Oswaldo Sánchez

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Oswaldo Sánchez
Personal information
Full name Oswaldo Javier Sánchez Ibarra
Date of birth September 21, 1973 (1973-09-21) (age 34)
Place of birth    Guadalajara, Mexico
Height 1.84 m (6 ft +12 in)
Playing position Goalkeeper
Club information
Current club Santos Laguna
Number 1
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1992–1996
1996–1999
1999–2006
2007–
CF Atlas
Club América
Chivas de Guadalajara
Santos Laguna
81 (0)
76 (0)
272 (1)
46 (0)   
National team2
1996– Mexico 88 (0)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of June 18, 2007.
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of June 6, 2008.
* Appearances (Goals)

Oswaldo Javier Sánchez Ibarra (born September 21, 1973 in Guadalajara, Jalisco) is a Mexican international goalkeeper currently playing for Santos Laguna in the Primera División de México.

Contents

[edit] Early career

Oswaldo Sanchez debuted with CF Atlas at the age of 20 on October 30, 1993 against CD Veracruz where the teams tied the game at 1-1. He debuted by entering as a sub when the goalkeeper injured himself in a strong accidental play. Two years after his debut, he was a starter on the team and led Atlas to the Quarterfinals where they were eliminated by CD Veracruz. In the summer of 1996, Sánchez was transferred to Club América, one of the most successful clubs in Mexico. Sánchez first season with América was a failure, as the club did not make it to playoffs and lost the Mexican El Clásico against Chivas with an incredible score of 5-0. The following season, Sánchez was benched for the older and more experienced goalkeeper Hugo Pineda. Sánchez only played three out of 19 games, including the quarterfinals where América was eliminated by Monarcas Morelia. The following season, Sánchez went back into the starting line-up and led América to a disappointing elimination in the semifinals against Club Leon. His last three seasons with the club were stable, though the team managed to reach the semifinals once again, only to get eliminated. In the summer of 1999, Sánchez left América for their main rival, Chivas de Guadalajara.

[edit] Chivas de Guadalajara

At Chivas de Guadalajara, Sánchez consolidated himself as a mainstay in the team. Since 1999, he has helped qualify the team to the playoffs seven times, including one wild card, and the team has only been eliminated three times out of 11 seasons, increasing his reputation as a goalkeeper. Throughout his career at Guadalajara, he has stayed the preferred goalkeeper in the team under 10 different coaches. His most notable season was that of Clausura 2004 tournament where arguably he led the team to the finals all by himself . Despite the team's relative success during Sánchez's time at Guadalajara, the club didn't win a title until December 10, 2006 when they defeated Toluca 3-2 in the aggregate.

[edit] Santos Laguna

In 2007 he signed onto Santos Laguna and he has played against his ex-team and ex-team members Chivas de Guadalajara in a 3-2 loss. With Oswaldo Sanchez, Santos managed to stay in Primera Division and were not relegated to Primera A. Also, in Oswaldo's first season with Santos, he led them to the Quarterfinals of the Clausura 2007. However, this was accompanied by many injuries. In the Apertura 2007 he led Santos Laguna to win 5 games in a row until he was injured again and would missed the rest of the tournament.

In Clausura 2008 he started a bit rusty still recovering from his injury but has recovered has led Santos again to become one of the best teams in all of Mexico, being second after Chivas.

In his return to Estadio Jalisco during the Clausura 2008 season to face Chivas de Guadalajara, he was strongly booed by the Guadalajara fans, whom they only reproached to have left the team by money. They threw false money to him (with his printed face), took placards with the writing of which he was no longer "San Oswaldo." Throughout the match, fans sang that he was a traitor. He won his 2nd Championship with Santos Laguna beating Cruz Azul 3-2 in the Global score.

[edit] International career

Sánchez played for the Mexican Youth National team in 1993's international FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia Coached by Juan de Dios Castillo. Sánchez has also constantly been called up to play for the Mexican national team since his debut in 1996, against Bolivia. He has been part of three FIFA World Cups, in France 1998, Korea/Japan 2002, and Germany 2006, although on the bench as back-up goalkeeper for the first two. He stole the spotlight in the 2003 Gold Cup, holding every opponent scoreless, and he was named the tournament's MVP and best goalkeeper.

Argentine Coach Ricardo la Volpe called up Sánchez once again on April 2, 2006, to be the starting goalkeeper for the Mexican National Team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. While Oswaldo was preparing for the 2006 World Cup, his father died of a heart attack on June 7, aged 56. Oswaldo flew home to Guadalajara, but returned to Germany in time for the team's first game against Iran, which they won by a score of 3-1.[1]. He was also considered number 4 in the most gorgeous soccer players for Germany 2006.[citation needed]

In 2007, he was called up once again by new coach Hugo Sanchez to play for Mexico in the Gold Cup and Copa América 2007

Oswaldo was selected to represent Mexico in recent friendlies against Ghana and China, his 1st callups since the Copa América 2007.

[edit] Club

Flag of Mexico Chivas de Guadalajara

Flag of Mexico Santos Laguna

[edit] International

[edit] Individual



[edit] External links

Preceded by
Joel Sánchez
Chivas de Guadalajara captain
2000-2006
Succeeded by
Ramon Morales
Preceded by
Francisco Gabriel de Anda
Santos Laguna captain
2007Present
Succeeded by
'incumbent'