Gustavo Méndez

Gustavo Emilio Méndez Techera ( born February 3, 1971 in Montevideo ) is a former Uruguayan footballer who aground during his playing career for Nacional Montevideo, Vicenza Calcio and Torino Calcio and for the Uruguayan national football team.

Career

Association

Gustavo Méndez began his career in 1990 in his hometown at Nacional Montevideo, for the team he ran aground five years in the Uruguayan league. With the Uruguayan championship in 1992 with Nacional, he won his first title. Shortly afterwards, the then Italian first division club Vicenza Calcio caught the attention of the defenders and took him under contract. In his first season with Vicenza he reached the ninth in Serie A and in the following year was the national cup competition, the Coppa Italia, be won. The following two years with Vicenza were less successful.

In the 1997/98 season the league was achieved with only one point ahead of the relegated Brescia Calcio, in the following year, however, had second last to be started the transition in the B series. Mendéz then left the club and joined Torino Calcio on. In the 1999/2000 season the defender got off with Torino, the second- highest division, a year later, the direct re-emergence was achieved. In 2002, the Uruguayan returned to his homeland and signed for Nacional Montevideo, where he had already been consulted at the beginning of his career. With the team he won in 2002 and 2005 two more league titles before he ended his active career.

National

In 1993 Mendéz received the first contingents in the national team and made ​​his debut on August 29, 1993 at the World Cup qualifier against Venezuela for the Uruguayan selection. The defender missed after a defeat in the last game of the qualifying against Brazil with Uruguay to participate in the World Cup 1994. A year later, he took with Uruguay part in the Copa America and won after the final victory over Brazil surprising competition in the penalty shootout. In the following years he ran in four games in 1997, the Confederations Cup and reached by selecting the fourth. With the Uruguayan national team, he had been unable to qualify for the finals of the football World Cup in 1998. For the next Football World Cup 2002 was the same point before the Columbia ensure qualification for the finals. The defender was used in the first group match against Denmark, could not prevent the 1-2 defeat and resigned as third in the group with two points from the tournament. This commitment, dating from 1 June 2002, was also at the same time the last of his 46 caps. A goal he did not achieve during his national career.