Oscar Sánchez (footballer, born 1955) facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Oscar Enrique Sánchez Rivas | ||
| Date of birth | 15 July 1955 | ||
| Place of birth | Guatemala City, Guatemala | ||
| Date of death | 25 July 2019 (aged 64) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1974 | Laboratorios Jiménez | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1975 | Ases del Minar | (24) | |
| 1976–1984 | Comunicaciones | ||
| 1985 | Cobán Imperial | ||
| 1986 | Municipal | ||
| 1987 | FAS | (1) | |
| 1987 | Aurora | ||
| 1988 | Izabal JC | ||
| 1989–1990 | Municipal | ||
| 1990–1991 | Comunicaciones | ||
| 1991–1992 | Tipografía Nacional | ||
| National team | |||
| 1976–1989 | Guatemala | (19) | |
|
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Oscar Enrique Sánchez Rivas (born July 15, 1955 – died July 25, 2019) was a famous Guatemalan football player and coach. People often called him "El Conejo," which means "The Rabbit."
He spent most of his playing career with the team Comunicaciones. Oscar Sánchez was a key player when Comunicaciones won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1978. He was also the top goal scorer in Guatemala's main football league for four years in a row.
Sánchez proudly represented the Guatemala national football team in the Olympic Games and during three World Cup qualifying tournaments. He is known as the second-highest goal scorer ever in the Guatemalan league. Many sports experts in the region consider him one of the best football players in Guatemala's history. In 1999, a survey by the IFFHS named him the best Guatemalan footballer of the 20th Century. He was also ranked among the top 20 players in the CONCACAF region.
Contents
Oscar Sánchez's Football Journey
Oscar Sánchez first became well-known in 1971 when he played in the National Games held in Antigua Guatemala. In 1973, he was chosen to play as a youth in the I Afro Latin American Games in Mexico. That same year, he finished his youth career at the I Central American Sports Games in Guatemala City.
In 1974, he played for Laboratorios Jimenez in the "B" category, hoping to help them move up to the Major League. A year later, he became a popular goal scorer while playing for the Aces of the Minar Tiquisate. He scored 24 goals for them, showing off his amazing skills and creativity.
In 1976, Oscar Sánchez began his important journey with Comunicaciones. He played for this team for eight years in his first period there. He joined other great players like Félix McDonald, Ramón Zanabria, and Byron Pérez. Together, they won the CONCACAF Champions Cup in 1978 and the 1977-78 league championship.
Oscar Sánchez continued his successful career by helping Comunicaciones finish third in the Central American Fraternity Cup that year. He scored both goals in a big win against their rival, CSD Municipal, in the second round of the Central American zone. In the final round of Central America, Oscar scored the winning goal against Deportivo Saprissa from Costa Rica just two minutes into the game. In the return match in Guatemala, he was again the star, scoring two more goals that helped Comunicaciones qualify. This led to the "crema" team winning the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 1978.
He was the top scorer in the league from the 1976 season until the 1979–80 season. He also holds the record for the most goals scored in a single league season, with an incredible 41 goals in the 1977/78 season.
In 1977, Sánchez scored six goals in one game when Comunicaciones beat Antigua GFC 9–0. This tied a league record set by Hugo "Tin tan" Peña in 1961. He also scored five goals in a single game on two other occasions. One was that same year against Tipografía Nacional, and the other was in 1988 against Xelajú MC while he was playing for CSD Cobán Imperial.
In the 1983 Summer Cup final, Sánchez scored a goal in the 60th minute. This helped Comunicaciones win 3–1 against Municipal. In a friendly match played at the Estadio Mateo Flores, Sánchez scored the only goal. This gave his team Comunicaciones a victory over Dinamo Zagreb from Croatia.
After leaving Comunicaciones, Sánchez played for other clubs. These included Municipal, Aurora F.C., Cobán, CD FAS in El Salvador, and Tipografía Nacional. He retired from playing in 1992. By then, he had scored 320 goals in all competitions throughout his career.
From 1973 to 1992, he played in 609 league matches and scored 244 goals. This was the highest number of goals in the league's history until Juan Carlos Plata broke his record in 2006. The IFFHS ranks Sánchez among the top 150 highest goal scorers in the world's top football leagues.
Playing for Guatemala
Oscar Sánchez helped the Guatemalan national soccer team qualify for the 1976 Olympic Games. In a 3–2 victory against Mexico, he scored an amazing "Olympic goal." He played two games in the main tournament in Montreal, but Guatemala was eliminated in the first group stage.
His first full international game was on September 26, 1976. It was a 1978 World Cup qualifying match against Panama. In that game, he scored three goals, known as a hat-trick, in a big 7–0 win. He also played in the 1982 and 1990 World Cup qualifying campaigns. Overall, he scored seven goals in 17 World Cup qualification matches.
Life as a Coach
After he stopped playing football, Oscar Sánchez became a coach. He managed several clubs in the top division, including Comunicaciones, Achuapa, and Jalapa. He also coached many teams in lower divisions.
Remembering Oscar Sánchez
Óscar "La Coneja" Sánchez passed away at the age of 64 in a health center. He had been dealing with health issues for several months. He had surgery to change his pacemaker, but sadly, he did not survive the procedure. His friends and family confirmed his passing.
Awards and Achievements
- With CSD Comunicaciones
- Guatemala Liga Mayor winner (5): 1977–78, 1979-80, 1981, 1982, 1985.
- Guatemala Domestic Cup winner (3): 1983, 1986, 1991
- Copa Fraternidad winner (1): 1983.
- CONCACAF Champions' Cup winner: 1978
- Guatemala Liga Mayor top scorer (3): 1977-78, 1978, 1979-80
See also
In Spanish: Oscar Sánchez Rivas para niños
