SUPERSTARS OF SOCCER Rafael Márquez To the Top! 2010 Leaves Barcelona and joins the New York Red Bulls. 2009 With Barcelona, he wins six trophies in one season. 2008 On December 13, plays his two-hundredth match with Barcelona, against Real Madrid. 2006 Crowned champion of Europe’s Champion League with his team. 2005 Gets his first title in the Spanish League. 2003 Signs with Barcelona, Spain. 2002 Makes his debut in World Cup South Korea-Japan. 1999 Wins the Confederations Cup. 1999 Makes his debut in the America Cup. Starts playing for Monaco. 1997 On February 7, wears Mexico’s uniform for the first time. 1996 Makes his debut in Mexico’s First Division, playing for Guadalajara’s Atlas. 1979 Rafael Márquez is born on February 13, in Zamora, Michoacán. Mason Crest 370 reed road Broomall, Pennsylvania 19008 www.masoncrest.com Copyright © 2013 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. Printed and bound in the United States of America. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-2647-6 ISBN: 978-1-4222-2651-3 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-9192-4                Cataloging-in-Publication Data on file with the Library of Congress. ABOUT THE AUTHOR: PACo ELzAUrDIA was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and is an independent writer and editor. He has been the General Editor for La Vision (the Vision), a newspaper in Georgia, United States, and works as freelance for magazines and newspapers. He is also correspondent for the Argentinian sports magazine Ole and director of the Atlanta’s soccer newspaper Contra Ataque. PICTURE CREDITS: EFE Photos: 1, 4, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 16, 18, 19, 20, 22, 24, 26, 27, 28 Andrés Guardado, ‘El Principito’ de Guadalajara, un jugador joven con breve pero rica historia. SUPERSTARS OF SOCCER Rafael Márquez CONTENTS ChAptER 1: Starting Out 5 ChAptER 2: passport to Europe 9 ChAptER 3: Number Four on the “tri” 15 ChAptER 4: Márquez in the World Cup 21 ChAptER 5: What’s Next? 25 FIND OUt MORE 30 GLOSSARY 31 INDEX 32 Andrés Guardado, ‘El Principito’ de Guadalajara, un jugador joven con breve pero rica historia. C H A P T E R 1 Starting Out Each player on a soccer team has his job to do. Some players try to score goals against the other team. Some work to keep the ball away from their own team’s goal. The players on defense don’t always dalgo (in the Mexican state of Micho- get the same attention as the players acán). who score big goals. But playing de- Rafael’s father was a profes- fense takes a lot of skill. Being a sional soccer player. He played for a midfielder is very hard work. The team in the Second Division of the Mex- midfielder has to run up and down the ican League. Watching matches with his field, sometimes trying to get the ball father, Rafael learned to love soccer. His closer to the other team’s goal, some- father also taught him skills he could use times defending their own. Midfielders on the field as a player. Rafael’s father have to help the team in whatever way told him that with hard work, he could they can. play for Spain or Italy some day. Defenders are a big part of any team. Márquez started playing in Zamora’s When a forward scores a goal, school for soccer. He thought he would there’s usually a midfielder who helped soon play for the club that was closest him make it. And of course, they help to his hometown, the Monarcas More- keep the other team from scoring. lia. But another team found him first. Rafael Márquez has done what few Márquez began playing with a team defensive players have been able to. called Atlas. The team is from Guadala- The Mexican defensive midfielder has jara, which wasn’t far from Márquez’s become a big star in the world of soc- hometown. cer. He hasn’t scored as many goals as some other players, but fans still love Márquez. from Zamora to Guadalajara Rafael Márquez Álvarez was born on February 13, 1979, in Zamora de Hi- 6 rAFAEL MárqUEz the Great fox Ricardo La Volpe is known as the Great Fox. He was born in Argen- tina, but has worked with soccer teams in many different countries. He first played on the Argentinian team that won the World Cup, and later went on to coach the Mexican national team. Later he worked in Costa Rica. La Volpe can sometimes have a short temper, but most peo- ple agree that he’s a great coach! Coach Ricardo La Volpe has been part of Márquez’s success. 7 Starting out the mexican league Mexican professional soccer has been around since 1943. It started with ten clubs, and has grown since then. Mexican soccer is split into divisions. The First Division is made up of the top teams and players. Each year, there are two championships, the Apertura (Opening) in the winter, and the Clausura (Closing) in the summer. After the end of each season, the worst team from the First Division is moved down to the Second. The best team in the Second Division is also moved up to the First Division. Moving teams to different divisions keeps the competition between teams interesting. Rafael’s father couldn’t have been soccer player had gone from student to happier for him. He later said that he the First Division in just a few years! thought, “One day he’ll [my son] be se- Márquez’s first years in the First Di- lected, will be champion in a tour- vision went well. He and his team played nament, and will represent Mexico well in the 1999 Mexican cham- abroad.” It wouldn’t be long before his pionships. Atlas reached the finals, words would come true! but the team didn’t win the tournament. Second place wasn’t bad for Márquez’s a Quick rise very first season, though! When he was thirteen, Márquez started While playing with Atlas, Márquez playing at the Atlas Soccer School. The also started to get attention around the young soccer player had natural tal- world. In 1999, he was picked to be ent. He also had a very famous soccer on the national youth team. The team player teaching him the game—Marcelo played in the Youth World Cup in Ni- Bielsa. With help, Márquez became a geria. Márquez even scored two goals. better player. While Mexico beat rival Argentina, the Márquez played in his first game team was soon knocked out of the Cup. with Atlas’s First Division when he was In all, Márquez played three seasons just seventeen years old. Famous Argen- with Mexico while still in his teens. The tinean coach Ricardo Antonio La Volpe young soccer player was on his way to coached Márquez. The young Mexican becoming a star of the sport! Between his natural talent and his full attention on the field, Márquez has become a worldwide soccer star.