Carlos Garces (athlete)

Carlos Antonio Bernardo Garcés López (25 December 1900 21 September 1980) was a Mexican sprinter, footballer, and dental surgeon. Garcés is recognized as one of the founding members of Club América as well as one of the first players to officially represent the Mexico national football team. Garcés is also credited as the founder of the football club Cruz Azul. During his employment at Cemento Cruz Azul in the late 1920s, Garcés personally lobbied for the establishment of a company football team of which he also managed. Ironically the club would become fierce rivals with America decades later.[2] Garcés is also credited for the creation of the siquitibum chant.[1][3][4]

Carlos Garcés López
Garcés in 1922
Personal information
Full name Carlos Antonio Bernardo Garcés López
Date of birth (1900-12-25)25 December 1900
Place of birth San Luis de la Paz, Guanajuato, Mexico
Date of death 21 September 1980(1980-09-21) (aged 79)
Place of death Churubusco, Mexico City, Mexico
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1916-1928[1] Club América
1927-? Cruz Azul
International career
1923 Mexico 6 (2)
1928 Mexico Olympic 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Carlos Garcés López
Personal information
Full nameCarlos Antonio Bernardo Garcés López
NationalityMexican
Born(1900-12-25)25 December 1900
Died21 September 1980(1980-09-21) (aged 79)
Sport
SportSprinting
Event(s)200 metres

As an Olympian, Garcés competed in the men's 200 metres at the 1924 Summer Olympics.[5] He also competed in the men's football tournament at the 1928 Summer Olympics.[4]

Club career

America

Carlos Garcés was one of the founding members of Club America in 1916. From its inception until 1928, he played as a midfielder for the club winning multiple titles in the Primera Fuerza.[6]

Cruz Azul

As football in Mexico was not a lucrative occupation, Garcés López, a licensed dentist, found employment at the cement company Cemento Cruz Azul located in the small town of Jasso, Hidalgo providing dental care to its employees. He would travel regularly to Mexico City from Jasso to train and play for America.[7][1]

In 1925, Cemento Cruz Azul had voted to establish a company baseball team as the sport was popular in the town of Jasso.[8] Garcés López, however, personally lobbied for many months to change the official company sport to football. Initially receiving resistance from American employees, Garcés López eventually convinced the company directors to hold a referendum in which the workers would vote on the company team's main sport. On 22 March 1927, the vote was held where it was decided the company team's sport was to change from baseball to football.[9] Cemento Cruz Azul installed a football pitch on the company's premises in place of the baseball field and the football team was officially established on two months later on 22 May where Garcés López was appointed head coach of the newly founded team.[7][1]

International career

Garcés López formed part of the first Mexico national team in 1923. Garcés López played in Mexico's first series of official international matches against Guatemala.[10]

Mexico did not form another national team until the 1928 Summer Olympics where Garcés López was once again called up. Garcés López played against Spain and Chile where Mexico lost both matches 7–1 and 3–1 respectively.[11]

Later career

From 1937 to 1942 Garcés López was president of the Mexican Football Federation.[12]

Career statistics

No.DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.12 December 1923Parque España, México City, Mexico Guatemala2–02-0Friendly
2.16 December 1923Parque España, México City, Mexico Guatemala2–13-3Friendly

References

  1. "América y Cruz Azul. Carlos Garcés: Una anécdota compartida". www.mediotiempo.com.
  2. Grupo Reforma (2007). UNIVISION.com (ed.). "Encuesta completa sobre el equipo más popular de México". Archived from the original on 12 October 2007.
  3. "América Campeón de Liga 1927-28 * Club América - Sitio Oficial". Club América - Sitio Oficial. 11 November 2019.
  4. "Carlos Garces". Olympedia. Retrieved 22 June 2020.
  5. Evans, Hilary; Gjerde, Arild; Heijmans, Jeroen; Mallon, Bill; et al. "Carlos Garces Olympic Results". Olympics at Sports-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC. Archived from the original on 18 April 2020. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
  6. CALDERÓN, CARLOS. "América y Cruz Azul. Carlos Garcés: Una anécdota compartida". Mediotiempo. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
  7. Garrido, Raúl. "Cruz Azul, hijo del América". juanfutbol.com.
  8. "Cruz Azul, el equipo que originalmente era de beisbol y se transformó". www.milenio.com.
  9. Azul, Vamos. "¿Cuál es la fecha correcta de la fundación de Cruz Azul?". Vamos Cruz Azul.
  10. "Mexico - International Results Details 1920-1939". RSSSF.
  11. "Olympedia – Football, Men". www.olympedia.org.
  12. Ramírez Aznar, Carlos F. (June 2010). 11 décadas de fútbol mexicano. Mexico: Octavio Colmenares. p. 183-184. ISBN 978-607-00-3118-2.
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