Alberto Zapata Explained

Alberto Zapata
Fullname:Alberto de Jesús Zapata Urriola
Birth Date:28 February 1979
Birth Place:Panama City, Panama
Position:Forward
Currentclub:Atlético Nacional
Clubnumber:9
Years1:1999
Clubs1:Real España
Years2:1999
Years3:2000–2002
Years4:2001
Clubs4:Tecos UAG
Caps4:20
Goals4:16
Years5:2002
Years6:2003
Clubs6:Alianza (Panama)
Years7:2004
Clubs7:Olimpia Asunción
Years8:2005
Clubs8:Municipal Valencia
Years9:2005
Clubs9:Alianza (Panama)
Years10:2006
Clubs10:San Francisco
Years11:2007
Clubs11:Puerto Rico Islanders
Caps11:17
Goals11:4
Years12:2008
Caps12:37
Goals12:25
Years13:2009
Caps13:11
Goals13:1
Years14:2009
Caps14:10
Goals14:1
Years15:2010
Caps15:19
Goals15:5
Years16:2010–2012
Clubs16:Sporting San Miguelito
Caps16:29
Goals16:9
Years17:2013–2015
Nationalyears1:2000–2009
Nationalteam1:Panama
Nationalcaps1:15
Nationalgoals1:2
Pcupdate:28 September 2008
Ntupdate:October 20, 2008

Alberto de Jesús Zapata Urriola (born 28 February 1979) is a retired professional Panamanian football forward who played for last time in Atlético Nacional.

Club career

A much-travelled striker or attacking midfielder, Zapata played alongside compatriot Roberto Brown for Honduran side Real España in 1999[1] and left fellow Hondurans Vida in December 1999 after claiming the club had not paid him his wages.[2] In 2001, he played for Mexican second division side Tecos UAG,[3] for whom he rattled in 16 goals in 20 games.[4] He later joined Chorrillo from Tauro in his native Panama in summer 2002[5] and moved to Alianza in 2003,[6] winning the Panamanian league's MVP award 2003 in the process.[7]

In January 2004 he moved abroad again to play for Paraguayan giants Olimpia[8] and returned to Honduras in January 2005 when recommended to Municipal Valencia by Víctor René Mendieta.[9]

He returned to Panama in 2005 to play for Alianza again and from 2006 for San Francisco and played with fellow Panamanians Víctor Herrera Piggott and Gustavo Ávila at Puerto Rican outfit Puerto Rico Islanders in 2007. In January 2009 he went to Europe for a spell alongside Alberto Blanco in Israel with Lothar Matthäus-led Maccabi Netanya and scored his first goal for them in April 2009 against Hapoel Petah Tikva.[10] In July 2009 he signed with Salvadoran side Alianza,[11] only to leave them in November 2009 after an unsuccessful spell at the club.[12]

After another stint at San Francisco he moved to Sporting San Miguelito in summer 2010[13] and later joined then second division side Atlético Nacional. In June 2015 he clinched promotion to the LPF after his team Atlético Nacional won the Panamanian Second Division championship decider against SUNTRACS with Zapata scoring one of the goals.[14]

International career

Zapata made his debut for Panama in a January 2000 friendly match against Guatemala and has earned a total of 15 caps, scoring 2 goals. He represented his country in two qualifying matches for the 2002 FIFA World Cup and four qualifying matches for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[15]

His final international was a January 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup match against Guatemala.

International goals

Scores and results list. Panama's goal tally first.

Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. June 21, 2000 2 - 0 2 - 0 Friendly
2. January 27, 2009 1 - 0 1 - 0 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup

Notes and References

  1. http://www.panamaamerica.com.pa/content/alberto-zapata-aspira-dejar-honduras-y-jugar-en-m%C3%A9xico Alberto Zapata aspira dejar Honduras y jugar en México
  2. http://portal.critica.com.pa/archivo/122999/dep5.html Alberto Zapata no jugará para el Club Vida catracho
  3. http://portal.critica.com.pa/archivo/10082001/dep07.html Zapata con 12 goles en el fútbol azteca
  4. http://www.panamaamerica.com.pa/content/zapata-con-positiva-campa%C3%B1a-en-las-inferiores-de-los-tecos Zapata con positiva campaña en las inferiores de los Tecos
  5. http://impresa.prensa.com/deportes/Alberto-Zapata-nuevo-fichaje-Chorrillo_0_706429372.html Alberto Zapata es el nuevo fichaje de El Chorrillo
  6. http://portal.critica.com.pa/archivo/09102003/dep17.html El Alianza se encamina según su delantero Alberto Zapata
  7. http://www.panamaamerica.com.pa/content/alberto-zapata-m%C3%A1s-valioso-del-2003 Alberto Zapata más valioso del 2003
  8. http://impresa.prensa.com/deportes/Alberto-Zapata-sumo-plantel-Olimpia_0_1113638637.html Alberto Zapata se sumó al plantel de Olimpia
  9. http://www.panamaamerica.com.pa/content/alberto-zapata-jugar%C3%A1-en-honduras Alberto Zapata jugará en Honduras
  10. http://impresa.prensa.com/deportes/Zapata-anota-primer-futbol-Israel_0_2551994880.html Zapata anota su primer gol en el fútbol de Israel
  11. http://www.rpctv.com/deportes/futbol/Panameno-Zapata-reforzara-Alianza-Salvador_0_172182867.html Panameño Zapata reforzará al Alianza de El Salvador
  12. http://www.laprensagrafica.com/deportes/futbol-nacional/71108-zapata-se-fue-de-alianza.html Zapata se fue de Alianza
  13. http://impresa.prensa.com/deportes/Altas-bajas-LPF_0_2893210724.html TORNEO APERTURA DE LA LIGA PANAMEÑA DE FÚTBOL Altas y bajas de la LPF
  14. http://www.prensa.com/deportes/Policia-sube-LPF_0_4226577433.html Vence al Suntracs 3-0 La Policía Nacional sube a la LPF
  15. Web site: RSSSF. 2004 MATCHES : NORTH AND CENTRAL AMERICA AND CARIBBEAN. 2008-10-23. https://web.archive.org/web/20081011144359/http://www.rsssf.com/intldetails/2004nca.html. 11 October 2008 . live.