Claudio Suárez

Personal information
Full name	Luis Claudio Suárez Sánchez
Date of birth	December 17, 1968 (1968-12-17) (age 40)
Place of birth	Texcoco, Mexico
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Chivas USA
Number	2
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1988–1996	Universidad Nacional	191	(19)
1996–1999	Guadalajara	144	(10)
1999–2005	UANL	143	(16)
2006–	Chivas USA	64	(9)
National team‡
1992–2006	Mexico	178	(6)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 27 October, 2009. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 23 June, 2006

Claudio Suárez (born December 17, 1968 in Texcoco) is a Mexican footballer who currently plays for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.

He is considered one of the best defenders in Mexico's history, and has the record for most caps with the Mexican national team as well as the world record for the most capped outfield player in history with 178 caps. Only Saudi goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea has more international appearances.^[1]

[edit] Career

Nicknamed El Emperador ("The Emperor"), Suárez began his club career with UNAM Pumas, where he played from 1988 to 1996 where he became champion in 1991. He moved to Guadalajara as an important piece for the 1996 Apertura, and remained there for 3 years, through the 1999 Clausura where he became champion in the Verano 1997 tournament, and was called to the 1998 FIFA World Cup. After being in the All Mexican Team, as an important and solid defender he was transferred to Tigres.

Suárez then moved on to UANL Tigres, where he played from 1999 to the end of 2005. He led the team's defense during that time, and was league runner-up twice, in 2001 and 2003. His last game with Tigres, and in the Mexican league, was a semi-final Clásico Regiomontano in which he was sent-off in a controversial referee decision. Previous to this incident, he already had disagreements with the team's management. Tigres directive organization had asked Suarez to retire for years and join the management, but Suarez had refused. Other differences in defensive style where also cause for conflict with the teams management. The semi-final was the last excuse for separation.

In 2006, he moved to Major League Soccer to play for Chivas USA. He was picked to go to Germany with the Mexican national team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. This FIFA World Cup meant his third cup in his career. Despite being picked for the squad he saw no action; but he did wear his legendary number 2 shirt.

On March 8, 2009 after negotiations with his contract fell, Suarez announced his retirement, however, on March 20, 2009, he decided to return to professional soccer for another year^[2]. He is the last active soccer player left from Mexico's 1994 FIFA World Cup squad.

Suárez currently resides in Southern California with his wife and three children^[3].

[edit] Honours

[edit] National Honours

[edit] International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	November 8, 1992	Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	4–0	Win	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
2.	November 22, 1992	Mexico City, Mexico	Costa Rica	4–0	Win	1994 FIFA World Cup Qualification
3.	December 14, 1994	Mexico City, Mexico	Hungary	5–1	Win	Friendly
4.	October 11, 1995	Los Angeles, United States	Saudi Arabia	2–1	Win	Friendly
5.	January 31, 2001	Los Angeles, United States	Colombia	2–3	Loss	Friendly
6.	March 7, 2001	Guadalajara, Mexico	Brazil	3–3	Draw	Friendly

[edit] See also

• List of current MLS players

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• MLS player profile
• Claudio Suárez Bio at Esmas.com (Spanish)
• Claudio Suárez Interview (Spanish)
• Football Database.com provides Claudio Suárez's profile and stats
• Profile and Statistics (Spanish)
• Biography

Mexico squads v • d • e Mexico squad – Copa América 1993 Runners-up 1 Campos • 2 Suárez • 3 Ramírez Perales • 4 Ambríz • 5 Ramírez • 6 Herrera • 7 Patiño • 8 García Aspe • 9 Sánchez • 10 L. García • 11 Zague • 12 A. García • 13 España • 14 Turrubiates • 15 Flores • 16 Hernández • 17 Galindo • 18 Muñoz • 19 Guzmán • 20 Nava • 21 Gutiérrez • 22 Navarro • Coach: Mejía Barón v • d • e Mexico squad – 1993 CONCACAF Gold Cup Winners (1st title) 1 Campos • 2 Suárez • 3 Ramírez Perales • 4 Ambríz • 5 Ramírez • 6 Hernández • 7 Nava • 8 Coyote • 9 Salvador • 10 Mora • 11 Zague • 12 García • 15 Turrubiates • 17 Noriega • 18 Cantú • 19 del Olmo • 20 Rodríguez • Coach: Mejía Barón v • d • e Mexico squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup 1 Campos • 2 Suárez • 3 Ramírez Perales • 4 Ambríz • 5 Ramírez • 6 Bernal • 7 Hermosillo • 8 García Aspe • 9 Sánchez • 10 García • 11 Zague • 12 Fernández • 13 J. Chávez • 14 del Olmo • 15 Espinoza • 16 Valdéz • 17 Galindo • 18 Salgado • 19 Salvador • 20 Rodríguez • 21 Gutiérrez • 22 A. Chávez • Coach: Mejía Barón v • d • e Mexico squad – 1995 King Fahd Cup Third Place 1 Campos • 2 Suárez • 4 Ambríz • 5 Ramírez • 6 Bernal • 7 Hermosillo • 8 García Aspe • 9 Rodríguez • 10 García • 11 Zague • 12 Chávez • 13 Vidrio • 14 del Olmo • 15 Esquivel • 16 Coyote • 17 Galindo • 18 Blanco • 20 Navarro • 21 Gutiérrez • Coach: Mejía Barón v • d • e Mexico squad – 1995 Copa América 1 Pérez • 2 Suárez • 3 Ramírez Perales • 4 Ambríz • 5 Ramírez • 6 Bernal • 7 Hermosillo • 8 García Aspe • 9 Campos • 10 García • 11 Zague • 12 Navarro • 13 Vidrio • 14 del Olmo • 15 Espinoza • 16 Coyote • 17 Galindo • 18 Esquivel • 19 Martínez • 20 Rodríguez • 21 Gutiérrez • 22 Salvador • Coach: Mejía Barón v • d • e Mexico squad – 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup Winners (2nd title) 2 Suárez • 5 Davino • 6 Lara • 7 Ramírez • 8 García Aspe • 9 Peláez • 10 L. García • 11 Hernández • 14 del Olmo • 15 Blanco • 16 Astiva • 18 A. García • 19 Campos • 20 Rizo • 21 Gutiérrez • 46 Villa • Coach: Milutinović v • d • e Mexico squad – 1996 Summer Olympics 1 O.Sánchez • 2 Suárez • 3 Oteo • 4 Villa • 5 Davino • 6 Lara • 7 Torres • 8 Sol • 9 Campos • 10 García • 11 Blanco • 12 F.Sánchez • 13 Pardo • 14 Alvarado • 15 Arellano • 16 Alfaro • 17 Palencia • 18 Abundis • Coach: de los Cobos v • d • e Mexico squad – Copa América 1997 Third Place 1 Ríos • 2 Suárez • 3 Sánchez • 4 Villa • 5 Davino • 6 Lara • 7 García • 8 Ramírez • 9 Chávez • 10 Rizo • 11 Blanco • 12 Pineda • 13 Pardo • 14 Romero • 15 Hernández • 16 Jiménez • 17 Palencia • 18 Saavedra • 19 de Anda • 20 Abundis • 21 Sancho • 22 Zuñiga • Coach: Lapuente v • d • e Mexico squad – 1997 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Sánchez • 2 Suárez • 3 de Anda • 4 Villa • 5 Davino • 6 Lara • 7 Ramírez • 8 Luna • 9 Chávez • 10 García • 11 Blanco • 12 Pérez • 13 Pardo • 14 Terrazas • 15 Hernández • 16 López • 17 Palencia • 18 Carmona • 19 Zárate • 20 Abundis • Coach: Lapuente v • d • e Mexico squad – 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup Winners (6th Title) 1 Pérez • 2 Suárez • 3 de Anda • 4 Villa • 5 Davino • 6 Lara • 7 Ramírez • 8 Luna • 9 Alfaro • 10 Lozano • 11 Blanco • 12 Martínez • 13 Pardo • 14 Medina • 15 Hernández • 16 López • 17 Palencia • 18 Carmona • 19 Mercado • 20 Mora • Coach: Lapuente v • d • e Mexico squad – 1998 FIFA World Cup 1 Campos • 2 Suárez • 3 J. Sánchez • 4 Villa • 5 Davino • 6 Bernal • 7 Ramírez • 8 García Aspe • 9 Peláez • 10 García • 11 Blanco • 12 O. Sánchez • 13 Pardo • 14 Lara • 15 Hernández • 16 Terrazas • 17 Palencia • 18 Carmona • 19 Luna • 20 Ordiales • 21 Arellano • 22 Pérez • Coach: Lapuente v • d • e Mexico squad – Copa América 1999 Third Place 1 Campos • 2 Suárez • 3 Sánchez • 4 Márquez • 5 Torrado • 6 Lara • 7 Ramírez • 8 García Aspe • 9 Chávez • 10 Blanco • 11 Osorno • 12 Pérez • 13 Pardo • 14 Terrazas • 15 Hernández • 16 Cabrera • 17 Palencia • 18 Carmona • 19 Zepeda • 20 García • 21 Almaguer • 22 Ríos • Coach: Lapuente v • d • e Mexico squad – 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup Winners (1st Title) 1 Campos • 2 Suárez • 3 Sánchez • 4 Márquez • 5 Torrado • 6 Villa • 7 Ramírez • 8 García Aspe • 9 Abundis • 10 Blanco • 11 Osorno • 12 Pérez • 13 Pardo • 14 Terrazas • 15 Hernández • 16 Arellano • 17 Palencia • 18 Carmona • 19 Zepeda • 20 García • Coach: Lapuente v • d • e Mexico squad – 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Pérez • 2 Suárez • 3 Almaguer • 4 Márquez • 5 Torrado • 6 Hierro • 7 Ramírez • 8 Sánchez • 9 Abundis • 10 Mora • 11 Ortiz • 12 Martínez • 13 Cabrera • 14 Higareda • 15 Hernández • 16 Arellano • 17 Palencia • 18 Carmona • 19 Mendoza • Coach: Lapuente v • d • e Mexico squad – 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup 1 Sánchez • 2 Suárez • 3 Beltrán • 4 Oteo • 5 Davino • 6 M. Ruiz • 7 Rangel • 8 Rodríguez • 9 Abundis • 10 Borgetti • 11 Osorno • 12 Cabuto • 13 Pardo • 14 Villa • 15 de Nigris • 16 Coyote • 17 Valdez • 18 Victorino • 19 Reyes • 20 V. Ruiz • 21 Pérez • 22 Chávez • 23 Dautt • Coach: Meza v • d • e Mexico squad – Copa América 2004 1 Sánchez • 2 Suárez • 3 Briceño • 4 Márquez • 5 Davino • 6 Torrado • 7 Valdez • 8 Pardo • 9 Borgetti • 10 Bautista • 11 Osorno • 12 Pérez • 13 Muñoz • 14 Morales • 15 Oteo • 16 Méndez • 17 Palencia • 18 Carmona • 19 Lozano • 20 Osorio • 21 Arellano • 22 Altamirano • Coach: Lavolpe v • d • e Mexico squad – 2006 FIFA World Cup 1 Sánchez • 2 Suárez • 3 Salcido • 4 Márquez • 5 Osorio • 6 Torrado • 7 Sinha • 8 Pardo • 9 Borgetti • 10 Franco • 11 Morales • 12 Corona • 13 Ochoa • 14 Pineda • 15 Castro • 16 Méndez • 17 Fonseca • 18 Guardado • 19 Bravo • 20 García • 21 Arellano • 22 Rodríguez • 23 Pérez • Coach: Lavolpe