Oswaldo Javier Sánchez Ibarra (born September 21, 1973 in Guadalajara, Jalisco) is a Mexican football player, currently playing for Chivas de Guadalajara. From his position of goalkeeper, he is the Guadalajara team captain. Sánchez has become Mexico's top goalkeeper in recent years with a regular starting place in the Mexican national team, El Tri.
Known for his spectacular saves and safe hands, many Chivas fans refer to him as San Oswaldo,[1] meaning Saint Oswaldo.[2]
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Biography
The first time Oswaldo played as a goalie,he got scored 5 goals against him.Oswaldo's first moment of glory was playing for the Mexican youth national team in the international 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship in Australia. Oswaldo made his club debut with CF Atlas at the age of 20 on October 30, 1993 against CD Veracruz where the teams drew the game at 1-1. Two years after his debut, he was a starter on the team and led Atlas to the quarterfinals where they were eliminated by Veracruz.
In the summer of 1996, Sánchez was transferred to Club América, one of the most successful clubs in Mexico. He was an immediate starter under Ricardo Lavolpe who coached the team then and since went on to coach the Mexican national team. Oswaldo's first season with America wasn't a good one, as the club did not make it to playoffs and lost the Mexican "clasico" derby against Chivas with an incredible score of 5-0. The following season, Oswaldo was benched for the older and more experienced goalkeeper Hugo Pineda. Oswaldo only played three out of 19 games, including the quarterfinals where America got eliminated by Monarcas Morelia. The following season, Oswaldo went back into the starting line-up and led America to a disappointing elimination in the semifinals against Club Leon. His last three seasons with the club were stable, though the team managed to reach the semifinals once again, only to get eliminated. In the summer of 1999, Oswaldo left America for their main rival, Chivas de Guadalajara.
At Chivas, Oswaldo consolidated himself as a mainstay in the team. Since 1999, he has helped qualify the team to the playoffs seven times, including one wild card, and the team has only been eliminated three times out of 11 seasons, increasing Oswaldo's reputation. Through his career at Chivas, he has stayed the preferred goalkeeper in the team under 10 different coaches. His most notable season was that of Clausura 2004 tournament where arguably he led the team to the finals all by himself. Despite the team's relative success during Sanchez's time at Guadalajara, Chivas has yet to win a title with Sanchez as their goalkeeper.
Oswaldo has also constantly been called up to play for the Mexican national team since his debut in 1998, and he has become national coach Lavolpe's starting goalkeeper. He has been part of two FIFA World Cups, in 1998 and 2002, although both on the bench as backup goalkeeper. He stole the spotlight in the 2003 Gold Cup, holding every opponent scoreless, and he was named the tournament's MVP and top goalkeeper.
Lavolpe called up Sanchez once again on April 2, 2006, to be the starting goalkeeper for the Mexican national team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. While Oswaldo was preparing for the 2006 World Cup, his father died of a heart attack on June 7, aged 56.[3] Oswaldo flew home to Mexico to attend the funeral, returned for Mexico's opening game at the World Cup on June 11 and tended goal in a 3-1 victory.
Hannover 96 has openly requested for his services, as well as Getafe CF and Atletico de Madrid, as a specific request of the Colchonero‘s new manager, Mexican Javier Aguirre . But, Sanchez recently said that he would not mind retiring as a member of the Chivas. Given the point of his career, and his age, this seems most likely. But all these declarations will change all of the sudden, because Boca Juniors new manager Ricardo Lavolpe wants a man of trust in the goalie of the Buenos Aires team, which seems like for Oswaldo to go into the Argentinean football.
2006-09-26 14:49:09
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answer #4
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answered by doober 5
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