Carlos Valderrama

Carlos Alberto Valderrama Palacio (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈkarlos alˈberto βaldeˈrama paˈlasjo];^[2] born September 2, 1961 in Santa Marta, Colombia), also known as El Pibe ("The Kid") is a Colombian former footballer who played as a midfielder. His distinctive blond hair, coupled with his flamboyant technique on the ball and ability as a playmaker, made him one of Colombia's most recognizable footballers.

Valderrama was a member of the Colombia national football team in the 1990s. Between 1985 and 1998 he represented Colombia in 111 full internationals and scored 11 times, making him the most capped player in the country's history. Valderrama was known for the accuracy of his passing and assisting, his vision and tactical brain, which allowed him to have a strong presence without the necessity of running as much as it would be expected, his precise technique on the ball, and his clean assists.^[3][4][5] Valderrama played a huge role during the golden era of Colombian football during the 1990s. In 2004, Valderrama was included in the FIFA 100, a list of "greatest living footballers" chosen by Pelé to celebrate the 100th anniversary of FIFA.

At the end of his career Valderrama played in Major League Soccer joining the league in its first season. The most recognisable player in the league at the time, he helped popularise the league during the 1990s and attract other foreign footballers to ply their trade in the league. To this day, he is an icon as one of the most decorated playmakers to ever play in MLS.^[6][7][8][9]

Career

Valderrama began his career at Unión Magdalena of the Colombian First Division in 1981. He also played for Millonarios and Deportivo Cali before joining the Montpellier of the French First Division in 1988. He then went on to play for Independiente Medellín and then Atlético Junior, for whom he won the Colombian championship in 1993 and 1995. In 1996, he went to the US to play for the Tampa Bay Mutiny (1996–97, 2000–01), Miami Fusion (1998–99), and Colorado Rapids (2001–02). While a member of the Mutiny, the team would sell Carlos Valderrama wigs at Tampa Stadium. In Major League Soccer, Valderrama scored relatively few goals (16) for a midfielder, but is the league's second all-time leader in assists (114) after Steve Ralston (121), a former teammate. In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI. He was also named one of the top players of the 20th century by Pelé in 1999.^[10]

MLS career

Valderrama began his Major League Soccer career with the Tampa Bay Mutiny in the league's inaugural year of 1996, and won its first Most Valuable Player award. In 2000 Valderrama recorded the only 20+ assist season in MLS history—ending the season with 26—a record that remains intact today, and which MLS itself suggested was an "unbreakable" record in a 2012 article.^[11] Valderrama remained in the league until 2002, playing for the Mutiny, Miami Fusion, and the Colorado Rapids in his eight-year American soccer career.^[12]

Retirement as player

In February 2004, Valderrama ended his 22-year career in a tribute match at the Metropolitan stadium of Barranquilla, with some of the most important football players of South America, such as Diego Maradona, Enzo Francescoli and José Luis Chilavert.

Valderrama has since become assistant manager of Atlético Junior. On November 1, 2007, Valderrama accused a referee of corruption by waving cash in the face of Oscar Julian Ruiz when the official awarded a penalty to América de Cali. Junior lost the match 4–1, which ended the club's hopes of playoff qualification.^[13]

Playing style

The first and arguably the last thing to know about "El Pibe" Valderrama is that the qualities most commonly associated to him are in fact remarkably inaccurate. Always defined as a "slow" player, but watching him run at full speed puts that myth to bed very quickly; not a fast player, but definitely not a slow player either. Always defined as "lazy" when in fact, when he played at Montpellier (between 1988 and 1991), he was one of the most hard-working creative players in the world: his movement off-the-ball resembled the movement of a modern player, more than it resembled the movement of players of the early 1990s.

Valderrama was, for example, substantially comparable to Ruud Gullit in terms of mileage-per-game value; and Ruud Gullit is universally known as one of the most industrious creative players of all time. World Cup 1990 serves as a remarkably accurate barometer in that regard, in that both Gullit and Valderrama played against West Germany; in fact, Valderrama played the third group stage game against West Germany, and then Gullit played the Round of 16 (i.e. the game that follows immediately after the third group stage game) against West Germany; so not only did they play against the same opponent (and an opponent that happened to be the team that won that World Cup), but they played against West Germany more or less at the same exact time, in the same exact tournament. And so, Colombia vs. West Germany (third group game), and Netherlands vs. West Germany (Round of 16); those two games demonstrate in great detail, that Valderrama's work-rate, work-ethic, mileage-per-game, was not in the slightest "lazy" nor "slow" nor "lethargic" nor any of the other widely accepted clichés that define Valderrama in the collective conscience. In reality, Valderrama was essentially a "flair and grit" type of player, very similar to Andres Iniesta; Valderrama was one of the first players of that style. In the generations to follow, other players who could be defined as "flair and grit" are: Dennis Bergkamp, Luis Figo, Rivaldo, Andrea Pirlo, Andres Iniesta, Eden Hazard, etc. Such players are still incredibly rare today.

Although Valderrama was known or defined as a "classic number 10 playmaker," in reality it was brutally evident that he wasn't a classic playmaker, because classic playmakers are (by and large) not "flair and grit" type of players; classic playmakers are more direct, less defensive, less hard-working, typically take a lot more shots at goal (compared to Valderrama who practically never took shots at goal), and don't actively play in the deep-in-field areas that Valderrama was most comfortable in; Valderrama was unequivocally not a "classic playmaker" playing behind the forwards, as was typical of South American sides of that era, in reality, Valderrama was tactically speaking a natural deep-lying playmaker, which is a fundamentally different role than that of the traditional attacking midfielder. He was not slow; he wasn't lazy; and he also wasn't a classic playmaker. Three of the most widely used definitions for Valderrama are blatant misconceptions that are proven as misconceptions by the sheer volume of evidence in the form of the videos of the actual games. Valderrama arguably is one of the most misunderstood football players of all time; by and large, the descriptions about him are wildly inaccurate, not based on anything real or consistent. It is rather obvious that Valderrama playing in the United States in the twilight of his career (in fact, his career extended into his 40th birthday), helped define the misconceptions about Valderrama, namely his being slow, and lazy, and a classic playmaker – none of which applies to Valderrama's prime, but characteristics that arguably apply to the 36-year-old Valderrama that played in the MLS.^[14]

Valderrama's instantly recognizable features were, of course, the big hair, but perhaps more importantly, his agile and electric and elegant feet; agility and electric-like are not obvious characteristics that one would tend to readily associate to a player who wasn't fast, but that's part of the "charisma" about Valderrama's unique characteristics (which extend to his actual game, and not just to the hair and the general outlandish appearance). His footwork was similar to that of much smaller and shorter players, which for a player of Valderrama's physical build and height was not a common feature. Although his passing ability was considered to be as good as the best European (or South American) players of the time, it was his balance and ability to shield the ball that differentiated him from most of his peers; his ball retention ability was always the subject of praise, not only remarkably efficient from a practical point of view, but also unique and "a joy to watch" from a purely aesthetic argument, thereby defining Valderrama as a logical fan favorite for both South American or European viewers.^[15]

Valderrama's passing was highly accurate and versatile to the point where he held a consistent rate of assists, and was often involved in plays that often related to goals. This also involved free kicks, whether supporting his teammates, or attempts on goal. His creativity made him very influential, to the point where he became a known legend throughout South America, and eventually throughout the world of football.^[16][17][17]

Aside from his exceptional vision and passing talents, Valderrama held very precise ball-control and dribbling abilities that were supported by quick reactions, and his disciplined mindset. This allowed him to perform impressive plays that have been highlighted throughout his career.^[18][19][19] A team-player, Valderrama was also known to be an extremely selfless midfielder for both club, and nation.^[7][20][20]

Former French defender Laurent Blanc, who played with Valderrama in Montpellier, described Valderrama perhaps more accurately than anyone else, when he said “In the fast and furious European game he wasn’t always at his ease. He was a natural exponent of ‘toque’, keeping the ball moving. But he was so gifted that we could give him the ball when we didn’t know what else to do with it knowing he wouldn’t lose it… and often he would do things that most of us only dream about!”.^[15]

One of Valderrama's most impressive moments, was during the 1990 FIFA World Cup last group stage match against Germany. In a game where Colombia needed at least a draw to survive into the next round, Pierre Littbarski scored what appeared to be the winning goal in the 88th minute of the game. However, within what was sure to be the last few seconds of the added extra time (that is, the last 2–4 minutes that are added to the standard 90 minutes per game), Valderrama made a crucial left-footed pass to Freddy Rincon who equalized immediately and saved Colombia into the next round.^[21]

Personal life

Valderrama is married and has five children. Valderrama was the only Colombian to feature in FIFA's 125 Top Living Football Players list in March 2004. He is currently a coach for a football academy called Clearwater Galactics ^[22] in Clearwater, Florida.

Honours

Club

Montpellier HSC

• French Cup: 1990

Atletico Junior

• Colombian Championship: 1993, 1995

Tampa Bay Mutiny

• MLS Supporters' Shield: 1996

Individual

• Copa América MVP: 1987
• South American Footballer of the Year: 1987, 1993
• South American Team of the Year: 1987, 1993, 1996^[23]
• MLS All-Star of the Year: 1996
• Major League Soccer MVP: 1996
• FIFA 100
• Golden Foot: 2013, as football legend
• World Soccer: The 100 Greatest Footballers of All Time

Other recognition

A statue of Valderrama outside Estadio Eduardo Santos in Santa Marta.

Valderrama appeared on the cover of International Superstar Soccer Pro 98. In the Nintendo 64 version, he is referred to by his nickname, El Pibe. A 22-foot bronze statue of Valderrama, created by Colombian artist Amilkar Ariza, was erected outside Estadio Eduardo Santos in Valderrama's birthplace of Santa Marta in 2006. Valderrama has also received a Legend card in EA Sports' soccer video game FIFA 15.^[24]

Statistics

International goals

Scores and results lists Colombia's goal tally first.^[25]

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	1 July 1987	Estadio Gigante de Arroyito, Rosario, Argentina	Bolivia	1–0	2–0	1987 Copa América
2.	30 March 1988	Estadio Centenario, Armenia, Colombia	Canada	2–0	3–0	Friendly
3.	24 June 1989	Miami Orange Bowl, Miami, United States	United States	1–0	1–0
4.	27 June 1989		Haiti	3–0	4–0
5.	9 June 1990	Stadio Renato Dall'Ara, Bologna, Italy	United Arab Emirates	2–0	2–0	1990 FIFA World Cup
6.	22 July 1995	Estadio Domingo Burgueño, Maldonado, Uruguay	United States	2–0	4–1	1995 Copa América
7.	7 July 1996	Estadio Metropolitano Roberto Meléndez, Barranquilla, Colombia	Uruguay	2–0	3–1	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification
8.	20 August 1997		Bolivia	2–0	3–0
9.	16 November 1997	Estadio Alberto J. Armando, Buenos Aires, Argentina	Argentina	1–0	1–1
10.	23 May 1998	Giants Stadium, East Rutherford, United States	Scotland	1–0	2–2	Friendly
11.	31 May 1998	Waldstadion, Frankfurt, Germany	Germany	1–3	1–3

References

External links

• Carlos Valderrama at National-Football-Teams.com
• International statistics at Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation
• Profile at Columbia.com (Spanish)

Colombia squads
Colombia squad – 1987 Copa América Third Place 1 Higuita 2 Perea 3 Molina 4 Herrera 5 Hoyos 6 Pérez 7 de Ávila 8 Alvarez 9 Galeano 10 Valderrama 11 Redín 12 Jiménez 13 Tréllez 14 Mendoza 15 Angulo 16 Porras 17 Coll 18 Gómez 19 Iguarán 20 Escobar Coach: Maturana Colombia squad – 1989 Copa América 1 Higuita 2 Escobar 3 Gildardo Gómez 4 Wilson Pérez 5 Hoyos 6 Gabriel Gómez 7 de Ávila 8 García 9 Angulo 10 Valderrama 11 Redín 12 Villa 13 Mendoza 14 Álvarez 15 Perea 16 Iguarán 17 Trellez 18 Cabrera 19 Niño 20 Hernández Coach: Maturana Colombia squad – 1990 FIFA World Cup 1 Higuita 2 Escobar 3 Gildardo Gómez 4 Herrera 5 Villa 6 Pérez 7 Estrada 8 Gabriel Gómez 9 Guerrero 10 Valderrama (c) 11 Redín 12 Niño 13 Hoyos 14 Álvarez 15 Perea 16 Iguarán 17 Cassiani 18 Cabrera 19 Rincón 20 Fajardo 21 Mendoza 22 Hernández Coach: Maturana Colombia squad – 1991 Copa América Fourth Place 1 Higuita 2 Escobar 3 Martínez 4 Pimentel 5 Herrera 6 Pareja 7 De Ávila 8 García 9 Valenciano 10 Valderrama 11 Redín 12 Calero 13 Cabrera 14 Álvarez 15 Perea 16 Estrada 17 Osorio 18 Iguarán 19 Usuriaga 20 Rincón 21 Vargas Cortés 22 Niño Coach: García Colombia squad – 1993 Copa América Third Place 1 Córdoba 2 Cortés 3 Mendoza 4 Herrera 5 Gaviria 6 Gómez 7 O. Maturana 8 García 9 Aristizábal 10 Valderrama 11 Valencia 12 Mondragón 13 Pacheco 14 Álvarez 15 Perea 16 Lozano 17 Asprilla 18 Osorio 19 Rincón 20 W.Pérez 21 R.Pérez 22 Pazo Coach: F. Maturana Colombia squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup 1 Córdoba 2 Escobar 3 Mendoza 4 Herrera 5 Gaviria 6 Gómez 7 de Ávila 8 Lozano 9 Valenciano 10 Valderrama (c) 11 Valencia 12 Mondragón 13 Ortiz 14 Álvarez 15 Perea 16 Aristizábal 17 Serna 18 Cortés 19 Rincón 20 Pérez 21 Asprilla 22 Pazo Coach: Maturana Colombia squad – 1995 Copa América Third Place 1 Higuita 2 Santa 3 Mendoza 4 Fernández 5 Bermúdez 6 Gaviria 7 Guerrero 8 Lozano 9 Arboleda 10 Valderrama 11 Asprilla 12 Calero 13 Cabrera 14 Álvarez 15 Mosquera 16 Aristizábal 17 León 18 Cardona 19 Rincón 20 Quiñonez 21 Cassiani 22 Córdoba Coach: Gómez Colombia squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Ó. Córdoba 2 I. Córdoba 3 Palacios 4 Santa 5 Bermúdez 6 Serna 7 De Ávila 8 Lozano 9 Valencia 10 Valderrama (c) 11 Asprilla 12 Calero 13 Cabrera 14 Bolaño 15 Aristizábal 16 Moreno 17 Estrada 18 Pérez 19 Rincón 20 Ricard 21 Preciado 22 Mondragón Coach: Gómez