Paraguay Abroad: Osvaldo Martínez

This week we look at Osvaldo Martinez who scored a stoppage time free kick to earn Atlante a 3-2 win over Querétaro having also scored his side’s first goal. The pocket-sized winger has now netted four goals in his last three games for the Potros de Hierro who are currently second in the Mexican Primera.

Player Stats

Name: Osvaldo Martinez

D.o.B: 8 April 1986

Club: Atlante, México

Hometown: Luque, Paraguay

Height: 1.67 metres

Position: Wide midfielder/Attacking midfielder

Previous Clubs: Libertad (Paraguay), Monterrey (México)

The midfielder began his career in Paraguay with Libertad where enjoyed plenty of success, garnering four league titles in 2006, 2007 and 2008 (both Apertura and Clausura). In that same double-winning year Osvaldito also made his debut for the national side under Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino and sealed a lucrative move to Monterrey in the north of Mexico.

Martinez continued his knack of picking up league titles with the ‘Rayados’ winning consecutive Mexican Primera titles in 2009 and 2010 then playing a key part in their CONCACAF Champions League triumph last year. Martinez played both legs of the final and in the Quarter Final scored a crucial goal away to Toluca, another trademark free kick. In the second half of 2011 he swapped the arid north for the beaches of Cancún and joined Atlante where to date he has been enjoying life and scoring goals.

Martinez scores in Copa America penalty shootout. Photo: AFP

The big gap in his CV is a major international tournament, Rodolfo Gamarra pipped him to the last place for the 2010 World Cup and he only saw 20 minutes in the 2011 Copa America coming on as a sub in two games against Brazil and Venezuela respectively. He is yet to be considered by new coach Chiqui Arce but if this goalscoring streak continues it will be hard to ignore this Paraguay Abroad!

PARAGUAY ABROAD ROUND UP

LATIN AMERICA

Mexico

Fredy Bareiro (Estudiantes Tecos) – played full 90 mins in 0-0 draw

Aureliano Torres (Toluca) – played full 90 mins in 4-3 loss, having been 3-0 up after just 17 mins!

Dario Verón (PUMAS) – played full 90 mins in 2-1 defeat

Brazil

Ivan Piris (São Paulo)  - subbed on after 65 minutes in 4-1 win over Santos

Chile

José David Portillo (Antofagasta)  - played full 90 mins in 1-1 draw

Miguel Angel Cuellar (Cobresal) – SCORED opener for side who were then thrashed 6-1 by Union Española

Cristian Bogad0 (Dep. Iquique) – subbed on after 55 mins in 1-1 draw

Cristian Limenza (Dep. Iquique) - played full 90 mins in 1-1 draw

Roberto ‘Bufalo’ Ovelar (Uni. Catolica) – played 79 mins in 2-1 defeat before being subbed off

Cristian Britez (Uni. Concepción) – played full 90 mins in 1-1 draw

Fabian Benitez (Audax Italiano) - played full 90 mins in 1-1 draw

Milton Benitez (Huachipato) – subbed on after 85 mins in 2-2 draw

Colombia

Robin Ramirez (Dep. Tolima) – played full 90 mins in 2-1 win

Antony Silva (Dep. Tolima) - played full 90 mins in 2-1 win

German Centurion (Santa Fe) - played full 90 mins in 2-1 defeat

Guillermo Beltran (Once Caldas) – subbed off after 64 mins in 2-1 defeat

Jorge Nuñez (Once Caldas) - subbed off after 27 mins in 2-1 defeat

Ecuador

Mingo Martinez (Macará) – played full 90 mins in 1-0 win

Fernando Gimenez (Emelec) – SENT OFF in 82nd minute in 2-0 victory

EUROPE

England

Antolin Alcaraz (Wigan Athletic) – Unused sub in 1-1 draw

Portugal

Oscar Cardozo (Benfica) – subbed on after 85 mins in 3-0 cup win

Javier Cohene (Paços de Ferreira) – played full 90 mins in 1-0 cup victory

Lorenzo Melgarejo (Paços de Ferreira) - unused sub in 1-0 cup win

Juan Manuel Iturbe (Porto) – unused sub in 2-0 cup win

Italy

Edgar Barreto (Palermo) – played full 90 mins in 2-1 victory

Marcelo Estigarribia (Juventus) – not in match squad

Spain

Roque Santa Cruz (Real Betis) – played full 90 mins in 1-0 loss

Paulo Da Silva (Real Zaragoza) – played full 90 mins in 2-1 loss

Germany

Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund) – having been linked with a move to Fulham he’s survived the transfer window, subbed on after 72 mins and SCORED 10 mins later

Turkey

Cristian Riveros (Kayserispor) – SCORED in 3-2 defeat

Holland

Celso Ortiz (AZ) – game postponed due to snow

Roberto ‘Gatito’ Fernandez (Utrecht) – played full 90 mins and kept CLEANSHEET in 2-0 win

Cyprus

Aldo Adorno (APOEL) – out of squad, injury – hoping to be back for Champions League

By Ralph Hannah

NB: Thanks to @ironturk for the Riveros video

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