Mario Méndez
Personal information
Full name Mario Uriel Méndez
Date of birth (1977-01-05) January 5, 1977
Place of birth David, Panama
Height 1.81 m (5 ft 11+1⁄2 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Deportivo Vianeth
Cruz Azul F.C.
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995–1998 Chiriquí 81 (11)
1998–2005 Tauro 133 (17)
2005 San Francisco
2006 Chorrillo 26 (2)
2007–2008 Atlético Chiriquí 36 (1)
International career
1996–2004 Panama 33 (4)
Managerial career
2008–2010 Atlético Chiriquí
2011 Panama U-20 (assistant)
2011 Chorrillo (assistant)
2012–2013 Atlético Chiriquí
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Mario Uriel Méndez, commonly known as El Cholito (born January 5, 1977, in David, Chiriquí) is a retired Panamanian football defender and currently is a manager.

Playing career

Club

In Panama, Méndez played for Chiriquí, Tauro, Chorrillo, whom he joined in January 2006 from San Francisco,[1] and Atlético Chiriquí. In 2004, he had the opportunity to go to trial to Vasco da Gama but hurt his Achilles tendon in Julio Dely Valdés and Jorge Dely Valdés farewell game.[2]

International

Méndez made his debut for Panama in an August 1996 friendly match against Honduras and has earned a total of 33 caps, scoring 4 goals. He represented his country in 8 FIFA World Cup qualification matches[3] and El Cholito was part of the Panama squad that participated in the UNCAF Nations Cup 2003 held in Guatemala.[4]

His final international was an August 2003 friendly match against Paraguay.

International goals

Scores and results list Panama's goal tally first.
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
116 February 2000Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama El Salvador4–14–1Friendly match
219 March 2000Estadio Cacique Diriangén, Diriamba, Nicaragua Nicaragua1–02–02002 FIFA World Cup qualification
314 March 2001Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama El Salvador1–01–0Friendly match
416 February 2003Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Guatemala1–02–02003 UNCAF Nations Cup

Managerial career

Shortly after retiring in 2008, Méndez became the manager of Atlético Chiriquí (the only team in the Liga Panameña de Fútbol Chiriquí). In the 2009 Apertura I championship, he led Atlético Chiriquí to their first qualification to the semifinals round after being 2nd in the general table. Unfortunately for Cholito, they lost on aggregate score to San Francisco. In August 2011 he became assistant to Miguel Mansilla at Chorrillo after he was dismissed as manager of the Panama U-20's.[5]

In May 2012 he returned at the helm at Atlético Chiriquí,[6] only to resign in March 2013.[7]

References

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