–1998Real Madrid B43(23)
1999–2001Tenerife84(22)
2001–2006Valencia144(40)
2006–2008Atlético Madrid35(3)
2008–2010Deportivo La Coruña26(2)
2010Toronto FC9(0)
Total370(99)
National team
1995Spain U173(1)
1996–1997Spain U1810(1)
1999Spain U211(0)
2005Spain2(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.
† Appearances (Goals).
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Ferrer and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.

Miguel Ángel Ferrer Martínez, commonly known as Mista (born 12 November 1978), is a Spanish retired footballer who played as a striker.[1]

An unsuccessful Real Madrid youth graduate, he would make a name for himself with Valencia, helping the club win a total of four major titles during a five-year spell and scoring a total of 48 goals in 218 La Liga games in ten seasons, in representation of four teams.

Club career

Spain

Born in Caravaca de la Cruz, Region of Murcia, Mista was a protégé of Rafael Benítez, who first coached him at Real Madrid Castilla. He also worked with the player at CD Tenerife and then Valencia CF.

At Tenerife, Mista – along with Curro Torres and Luis García – was a key member of the team that won promotion to La Liga in 2001. He subsequently signed for Valencia, and was a prominent member[2] of the successful teams that won two league titles and the 2004 UEFA Cup, where he scored the second goal in the 2–0 win against Olympique de Marseille.[3] On 21 March 2004 he netted a hat-trick for the eventual champions in a 5–1 home win over RCD Mallorca,[4] but his goal rate decreased drastically after 2004–05.

In the 2006 summer Mista joined Atlético Madrid,[5] playing 29 games in his first season but almost absolutely no part in the following. In July 2008 he moved to fellow league club Deportivo de La Coruña, on a three-year contract, scoring in his official debut by netting the first in a 2–1 triumph against Real Madrid on 31 August;[6] constantly troubled by injuries and a loss of form, his second league goal came more than a year later (7 November 2009), in a 2–0 win at Getafe CF.[7]

Toronto

After only two league goals for Depor in two seasons, Mista signed with Toronto FC of Major League Soccer on 6 July 2010, in a deal running until the end of the campaign.[8] He made his unofficial debut for the team in a friendly against Bolton Wanderers at BMO Field on the 21st, and first appeared in the league in a home match against FC Dallas on 24 July; his first and only goal came on 17 August, in a 2–1 home success over Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions League.[9]

On 24 November 2010, in the 2010 MLS Expansion Draft, 32-year-old Mista was waived following a poor season with Toronto.[10] He announced his retirement on 14 August of the following year.

International career

Mista made his debut with Spain on 26 March 2005, in a 3–0 friendly win against China, in Salamanca.[11] He added another cap seven months later, in a 6–0 away thrashing of San Marino for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Honours

Valencia
Atlético Madrid
Deportivo
Toronto

References

  1. ↑ Sirera, Christian (8 July 2010). "Law of one Spaniard in MLS at a time: Miguel Angel Mista to Toronto FC". Bleacher Report. Retrieved 24 March 2013.
  2. ↑ Valencia reclaim pole position; UEFA.com, 19 April 2004
  3. ↑ Valencia 2–0 Marseille; BBC Sport, 19 May 2004
  4. ↑ Mista magic dazzles Mallorca; UEFA.com, 21 March 2004
  5. ↑ Mista to start again at Atlético; UEFA.com, 27 July 2006
  6. ↑ Deportivo La Coruña 2–1 Real Madrid; ESPN Soccernet, 31 August 2008
  7. ↑ Depor ease past Getafe; ESPN Soccernet, 7 November 2009
  8. ↑ Toronto FC signs Spanish forward Mista; Toronto FC, 6 July 2010
  9. ↑ Mista's first goal in Champions League; Toronto FC, 18 August 2010
  10. ↑ Toronto waives five players; Toronto FC, 24 November 2010
  11. ↑ "Aperitivo oriental" [Oriental hors d'oeuvre] (in Spanish). El Mundo Deportivo. 27 March 2005. Retrieved 17 May 2013.

External links