José María Rivas

José María Rivas Martínez (12 May 1958 – 9 January 2016) was a football player from El Salvador.

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rivas and the second or maternal family name is Martínez.
José María Rivas
Personal information
Full name José María Rivas Martínez
Date of birth (1958-05-12)12 May 1958
Place of birth San Salvador, El Salvador
Date of death 9 January 2016(2016-01-09) (aged 57)
Height 1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Striker
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1978–1984 Independiente
1985–1990 Atlético Marte
1990–1991 San Pedro Dolphins
1992 Huracán
1992 Cojutepeque
International career
1980–1989 El Salvador 47 (19)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Club career

Nicknamed Mandingo, Rivas played several years for Independiente De San Vicente and Atlético Marte, with whom he won a League Championship in 1985. In 1990, he joined San Pedro of Belize and after leaving them had short spells at the end of his career in the Salvadoran second division with Huracán and Cojutepeque.[1]

He won the 1985 Top league goal scorer award and also won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball in that year.

International career

The moustached Rivas made his official debut for El Salvador in a March 1980 friendly match against Panama, played in 17 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and featured in all three of El Salvador's games at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.[2] He scored 19 goals for the El Salvador national football team from 1980 to 1989.[3] He scored 42 goals in 97 matches including non-official games.[4]

His final international game was a November 1989 FIFA World Cup qualification match against the United States in St. Louis.

Retirement and illness

After he retired, he was in charge of C.D. Árabe Marte and took the reins at FAS in 1999 along with José Luis Rugamas.[5]

During his playing career, he had obtained his medical diplomas to become a doctor and was part of the El Salvador national football team medical staff. In June 2011, it became clear Rivas was seriously ill[6] and needed a marrow operation, for which funds would be raised with a benefit match.[7] A lot of former players were reunited to help Rivas.[8] Rivas died of leukemia on 9 January 2016 at the age of 57.[9]

References
  1. ""El Mandigo Goleador urge de nuestra ayuda" – ESALMUNDOTV.COM :: Transmitiendo en directo desde El Salvador al Mundo". Esalmundotv.com. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  2. José María Rivas – FIFA competition record (archived)
  3. Owsianki, Jarek (2004-04-18). "El Salvador - Record International Players". RSSSF. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  5. Archived January 18, 2005, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Jose Maria Mandingo Rivas Simbolo Marciano esta muy enfermo. ~ Club Deportivo Atletico Marte". Clubdeportivoatleticomarte.com. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
  7. Archived November 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  8. https://web.archive.org/web/20110906115252/http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=6429&idArt=6156512. Archived from the original on September 6, 2011. Retrieved January 29, 2012. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  9. "Falleció José María "Mandingo" Rivas | El Gráfico". Elgrafico.com. Retrieved 2016-01-11.
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