Antolín Alcaraz

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Alcaraz and the second or maternal family name is Viveros.
Antolín Alcaraz

Alcaraz warming up for Wigan Athletic in 2011
Personal information
Full name Antolín Alcaraz Viveros
Date of birth (1982-07-30) 30 July 1982
Place of birth San Roque González, Paraguay
Height 1.87 m (6 ft 1 1⁄2 in)[1]
Playing position Centre back
Club information
Current team
 Libertad
Number 5
Senior career*
Years Team Apps† (Gls)†
2000–2001 Teniente Fariña
2001–2002 Racing Club 0 (0)
2002 → Fiorentina (loan) 0 (0)
2003–2007 Beira-Mar 112 (5)
2007–2010 Club Brugge 68 (5)
2010–2013 Wigan Athletic 69 (3)
2013–2015 Everton 14 (0)
2015–2016 Las Palmas 6 (1)
2016– Libertad 6 (0)
National team‡
2008– Paraguay 23 (2)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 17 April 2016.
† Appearances (goals)

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 00:00, 12 September 2012 (UTC)

Antolín Alcaraz Viveros (born 30 July 1982) is a Paraguayan professional footballer who plays for Club Libertad as a central defender.

He rarely settled with a team in his early career, before signing in 2003 with Beira-Mar and remaining with the club five seasons, after which he joined Club Brugge. He spent most of the remainder of his career in the Premier League, mainly with Wigan Athletic.

Alcaraz represented Paraguay at the 2010 World Cup and the 2011 Copa América, helping them to the final of the latter tournament.

Club career

Early years / Beira-Mar

Hailing from a humble background, Alcaraz worked throughout his teenage years as a builder’s assistant in his hometown of San Roque González de Santa Cruz in the Paraguarí Department. After starting at amateur football in his country, the 19-year-old moved to Argentina and signed with Racing Club de Avellaneda, appearing rarely during his spell. In 2002 he was loaned to ACF Fiorentina, but the Italians soon faced bankruptcy and regrouped in the Lega Pro Seconda Divisione; he then had a trial at U.S. Città di Palermo,[2] but nothing came of it.

In January 2003, Alcaraz signed for Portuguese club S.C. Beira-Mar. After seven appearances in half a season he became a defensive mainstay at the Aveiro team, eventually also gaining club captaincy; in 2005–06 he helped them return to the Primeira Liga, playing 31 matches.

Brugge

On 30 April 2007, Alcaraz was signed by Club Brugge KV in Belgium, with the deal being effective as of July.[3]

After a slow first season he also eventually became first-choice, helping his team to two third-places and one second.

Wigan Athletic

On 14 May 2010, Alcaraz signed with Wigan Athletic for an undisclosed fee,[4] as his contract with Brugge was due to expire at the end of June.[5] He scored his first goal for the club against Sunderland on 11 September 2010, netting in the 86th minute for an eventual 1–1 home draw.[6]

On 6 November 2011, Alcaraz caused widespread controversy when replays showed him spitting at Wolverhampton Wanderers defender Richard Stearman during Wigan's 1–3 defeat at Molineux Stadium,[7] and served a three-game suspension due to his actions.[8] He later issued an apology.[9]

On 7 May 2012, Alcaraz scored the game's only goal at Blackburn Rovers to retain the Latics' top division safety, whilst relegating their opponent to the Football League Championship.[10] He won the 2013 FA Cup, featuring the full 90 minutes in the 1–0 upset against Manchester City.[11] However, only three days later, with him on the pitch again, Wigan were relegated from the top division following a 1–4 defeat at Arsenal.[12]

Everton

On 9 July 2013, after his contract at Wigan expired,[13] Alcaraz joined Everton on a two-year deal as both he and goalkeeper Joel Robles followed their manager Roberto Martínez to the club.[14] He made his competitive debut on 29 December after an injury struck his start to the season, featuring the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 home win over Southampton.[15]

On 26 April 2014, Alcaraz scored an own goal in the first minute of a 0–2 loss to Southampton.[16] On 1 January of the following year, he received his first sending off as an Everton player, being shown two yellow cards in a 0–2 defeat at Hull City which was the team's fourth successive of the festive period.[17]

On 10 June 2015, Alcaraz was released by the Toffees.[18]

Las Palmas

On 2 August 2015, aged nearly 33, Alcaraz signed a one-year deal with newly promoted La Liga team UD Las Palmas with the option of a second one.[19] He scored his first goal on 23 September, helping defeat Sevilla FC 2–0 at the Estadio Gran Canaria.[20]

International career

In November 2008, Alcaraz received his first call-up to the Paraguayan national team at the age of 26.[21] He was picked for the squad present at the 2010 FIFA World Cup; on 14 June, in the group stage opener against Italy, in just his seventh cap, he headed home through a powerful header following a set piece in an eventual 1–1 draw in Cape Town,[22] and played all the matches and minutes for the eventual quarter-finalists.

Alcaraz was again first-choice for Paraguay during the 2011 Copa América, held in Argentina. On 13 July, he scored the 1–1 equalizer against Venezuela, in an eventual 3–3 group stage draw;[23] four days later, in the quarter-finals with Brazil, he was sent off after an altercation with Lucas Leiva, and the national side eventually finished runner-up.

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 14 June 2010 Cape Town Stadium, Cape Town, South Africa  Italy 1–0 1–1 2010 FIFA World Cup
2. 13 July 2011 Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta, Argentina  Venezuela 1–1 3–3 2011 Copa América

Statistics

Club

As of match played 19 March 2015[24]
Club Season League Cup Europe Other Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Beira-Mar 2002–03 Primeira Liga 0000000000
2003–04 2000000020
2004–05 241000000241
2005–06 Segunda Liga 290000000290
2006–07 Primeira Liga 263000000263
Total 814000000814
Club Brugge 2007–08 Belgian Pro League 101000000100
2008–09 293306100383
2009–10 2910011000401
Total 6853017100884
Wigan Athletic 2010–11 Premier League 341400000381
2011–12 252000000252
2012–13 100400000140
Total 693800000773
Everton 2013–14 Premier League 6010000070
2014–15 80105000140
Total 140205000210
Career total 231121302210025613

Honours

Club

Beira-Mar
Wigan Athletic

Country

References

  1. ↑ "Player profile: Antolín Alcaraz". Premier League. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
  2. ↑ Massimo Manduzio, Franco Cirici, Valter Leone (15 August 2002). "Il Palermo fatica, ma Glerean non-si preoccupa" [Palermo gets tired, but Glerean is not worried] (in Italian). La Gazzetta dello Sport. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  3. ↑ "Club Brugge capture Alcaraz". UEFA.com. 30 April 2007. Retrieved 16 May 2010.
  4. ↑ Wigan sign Paraguay defender Alcaraz; ESPN Soccernet, 14 May 2010
  5. ↑ "Antolin Alcaraz ruilt Club Brugge voor Engelse Wigan" [Antolin Alcaraz leaves Club Brugge for English club Wigan] (in Dutch). Club Brugge K.V. 15 May 2010. Retrieved 28 May 2010.
  6. ↑ Alcaraz grabs point as Cattermole sees red; ESPN Soccernet, 11 September 2010
  7. ↑ Alcaraz accused of spitting; ESPN Soccernet, 6 November 2011
  8. ↑ Antolin Alcaraz banned after accepting spitting charge; BBC Sport, 8 November 2011
  9. ↑ Antolin Alcaraz apologises for spitting on Richard Stearman; BBC Sport, 11 November 2011
  10. ↑ Blackburn 0–1 Wigan; BBC Sport, 7 May 2012
  11. ↑ "Man City 0–1 Wigan". BBC Sport. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  12. ↑ "Arsenal 4–1 Wigan". BBC Sport. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 19 May 2013.
  13. ↑ "Player exits confirmed". Wigan Athletic F.C. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 1 July 2013.
  14. ↑ "Antolin Alcaraz and Joel Robles rejoin Martinez at Everton". BBC Sport. 9 July 2013. Retrieved 10 July 2013.
  15. ↑ "Everton 2–1 Southampton". BBC Sport. 29 December 2013. Retrieved 30 December 2013.
  16. ↑ "Southampton 2–0 Everton: Antolin Alcaraz and Seamus Coleman both head own goals as Toffees suffer huge blow to Champions League dream". Daily Mail. 26 April 2014. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  17. ↑ "Hull City 2 Everton 0, match report: Ahmed Elmohamady and Nikica Jelavic pile on misery for Roberto Martinez". The Daily Telegraph. 1 January 2015. Retrieved 2 September 2015.
  18. ↑ "Everton release Sylvain Distin, Antolin Alcaraz". Sports Mole. 10 June 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  19. ↑ "El central paraguayo Alcaraz llega a la UD procedente del Everton" [Paraguayan stopper Alcaraz arrives at the UD from Everton] (in Spanish). UD Las Palmas. 2 August 2015. Retrieved 2 August 2015.
  20. ↑ "Roque Mesa y Alcaraz agravan la crisis del colista Sevilla" [Roque Mesa and Alcaraz worsen crisis of bottom-placed Sevilla] (in Spanish). Diario AS. 23 September 2015. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
  21. ↑ ¿Lo conocías? (Did you know him?); Teledeportes Digital, 5 November 2008 (Spanish)
  22. ↑ Italy 1–1 Paraguay; BBC Sport, 14 June 2010
  23. ↑ Nicolás Fedor and Grenddy Perozo seal stunning Venezuela comeback; The Guardian, 14 July 2011
  24. ↑ "A. Alcáraz". Soccerway. Retrieved 4 January 2014.

External links

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