Gonzalo Higuaín 9781422291900, 1422291901

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SUPERSTARS OF SOCCER

Gonzalo Higuaín Personal File

To the Top! 2012 Records a goal and an assist in Argentina’s 4-0 World Cup qualifying win over Ecuador. 2011 On January 11, undergoes surgery for a herniated disc. In October, scores two hat tricks for Real Madrid—one against RCD Espanyol, another versus Real Betis. 2009 On October 10, scores first goal for the Argentine national team. 2008 Scores four goals against Málaga on November 8. 2007 Scores first goal in the Spanish League on February 24. 2006 On October 8, scores two goals against Boca Juniors. On December 14, Real Madrid purchases Gonzalo’s contract. 2005 Makes professional debut with River Plate. 1987 Gonzalo Higuaín is born on December 10.

Name: Gonzalo Gerardo Higuaín Nicknames: Pipita, Pipa-gol Birthplace: Brest, Francia Nationality: French and Argentine Sign: Sagitario Height: 6 feet (1.84 m) Twitter: @G_Higuain Position: Forward Number at Real Madrid: 20 Record: One goal every 60 minutes 2011-12 season Best Performance: 103 goals in 220 matches playing for Real Madrid

© 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. ISBN-13: 978-1-4222-2649-0 (hc) — 978-1-4222-9190-0 (ebook) Printing (last digit) 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Printed and bound in the United States of America. CPSIA Compliance Information: Batch #S2013. For further information, contact Mason Crest at 1-866-MCP-Book. ABOUT THE AUTHORS: Elizabeth Levy Sad is an editor and journalist. She has published articles in Página/12 and the magazines Veintitrés, Toward Freedom, Tourist Travel, In-Lan, Men’s Life Today and Cuadernos para el Diálogo, among others. She works as an editor for iVillage (NBC), and contributes to the magazine Más Salud. Esteban Eliaszevich is an editor and journalist. Specializing in tourism, he has traveled to more than forty countries in Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe. He was the editor of the tourism section for the newspaper Country Herald. He contributes to the magazines Galerías and Go Travel & Living. Photo credits: EFE / Archivo / Cézaro De Luca: 12, 15; River Plate: 11; Shutterstock.com: 1, 2, 4, 7, 16, 18, 21, 22, 24, 26, 27.

TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1. Real Madrid: A Striker’s Breakthrough

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CHAPTER 2. Sports in Their Blood

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CHAPTER 3. The First Club

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CHAPTER 4. The Argentine National Team

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CHAPTER 5. A Limitless Future

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GLOSSARY

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FURTHER READING

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INTERNET RESOURCES

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INDEX

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Chapter

Gonzalo “Pipita” Higuaín in action with Real Madrid during a Spanish League match against Espanyol in 2009. In that season, Pipita scored the most goals of any Real Madrid player, second only in the league to fellow Argentine Lionel Messi.

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Real Madrid A Striker’s Breakthrough ON JANUARY 11, 2011, NERVOUS REAL MADRID FANS waited up all night, concerned for the health of player number 20, Gonzalo Higuaín. Meanwhile, in Chicago, he was undergoing an operation for a herniated disc. After recovering Pipita made history: he established himself among the twenty highest-scoring players in the team’s history. Gonzalo Pipita Higuaín refers to himself as “a positive player who is always moving forward.” Those words that showcase a blazing spirit and reveal a brilliant personality help explain why, after spending time in a hospital overcoming a difficult surgery, Higuaín came back to the soccer field much sooner than anyone had expected. No one saw his fast recovery coming— except for Gonzalo. After going through a complicated surgery for a herniated spinal disc in

Chicago’s Northwestern Memorial Hospital, the doctors who operated on Higuaín expected that it would be six months before he would set foot on the soccer field, even though the operation had gone smoothly. Fortunately for Real Madrid, that never happened. His recovery was much quicker. The great willpower that characterizes Gonzalo, which can easily be seen in every match he plays, allowed for a miraculous recovery. He returned to the soccer field in only three months.

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Fast Fact In just 25 games played in three leagues (Spanish, Champions, and Copa del Rey) during half of the 2011-2012 season, Pipita scored sixteen goals.

After enduring intense physical therapy sessions, underwater recovery training, and strengthening exercises, he returned to the field on April 2, 2011, for a match against Sporting Gijón. That day his team fell short by a single goal, but he was received by a warm, standing ovation from the crowd, even before he had entered the stadium to begin his warm-up exercises. Pipita came into the match ten minutes after the start of the second half, as Santiago Bernabeu Stadium unforgettably chanted his name from all four sides of the field. He had won their hearts with his goals. Now, his fans paid Pipita back with their priceless recognition of his strength and effort.

Winning Advice Gonzalo Higuaín set sail with Real Madrid in 2006, but his beginnings with Los Blancos (or “The Whites,” as the club is popularly known), were rocky. He had come to play for a prestigious team swarming with superstars; there were very few opportunities to prove himself on the field. In spite of the tough situation, he came to make eleven goals in two seasons, even though the number of failed attempts at

goal doubled that figure. By then, big teams in Europe had begun to notice his talent and they paid attention. Jorge Valdano, general manager and a chairman for Real Madrid at the time, had praise for Higuaín. When he spoke with the player, Valdano asked him to be patient, explaining that his time would come. Valdano was right: in the 2008-2009 season, Pipita played 44 matches and scored 24 goals. Gonzalo had his magic moment on November 8, 2008, playing against Málaga in Santiago Bernabeu Stadium. Four of his goals enabled Real Madrid to come from behind and beat their opponents four to three. In his entire career, Pipita has scored nine goals against Málaga. The following season, 2009-2010, made him famous: he played 40 matches and scored 29 goals. Throughout this process of personal and professional transformation, the Argentine would become a key player for Real Madrid. His former teammate, the fierce Dutch striker Ruud Van Nistelrooy, said to him one day: “Goals are like a bottle of

Fast Fact With Real Madrid, Gonzalo Higuaín won two Spanish League championships (2007 and 2008), one Spanish Supercup (2008), and one Copa del Rey (2011).

Real Madrid: A Striker’s Breakthrough

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ketchup: sometimes they don't come no Higuaín started to pay back with interest matter how much you push, but later they all of the love he had received from Real all come out in one hit.”

Madrid fans during his recovery period. He

His friend’s joking comment did influ- scored his first goal after his return on ence Pipita, focusing him in such a way April 23, 2011, in Mestalla Stadium against that from that point on, like magic, a highly talented Valencia squad. In that Gonzalo Higuaín started to write history as game, he scored three goals in 55 minutes. a striker.

The King of the Hat Trick

What’s more, he made two assists; magical passes that helped Real Madrid prevail as the visiting team by a final score of 6 to 3.

Soon after returning from surgery, Gonzalo It was one of the most memorable games of

Pipita playing for Real Madrid during a Spanish League match against Royal Sporting Club of La Coruña.

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his professional career. After playing in 25 matches during the 2010-2011 season, Higuaín racked up thirteen goals in three different leagues—the Spanish League, Champions League and Copa del Rey. The next season, 2011-2012, he didn’t appear in the sports headlines as frequently, but he did score two more hat tricks. The first of them, against RCD Espanyol, happened on October 2. A few days later, on October 15, he secured another three-goal game against Real Betis. The spellbinding striker, number 20 for Real Madrid in the Spanish League, aver-

aged one goal per game in less than fifty minutes, making him the most efficient forward in all of Europe, and number twenty on the list of highest goal scorers in the team’s history. For good reason Spanish sports reporters have named him the “Offensive Cannibal.” Without a doubt, Gonzalo Higuaín pleases the soccer world, with the high caliber of his game, his humility, and his sportsmanship—he truly is a good sport and a great athlete.

Pipita acted in Torrente 4, part of a saga of comedies from Spanish director Santiago Segura. The film follows the bizarre adventures of a corrupt, violent, and totalitarian policeman, who is also a fan of the team Atlético de Madrid. Higuaín shares the screen with players Sergio “Kun” Agüero (Diego Maradona’s son-in-law), Sergio Ramos, Cesc Fabregas, Álvaro Arbeloa, and Raúl Albiol, in a scene where they play a soccer game in a jail. Singer David Bisbal also participated in the film. Director Segura comments, “I like putting huge sport stars on the screen. People love it.” The movie was a box-office hit in Spain and other countries.

Chapter

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Sports in Their Blood THE DECISION WAS DIFFICULT. The French team told Gonzalo’s father that the pay was good in France, and that they needed a central defender with his skills. He thought about the decision over and over again. It would not be easy to leave Argentina, with a pregnant wife and small children. He weighed his options. Finally, the Higuaín family embarked for Europe. Jorge Higuaín, Gonzalo’s father, was a tough, central defenseman. He had started his professional soccer career in Argentina with the club Nuevo Chicago. Later, he played for several other clubs: La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club, San Lorenzo, and Boca Juniors. Finally, the day came when he decided to try his luck by moving to Europe, joining the French squad Stade Brest. There, in Brest—a city situated in the French area known as the Finistère

in the region of Brittany—his third son Gonzalo Gerardo was born on December 10, 1987. When the youngest Higuaín was only 10 months old, his parents returned to Argentina with the family so that Jorge could play for River Plate, a team that won the championship with him on it. Afterwards, he finished his soccer career playing for Banfield, even though he was almost never given the chance to play. Reinstalled on their home turf, the

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Higuaín family grew by one more member: Lautaro was born, the fourth boy, following after Nicolás, Federico, and Gonzalo. From infancy, all four nursed a love for the world of sports and its dizzying rollercoaster of emotions, but this didn’t come only from their father’s side of the family. Nancy, Gonzalo’s mother, also had a passion for sports in her blood: her father, Santos Zacarías, was a champion of Argentine boxing who had competed against the likes of Sergio Víctor Palma and Juan Martín Coggi. Nancy pampered Chano (Gonzalo’s nickname since a little boy) with her fantastic cooking skills. She was always cooking the family pasteles de papas (potato pies) and milanesas (breaded meat cutlets), two favorite dishes of Argentine children. Gonzalo inherited the diminutive name Pipita from the amusing nickname of his father, whom his teammates affectionately referred to as “El Pipa” (the pipe, a reference to his large nose). “There’s nothing about the name I can deny,” Jorge Higuaín explains humorously, coming to terms with this prominent feature.

Fast Fact The Higuaín family never forgot their beginnings in the Palermo Club. To stop the club from closing, in 2009 the family held a benefit fundraiser match to save it.

Life Father, Like Son It was his father, of course, who instilled a passion for soccer in Gonzalo. In an interview in Spain some time ago, Pipita stated, “My father is a role model. He taught me to be a good and honorable, upright man. As a soccer player, my brothers and I grew up admiring him for everything he was as an athlete, and all he had achieved in his career.” (Gonzalo’s older relative Claudio is also a professional soccer player in his own right. He played for both San Lorenzo and Boca Juniors, among other Argentine teams.) Jorge Higuaín played for Nuevo Chicago between 1976 and 1980, and scored five goals during that time. From there, he moved on to La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club, playing for them from 1981 to 1982 and making four goals. Between 1982 and 1986 he played for San Lorenzo: he made nine goals. From 1986 to 1987 he played for Boca Juniors and scored five goals. From 1988 to 1991 he moved on to River Plate, where he recorded seven goals. Gonzalo remembers a key moment in his father’s career, which famously influenced the young boy’s future. In 1992, Jorge played for River Plate and brought his kids out onto the field after the team won the championship. That colossal event was forever recorded in Gonzalo’s memory and at that moment, even at such a young age, he knew that his future was in soccer. At eight years old, Gonzalo started playing for the Palermo Sport and Social Club

Sports in Their Blood

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Gonzalo’s father Jorge Nicolás Higuaín (back row, left) poses with River Plate before a match against Boca Juniors in 1990. Despite having played as a defenseman, Jorge Higuaín made 30 goals in the 16 years that he played for the Argentine team.

in the city of Buenos Aires, where he scored goals in all ways possible. His place in this traditional neighborhood club helped him quickly learn how to handle short distances and small spaces, and develop sharp precision in aiming at small nets. It was in that gym that Gonzalo’s father was invited to bring Pipita, along with his brother Federico, to play for the lower divisions of River Plate. With this team Gonzalo worked his way up the ranks, playing in all of the youth and teenage divisions before coming to play for River Plate’s first division, professional team.

A Champion’s Conviction Coming to play for River Plate’s first division team was a dream come true. The pressure a famous last name didn’t seem to have bothered Gonzalo. Both in the club in Palermo and in the lower divisions of River Plate, there were always signs that the

young Higuaín had a promising future. His father once commented in a television interview, “My son has the conviction to achieve everything he sets out to do.” And that’s just what Gonzalo did. In the lower divisions of River Plate, a club popularly known as “The Millionaires,” Gonzalo formed part of a double attack with another skilled center forward, the Colombian Radamel Falcao. Because of the number of goals he scored in the lower divisions of River Plate, he gained the attention of many people in professional soccer. With River Plate, Pipita observed and learned from players like Ariel Burrito Ortega, Marcelo Gallardo, Marcelo Salas, and Enzo “The Prince” Francescoli. He not only took his first steps as a professional soccer player with the Millionaires, but also pushed the story of a true family of athletes forward.

Pipita celebrates a goal against Estudiantes de la Plata during the eighth round of the Torneo Clausura match at the Monumental stadium in Buenos Aires, 2006.

Chapter

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The First Club GONZALO HAS ALWAYS FOUGHT AGAINST ADVERSARY and come out on top. To fight hard for the things he wanted has always been a constant in his career, and his initial steps forward with his first professional team were no exception. Gonzalo had to fight to earn his place on the team, but when he got there he proved that he belonged with his strong play. The day of his debut playing for River Plate’s first division team, May 30, 2005, Gonzalo Higuaín came out onto the field completely bald. His teammates had shaved his head, a tradition for young newcomers on teams coached by Leonardo Astrada. Gonzalo had come a long way. The most curious thing about that little talked about game played against La Plata Gymnastics (his team lost) is the fact that he shared the field for a short time with his brother Federico:

twenty minutes altogether. In that short amount of time, both tried to demonstrate all they had dreamed about as children, playing out on the lawn of their home in the neighborhood of Saavedra, and on the small fields at the Palermo Club. Pipita was a favorite at first of the team’s coaches. He did not play often after that first match, but he never gave up. He trusted in his ability and his desire to make a name for himself in socce. Soon his desire would become a reality.

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To the Field! When Leonardo Astrada left and was replaced by Reinaldo “Mostaza” Merlo as coach, Gonzalo still wasn’t achieving the success he had wanted on the team. He had just started playing about ten minutes per match when Daniel Passarella arrived to coach the team. Passarella, who would later become the president of River Plate, must have seen a vision of the future, for he predicted that Gonzalo would become a superstar. Gonzalo returned that showing of confidence by making five goals in the 2006 Closing Tournament. The first of those goals he made against Banfield, the team his father had retired from.

Copa Liberatores: A Night to Remember Gonzalo saved the best performance of his first season at River for a quarterfinal match in the Copa Liberatores, against

Corinthians from Brazil. The Millionaires had already beaten Corinthians, 3-2, on their own turf in Argentina’s Monumental Stadium, but as the visiting team at Pacaembú Stadium, River faced a harder challenge. The São Paolo fans would put great pressure on River, and Corinthians was a strong team. Furthermore, the Millionaires had only won once in Brazil that year; they had lost the eight other matches they had played in the country. It looked like it might be a long, dark night for the Argentine team in the Copa Libertadores. That night, Gonzalo’s team was down by a goal. The pace of the match was truly dizzying, and tempers had begun to flare. Coach Passarella let Higuaín play half of the second period to pump up his offensive strategy. The move was a success. Gonzalo made two goals, and that was enough for River to win the match and classify for the semifinals. All of the magic unfolded in only fifteen minutes. The first goal came

Gonzalo grew up in a family where sports were played at all hours. Gonzalo was raised playing soccer with his older brothers, Nicolás and Federico. Nancy, their mother, got so tired of the pockmarks that the men in the family left in the grass behind their house that one day she grew angry and yelled, “I can’t stand it anymore, let’s make a pool!” Jorge, their father, jokingly explained to a reporter, “We had to close the ‘stadium’ because it didn’t comply with regulations.” In a turn of events, on December 3, 2006, Gonzalo faced his older brother Federico for the first time in a professional match. Gonzalo defended the colors of River Plate while Federico played for Nuevo Chicago. The elder brother won the family duel—Chicago beat River two to one, with Federico scoring one of the winning goals.

The First Club

With River Plate, Gonzalo Higuaín played 41 national and international matches, and made fifteen goals.

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Gonzalo has scored many goals in Antonio Vespucio Liberti Monumental Stadium in Buenos Aires. with the help of Marcelo Gallardo; would later become a constant in his career. Gonzalo showed off what he had learned to

In 2006, at only 19 years old, he was chosen

do in futsal: move the ball up and across. by a popular Argentine newspaper as the For the second goal, all he had to do was “Sports Revelation of the Year.” push the ball in the net after receiving a head ball off of the goal post. Fans of

October Sits Well

Corinthians, furious about the defeat, tried Pipita always played well during the tenth coming out onto the field to assail the play- month of the year. It’s enough to remember ers.

that month in 2011 and the two consecu-

Thus, Gonzalo scored two very impor-

tive hat tricks he made with Real Madrid.

tant key goals for his team, something that

In Argentina, the afternoon that made him

The First Club

famous came on October 8, 2006: an unmistakable Super Classic against Boca Juniors. It was the tenth day of the Opening tournament, and Boca was the visiting team in River Stadium, ahead of them in the standings and contending to become champions of Argentine soccer, for a second year in a row. That afternoon with Monumental Stadium filled to the brink, Gonzalo played the role of hero for River, racking up two huge goals that allowed his team to defeat their eternal rival, three to one. River fans find it difficult to forget those two goals: the first he made with his heel following a series of rebounds, after having four scoreless games. The second involved a memorable dash where he left Boca’s goalie (the Paraguayan Aldo Bobadilla) completely flustered while Pipita finished with an exquisite shot at goal. Higuaín was the standout player of the match, and that served to call the attention

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Fast Fact River Plate earned the title “The Millionaires” in 1932, when they made the most expensive purchase for a player up until that point in the sport’s history.

of the coach of the French national team, Raymond Domenech, and also the coach of Real Madrid, Fabio Capello. On that glorious afternoon, it was clear that Gonzalo Higuaín was on his way to becoming one of the best forwards in soccer. Gonzalo finished that championship tournament as River Plate’s top striker, with eight goals. Soon, for millions of euros, Pipita would bring his skills to Europe to dazzle the stands wearing the white jersey of Real Madrid.

River Plate fans’ love for Pipita is unconditional, and the player still feels a strong connection to the club. Like any fan Pipita suffered as the team was in danger of dropping to second division (this finally happened in June of 2011, when they lost to Belgrano from Córdoba). At that time, he said, “It makes me sad to see the team in this situation. It’s a great soccer institution, and it would be very bad for Argentine soccer if they dropped down. This was unthinkable years ago, and one would never have even thought that the team would have play a match to keep them to dropping from first division. It hurts me deep in my soul because River formed me as a person, and opened the door for me to play in Europe.”

Pipita is one of three foreign-born players to have played for La Albiceleste (“the white and sky blue,” as Argentina’s national team is known) in World Cup competition. The other two were Arica Suárez (1930, 1934) and Constantino Urbieta Sosa (1934).

Chapter

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The Argentine National Team THE YEAR 2009 WAS IN FULL SWING, AND GONZALO HIGUAÍN had already become a star player on the Real Madrid roster. Still, he had one more dream to accomplish: defending the colors of the Argentine national team in the 2010 World Cup tournament in South Africa. Once again, his hard work would be rewarded. Before touching down on South African turf with the national team, Gonzalo Higuaín had to overcome several obstacles. Nothing has come easy in his soccer career, and this chapter was no different. He once said that his greatest aspiration was to defend the colors of Argentina on the soccer field. Still, it wouldn’t be easy. Because he was born in France, Gonzalo was officially a French citizen. His French passport had allowed him to play for Real Madrid in the Spanish

League. Consequently, he couldn’t renounce his French nationality. In fact, in one instance he felt obligated to decline playing for the under-eighteen Argentine national youth team. The man responsible for choosing the French national team, Raymond Domenech, was aware of the situation. He had several times asked Gonzalo to play for the French national team. Pipita appreciated each and every phone call, but the idea of defending the colors of a country that wasn’t truly his

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homeland never crossed his mind. He did not want to wear a jersey that wasn’t the white and sky blue in a world championship. In 2007, with some legal help, Gonzalo became an Argentine national, without losing his French citizenship. In that moment, he began to feel that his life’s dream could really be accomplished. In an interview with the Spanish newspaper El País in mid-2009, he explained, “I grew up in Argentina, and played with River. I am 100 percent Argentine, in heritage and in attitude, and those qualities have made me search for everything I set out to achieve.”

of the sports media wondered out loud, often quite abrasively, why the team was not calling on Pipita Higuaín. At that time, the coach of the national team was one of greatest soccer superstars of all time, admired not only for his talents but also his wit, his life story, his social conscience and his enormous human spirit: Diego Armando Maradona. In the end, the Argentine celebrity invited Gonzalo to join the national team. He called on him to play

in the last two games of the qualifying round—against Peru in Buenos Aires and Uruguay in Montevideo. When he was summoned to play, Gonzalo exclaimed, “I am extremely happy. I’ve been waiting for this call for a long The People’s Roar time. Now I’ll try and do all I can for the With the legal complications resolved, national team, so that we qualify for the Gonzalo just needed the call from the World Cup.” national team. The year 2009 was running past, and the Argentine national team was For La Albiceleste contending in the eliminatory rounds for a Finally, on October 10, 2009, on River place in the World Cup Finals in South Plate’s familiar field, Gonzalo Higuaín Africa. However, their poor showing put played his first official game in a white and their qualification at risk. The whole time, sky blue Argentine jersey. He made an both Argentine soccer fans and a large part immediate impact. One of his goals opened

The Argentine band Soleado composed a cumbia (a song in a typical Argentine musical genre) in tribute to Pipita. It was meant as a good luck charm and to show the love of his fans, for his humility, talent, and for deciding to reject the offer to play for the French national team in the hopes that he would be invited to defend the colors of Argentina in the World Cup. The catchy refrain of the song reads: “Blood is thicker than water/ blood is thicker than water/ Pipita Higuaín is from my Argentina.”

The Argentine National Team

Pipita competes in the elimination rounds of the 2010 World Cup.

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Gonzalo scores for Real Madrid against Liverpool FC in a Champions League match.

the scoring in the match, and with it a great Argentine hope of World Cup qualification was renewed. Eventually, though, the Peruvian team tied the match, complicating Argentina’s dreams of qualifying. At the

Fast Fact Gonzalo Higuaín played for his country in the 2011 American Cup. He made his only goal against the Cup-winning team, Uruguay.

end of the match, a torrential downpour began. Under these epic weather conditions, Argentina won by a 2-1 score on a goal by Martín Palermo. In its final game of the qualifying rounds, Argentina received goals from Lionel Messi and Sergio Agüero to defeat Uruguay, 2-1. Although Pipita Higuaín did not score, he made his presence felt in other ways. The Argentine team had earned its ticket to the 2010 World Cup Final in South Africa, something that for a time had seemed to be an unachievable goal.

The Argentine National Team

Searching for Glory The Argentine national team arrived in Africa at the end of May 2010. The squad hoped that after 24 years without winning the title, Argentina could leave South Africa as champions. It featured international superstars like Messi, Sergio Agüero, Carlos Tévez, and others, not to mention Pipita. While in South Africa, the team stayed at the High-Performance Centre at the University of Pretoria. Gonzalo shared his room at the HPC with striker Diego Milito, his competition for a starting position, who had just finished a successful season in Italy. Diego Maradona decided that Pipita would be the center forward for the team in their debut match on June 12 against Nigeria. Argentina won, 1-0. Five days later, Argentina faced South Korea and won again, 4-1. Gonzalo Higuaín was the standout player of this match, scoring three goals. Only two other Argentines had every achieved this feat in an international competition for the sky blue and white—Guillermo Stábile (in

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Fast Fact Pipita has made two hat tricks for the Argentine national team. One of them came in the 2010 World Cup Finals against South Korea, and the other came in an elimination match for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, against Chile.

1930) and Gabriel Batistuta (on two occasions, in 1994 and 1998). Argentina ended their play in that first round by defeating Greece, 2-0, and advancing to the next stage. In the quarterfinals, they faced Mexico. Argentina won, 3-1, with Pipita chalking up one of the team’s goals. However, Argentina was defeated by Germany in the semifinals and with that loss came their sad return to Argentina. Despite the disappointing defeat, Gonzalo Higuaín, once again, had left his mark. With four goals scored, he was the team’s top goal scorer in South Africa.

Chapter

In 2011 Gonzalo Higuaín signed a contract for one million euros per year to represent the sports company Nike.

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A Limitless Future As a star player for Real Madrid and the Argentine national team, Gonzalo Higuaín has won an outstanding place in the world of soccer. With his humble and disciplined profile, he is at present one of the greatest Latin-American athletes and has a great future ahead. In fact, many soccer enthusiasts believe he has not yet reached his full potential. A strong will has characterized this player since he was a child. If anyone doubts the importance of having dreams and wishes in achieving one’s destiny, they should see the TV interview that Gonzalo gave when he was only ten years old. In the interview, a pleasant and skinny Pipita with restless eyes explained without hesitation that he aspired to play for River Plate, next Real Madrid, and finally the Argentine national team. As if it were an irrevocable prophesy, all of these things the

young Pipita mentioned would one day become reality. In mid-2010, after arduous negotiations, Higuaín renewed his contract with Real Madrid until 2016, to the tune of 3.5 million euros per season. Despite that fact, he was not completely happy, now that he wasn’t starting as often as he’d imagined. These motivated big teams like Juventus and Chelsea to look into contracting him, and fed rumors of his possible departure from Spain.

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the “Meringue” team (as they are referred to for their white jerseys), wanted to continue having him among their ranks. Some time later, Gonzalo stated officially on the team’s website, “I have brought to life many of my dreams with this team, like winning the Spanish League, Supercup and the Copa del Rey. Obviously, Champions League and other championships remain; the truth is that there are many challenges left to overcome in the remainder of my career, and I hope that I am able to overcome them, and continue to achieve what I set out for myself. I am content with everything up until this point and I hope to continue on the same path.”

The Prophet in His Homeland In the Argentine sports daily Olé, Gonzalo Higuaín gave his opinion of the great superstar in the soccer world, his teammate Lionel Messi: “It’s pure luck that the ‘Pulga Biónica’ [Bionic Flea] plays for Argentina. We understand each other well and with him, everything is simpler. It’s impossible to not play well with Messi, and at the same time, it’s a pleasure.” To quiet all of the gossip, the president of Real Madrid, Florentino Pérez, invited him to participate in the yearly Christmas party given for the team’s devotees, along with the team’s coach, Mourinho, and the three other team captains (Casillas, Ramos, and Marcelo). It was a unique way of saying to the player and to the world that

“You have to practice, permanently. Not just to reenact and imitate moves, but to understand the concept of the game: where to position yourself, how to make your body comfortable,” Gonzalo commented in an interview that he did with Argentine coach Ángel Cappa for his book Play the Game. During his short career, Pipita has become the ideal player for the Argentine national team. He enjoys great popularity in his country thanks to his skill and his charisma. The truth is that soccer fans adore him on both sides of the Atlantic, but not only for his sports talent: he has participated in charity events and has used his face for positive publicity; for example, a campaign

A Limitless Future

27

against child labor. Also, he has appeared on various television programs with his ever-captivating, refreshing, and pleasant attitude. Without a doubt, one of his greatest hopes for the future is to continue making goals so that Argentina qualifies for the 2014 World Cup, to be played in Brazil.

The Modern Forward Much has been written about Gonzalo Higuaín. Perhaps coach José Mourinho described him best, in a report he gave for the board of directors of Real Madrid. In this report, the experienced Portuguese soccer strategist elaborated on the evolution, performance and market value of each one of his players. He classified Gonzalo Higuaín as a “modern forward,” emphasizing his potential, his capacity to grow as a player, his young age, and his high value in the sports In 2011, Pipita helped Real Madrid lift the Copa del Rey for the 18th time. market. From a coaches’ point of view, his greatest virtues were: • His aptitude for creating open spaces. • The ease with which he shakes off opponents who try to prevent him from reaching the goal. • His capacity to generate goal opportunities. • His strategic skills, something that he has acquired in the last few years: a calm attitude before a goal opportunity, allowing him to score often in elegant, well-thought form.

The coach not only focused on the mere athletic aspects of his player; he also emphasized his humility, his sacrifice and his mental prowess, which allowed him to overcome his very serious back injury. Mourinho also said that for all his skills Gonzalo Higuaín was still a diamond in the rough. If he reaches his full potential, he is capable of becoming the best player in the world in the near future. Undoubtedly, time will tell.

GLOSSARY assist—when a player passes the ball to another player and that player finishes the play by scoring. ball possession—action or effect of having the ball, keeping the other team from controlling it. Champions League—the most important international soccer tournament in Europe. coach—professional in charge of developing and organizing a team’s strategy. Copa Libertadores de América—the most important soccer tournament in the Americas. Copa del Rey—also called the League Cup or the Spanish Cup. An annual tournament in which Spanish teams from the first, second and third divisions face each other to determine a national champion. counterattack—strategy that consists of making the most of the other team’s lack of organization after it has just attacked. defender—a player who helps to protect the goal area and blocks attacks by the opponent. Within the defense there are various positions: central defender, side defender, and free defender. extra time—playing time added to the end of a soccer match to make up for lost time caused by interruptions during the match due to fouls, injuries, or warnings. forward—the player whose mission it is to “attack” (move the ball forward against) the opposite team. fútbol Sala (futsal)—a game like soccer that is played in a smaller area (often indoors and on a cement floor), with fewer players. It is also known as fútbol de salón or microfutbol. goalkeeper—player in charge of the goal; he is the only one allowed to use his hands in the game.

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GLOSSARY group stage—stage in the World Cup competition where teams play a short tournament in which the top teams qualify to advance to the knockout round. hat trick—when one player scores three goals in a single match. jersey—sports clothing that covers the player’s upper body and serves to identify the team for which he plays. knockout round—stage in certain competitions where the team that loses a match is out of the entire competition. midfielder—player in charge of building up the attack from the middle of the field. referee—a judge in charge of making sure the rules of the game are followed, and who settles conflicts. soccer—the term used to describe European football in the United States. striker—a soccer team’s top-scoring forward who usually plays around the center of the team’s forwards. tactics—the strategic plan and soccer philosophy that a coach chooses to employ, after studying the strategies of an opposing team. World Cup—most important soccer competition in the world, organized by FIFA.

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FURTHER READING Braillard, Miguel. “I Dream of Winning the 2010 World Cup (interview),” People Magazine (March 2007). Cappa, Ángel. Play the Game. Buenos Aires: Editorial TEA, 2009. Giovio, Eleonora. “I Came to Play (interview).” El País (Spain; July 2009). Sottile, Marcelo. “World Cup Interview with Gonzalo Higuain.” Olé (Argentina; June 17, 2010). Moreno, Alberto. “Gonzalo Higuain, that Rare Idol of Many” GQ (January 2012). Ribot, Óscar. “I Will Work Hard to be the Center Forward (interview),” Diario AS (Spain; June 12, 2008). Varsky, Juan Pablo. “Higuain convinces everyone.” La Nación (Argentina; November 2, 2009).

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INTERNET RESOURCES http://www.afa.org.ar/index.php?Itemid=238 The official website of the Argentine Football Association includes information about championships and the national team. It also has links to the rules of the game and photos from Argentina’s soccer history.

http://www.futbolxxi.com A site that compiles Argentine sports statistics, it is a source of information for the sports media and journalists.

http://www.atfa.com.ar Official site of the Association of Argentine Soccer Coaches. They edit a magazine that can be downloaded for free. The site also includes interviews with the most experienced soccer professionals.

http://www.vivifutbol.com.ar Argentine soccer football network, where one may share opinions, photos, create groups, write blogs and find information and videos of matches.

http://www.salvemosalfutbol.org/english.htm Page of Let’s Save Soccer (Salvemos al Fútbol), a non-profit organization that fights to eradicate violence and corruption in the soccer world. The group promotes civic participation in sports institutions, and organizes educational activities.

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INDEX Maradona, Diego, 20 Málaga, 6 Merlo, Reinaldo “Mostaza,” 14 Messi, Lionel, 4, 5, 23, 26 Milito, Diego, 23 Mourinho, José, 26, 27

Agüero, Sergio, 23 Albiceleste (national team), 19, 20–23, 25 Argentina, 5, 9, 19–23, 27 Astrada, Leonardo, 13, 14 Batistuta, Gabriel, 23 Bobadilla, Aldo, 17 Boca Juniors, 9, 10, 11, 17 Brazil, 14, 23, 27 Buenos Aires, 11, 13, 20

Nigeria, 23 van Nistelrooy, Ruud, 6 Nuevo Chicago, 9, 10, 14 Ortega, Ariel Burrito, 11

Capello, Fabio, 17 Cappa, Ángel, 26 Champions League, 6, 8, 22, 26 Copa América, 22 Copa del Rey, 6, 8, 26, 27 Copa Liberatores, 14 Corinthians, 14, 16

Palermo Sport and Social Club, 10–11, 13 Passarella, Daniel, 14 Pérez, Florentino, 26 Peru, 20 RCD Espanyol, 4, 5 Real Betis, 8 Real Madrid, 4, 5, 6–8, 16, 17, 18, 19, 22, 25 River Plate, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13–17, 20, 25 Royal Sporting Club of La Coruña, 7

Domenech, Raymond, 17, 19 Falcao, Radamel, 11 France, 9, 19–20 Francescoli, Enzo, 11

South Africa, 19, 20, 22, 23 South Korea, 23 Salas, Marcelo, 11 San Lorenzo, 9, 10 Sosa, Constantino Urbieta, 19 Spanish League, 4, 5, 6, 8, 26 Sporting Gijón, 6 Stábile, Guillermo, 23 Stade Brest, 9 Suárez, Arica, 19 Super Cup of Spain, 6, 26

Gallardo, Marcelo, 11, 16 Germany, 23 Greece, 23 Higuain, Gonzalo (“Pipita”) birth and childhood of, 9–11, 14 with national team, 19, 20–23, 25 profesional career of, 4, 5–8, 11, 12, 13–17, 18, 19, 22, 25 Higuaín, Jorge Nicolás “El Pipa” (father), 9, 10, 11, 14 Higuaín Nancy (mother), 10, 14 Higuaín, Federico (brother), 10, 11, 13, 14 Higuaín, Lautaro (brother), 10 Higuaín, Nicolás (brother), 10, 14

Tevez, Carlos, 23 Uruguay, 20, 22 Valdano, Jorge, 6 Valencia, 7

La Plata Gymnastics and Fencing Club, 9, 10, 13

World Cup, 19, 20–23, 27

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