Clarence Acuña

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Clarence William Acuña Donoso (born February 8, 1975 in Rancagua) is a Chilean professional football player. He plays as a midfielder, for the Chilean club Deportes Concepción.

[edit] Chilean League

He started his career at Chilean club O'Higgins, whom he began playing for in 1994 at the age of nineteen. He played at O'Higgins until 1996, scoring eight goals in eighty-one games.

He then caught the eye of professional club Universidad de Chile. They signed him, and he played ninety games for them between 1997 and 1999, again scoring eight goals. His performances in the Copa Banco Estado attracted the attention of the national team and he was given his first international cap in 1995.

[edit] International

Acuña managed to keep up his good form and was included in the Chile World Cup squad for the 1998 event held in France. Here, he impressed players and pundits alike and helped his country to the last 16 stage of the tournament, where they bowed out in a 4-1 defeat to favourites Brazil.

Despite this, Acuña was seen as one of the breakthrough players of the tournament and he also had his first experience of playing in Europe, which would prove not to be his last.

A year later he was involved in another international tournament. This time his services were required in the Copa América. He started four games as Chile reached the semi-finals but were knocked out 5-3 on penalties against Uruguay after a 1-1 draw. They also lost the third place playoff 2-1 against Mexico four days later.

[edit] Newcastle United

After impressive domestic and international performances, Acuña was attracting attention from many big clubs. Then Newcastle United manager Bobby Robson beat off competition from Manchester United and Parma to clinch Acuña's signature, earning him a £900,000 move to Newcastle United in October 2000, after receiving a work permit.

He made his debut for Newcastle on Saturday 28 October 2000 in a 1-0 away defeat to West Ham United. Two months later he scored his first goal for the club and the winner in the 2-1 victory against Leeds United. The goal was later voted "Goal of the Week" by the BBC. He was at Newcastle for four seasons, playing forty-six games (including eleven as substitute), scoring six times.

v • d • e Chile squad - Copa América 1995 1 Marcelo Ramírez • 2 Mendoza • 3 Vilches • 4 Margas • 5 Miguel Ramírez • 6 Castañeda • 7 Valencia • 8 Mardones • 9 Rozental • 10 Sierra • 11 Basay • 12 Cornez • 13 Acuña • 14 Pérez • 15 Estay • 16 Fuentes • 17 Parraguez • 18 Galdames • 19 Guevara • 20 Barrera • 21 Ruiz • 22 Salas • Coach: Azkargorta

v • d • e Chile squad - Copa América 1997 1 Cossio • 2 Gómez • 3 Poli • 4 Miranda • 5 Margas • 6 Parraguez • 7 Núñez • 8 Cornejo • 9 Vergara • 10 Valencia • 11 Castillo • 12 Tejas • 13 Villarroel • 14 Ponce • 15 Acuña • 16 González • 17 Salas • 18 Riveros • 19 Muñoz • 20 Rojas • 21 Osorio • 22 Olarra • Coach: Acosta

v • d • e Chile squad - 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Tapia • 2 Castañeda • 3 Fuentes • 4 Rojas • 5 Margas • 6 Reyes • 7 Parraguez • 8 Acuña • 9 Zamorano • 10 Sierra • 11 Salas • 12 Marcelo Ramírez • 13 Neira • 14 Miguel Ramírez • 15 Villarroel • 16 Aros • 17 Vega • 18 Musrri • 19 Cornejo • 20 Estay • 21 Barrera • 22 Tejas • Coach: Acosta

v • d • e Chile squad - Copa América 1999 1 Marcelo Ramírez • 2 Palacios • 3 Miguel Ramírez • 4 Rojas • 5 Margas • 6 Reyes • 7 Parraguez • 8 Acuña • 9 Zamorano • 10 Sierra • 11 Salas • 12 Tapia • 13 Vargas • 14 Cartes • 15 Villarroel • 16 Aros • 17 Núñez • 18 González • 19 Valencia • 20 Estay • 21 Contreras • 22 Pizarro • Coach: Acosta

v • d • e Chile squad - Copa América 2004 1 Bravo • 2 Álvarez • 3 L. Fuentes • 4 Pérez • 5 Ramírez • 6 Acuña • 7 Valenzuela • 8 Millar • 9 S. González • 10 Jiménez • 11 M. González • 12 Varas • 13 I. Fuentes • 14 Villarroel • 15 Mancilla • 16 Cisternas • 17 Mirosevic • 18 Meléndez • 19 Olarra • 20 Aros • 21 Figueroa • 22 Galaz • Coach: Olmos