| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rafael Garza Gutiérrez | ||
| Date of birth | (1896-12-13)December 13, 1896 | ||
| Place of birth | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
| Date of death | July 3, 1974(1974-07-03) (aged 77) | ||
| Place of death | Mexico City, Mexico | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1916–1932 | América | ||
| International career | |||
| 1923–1930 | Mexico | 11 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 1917–1919 | América (player-manager) | ||
| 1920–1926 | América (player-manager) | ||
| 1929–1931 | América (player-manager) | ||
| 1933–1935 | América | ||
| 1934 | Mexico | ||
| 1935–1936 | América | ||
| 1937–1938 | Mexico | ||
| 1937–1942 | América | ||
| 1946–1949 | América | ||
| 1949 | Mexico | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rafael Garza Gutiérrez (13 December 1896 – 3 July 1974), nicknamed "Récord", was a Mexicanfootball player and coach. He, along with other members of the Garza family, are recognized as the founders ofClub América. He was adefender for that club as well as theSelección de fútbol de México (Mexico national team). Upon retiring, he took the reins of his beloved club as an executive and later served as the national team manager[citation needed]. He is an Olympian.[1]
Garza Gutiérrez, and a group of young men, championed the idea of a Club América when on 12 October 1916 (Columbus Day; Spanish, "Día del descubrimiento de America"/"Day of the discovery of America"), met. There existed Garza's "Récord" (which would later become his personal nickname) and Germán Nuñez's "Unión"; they consolidated forces. The name came from the significance of the day on which the club was established.[citation needed]
Garza continued in 1917 to be a force when América was "promoted" to compete inLiga Mayor de la Ciudad (Major League of Mexico City). Garza led América to four consecutive championships (player in1924–25; and player/coach in1925–26,1926–27,1927–28). America would have its next league championship in1965–66.[citation needed]He retired from America in 1932.[2]
Garza's early success brought him to the attention of those that championed the idea of a national team to represent Mexico in international competition. This team would be governed byMexican Football Federation (Spanish:Federación Mexicana de Fútbol Asociación; FEMEXFUT), when it was created in 1927. Garza was elected to be the team's first head coach, although he had been informally coaching what was then the team since 1923. He continued at his post until 1928. He played as a defender at the firstFIFA World Cup, held inUruguay in 1930. After his retirement as a player, he continued to coach the Mexico national team three times (1934–35, 1937 and 1949).[citation needed]
He was on the football team sent by Mexico to compete at the1928 Olympic Summer.[3][4]
Primera División:1924–25,1925–26,1926–27,1927–28
Copa Challenger: 1927
Primera División:1926–27,1927–28
NAFC Championship: 1949
Mexico squads | |||||||||||||
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