Rodolfo Zelaya

Rodolfo Antonio Zelaya García (born 3 July 1988) is a Salvadoran professional footballer who plays as a second striker for Primera División club Alianza. In October 2013, Zelaya was given a one-year ban from football for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal with the El Salvador national team.[1]

Rodolfo Zelaya
Zelaya training with Alianza in 2014
Personal information
Full name Rodolfo Antonio Zelaya García
Date of birth (1988-07-03) 3 July 1988
Place of birth Usulután, El Salvador
Height 1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s) Second striker
Team information
Current team
 Alianza
Number 22
Youth career
2001 CD Alacrán
2004 San Rafael
2004–2005 Atlético La Merced
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 Intipucá 31 (19)
2008 CD Chalatenango 17 (8)
2008–2009 Alianza 29 (18)
2009–2010 León 10 (1)
2010–2018 Alianza 227 (112)
2011 → Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) 13 (3)
2013 → Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) 3 (0)
2019 Los Angeles FC 4 (1)
2019 → Las Vegas Lights (loan) 2 (0)
2020 Celaya 6 (2)
2020– Alianza 87 (41)
International career
2008–2019 El Salvador 52 (23)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:27, 8 October 2023 (UTC)
In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Zelaya and the second or maternal family name is García.

Club career

San Rafael

Zelaya started his career playing for San Rafael in 2004, where he played for one year. The following season, he moved to Atlético La Merced.

In July 2006, both Zelaya and Rúsvel Saravia were offered contracts to play for one of El Salvadors biggest clubs, Águila. Unfortunately for both Zelaya and Saravia, they could not come to terms with the club over their proposed salaries, and as a result, the transfer fell through.

Intipucá

Zelaya then moved on to play in Segunda División with Intipucá. After 2 years with the club, Zelaya caught the attention of Chalatenango coach Vladan Vićević.

Chalatenango

After meeting with Vićević, Zelaya was offered, and accepted a contract to play with his first Primera División club Chalatenango. Zelaya went on to impress in his first season with the club and grew a fan base with both spectators and reporters for being one of El Salvador's most promising young strikers.

Chalatenango finished in fifth place in the league table with 25 points. Zelaya scored 8 goals at the end of the Clausura 2008.

Alianza

In 2008, Zelaya moved to Alianza after former Chalatenango president Lisandro Pohl switched clubs. This switch lead to Pohl taking various players with him to Alianza whose rights he supposedly owned due to them being bought when he was president at Chalatenango.

Mexico

On 15 June 2009, Zelaya was one of the three Salvadoran footballers signed to Mexican club León on a loan deal, the other two were Cristian Castillo and Julio Enrique Martínez.[2] On 3 December 2009, it was announced that Club León had permanently signed Zelaya along with the other two Salvadorans with a three-year contract.

On 12 December 2009, it was confirmed by Alianza's own president, Lisandro Pohl, that Zelaya would return to Alianza on a loan deal.[3] Zelaya later played without a loan deal and participated at the Clausura 2011, where he was top goalscorer with 13 goals to his part.

He also had the opportunity to reign champion and score 2 goals at the final to give his team the tournament.

Russia
Zelaya in Alania Vladikavkaz in 2011

On 19 July 2011, Zelaya signed with Russian First Division club Alania Vladikavkaz on a loan transfer for six months. Alania may be able to redeem his transfer by January 2012.[4]

On 9 August 2011, Zelaya debuted at the Russian league championship in a match against Torpedo Vladimir as a starter. On 4 November, he scored two goals against Mordovia Saransk, but also received a knee injury that would rule him out for 7 months. [5] During the summer of 2012, Alania decided not to keep him and sent him back to Alianza.

On 26 January 2013, he once again signed a six-month loan to rejoin Alania Vladikavkaz, who had been promoted to the Russian Premiere League.

He was sent back to Alianza in June after his contract expired.[6][7]

Return to Alianza

In June 2014, Zelaya signed again with Alianza.

Zelaya scored four goals in a 7–0 victory against Chalatenango in the second leg of the quarterfinals of the Apertura 2018, at the Estadio Cuscatlán, in December 2018. Alianza reached the semi-finals.

Los Angeles FC

On 30 January 2019, it was announced that Zelaya would join Major League Soccer club Los Angeles FC. In January 2020, the club announced that it and Zelaya had mutually agreed to part ways.[8]

Las Vegas Lights (loan)

On 15 August 2019, Zelaya was loaned to USL Championship side Las Vegas Lights FC.[9]

International career

Zelaya officially received his first cap on 23 April 2008, in a friendly match against China.[10]

He scored his first goal with the national team on 6 September 2008, in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification match against Haiti. This game also saw him score his first hat-trick which lead El Salvador to a 5–0 win against the then Caribbean Nations Cup champions.

At the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup, Zelaya received two trophies for the best player in the matches against Cuba and Panama.[11] Overall, Zelaya scored 4 goals being the second top goalscorer of the tournament.

Zelaya was noted by Goal.com as being one of the Best XI of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup — alongside Javier Hernández as forwards.[12] CONCACAF also noted "Fito" scoring the fifth best goal of the tournament, a decent feat considering 80 goals scored in the tournament.[13]

According to IFFHS (International Federation of Football History & Statistics) Rodolfo Zelaya was one of the most skilled and popular Central American players of 2012. After being out of action for almost a year due to injury Zelaya, was selected to represent El Salvador for the 2013 CONCACAF Gold Cup scoring all four goals for the team leading them to the Quarter-finals, as well as being named one of the best players of the tournament.[14]

Scoring two goals versus Trinidad & Tobago, one goal versus Haiti, and versus United States, several critics said that Zelaya was the only player that makes a big difference in the field, due to his dribbling skills and ability to score.[15]

In September 2013, Zelaya was handed a one-year ban from international football for his involvement in a match-fixing scandal with the El Salvador national football team. This ban was extended to worldwide in October of the same year.[1]

Career statistics

Club
As of match played 4 September 2016[16][17]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League National cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Alianza 2009–2010 Salvadoran Primera División 14500–145
2010–2011 2600–26
2011–2012 0000–00
2012–2013 10400–104
2013–2014 3000–30
Total 35000035
Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) 2011–12 Russian National League 1330020153
Alania Vladikavkaz (loan) 2012–13 Russian Premier League 1000–10
Alianza 2014–2015 Salvadoran Primera División 25400–254
2015–16 401500–4015
2016–17 61002081
Total 712000207320
Career total 852300408923

International
As of match played 12 October 2019[17]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
El Salvador 2008104
2009120
201022
201177
201210
201354
201400
201500
201600
2017114
201800
201942
Total5223
Scores and results list El Salvador's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Zelaya goal.
List of international goals scored by Rodolfo Zelaya[17]
No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
16 September 2008Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador Haiti1–05–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
22–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
33–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
415 October 2008Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador Suriname1–03–02010 FIFA World Cup qualification
54 September 2010Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States Honduras1–02–2Friendly
62–0
729 May 2011Robertson Stadium, Houston, United States Honduras1–22–2Friendly
89 June 2011Bank of America Stadium, Charlotte, United States Costa Rica1–01–12011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
912 June 2011Soldier Field, Chicago, United States Cuba1–06–12011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
104–0
1119 June 2011Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States Panama1–01–12011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
122 September 2011Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador Dominican Republic1–03–22014 FIFA World Cup qualification
133–1
148 July 2013Red Bull Arena, Harrison, United States Trinidad and Tobago1–12–22013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
152–1
1615 July 2013BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States Haiti1–01–02013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1721 July 2013M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, United States United States1–21–52013 CONCACAF Gold Cup
1815 January 2017Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama Honduras1–01–22017 Copa Centroamericana
1922 March 2017Stadion dr. Antoine Maduro, Willemstad, Curaçao Curaçao1–11–1Friendly
2027 May 2017Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, Washington, D.C., United States Honduras2–22–2Friendly
2113 July 2017Sports Authority Field at Mile High, Denver, United States Curaçao2–02–02017 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2212 October 2019Blakes Estate Stadium, Lookout, Montserrat Montserrat2–02–02019–20 CONCACAF Nations League B
2315 October 2019Darren Sammy Cricket Ground, Gros Islet, Saint Lucia Saint Lucia1–02–02019–20 CONCACAF Nations League B

Honors
Alianza

Individual

References
  1. "22 suspended during fixing probe". www.espnfc.com. ESPN FC. 22 September 2013. Retrieved 22 September 2013.
  2. "Martínez, Zelaya y Castillo, hacia México". El Salvador.com. Retrieved 15 June 2009.
  3. "Zelaya retorna al Alianza" (in Spanish). elgrafico.com. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  4. Родольфо Зелая стал игроком "Алании" (видео) (in Russian). fc-alania.ru. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 19 July 2011.
  5. Протокол матча "Алания" — "Торпедо" Владимир: Россия, Первенство России, ФНЛ 2011, Тур 20 — 1:0 (in Russian). Sportbox.ru. Retrieved 9 August 2011.
  6. Gráfico, El. "Alianza rechaza una oferta de Catar por Rodolfo Zelaya".
  7. Gráfico, El. "Alianza ya inscribió a Rodolfo Zelaya para el Apertura 2017".
  8. "LAFC And Forward Rodolfo Zelaya Mutually Agree To Part Ways". LAFC.com. 7 January 2020. Retrieved 7 January 2020.
  9. "LAFC Loans Peter-Lee Vassell To Phoenix Rising; Dejan Jaković And Fito Zelaya To Las Vegas Lights". Los Angeles FC. 15 August 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2019.
  10. "International Friendly Matches 2008". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 October 2008.
  11. Flores, Gustavo. ""Fito" Zelaya, el arma letal de la Azul" [Fito Zelaya, the lethal weapon of the Blue]. elsalvador.com. Retrieved 12 June 2011.
  12. Gubala, David. "Gold Cup Best XI: Mexico reigns supreme". goal.com. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
  13. "CONCACAF TV – On Demand – Catch Up Video – Asmir Begovic". www.concacaftv.premiumtv.co.uk.
  14. "El delantero Rodolfo Zelaya es el hombre del momento". El Grafico. Archived from the original on 2 April 2015.
  15. Reyes, Mario (16 July 2013). "¿Fitodependencia?" (in Spanish). Archived from the original on 24 August 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2020.
  16. "R.Zelaya". Soccerway. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
  17. "Rodolfo Zelaya". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmermann. Retrieved 6 September 2016.
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