Guillermo Guardia

Guillermo Guardia
Personal information
Full name Guillermo Guardia Morales
Date of birth (1960-02-27) February 27, 1960 (age 64)
Place of birth San José, Costa Rica
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1985 Saprissa
1986 San Carlos
1987–1988 Alajuelense
1989–1990 Uruguay de Coronado
1991–1992 Turrialba
1992–1993 Limonense (14)
1994–1996 Pérez Zeledón
Total - (149)
International career
1983–1984 Costa Rica
Managerial career
1997–2000 Pérez Zeledón
2001–2002 Santa Bárbara
2002 Municipal Liberia
2003–2004 San Carlos
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 1 June 2014

Guillermo Guardia Morales (born 27 February 1960) is considered one of the best Costa Rican soccer strikers during the 1980s.

Club career

Nicknamed Nica, Guardia played the greatest years of his career for Deportivo Saprissa, where he became the best goal scorer of the Costa Rica's first division during 1981, year when Saprissa finished being the champion. Later he played for Alajuelense and San Carlos among others, totalling 7 different clubs.[1] He is especially remembered for saving an Alajuelense penalty kick when Turrialba goalkeeper Miguel Segura was sent off in a league game and Guardia replaced him in goal on 31 May 1992.[2]

Guardia's great scoring talents and quickness, helped him and teammate Evaristo Coronado form a lethal duo in the early 80s in Saprissa. He scored a total of 149 league goals.[3]

International career

He played with the Costa Rica national football team as well, and was part of Costa Rican squad that played at the 1984 Olympic Games held in Los Angeles.[4][5]

Managerial career

After retiring, he began his coaching career, and has managed several teams in Costa Rica's first division, such as Pérez Zeledón,[6] Municipal Liberia[7] and San Carlos.[8]

References

  1. ^ Nuevo récord en futbol de Primera División Benwell: el de más equipos - Nación (in Spanish)
  2. ^ Guillermo Guardia El goleador que atajó un penal Archived 2014-08-01 at the Wayback Machine - Nación (in Spanish)
  3. ^ Club de los 100 Archived 2017-07-01 at the Wayback Machine - UNAFUT (in Spanish)
  4. ^ Guillermo GuardiaFIFA competition record (archived)
  5. ^ "Guillermo Guardia". Sports Reference. Archived from the original on 2020-04-18. Retrieved 2009-03-29.
  6. ^ Guardia recrimina a su plantel - Nación (in Spanish)
  7. ^ Sótano perturba a Liberia - Nación (in Spanish)
  8. ^ Guardia dirige a San Carlos - Nación (in Spanish)