 Etcheverry in 2000 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas | ||
| Date of birth | (1970-09-26)26 September 1970 (age 55) | ||
| Place of birth | Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1984–1986 | Tahuichi Academy | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1986–1987 | Destroyers | 81 | (17) |
| 1987–1991 | Bolívar | 41[1] | (21[1]) |
| 1991–1992 | Albacete | 15 | (2) |
| 1993–1994 | Colo-Colo | 28 | (8) |
| 1994–1995 | América de Cali | 21 | (0) |
| 1996–2003 | D.C. United | 191 | (34) |
| 1997 | →Barcelona SC (loan) | 13 | (6) |
| 1998 | →Emelec (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 1999 | →Barcelona SC (loan) | ||
| 2001 | →Oriente (loan) | 4 | (1) |
| 2004 | Bolívar | 7 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 1989–2003 | Bolivia | 71 | (13) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2008 | United States U20 (assistant) | ||
| 2009 | Aucas | ||
| 2023 | D.C. United (academy) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas (born 26 September 1970) is a Bolivian former professionalfootballer who played as aforward ormidfielder. A creativeplaymaker, he is considered one of the greatest Bolivian players of all time.[2] Etcheverry played forD.C. United ofMajor League Soccer from 1996 to 2003. He helped D.C United win eight trophies during that time, and was nominated to theMLS Best XI in four consecutive seasons from 1996 to 1999.
Etcheverry, is nicknamedEl Diablo (The Devil).
Etcheverry was trained at Bolivia'sTahuichi Academy, after which he played professionally with Bolivian sides (Destroyers,Bolívar,Oriente Petrolero), Spain (Albacete), Chile (Colo-Colo), Colombia (América de Cali) and Ecuador (Barcelona,Emelec).
Etchverry joinedD.C. United ofMajor League Soccer in its 1st season of 1996, and led the team to threeMLS Cups and was namedMLS MVP in 1998. In eight years with the team, Etcheverry played 191 league games, scoring 34 goals and registering 101 assists (the games and assists were DC records). He retired at the end of the 2003 season.
In 2005, he was named to theMLS All-Time Best XI.
On 23 September 2006, Etcheverry was honored at a home game against theNew York Red Bulls. During halftime he was put up on the "D.C. United Tradition of Excellence" sign in the stadium. After all of this Etcheverry walked over to theLa Barra Brava part of the stadium and did his trademark clap in front of them, he did after every game, win or lose.
On 20 October 2007, Etcheverry was honored with a tribute match at RFK Stadium, prior to United's regular-season finale versus Columbus. Etcheverry is the first United player to be so honored. Etcheverry, playing with teammates from the club's 1997 MLS Cup winning side, defeated Hollywood United (a collection of former players and actors), 2–1, with Etcheverry drawing and scoring the winning penalty in the final minute.
Etcheverry compiled 71 caps and scored 13 goals for theBolivia national team between 1989 and 2003.[3] He scored four times duringqualification for the1994 FIFA World Cup, including an 88th minute opening goal in a 2–0 defeat ofBrazil inLa Paz - the first ever loss by theSeleção in World Cup qualifying, to help Bolivia participate in its firstFIFA World Cup since1950.[4] At the tournament finals, Etcheverry wassent off for kickingLothar Matthäus four minutes after appearing as a substitute in the tournament's opening game againstGermany.[5] The subsequent suspension meant that Etcheverry played no further part in Bolivia's tournament, asLa Verde finished bottom ofGroup C with two losses and a draw toSouth Korea.[6]
Etcheverry scored twice in the1997 Copa América as Bolivia reached the final to achieve its best performance inthe competition since winning in1963. He went on to represent the team in the subsequentFIFA Confederations Cup in 1999.[7]
On 12 April 2006, theBolivian Congress awarded him with the "Order of Merit" and a title of "Distinguished Citizen", for his sport achievements, shortly after his retirement.[8]
Considered one of the greatest talents, if not the greatest, in the history of Bolivian football, Etcheverry was a left-footed attacking midfielder and central midfielder with great technique and creativity; his flair and exuberance made him an anarchic player, decidedly undisciplined both tactically and off the pitch, to the point of affecting his performance.[9][10]
Etcheverry made his debut as football coach in early 2008 after he accepted an offer from second division clubSociedad Deportiva Aucas, but he was sacked after only four months in charge.[11] On 6 October 2009, Etcheverry was announced as the newOriente Petrolero coach, replacingPablo Sánchez.[12][failed verification] But in the middle of the negotiations he decided not to go through.
He returned to the United States in 2023 to coach the under-15 boys' team for theD.C. United Academy.[13]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 20 June 1993 | Estadio 9 de Mayo,Machala, Ecuador |  Colombia | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1993 Copa América |
| 2 | 25 July 1993 | Estadio Hernando Siles,La Paz, Bolivia |  Brazil | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 3 | 8 August 1993 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia |  Uruguay | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 4 | 22 August 1993 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia |  Venezuela | 5–0 | 7–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification |
| 5 | 6–0 | |||||
| 6 | 11 July 1995 | Estadio Parque Artigas,Paysandú, Uruguay |  United States | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1995 Copa América |
| 7 | 25 October 1995 | Estadio Ramón Aguilera,Santa Cruz, Bolivia |  Ecuador | 1–0 | 2–2 | Friendly |
| 8 | 14 February 1996 | Estadio Olímpico Patria,Sucre, Bolivia |  Paraguay | 4–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
| 9 | 7 July 1996 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Venezuela | 2–0 | 6–1 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 10 | 12 January 1997 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Ecuador | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | 15 June 1997 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia |  Peru | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1997 Copa América |
| 12 | 21 June 1997 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Colombia | 1–0 | 2–1 | 1997 Copa América |
| 13 | 20 July 1997 | Estadio Hernando Siles, La Paz, Bolivia | Uruguay | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Bolivar
Colo-Colo
D.C. United
Barcelona S.C.
Oriente Petrolero
Bolivia Youth
Bolivia
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