Johan Rodríguez

Johan Rubén Rodríguez Álvarez (born August 15, 1975) is a retired Mexican football midfielder. He played for Cruz Azul, Santos, Necaxa, Monarcas and lastly Querétaro F.C.. He has a twin brother named Omar who also played football, primarily as a right fullback.

Johan Rodríguez
Personal information
Full name Johan Rubén Rodríguez Álvarez
Date of birth (1975-08-15) 15 August 1975
Place of birth Monterrey, Nuevo León, Mexico
Height 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in)
Playing position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–1998 Cruz Azul 60 (10)
1998–2004 Santos Laguna 204 (31)
2004–2005 Necaxa 39 (1)
2006 Morelia 7 (0)
2006–2007 Querétaro 17 (0)
Total 327 (42)
National team
2001–2002 Mexico 17 (2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Career

Rodríguez made his football debut in 1996 with Cruz Azul,[1] playing as a tough-tackling defensive midfielder behind international starters Benjamín Galindo and Carlos Hermosillo. The club won the Invierno 1997 championship and the CONCACAF Champions Cup tournaments of 1996 and 1997.[2] However, it was not until he joined Santos in 1999 that he had major opportunities to demonstrate his skills. Rodríguez helped Santos to a runner-up finish in the Verano 2000 tournament and the league title in the Verano 2001 competition. He joined Necaxa in 2004, and later played for Morelia and Querétaro in the later stages of his career.[3]

Rodríguez also represented the Mexico national team, earning 17 caps. Although his first appearance came under Enrique Meza in 2000, in a 2-0 loss to the United States, he is most associated with the era of Javier Aguirre. Rodríguez started in Aguirre's first match in charge of Mexico in 2001, a 1-0 victory over the United States.[4] The result helped turn around a Mexican qualifying effort that had been disastrous up to that point. He scored goals against Liberia and El Salvador in 2001, both in friendly matches, and proceeded to solidify his place in the starting eleven through the 2001 Copa América[5] and 2002 FIFA World Cup. Rodríguez's combative style was less valued by Aguirre's successor, Ricardo Antonio Lavolpe, who preferred Pável Pardo in central midfield, and he was not called up again after Aguirre left the coaching post. His last cap came in the World Cup second-round defeat to the United States on June 17, 2002.[6]

After six months out injured and not having kicked a ball, he found it impossible to find a new club and decided instead to concentrate on his private businesses.

Honours

Club
Cruz Azul
Santos Laguna

International goals
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result CompetitionRef
1.August 23, 2001Veracruz, Mexico Liberia5–4WinFriendly
2.October 31, 2001Puebla, Mexico El Salvador4–1WinFriendly

References
  1. MedioTiempo. "Cruz Azul 3 - 0 Toros Neza" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on January 17, 2013.
  2. FIFA. "La Maquina outscore the Galaxy in thrilling finale". August 24, 2012. Retrieved on January 17, 2013.
  3. MedioTiempo. "Johan Rodríguez - Gallos Blancos" Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved on January 17, 2013.
  4. FIFA. "Match Report - Mexico - USA 1:0". July 1, 2001. Retrieved on January 17, 2013.
  5. Tabeira, Martín. "Copa América 2001" Archived 2013-10-19 at the Wayback Machine. RSSSF, May 31, 2012. Retrieved on January 17, 2013.
  6. FIFA. "2002 FIFA World Cup Korea/Japan Match Report - Mexico - USA 0:2". June 17, 2002. Retrieved on January 17, 2013.
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