Adolfo Valencia
Personal information
Full name Adolfo José Valencia Mosquera
Date of birth (1968-02-06) 6 February 1968
Place of birth Buenaventura, Colombia
Height 1.82 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1988–1993 Independiente Santa Fe 159 (56)
1993–1994 Bayern Munich 26 (11)
1994–1995 Atlético Madrid 24 (6)
1995–1996 Independiente Santa Fe 22 (11)
1997 América Cali 19 (9)
1997–1998 Reggiana 23 (4)
1998–1999 Independiente Medellín 22 (11)
1999–2000 PAOK 27 (8)
2000–2001 MetroStars 48 (21)
2002 Independiente Santa Fe 28 (11)
2002–2003 Zhejiang Lucheng 31 (14)
2003 Unión Maracaibo 7 (4)
2004 Zhejiang Lucheng 6 (0)
Total 442 (166)
International career
1992–1998 Colombia 37 (14)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Adolfo José Valencia Mosquera (born 6 February 1968) is a Colombian retired footballer who played as a striker.

Nicknamed El tren (train) due to his powerful physique, he played in seven countries – having one-year spells in Germany and Spain's top flight – and represented Colombia at two World Cups.[1]

Club career

Born in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca, Valencia started playing with Independiente Santa Fe, where his stellar performances earned him a transfer to Germany's FC Bayern Munich. In his sole season (although he still played the first game of 1994–95), he was instrumental in helping the Bavarians clinch the Bundesliga title, and finished as the team's top scorer alongside Mehmet Scholl, with 11 goals.[2]

Valencia also played one season in Spain, with Atlético Madrid, where he was involved in a serious incident with irascible club president Jesús Gil, while vastly underperforming overall:[3] after a La Liga match at CD Logroñés, the latter said that "The black guy needs to have his throat cut".[4] He subsequently went on to represent, without settling at any club, Independiente Santa Fe, América de Cali, A.C. Reggiana 1919, Independiente Medellín, PAOK FC, NY/NJ MetroStars, Zhejiang Lucheng F.C. and Unión Atlético Maracaibo.

While at Zhejiang, Valencia led the Chinese second division in scoring during the 2003 season.[5] In his debut campaign in the Major League Soccer, he set a team record by scoring 16 league goals, and retired from football in 2004.

International career

Valencia made his debut for Colombia on 31 July 1992, scoring the only goal in a match against the United States at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the Friendship Cup, and proceeded to represent the nation at the 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cups. In the former edition he netted twice, in group stage defeats to Romania and the United States.

Alongside Bernardo Redín, Valencia was Colombia's all-time topscorer in the World Cup. On 5 September 1993, he was one of three players on target in a 5–0 win in Argentina for the 1994 World Cup qualifiers.[6]

International goals

Scores and results list Colombia's goal tally first.[7]

GoalDateVenueOpponentScoreFinalCompetition
1.31 July 1992Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States United States
1–0
1–0
Amistad Cup
2.31 March 1993Atanasio Girardot, Medellín, Colombia Costa Rica
1–0
4–1Friendly
3.
4–1
4.8 May 1993Orange Bowl, Miami, United States United States
1–1
2–1
5.16 June 19939 de Mayo, Machala, Ecuador Mexico
1–0
2–1
1993 Copa América
6.3 July 1993Reales Tamarindos, Portoviejo, Ecuador Ecuador
1–0
1–0
7.15 August 1993Metropolitano Roberto Melendez, Barranquilla, Colombia Argentina
2–0
2–1
1994 World Cup qualification
8.5 September 1993Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti, Buenos Aires, Argentina Argentina
5–0
9.3 June 1994Foxboro Stadium, Foxborough, United States Northern Ireland
2–0
2–0
Friendly
10.18 June 1994Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States Romania
1–2
1–3
1994 FIFA World Cup
11.22 June 1994Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States United States
1–2
1–2
12.21 March 1996Guillermo Plazas Alcid, Neiva, Colombia Trinidad and Tobago
2–0
3–0
Friendly
13.28 March 1996Atanasio Girardot, Medellín, Colombia Bolivia
1–1
4–1
14.
4–1

Personal life

Valencia's son, José Adolfo, was also a footballer and a striker. He played mostly for Independiente Santa Fe, and represented Colombia at under-20 level.[8]

Honours

Club

Bayern Munich

América Cali

Maracaibo

Individual

References

  1. ↑ "La última estación de "El Tren" Valencia" ["The Train" Valencia's last station]. El País (in Spanish). 28 February 2010. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "Adolfo Valencia – der Entlauber!" [Adolfo Valencia – the defoliator!] (in German). Doktor Fussball. 24 April 2007. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  3. ↑ "El fichaje estrellado: El 'Tren' Valencia" [Crashed signing: The 'Train' Valencia] (in Spanish). Merca Fútbol. 6 January 2010. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  4. ↑ "Los excesos de Gil en los medios" [Gil's media excesses]. El Mundo (in Spanish). 14 May 2004. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  5. ↑ Lewis, Tom (18 April 2004). "China 2003". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 24 September 2010.
  6. ↑ "Argentina 0–5 Colombia: The most famous World Cup qualifier of all time (classic clashes)". The Hard Tackle. 15 October 2013. Retrieved 21 November 2015.
  7. ↑ Adolfo Jose Valencia; at 11v11
  8. ↑ ""El trenecito" Valencia ficha por el Feirense de Portugal" ["Little train" Valencia signs for Portugal's Feirense]. El Colombiano (in Spanish). 8 July 2017. Retrieved 13 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "2000 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. 29 July 2000. Retrieved 28 July 2023.
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