Rodolfo Zelaya

Rodolfo Zelaya

Zelaya training with Alianza in January 2011
Personal information
Full name Rodolfo Antonio Zelaya García
Date of birth (1988-07-03) July 3, 1988
Place of birth Usulután, El Salvador
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position Second striker
Club information
Current team
 Alianza
Number 22
Youth career
2001 CD Alacrán
2004 San Rafael
2004–2005 Atlético La Merced
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 Intipucá 67 (46)
2008 Chalatenango 17 (8)
2008–2009 Alianza 29 (18)
2009–2010 León 10 (3)
2010 → Alianza (loan) 29 (14)
2011–2013 Alianza 25 (17)
2011 → Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) 13 (3)
2013 → Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) 1 (0)
2013– Alianza 75[1] (21)
National team‡
2008– El Salvador 36 (17)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 September 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 May 2016
This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Zelaya and the second or maternal family name is García.

Rodolfo Antonio Zelaya García (born July 3, 1988 in Usulután) also nicknamed "Fito Zelaya" is a Salvadoran footballer who plays for Alianza and El Salvador. In October 2013, Zelaya was given a one-year ban from football for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal with the El Salvador national team.[2]

Club career

Zelaya started his career playing for San Rafael in 2004 where he played for one year. The following season, he moved to Atlético La Merced. In July 2006, both Zelaya and Rusvel Saravia were offered contracts to play for one of El Salvadors biggest clubs, Águila. Unfortunately for both Zelaya and Saravia, they could not come to terms with the club over their proposed salaries, and as a result, the transfer fell through. Zelaya then moved on to play in Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño with Intipucá. After 2 years with the club, Zelaya caught the attention of Chalatenango coach Vladan Vićević. After meeting with Vićević, Zelaya was offered, and accepted a contract to play with his first Primera División club Chalatenango. Zelaya went on to impress in his first season with the club and grew a fan base with both spectators and reporters for being one of El Salvador's most promising young strikers.

In 2008, Zelaya moved to Alianza after former Chalatenango president Lisandro Pohl switched clubs. This switch lead to Pohl taking various players with him to Alianza whose rights he supposedly owned due to them being bought when he was president at Chalatenango.

Mexico

On June 15, 2009, Zelaya was one of the three Salvadoran footballers signed to Mexican club León on a loan deal, the other two were Cristian Castillo and Julio Enrique Martínez.[3] On 3 December 2009, it was announced that Club León had permanently signed Zelaya along with the other two Salvadorans with a three-year contract. On 12 December 2009, it was confirmed by Alianza's own president, Lisandro Pohl, that Zelaya would return to Alianza on a loan deal.[4] Zelaya later played without a loan deal and participated at the Clausura 2011, where he was top goalscorer with 13 goals to his part. He also had the opportunity to reign champion and score 2 goals at the final to give his team the championship.[5]

Russia

On 19 July 2011, Zelaya signed with Russian First Division club Alania Vladikavkaz on a loan transfer for six months. Alania may be able to redeem his transfer by January 2012.[6] On August 9, 2011, Zelaya debuted at the Russian league championship in a match against Torpedo Vladimir as a starter. On November 4, he scored two goals against Mordovia Saransk, but also received a knee injury that would rule him out for 7 months. [7] During the summer of 2012, Alania decided not to keep him and sent him back to Alianza. On January 26, 2013, he once again signed a six-month loan to rejoin Alania Vladikavkaz, who had been promoted to the Russian Premiere League. He was sent back to Alianza in June after his contract expired.

International career

Zelaya officially received his first cap on April 23, 2008 in a friendly match against China.[8] He scored his first goal with the national team on September 6, 2008 in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Haiti. This game also saw him score his first hat-trick which lead El Salvador to a 5-0 win against the then Caribbean Nations Cup champions. At the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Zelaya received two trophies for the best player in the matches against Cuba and Panama.[9] Overall, Zelaya scored 4 goals being the second top goalscorer of the tournament. Zelaya was noted by Goal.com as being one of the Best XI of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup — alongside Javier Hernández as forwards.[10] CONCACAF also noted "Fito" scoring the fifth best goal of the tournament, a decent feat considering 80 goals scored in the tournament.[11] According to IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) Rodolfo Zelaya was one of the most skilled and popular Central American players of 2012.[12] After being out of action for almost a year due to injury Zelaya, was selected to represent El Salvador for the CONCACAF Gold Cup 2013 scoring all four goals for the team leading them to the Quarter Finals, as well as being named one of the best players of the tournament.[13] Scoring two goals versus Trinidad & Tobago, one goal versus Haiti, and United States, several critics said that Zelaya was the only player that makes a big difference in the field, due to his dribbling skills, and ability to score.[14] In September 2013, Zelaya was handed a one-year ban from international football for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal with the El Salvador national team. This ban was extended to world-wide in October of the same year.[2]

Career Statistics

Club

As of match played 4 September 2016[15][16]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Alianza 2009–2010 Salvadoran Primera División 14500–145
2010–2011 2600– 26
2011–2012 0000–00
2012–2013 10400–104
2013–2014 3000–30
Total 3500-- 35
Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) 2011–12 Russian National League 1330020153
Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) 2012–13 Russian Premier League 1000–10
Alianza 2014–2015 Salvadoran Primera División 25400–254
2015–16 401500–4015
2016–17 61002081
Total 712000207320
Career total 852300408923

International

El Salvador national team
YearAppsGoals
2008104
2009120
201012
201177
201210
201354
Total3617

Statistics accurate as of match played 21 July 2013[16]

International goals

As of 21 July 2013[16]
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition Ref
1. 6 September 2008 Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador  Haiti
1–0
5–0
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2.
2–0
3.
3–0
4. 15 October 2008 Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador  Suriname
1–0
3–0
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
5. 4 September 2010 Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States  Honduras
1–0
2–2
Friendly
6.
2–0
7. 29 May 2011 Robertson Stadium, Houston, United States  Honduras
1–2
2–2
Friendly
8. 9 June 2011 Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States  Costa Rica
1–0
1–1
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
9. 12 June 2011 Soldier Field, Chicago, United States  Cuba
1–0
6–1
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
10.
4–0
11. 19 June 2011 Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States  Panama
1–0
1–1
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
12. 2 September 2011 Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador  Dominican Republic
1–0
3–2
2014 FIFA World Cup qualification
13.
3–1
14. 8 July 2013 Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States  Trinidad and Tobago
1–1
2–2
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
15.
2–1
16. 15 July 2013 BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States  Haiti
1–0
1–0
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
17. 21 July 2013 M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States  United States
1–2
1–5
2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup

Honors

Club

Alianza

Individual

References

  1. ↑ http://www.ceroacero.es/player.php?id=71576
  2. 1 2 "FIFA upholds El Salvadorian bans for match fixing; three more charged, including Rodolfo Zelaya". soccer.nbcsports.com. NBC Sports. 14 October 2013. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  3. ↑ "Martínez, Zelaya y Castillo, hacia México". El Salvador.com. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
  4. ↑ "Zelaya retorna al Alianza" (in Spanish). elgrafico.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  5. ↑ "Alianza campeón Clausura 2011" (in Spanish). elgrafico.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  6. ↑ Родольфо Зелая стал игроком "Алании" (видео) (in Russian). fc-alania.ru. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  7. ↑ Протокол матча "Алания" — "Торпедо" Владимир: Россия, Первенство России, ФНЛ 2011, Тур 20 — 1:0 (in Russian). Sportbox.ru. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  8. ↑ "International Friendly Matches 2008". RSSSF. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
  9. ↑ Flores, Gustavo. ""Fito" Zelaya, el arma letal de la Azul" [Fito Zelaya, the lethal weapon of the Blue]. elsalvador.com. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  10. ↑ Gubala, David. "Gold Cup Best XI: Mexico reigns supreme". goal.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  11. ↑ CONCACAF
  12. ↑ http://www.edhdeportes.com/articulo/fito-mas-popular-concacaf-10424
  13. ↑ http://www.elgrafico.com/el-delantero-rodolfo-zelaya-es-el-hombre-del-momento
  14. ↑ http://elsalvadorfc.com/fitodependencia
  15. ↑ "R.Zelaya". soccerway.com. Soccerway. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  16. 1 2 3 "Rodolfo Zelaya". National Football Teams. Retrieved 6 September 2016.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rodolfo Zelaya.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/18/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.