Noel Valladares facts for kids
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Valladares with Honduras in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Noel Eduardo Valladares Bonilla | ||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Comayagua, Honduras | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1997–2005 | Motagua | 368 | (3) |
| 2005–2016 | Olimpia | 427 | (0) |
| Total | 795 | (3) | |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2016 | Honduras | 135 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Noel Eduardo Valladares Bonilla (born on May 3, 1977) is a Honduran former football goalkeeper. He played for Liga Nacional team Olimpia as his last club.
Noel Valladares is one of Honduras' most experienced footballers. He has played in more international matches than almost anyone else for his country. Only Amado Guevara and Maynor Figueroa have played more games for Honduras.
Contents
Club Career: Playing for Top Teams
Noel Valladares began his football journey at a local club called Real Comayagua. He made his first professional appearance in 1997 with F.C. Motagua.
A Goalkeeper Who Played as a Striker?
In 2003, something unusual happened while he was at Motagua. He was usually a goalkeeper, but during a game against Olimpia, many players were injured. Noel stepped in as a striker (a player who tries to score goals!). He even scored a goal with his head. After that, he played a few more games as a striker before going back to his main role as a goalkeeper.
Retirement from Football
Noel Valladares played for Olimpia for many years. On November 7, 2016, he announced that he would stop playing professional football. His last game was on December 4, 2016, when Olimpia lost to Motagua in a semifinal match. He officially retired after 19 years in the sport, starting from his debut with Motagua in 1997.
International Career: Representing Honduras
Noel Valladares was a key player for the Honduras national team. He played in many important tournaments and matches.
Early International Appearances
He was part of the national team that played in the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney. Before that, he played both as a goalkeeper and a forward for Honduras at the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.
Playing for His Country
Noel Valladares made his first senior appearance for Honduras in June 2000. This was a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Haiti. He played in a total of 135 international matches for his country. He also played in 46 FIFA World Cup qualification matches.
He was the first-choice goalkeeper for Honduras for over 10 years. He became only the third Honduran player to reach 100 international matches.
World Cup Experience
Noel Valladares played in all three of Honduras' matches at the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He was very important in helping Honduras qualify for this World Cup. In their final game against Switzerland, he did not let any goals in and was named the Man of the Match.
Nickname and Captaincy
His teammates in the Honduras squad called him The Secret. This was because he was quite shy when he was not on the field. In 2010, he became the captain of the Honduras national football team, taking over from Amado Guevara.
Awards and Recognition
In 2011, Noel Valladares received the "Best Goalkeeper" award at the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup. He also won awards for making the 3rd and 4th best saves in the same tournament.
Achievements and Awards
Noel Valladares had a very successful career, winning many titles with his clubs and the national team.
Club Trophies
- C.D. Olimpia
- Liga Profesional de Honduras (9 times): 2005–06 (Apertura and Clausura), 2007–08 (Clausura), 2008–09 (Clausura), 2009–10 (Clausura), 2011–12 (Apertura and Clausura), 2012–13 (Apertura and Clausura)
- F.C. Motagua
- Liga Profesional de Honduras (5 times): 1997–98 (Apertura and Clausura), 1999–00 (Apertura and Clausura), 2001–02 (Apertura)
- Honduran Super Cup (1 time): 1997–98
International Trophies
- Honduras
- Copa Centroamericana (1 time): 2011
- CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Tournament (1 time): 2000
Individual Awards
- Best Goalkeeper Award of CONCACAF Gold Cup (1 time): 2011
- CONCACAF Gold Cup Best Save: 2011 (3rd and 4th place)
- Man of The Match in 2010 FIFA World Cup vs. Switzerland
- Best Goalkeeper Award of Liga Profesional de Honduras (3 times): 2006–07 (Clausura), 2007–08 (Apertura and Clausura)
See also
In Spanish: Noel Valladares para niños
- List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
