Ulises de la Cruz

Ulises Hernán de la Cruz Bernardo ( born February 8, 1974 in Piquiucho ) is an Ecuadorian footballer.

Career

Ulises de la Cruz was born in Piquiucho, a small village in the Chota Valley, the politically belongs to the canton of Bolívar province of Carchi. He attended a football school in the poor area inhabited by Afro - Ecuadorians his homeland. He played for Ecuador's national youth teams and gave his debut in 1991 in the Ecuadorian championship for Deportivo Quito. In 1995 he moved to Barcelona SC Guayaquil to Guayaquil, the most important club in his home country. Here, however, he could not prevail permanently and was back in 1996 loaned to SD Aucas to Quito. His good performances there made ​​for his transfer to another top club in Ecuador, Liga de Quito, with which he won the Ecuadorian championship in 1998 and 1999. In 2000 he was briefly loaned to Cruzeiro Belo Horizonte in Brazil. In 2001 he moved to Europe to Hibernian Edinburgh Scotland. After a year he moved to Aston Villa in the English Premier League. For the 2006/07 season he was retired there and moved to the then newly promoted FC Reading. There, his contract was extended in May 2007 for one year, although de la Cruz was not a regular player. After the season 2007/ 08, in the Reading from the Premier League relegation and de la Cruz graduated six league games, the contract ran out. A transfer to FC Watford failed and de la Cruz was initially without a club. In March 2009, he signed a one- month contract with Birmingham City. In this short period, he played a league match as a substitute. He rejected a contract extension from to the end of the season. Instead, he signed in April 2009 with Liga de Quito in his native land a two -year contract from the second half of the 2009 season, which began in July.

De la Cruz has played 98 times in the Ecuadorian national team, scoring five goals (as of June 2008). He participated in the 2002 World Cup and was present at all three group games used. With the Football World Cup 2006 in Germany, he reached the second round with his team and was used in all four parties in Ecuador. In addition, he was. During the tournaments around the Copa América 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004 and 2007 in the squad Ecuador

He has a foundation that funds projects especially for children of their home communities. Among other things, it maintains in de la Cruz's home village a medical post with doctors and dentists.

Statistics

Clubs

  • Deportivo Quito (Ecuador, 1991-1995)
  • Barcelona SC Guayaquil (Ecuador, 1995/2001 )
  • SD Auca (Ecuador ) in 1996
  • Liga de Quito (Ecuador, 1997-2001)
  • Hibernian (Scottish Premier League, 2001/ 02; 32 games - 2 goals )
  • Aston Villa ( FA Premier League; 2002/03-2005/06; 89 matches - 3 goals )
  • Reading FC (FA Premier League; 2006/07-2007/08; 15 games - 1 goal)
  • Birmingham City (Football League Championship; 2009; 1 game)
  • Liga de Quito (Ecuador, 2009 -)

National

  • Participation in the World Cup 2002 (3 Inserts / 1 yellow card)
  • Participation in the World Cup 2006 (4 inserts)
  • Participation in tournaments around the Copa America 1997, 1999, 2001, 2004, 2007.

Title

  • Ecuadorian champion in 1998 and 1999 ( with Liga de Quito )
Defender (association football) Cruzeiro Esporte Clube Aston Villa F.C. Reading F.C. Birmingham City F.C. Chota, Ecuador Carchi Province Watford F.C. The Daily Telegraph
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