Juan Carlos Vera Rivera (born 5 July 1960) is a Chilean former professional footballer who played as a attacking midfielder for clubs in Chile, Mexico and the United States.

Juan Carlos Vera
Personal information
Full name Juan Carlos Vera Rivera
Date of birth (1960-07-05) 5 July 1960 (age 63)
Place of birth La Calera, Chile
Position(s) Attacking midfielder
Youth career
Rayo Vallecano
Unión La Calera
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1979–1984 Unión La Calera
1985 Audax Italiano 29 (5)
1986 Huachipato (12)
1986–1987 Cruz Azul 8 (0)
1987–1988 Morelia 29 (4)
1988–1990 Tampico Madero 8 (1)
1990–1993 UNAM 71 (11)
1991–1992Atlas 31 (3)
1993–1994 Pachuca
1994–1995 DFW Toros
1995 Unión La Calera (1)
International career
1991 Chile 1 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career edit

Born in La Calera, Chile, in 1975 Vera moved to Spain and joined Rayo Vallecano youth system at the age of 15.[1] He returned to Chile and played for Unión La Calera, where he made his professional debut, Audax Italiano and Huachipato.[2][3]

In 1986 he moved to Mexico. He came to Morelia thanks of his former fellow in Unión La Calera, Marco Antonio Figueroa.[1] In Morelia, he and his Chilean fellows Marco Antonio Figueroa and Ángel Bustos are well remembered as a prolific attacking trident.[4] Along with Pumas UNAM, he won the 1990–91 Primera División, which is remembered as El Tucazo.[5] In Mexico, he also played for Cruz Azul, Tampico Madero, Atlas and Pachuca.[3]

After a step in the United States with DFW Toros, his last club was Unión La Calera in 1995,[6] scoring one goal.[7]

International career edit

He made an appearance for the Chile national team in a friendly match versus Mexico on 9 April 1991.[8]

Personal life edit

After the 1973 Chilean coup d'état, he went alone to Spain in 1975. His family was made up by his father, a railway worker, his mother, a housekeeper, and his five siblings. All of them stayed in Chile.[1]

When he was a player of Unión La Calera, he was nicknamed Pelé.[5]

His first son was born in Mexico when he was a player of Morelia.[1]

Following his retirement, he started a women's clothing factory along with his wife[1] and they also have a guesthouse in Santiago, Chile, called The Fox Hostel.[6] In addition, he has worked in football scouting, linking Chilean players with Mexican clubs.[5]

Honours edit

Unión La Calera

UNAM

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e Mendoza, Christian (2017). "Vida después de la fama". interactivo.eluniversal.com.mx (in Spanish). El Universal. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  2. ^ "GOLEADORES CAMPEONATO NACIONAL 1986". www.solofutbol.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  3. ^ a b "¡Feliz cumpleaños Juan Carlos Vera! uno de los más grandes en Pumas". Dale Azul y Oro (in Spanish). 25 August 2018. Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  4. ^ Sánchez, Gabriel (9 June 2022). "Héroe por un gol". VAVEL (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 August 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Linares, Héctor (22 June 2017). "Vera recuerda el título Puma; Tucazo casi le vuela la cabeza". Excélsior (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  6. ^ a b Guevara, Jordi (8 October 2021). "¿Qué fue de Juan Carlos Vera?, el mejor chileno que ha jugado en Pumas". En Cancha México (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  7. ^ "GOLEADORES CAMPEONATO SEGUNDA DIVISION 1995". www.solofutbol.cl (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 August 2022.
  8. ^ "Juan Carlos Vera". Partidos de La Roja (in Spanish). Retrieved 29 August 2022.

External links edit