Alejandro Villanueva

Carlos Alejandro Villanueva Martínez (4 June 1908 – 11 April 1944) was a Peruvian footballer who played for Alianza Lima and the Peru national football team. He is considered one of the most important Alianza strikers in the 1920s and 1930s.

For other uses, see Alejandro Villanueva (disambiguation).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Villanueva and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.
Alejandro Villanueva
Personal information
Full name Carlos Alejandro Villanueva Martínez
Date of birth (1908-06-04)4 June 1908
Place of birth Lima, Peru
Date of death 11 April 1944(1944-04-11) (aged 35)
Height 1.98 m (6 ft 6 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1926 Teniente Ruiz
1927–1943 Alianza Lima
International career‡
1927–1938 Peru 11 (6)
Managerial career
1940–1941 Alianza Lima
Medal record
Representing  Peru
Men's football
Bolivarian Games
Gold medal – first place1938 Bogotá
South American Championship
Third place1927 Peru
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 18 September 2012
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 September 2012

Club career

Born in Lima, started his career at Teniente Ruiz[1] but moved on after a year to the club where he would play the rest of his career, Alianza Lima.

He is known to be Peru's historic bicycle kick figure. Alejandro Villanueva was noted to have an extraordinary handling the football, and his many outrageous moves won him the nickname "Manguera." Among his many exploits, the bicycle kick was one of the moves that won him widespread recognition. While playing for Alianza Lima, Villanueva's fame increased as he made international appearances such as in 1933 when Alianza Lima made a tour in Chile and, with fellow Peruvians such as Teodoro Fernandez, delighted the audiences with his skill and defeated a series of important Chilean clubs of that time such as Club Deportivo Magallanes, Santiago Wanderers, Audax Italiano, and Colo-Colo.[2][3] In Peru, Villanueva is often remembered as one of the finest exponents of that nation's association football and as the player that amazed the crowds with his bicycle kicks. The people of Lima at first thought the bicycle kick was his invention when he executed it in 1928, and commonly called it "tiro caracol." Later, the name changed to "chalaca" when people began to favor the idea that the move was invented in Callao several decades earlier.[4] As a result of these achievements, Villanueva remains a famous figure in Peru to the point that several songs have been made about him and his eternal club, Alianza Lima.

International career

With the Peru national football team he played at the 1927 and 1937 Copa America, 1930 FIFA World Cup and 1936 Summer Olympics.[5] Villanueva played on the team that won the football tournament at the inaugural Bolivarian Games in 1938.

Death and legacy

Villanueva died at the age of 35 after contracting tuberculosis. Alianza Lima's stadium, located in the La Victoria district of Lima, is named after him and is popularly known as "Matute".

Honours
Alejandro Villanueva
Medal record
Gold medal – first place 1938 Bolivarian Games NA

Club

Individual

Statistics

International goals
Scores and results table. Peru's goal tally first:
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.27 November 1927Lima, Peru Argentina1–11–51927 Copa America
2.6 August 1936Berlin, Germany Finland2–07–31936 Summer Olympics
3.6 August 1936Berlin, Germany Finland6–17–31936 Summer Olympics
4.8 August 1936Berlin, Germany Austria2–24–21936 Summer Olympics
5.8 August 1936Berlin, Germany Austria3–24–21936 Summer Olympics
6.27 December 1936Buenos Aires, Argentina Brazil2–32–31937 Copa America

References
  1. Castro, Roberto. "Alejandro Villanueva: El balón esclavo suyo era". El Club de los 100 (in Spanish). Dechalaca.com. Retrieved 20 September 2012.
  2. "Historia Blanquiazul: 1921–1960". clubalianzalima.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 21 November 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  3. "Teodoro 'Lolo' Fernandez". futbolperuano.com (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 11 August 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-12.
  4. "Alejandro Villanueva". www.peruan-ita.org (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 28 August 2008. Retrieved 19 August 2008.
  5. "Alejandro Villanueva". Olympedia. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
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