Justo Villar

Justo Villar
Villar with Colo-Colo in 2016
Personal information
Full name Justo Wilmar Villar Viveros
Date of birth (1977-06-30) 30 June 1977
Place of birth Cerrito, Paraguay
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[1]
Playing position Goalkeeper
Youth career
Sol de América
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–2000 Sol de América 103 (0)
2000–2004 Libertad 109 (0)
2004–2008 Newell's Old Boys 135 (0)
2008–2011 Valladolid 44 (0)
2011–2012 Estudiantes 18 (0)
2013 Nacional 13 (0)
2013–2017 Colo-Colo 87 (0)
2017–2018 Nacional 0 (0)
Total 509 (0)
National team
1997 Paraguay U20 5 (0)
2000 Paraguay U23 4 (0)
1999–2018 Paraguay 120 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Justo Wilmar Villar Viveros (born 30 June 1977) is a retired Paraguayan professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

A Paraguay international on more than 100 occasions, he represented the nation in three World Cups and eight Copa América tournaments.[2][3]

Club career

Born in Cerrito, Ñeembucú Department, Villar started his career at Club Sol de América where he was coached by legendary Ever Hugo Almeida, also a goalkeeper, as the team also included another player in that position as their coach, Modesto Sandoval.

In 2001, he moved to Club Libertad, where he was reunited with Sandoval: he won back-to-back Paraguayan Primera División titles with the side, in 2002 and 2003, signing the following year with Argentina's Newell's Old Boys.

As an undisputed starter, Villar helped Newell's to the 2004 Apertura championship, also being considered by the press as the Goalkeeper of the Year – previously, he had won the Paraguayan Footballer of the Year award (2004).

In January 2008, terms were agreed upon between Newell's and Real Valladolid of Spain for Villar's transfer, effective in the summer. On 14 July, he was officially presented by his new club; due to starter Sergio Asenjo's injury, he was able to appear in 15 La Liga matches in his first year.

During the 2009–10 season, Villar constantly battled for first-choice status with Jacobo,[4] featuring in 23 games as the Castile and León side returned to Segunda División after a three-year stay. He was released in June 2011 at the age of 34, mainly due to his high salary.[5]

The following month, Villar moved back to Argentina and signed a three-year deal with Estudiantes de La Plata.[6] In 2013 he returned to his homeland, joining Club Nacional.

Villar changed clubs and countries again on 18 June 2013, after agreeing to a one-and-a-half-year contract with Colo-Colo in the Chilean Primera División.[7] He helped them win the Clausura in his debut season, as first-choice.[8]

At the end of the 2017–18 season, Villar announced his retirement from professional football, though he also stated he will remain active in the sport.[9]

International career

Villar represented Paraguay at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, and received his first cap for the full side two years later. He also appeared with the under-23s at the 2000 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament, making four appearances.[10][11][12][13]

Having been selected for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, backing up José Luis Chilavert, Villar was already a starter in the 2006 edition, but had a brief participation: during the first seven minutes of the opener against England, just after Carlos Gamarra's own goal, he got injured, was replaced by Aldo Bobadilla and subsequently sidelined for the rest of the tournament,[14] in which the national team was eliminated in the first round.

In the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Villar played all the matches for the eventual quarter-finalists and only conceded two goals, against Italy in the group stage (1–1) and Spain in the last-eight match (0–1, also saving a Xabi Alonso penalty[15]), and was selected as captain.[16] During the 2011 Copa América he was again first-choice and captain, and helped his team reach the final, notably saving a penalty in the quarter-finals shootout against Brazil (0–0 after 120 minutes);[17] he was named the Best Goalkeeper for his displays during the competition, keeping clean sheets in three games.

Villar played four games in the 2015 Copa América, helping Paraguay to the fourth place in Chile.[18][19] He also played in the 2016 and 2017 Copa America.

Honours

Club

Libertad
Newell's Old Boys
Colo-Colo

International

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "Justo Villar" (in Spanish). Colo-Colo. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  2. ↑ "Justo Wilmar Villar – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  3. ↑ "Paraguay – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
  4. ↑ "Justo Villar quiere irse en diciembre" [Justo Villar wants to leave in December]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). 16 September 2009. Retrieved 10 May 2015.
  5. ↑ "El Valladolid decide que Justo Villar no seguirá" [Valladolid decide Justo Villar will not continue]. Marca (in Spanish). 24 May 2010. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  6. ↑ "Justo Villar puso la firma y Estudiantes se aseguró al héroe guaraní" [Justo Villar put pen to paper and Estudiantes confirmed guaraní heroe] (in Spanish). Cancha Llena. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  7. ↑ "Justo Villar llega a acuerdo con Colo Colo y será presentado en las próximas horas" [Justo Villar reaches agreement with Colo Colo and will be presented in the next hours]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). 18 June 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  8. ↑ "Colo Colo se coronó campeón y consiguió la anhelada estrella 30 ante Wanderers" [Colo Colo crowned champions and got the long-awaited 30th star against Wanderers] (in Spanish). ADN Radio Chile. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
  9. ↑ "JUSTO VILLAR ANUNCIÓ SU RETIRO DEL FÚTBOL PROFESIONAL" (in Spanish). Goal.com. 30 July 2018.
  10. ↑ Argentina v Paraguay, 18 January 2000; at 11V11
  11. ↑ Paraguay v Bolivia, 20 January 2000; at 11V11
  12. ↑ Paraguay v Peru, 22 January 2000; at 11V11
  13. ↑ Uruguay v Paraguay, 25 January 2000; at 11V11
  14. ↑ "Villar's World Cup could be over". BBC Sport. 10 June 2006. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  15. ↑ Marcus, Jeffrey (3 July 2010). "With another late goal, Spain finds new heights". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
  16. ↑ Fletcher, Paul (29 June 2010). "Paraguay 0–0 Japan (5–3 pens)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  17. ↑ "Justo Villar, el héroe de Paraguay: 'Iremos raspando hasta la final'" [Justo Villar, Paraguay's heroe: 'We will push through until the final']. El Mundo (in Spanish). 18 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  18. ↑ "Brazil 1–1 Paraguay (Paraguay win 4–3 on penalties)". BBC Sport. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  19. ↑ "2–0. Perú repite el tercer lugar en un partido de pocas ocasiones" [2–0. Peru repeat third place in match with few chances]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 4 July 2015. Retrieved 4 July 2015.
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