Rodolfo Zelaya
|
Zelaya playing for Alianza in 2011 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rodolfo Antonio Zelaya García | ||
| Date of birth | 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)† |
| 2006–2007 | Intipucá | 36 | (27) |
| 2008 | Chalatenango | 16 | (8) |
| 2008–2009 | Alianza | 29 | (18) |
| 2009–2010 | León | 10 | (1) |
| 2010 | → Alianza (loan) | 29 | (14) |
| 2011–2013 | Alianza | 25 | (17) |
| 2011–2013 | → Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) | 14 | (3) |
| 2013– | Alianza | 55 | (17) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2008– | El Salvador | 30 | (17) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 April 2013. | |||
Rodolfo Antonio Zelaya García (born July 3, 1988 in Usulután) also nicknamed "Fito Zelaya" is a Salvadoran footballer who plays for Alianza and internationally for El Salvador national football team.
Born in Usulutan, El Salvador Zelaya has played for 8 different clubs, and is widely regarded as one of the best, and well known Salvadoran footballers today.
Club career
Zelaya started his career playing for C.D. 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, C.D. 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 A.D. Intipucá. After 2 years with the club, Zelaya caught the attention of C.D. Chalatenango coach Vladan Vićević. After meeting with Vivevic, Zelaya was offered, and accepted a contract to play with his first Primera División club C.D. 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 F.C. after former C.D. Chalatenango president Lisandro Pohl switched clubs. This switch lead to Pohl taking various players with him to Alianza F.C. whose rights he supposedly owned due to them being bought when he was president at C.D. Chalatenango.
Mexico
On June 15, 2009, Zelaya was one of the three Salvadoran footballers signed to Mexican club Club León on a loan deal, the other two were Cristian Castillo and Julio Enrique Martínez.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3]
Russia
On 19 July 2011, Zelaya signed with Russian First Division club FC Alania Vladikavkaz on a loan transfer for six months. Alania may be able to redeem his transfer by January 2012.[4] 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. [5] 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.[6] 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.[7] 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.[8] CONCACAF also noted "Fito" scoring the fifth best goal of the tournament, a decent feat considering 80 goals scored in the tournament.[9] According to IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) Rodolfo Zelaya was one of the most skilled and popular Central American players of 2012. [10] 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. [11] 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. [12] Zelaya has yet to be selected for the International team since his banning
International Goals
Honors
Club
- Primera Division Winner (2): Clasura 2011, Apertura 2015
Individual
- Alania Vladikavkaz Player of the Year - 2011
- Univision Goal of the Year - 2011
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI - 2011, 2013
References
- ↑ "Martínez, Zelaya y Castillo, hacia México". El Salvador.com. Retrieved 2009-06-15.
- ↑ "Zelaya retorna al Alianza" (in Spanish). elgrafico.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ↑ "Alianza campeón Clausura 2011" (in Spanish). elgrafico.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ↑ Родольфо Зелая стал игроком "Алании" (видео) (in Russian). fc-alania.ru. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
- ↑ Протокол матча "Алания" — "Торпедо" Владимир: Россия, Первенство России, ФНЛ 2011, Тур 20 — 1:0 (in Russian). Sportbox.ru. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
- ↑ "International Friendly Matches 2008". RSSSF. Retrieved 2008-10-20.
- ↑ Flores, Gustavo. ""Fito" Zelaya, el arma letal de la Azul" [Fito Zelaya, the lethal weapon of the Blue]. elsalvador.com. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
- ↑ Gubala, David. "Gold Cup Best XI: Mexico reigns supreme". goal.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
- ↑ CONCACAF
- ↑ http://www.edhdeportes.com/articulo/fito-mas-popular-concacaf-10424
- ↑ http://www.elgrafico.com/el-delantero-rodolfo-zelaya-es-el-hombre-del-momento
- ↑ http://elsalvadorfc.com/fitodependencia
External links
 |
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rodolfo Zelaya. |
- Rodolfo Zelaya – FIFA competition record
- El Grafico profile (Spanish)
- Rodolfo Zelaya at National-Football-Teams.com
- SPORTBOX.ru profile
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
