Agustín Delgado

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Agustín Delgado
Delgado in 2016
Personal information
Full name Agustín Javier Delgado Chalá[1]
Date of birth (1974-12-23) 23 December 1974 (age 49)
Place of birth Ambuquí, Imbabura, Ecuador
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Forward
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1992 ESPOLI 12 (6)
1993–1994 Barcelona SC 30 (25)
1995–1996 El Nacional 30 (30)
1997 Independiente Medellín 0 (0)
1997–1998 Barcelona SC 34 (15)
1998 Cruz Azul 8 (2)
1999–2001 Necaxa 83 (38)
2001–2004 Southampton 11 (1)
2004 Aucas 13 (7)
2004 UNAM 11 (1)
2005 Barcelona SC 38 (10)
2006–2008 L.D.U. Quito 69 (24)
2009 Emelec 8 (0)
2010 Valle del Chota 7 (0)
Total 324 (159)
International career
1994–2006 Ecuador 71 (31)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Agustín Delgado
Member of the National Assembly for Imbabura Province
Assumed office
14 May 2013
Personal details
Political party
PAIS Alliance

Agustín Javier Delgado Chalá (born 23 December 1974) is an Ecuadorian politician and former professional footballer who played as a forward. Nicknamed Tín, he was the all-time top scorer for the Ecuador national team with 31 goals in 71 games before being overtaken by Enner Valencia. Delgado played professional club football in Ecuador, Mexico and England.

Club career

Early career

Delgado started his career in his native Ecuador with ESPOLI in 1991 before joining Barcelona SC in 1994, where he played for one year, winning the Ecuadorian Serie A in 1995. He then joined El Nacional and again won the Ecuadorian league title, before returning to Barcelona and securing a third consecutive league winner's medal.

In 1998, Delgado moved to Mexico where he had a brief spell at

Real Madrid he scored in normal time as well as the winning penalty in the shootout.[2][3]

In late 2001, after scoring nine times as Ecuador qualified for its first World Cup, Necaxa accepted a £3.5m bid from English Premier League club Southampton.[4]

Southampton

Delgado moved to Southampton in 2001. Unfortunately, he was dogged by injuries which restricted him to only a few games during his time with the Saints. Southampton tried to get him back to fitness after the injury he picked in Necaxa prior to the 2002 World Cup Qualifiers, but to no avail.

It might have been a different story had the striker refused to play while injured during the

2002 World Cup. The pressure on him to play was enormous, as Ecuadorians believed that, with 9 goals during the 2002 World cup qualifying campaign, he was indispensable; and naturally, Delgado dreamed of playing in a FIFA World Cup. All that led to his decision to play despite injury while heavily medicated on painkillers. Upon return to England, it was found that his injury had become chronic, effectively destroying his future in Europe.[5] He also alienated manager Gordon Strachan by refusing to learn English, and Strachan felt the player had been forced on the club and was very high maintenance. 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."[6]

However, Delgado scored the winning goal for Southampton in a 3–2 home victory over the then

Premiership champions Arsenal.[7] He also scored a goal against Liverpool in the League Cup.[8]

Later career

After the unhappy spell at Southampton, he was released and returned to Ecuador to play for a

Ecuador Serie A with the likes of René Higuita and Gustavo Figueroa leading the way. He played an impressive half season and his return to form led to his joining Mexican club UNAM
, where he helped the team win the league championship.

Delgado was then transferred to

Walter Ayovi
, prompting their exits from the prestigious club.

Delgado then joined

National Congress of Ecuador that he had been persecuted by the FEF.[9]

Delgado was then involved in a scandal at a night club on New Year's Eve [citation needed] and left the country to try to continue his career in Major League Soccer. However, FIFA later blocked this by extending the playing ban internationally. The suspension was subsequently changed at an Extraordinary Congress of the FEF,[10] and Delgado was allowed to resume his playing career after 6 months' suspension.

In 2008, he was part of the squad that won the

final decisive game
.

In March 2009, the forward signed for Emelec until December 2009. During the 2010 season, he was a player/administrator at Valle de Chota in his native town. He helped guide the club to promotion from the Segunda Categoria to the Serie B for the 2011 season. In February 2011, he announced his retirement from professional football to focus on administering the club.[11]

International career

Delgado's first goal at the 2002 FIFA World Cup was also the first goal for the Ecuadorian team in a World Cup, against Mexico. Delgado was joint top scorer (with Hernán Crespo) in the CONMEBOL qualifiers for the tournament with 9 goals.

Delgado was known for being a strong player and an excellent finisher with either foot, but especially for his aerial prowess towering over opposing defences. He had a superb sense of positioning in the box and 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 for the World Cup, contributing 5 goals in 10 games but stated that Germany 06 would be his last. In the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Delgado scored in the 80th minute in Ecuador's shock 2–0 win in their opening match against Poland. In the following game, he scored in the 55th-minute goal in their 3–0 victory over Costa Rica, enabling Ecuador to qualify alongside hosts Germany for the last 16.

After the 2006 World Cup, Delgado announced his retirement from international football. He finished his international career with 71 caps and a record 31 goals for the national team.

Political career

In the

PAIS Alliance. Ulises de la Cruz and Iván Hurtado, former teammates of Delgado at the national team also serve for the Pais Alliance in the National Assembly.[12] Delgado, who has African ancestry, stutters[citation needed] and has been the object of ridicule on social media and by the cartoonist Xavier Bonilla in the newspaper El Universo. The cartoonist and the newspaper were sanctioned by La SUPERCOM, La Superintendencia de la Información y Comunicación, an Ecuadorean agency that regulates communications. According to Freedom House, a Washington, DC based NGO, the sanction was evidence of censorship by the Correa government.[13]

Career statistics

Club

As of 3 April 2015
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup League cup Continental Total
Division Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
ESPOLI 1991 Ecuadorian Serie B
1992 Ecuadorian Serie B
Total
Barcelona SC 1993 Ecuadorian Serie A 13 0 0 13
1994 Ecuadorian Serie A 12 4 2 4 14
Total 25 4 2 4 27
El Nacional 1995 Ecuadorian Serie A 11 6 0 6 11
1996 Ecuadorian Serie A 30 19 0 0 30 19
Total 30 30 6 0 36 30
Independiente Medellín 1997 Categoría Primera A
Barcelona SC 1997 Ecuadorian Serie A 25 12 0 0 25 12
1998 Ecuadorian Serie A 9 3 8 5 17 8
Total 34 15 8 5 42 20
Cruz Azul Invierno 1998 Liga MX 8 2 0 0 0 0 8 2
Necaxa Verano 1999 Liga MX 13 4 0 0 0 0 13 4
1999–2000
Liga MX 29 25 0 0 4 2 33 27
2000–01
Liga MX 32 7 0 0 2 4 32 11
2001–02
Liga MX 9 2 0 0 0 0 9 2
Total 83 38 0 0 7 7 90 45
Southampton 2001–02 Premier League 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0
2002–03 Premier League 6 1 0 0 1 1 0 0 7 2
2003–04 Premier League 4 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 6 0
Total 11 1 1 0 3 1 0 0 15 2
Aucas 2004 Ecuadorian Serie A 13 7 1 0 14 7
UNAM Apertura 2004 Liga MX 11 1 0 0 0 0 11 1
Barcelona SC 2005 Ecuadorian Serie A 38 10 0 0 38 10
L.D.U. Quito 2006 Ecuadorian Serie A 31 12 11 6 42 18
2007 Ecuadorian Serie A 20 6 0 0 20 6
2008 Ecuadorian Serie A 18 6 12 1 30 7
Total 69 24 23 7 92 31
Emelec 2009 Ecuadorian Serie A 8 0 1 0 9 0
Valle del Chota 2010
Segunda Categoría
7 0 7 0
Career total 312 153 1 0 3 1 50 21 366 175

International

Appearances and goals by national team and year
National team Year Apps Goals
Ecuador 1994 1 0
1995 2 0
1996 3 2
1997 9 3
1998 0 0
1999 8 2
2000 10 6
2001 11 7
2002 5 2
2003 0 0
2004 10 4
2005 8 3
2006 4 2
Total 71 31
Scores and results list Ecuador's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Delgado goal.
List of international goals scored by Agustín Delgado
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1 4 October 1996 Estadio Bellavista, Ambato, Ecuador  Jamaica 1–0 2–1 Friendly
2 2–1
3 5 February 1997 Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico  Mexico 1–3 1–3 Friendly
4 17 February 1997 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Uruguay 2–0 4–0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualifier
5 3–0
6 4 June 1999
Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton
, Canada
 Guatemala 2–1 3–1 1999 Canada Cup
7 15 June 1999 Estadio Polideportivo de Pueblo Nuevo, San Cristóbal, Venezuela  Venezuela 2–0 2–3 Friendly
8 29 March 2000
Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria
, Quito, Ecuador
 Venezuela 1–0 2–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
9 25 June 2000 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Panama 1–0 5–0 Friendly
10 3–0
11 16 August 2000 Estadio de Liga Deportiva Universitaria, Quito, Ecuador  Bolivia 1–0 2–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
12 2–0
13 8 October 2000 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Chile 1–0 1–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
14 28 March 2001 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Brazil 1–0 1–0 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
15 24 April 2001 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Paraguay 1–1 2–1 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
16 2–1
17 2 June 2001 Estadio Monumental, Lima, Peru  Peru 2–1 2–1 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
18 17 July 2001 Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia  Venezuela 1–0 4–0 2001 Copa América
19 4–0
20 6 October 2001 Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia  Bolivia 2–0 5–1 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier
21 8 May 2002 Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States  Yugoslavia 1–0 1–0 Friendly
22 8 June 2002 Miyagi Stadium, Miyagi, Japan  Mexico 1–0 1–2 2002 FIFA World Cup
23 2 June 2004 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Colombia 1–0 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
24 5 June 2004 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Bolivia 2–1 3–2 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
25 7 July 2004 Estadio Elías Aguirre, Chiclayo, Peru  Argentina 1–1 1–6 2004 Copa América
26 13 July 2004 Estadio Miguel Grau, Piura, Peru  Mexico 2–1 2–1 2004 Copa América
27 4 June 2005 Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa, Quito, Ecuador  Argentina 2–0 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
28 3 September 2005 Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia  Bolivia 1–0 2–1 2006 FIFA World Cup qualifier
29 2–1
30 9 June 2006
FIFA WM Stadion Gelsenkirchen, Gelsenkirchen
, Germany
 Poland 2–0 2–0 2006 FIFA World Cup
31 15 June 2006
FIFA WM Stadion Hamburg
, Hamburg, Germany
 Costa Rica 2–0 3–0 2006 FIFA World Cup

Honours

Barcelona SC

El Nacional

UNAM

  • Primera División
    : 2004 Apertura

L.D.U. Quito

Ecuador

References

  1. ^ "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players: Ecuador" (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 9. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019.
  2. ^ "Necaxa stay on track". BBC. 9 January 2000. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  3. ^ "Mexican penalty kings depose Real". BBC News. 14 January 2000. Retrieved 24 March 2020.
  4. ^ "Agustin Delgado". BBC. 10 April 2002. Retrieved 3 October 2013.
  5. ^ "Saints end Delgado contract". BBC Sport. 17 June 2004. Retrieved 17 May 2007.
  6. ^ Bandini, Paolo (25 June 2006). "Maybe those world rankings do make sense". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 June 2009.
  7. ^ "Saints shock Arsenal". BBC Sport. 23 November 2002. Retrieved 25 August 2009.
  8. ^ "Kirkland thwarts Saints". BBC. 6 November 2002. Retrieved 11 March 2010.
  9. ^ "AGUSTÍN DELGADO DENUNCIÓ PERSECUCIÓN POR PARTE DE LA FEDERACIÓN ECUATORIANA DE FÚTBOL (Spanish)". Congreso Nacional de la República del Ecuador. 17 July 2007. Retrieved 17 November 2007.[permanent dead link]
  10. ^ "Levantan suspensión de un año a Agustín Delgado (Spanish)". ESPN Deportes. 2 May 2007. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2007.
  11. ^ "El Adiós del Tin Delgado" [The farewell of Tin Delgado] (in Spanish). futbolecuador.com. 16 February 2011. Retrieved 16 February 2011.
  12. ^ Mariela Rosero (19 February 2013). "Alianza País podría controlar 2/3 de la Asamblea". El Comercio. Archived from the original on 28 April 2014. Retrieved 14 June 2013.
  13. ^ Mercedes Alvaro (13 February 2015). "Ecuador Orders Newspaper and Cartoonist to Publish Apology". The Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 16 February 2015.

External links