C.D. Águila Explained

Fullname:Club Deportivo Águila
Clubname:Águila
Nickname:Aguiluchos
Emplumados
La 50+1
Negronaranjas
Ground:Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza
Capacity:14,000
Chrtitle:President
Chairman: José Alexander Menjivar
Manager: Daniel Messina
League: Primera División
Current:2022-23 Primera División de El Salvador
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Club Deportivo Águila, commonly known as Águila, is a Salvadoran professional football club based in San Miguel. The club currently competes in Primera División, the top tier of El Salvador football league system.[1]

Águila is one of the most successful clubs in El Salvador football history.[2] C.D. Águila have won seventeen Primera División championships, one Copa Presidente, and one CONCACAF Champions' Cup 1976. Their CONCACAF Champions' Cup 1976 win made them the second Salvadoran team to win a CONCACAF title.

Since 1956, Águila have played their home games at Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza. The stadium is one of the biggest stadiums in El Salvador.

Aguila is one of the most widely supported football clubs in El Salvador, and has long standing rivalry with neighbours Dragón, known as the San Miguel derby, and also competes with power club FAS, known as El Clásico (English: The Classic).[3]

History

Foundation and early years

Club Deportivo Águila was founded on 15 February 1926, in the City of San Miguel, by a group of young people.[4] The first club President was Victor Vanegas.The major goal of the club was first to establish a baseball team, and later develop football and basketball teams. At the beginning, baseball and football were not as successful as basketball with the team dominating in both El Salvador as in neighbouring countries.

In 1956, a group met in San Miguel and decided to form a football team named Club Deportivo Águila. Their first act was to meet with the president of Alacranes, Miguel Sagastizado, after sometime negotiating, they purchased their spot in Liga B and this was ratified by FESFUT on 21 August 1956. In the first season the club played under the name of CD A, this was due to another club in the division Águilas FC from Santa Tecla having a similar name.To attract big names players the clubs paid a minimum of 75 colones per month (US$8), which was above the average of their three biggest rivals (Dragon Rácing and Corona) paid their players per month, which was around 30 to 50 colones (US$3.40 – 5.70). This allowed them to signed players such as Juan Francisco Barraza, Esteban Blanco, Salvador Hernández, Fito Fuentes, Juan Merthem, Atilio Pineda, Honduran Manuel Larios, Saul Molina and Rodolfo Fuentes. This came at great cost professionally as FESFUT barred the players to play for the national team as no second division players were allowed to represent the national team.They hired Argentinian Agustin Noriega who previously coached Guatemalan club like Guatemala Deportiva.CD A first game was a 2–2 all draw with Titan, with Juan Antonio "Maquinita" Merlos scoring both goals, by the end of the season Juan Merlos was the team leading scorer with 16 goals.

During its time in the lower leagues, it fought for the affections of the San Miguel people alongside rival Dragón, but when they were promoted to the Liga, it attracted a following not only from San Miguel but also from the entire country. Proof of this was demonstrated by the fact that the teams sold more tickets when the local club played against Águila.

First titles

After two years in the Liga B (Segunda Division), Aguila qualified to Championship/Promotional series against Atlético Constancia (Currently known as Alianza F.C. Aguila won the first game 2–0, thanks to a double from Juan Antonio Merlos, and after 0–0 draw in the second leg. Aguila were promoted to the first division for the first time in the club history.In their very first campaign, Under the tutelage of Conrado Miranda, Aguila won their first titles thank to combination of based players Juan Francisco Barraza, Juan Antonio Merlos and Saul Molina, and the incorporation of Costa Rican Fernando Jiménez. They became the first club to win a title after gaining promotion, only two other clubs have done that in the history of Primera Division (C.D. Platense Municipal Zacatecoluca and C.D. Vista Hermosa).

Titles

C.D. Águila ranks second in the number of championships won in El Salvador with fifteen titles. The two most successful managers in the club history are Conrado Miranda (1959, 1975, 1976) and Argentinian Hugo Coria (Apertura 1999, Apertura 2000, Clausura 2001) with three titles each, Juan Francisco Barraza (1972, 1983) and Victor Manuel Ochoa (1963, 1964) with two titles each, while Honduran Carlos Padilla (1960), Brazilian Zózimo (1968), Chilean Hernán Carrasco Vivanco (1986) and Serbian-Salvadoran Vladan Vićević (Clausura 2006) won one title each. They were also winners of the Copa President in 2000 and won the CONCACAF Champions League.

The members of the team that conquered the first championship in 1959 were Luis Alberto López, Rodolfo Fuentes, Justiniano Jiménez, Manuel Larios, Raúl Vásquez, Raúl Bonilla, Raúl Lizano, Juan Francisco Barraza, Juan Antonio Merlos,[5] and Saúl Molina.[6]

Sponsorship

Companies that Águila currently has sponsorship deals with for 2024–2025 includes:

Stadium

Águila plays its home games at Estadio Juan Francisco Barraza located in San Miguel. The stadium has a capacity of 10,000 people.

Colours and crest

Since the club foundation the clubs have always played in orange with black stripes shirt, black shorts and orange socks.
[7]
While the club alternative kit is Black with Orange stripes.

Statistics and records

See main article: C.D. Águila records and statistics.

TBD holds the record for most Águila appearances, having played TBD first-team matches from TBD to TBD. The record for Águila's most capped international player is Rudis Corrales with 77 caps (33 while at the club), Arnold Cruz of Honduras is Águila's most capped foreign international player with 55 caps.

Luis Ramírez Zapata is Águila's all-time top goalscorer, with 184 goals. other players have also scored over 100 goals for Águila: Hugo Coria and the previous goalscoring record-holder Félix Pineda (1971–1983).

Rivalries

Águila's biggest rivalries are with Alianza, Luis Ángel Firpo and FAS. Together, these teams form the "Big Four" of Salvadoran football, and are the primary title contenders each season.

The rivalry stems not only from their competitiveness, but from the economic, political, and cultural clashes between the cities of San Miguel, Santa Ana and San Salvador, where the other three clubs are based.

El Clásico

Of those rivalries, Águila's rivalry with FAS is the strongest and most passionate. That rivalry is traditionally referred to as El Clásico. The first in the series took place on 17 May 1959, and ended in a 1–1 draw. The most recent match was a 2-2 draw on the 24th of September, 2023.The teams have played 255 matches in all competitions, Aguila winning 81, FAS 92, and the remaining 82 having been drawn.

El Derbi Migueleño

The rivalry between Aguila and Dragón due to the fact that both teams are based in San Miguel. https://historico.elsalvador.com/historico/276886/aguila-contra-dragon-una-batalla-de-altura.html

The intense feelings between the two sides began early on due to the close proximity and the switching of players between the clubs. The biggest defection occurred in the 1950s when legendary players Juan Francisco Barraza and left the championship side of Dragon to Aguila and started a dynasty. The sole final played between the two teams ended 1–0 to Dragon. The most recent match was a 3-0 victory by Aguila on the 29 July, 2024. [Aguila winning 48, Dragon 12, and the remaining 24 having been drawn]The teams have played 84 matches in all competitions, Aguila winning 49, Dragon 12, and the remaining 24 having been drawn. https://diario1.com/?zona-deportiva=aguila-golea-a-dragon-en-el-arranque-del-apertura-2024

Honours

Águila is historically the third most successful team in El Salvador football, as they have won the second most championships. They are also one of El Salvador's most successful team in international competitions, having won one trophy. Águila is one of only three clubs to have won the CONCACAF Champions' Cup.

Domestic honours

Leagues

Cups

CONCACAF

Current squad

Updated 1 August 2024

Players with dual citizenship

Out

Personnel

Coaching staff

As of June 2024

PositionStaff
Manager Daniel Messina (*)
Assistant Managers Miguel Gonzalez (*)
Reserve Manager Eduardo Castillo
Under 17 Manager Amilcar Alfonso Guzman
Ladies Manager José de la Paz Portillo
Fitness Coach Julio Gimenez (*)
Goalkeeper Coach Sergio Munoz (*)
Sport Director
Team Doctor Dr. Pedro Grande
General Physician Dr. Salvador Beltrán
Knesliogiocal Dr. Antonio Platero
Utility Roric Sigaran
Sub-Utility Ricardo Morreira
Sub-Utility Franklin Villatoro and Rorig Sigaran

Management

As of January 2022

PositionStaff
Owner Empresario Salume Grupo
President Alejandro Gonzalez
Vice President Carlos Escobar
Secretary Jose Victorino Villatoro
Treasurer Harold David Hernandez
First Speaker Carlos Arturo Espinoza
Second Speaker Jorge Salguero
managing director José Argueta
Executive Manager Miguel Chahin
Press Manager Óskar Cruz
Manager of the academy Roberto Montoya
Scout Manager

Presidential history

Aguila have had numerous presidents over the course of their history, some of which have been the owners of the club, others have been honorary presidents, here is a complete list of them.

 
NameYears
Miguel Charlaix F.1959–66
Federico Garcia Prieto H.1967–68
Enrique Garcia-Prieto H.1969–70
Carlos Garcia-Prieto H.1971–74
Saturnino Durlen Vargas1975–77
Federico Garcia-Prieto H.1977–78
Ernesto Muyshondt Parker1979–81
 
NameYears
Federico Garcia-Prieto N.1982
Carlos Garcia-Prieto Hirleman1983–84
Reynaldo López Nuila1985–89
Carlos Garcia-Prieto Hirleman1989–98
Alejandro González Arguello1998–05
Lisandro Pohl2005–06
Salvador Galeas2006–09
 
NameYears
Will Salgado2009–10
Julio Sosa2010–13
Pedro Fausto Arieta2014–2016
Pedro Arieta Iglesias2016–2018
Óskar Cruz (interim)2018
Doctor José Victorino Villatoro2018–2019
Alexander Menjívar2019–2020
José Raúl Díaz2020–2021
Alejandro González2022–present

Notable players

World Cup winners

Players that have played for Águila in their career and won a World Cup:

South American Championship runners-up

Players that have played for Águila in their career and finished up as runners-up South American Championship:

World Cup players

Players that have played for Águila in their career and played in a World Cup:

Team captains

NameYears
Juan Francisco Barraza1963–1964
Sergio Méndez1965
Jorge Bucaro1968-1969
Luis Rivas1973–1975, 1977-1978
David Pinho1976
Francisco Jovel Cruz1979–1980
Félix Pineda1983
Luis Ramírez Zapata1984
Mario Castillo1986–1987
Ramón Maradiaga1988
Amadeo Machado1990
Pedro Mayen1991
Hugo Coria1991–1992
Wilfredo Figueroa1994–1999
Mario Mayén Meza1999–2000
José Alexander Amaya2001–2004
Jorge Humberto Rodriguez2005–2006
Fabio Ulloa2006–2007
Victor Velasquez2008
Hermes Martinez Misal2009
William Torres Alegria2010
Luis Anaya2011–2012
Deris Umanzor2013–2016
Henry Romero2016–2017
Deris Umanzor2017
Benji Villalobos2018–2019
Andres Quejada2019–2021
Fredy Espinoza2021
Benji Villalobos2022
Gerson Mayen2023–2024
TBD2024–present

Head coaches

See main article: List of head coaches of Águila.

Aguila has had various coaches since its formation in 1956. In 1956, Argentinian Gregorio Bundio Núñez became the club's first full-time head coach.Conrado Miranda is the club's most successful coach, having won three Primera División titles, and one CONCACAF Champions' Cup 1976, followed closely by Hugo Coria who won two primera titles, and won Copa Presidente 1999–2000, and Victor Manuel Ochoa who won two titles as well.Hugo Coria has served five terms as head coach.

The following managers won at least one trophy when in charge of Aguila
NamePeriodTrophies
Conrado Miranda1959–1960, 1975–19783 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (1959,1975–76, 1976–77), 1 CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1976)
Hugo Coria1999–2000, 2002, 2003–2004, 2011, 20202 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (Apertura 1999, Apertura 2000), 1 Copa Presidente
Victor Manuel Ochoa1963–19652 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (1963–64, 1964)
Juan Francisco Barraza1971–1973, 1981–19832 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (1972,1983)
Carlos Padilla19601 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (1960–1961)
Zózimo19681 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (1967-1968)
Hernán Carrasco Vivanco1974, 1986–19881 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (1987–88)
Saul Lorenzo Rivero20011 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (Clausura 2001)
Vladan Vićević20061 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (Clausura 2006)
Víctor Coreas2012–20131 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (Clausura 2012)
Carlos Romero2018–20191 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (Clausura 2019)
Agustín Vicente Noriega1956–19591 Segunda División Salvadorean
Ernesto Corti2023-20241 Primera División de Fútbol Profesional (2023 Apertura)

Kit makers

YearsKit manufacturers
1956–1980 Nil shirt Maker
1985–1987 Pony
1987–1992 Nil Shirt Sponsor
1997 AVIVA
1998-1999 Garcis
2000 Joma
2001–02 Galaxia
2003–04 Umbro
2004–2005 AVIVA
2004–07 Diadora
2007–09 Joma
2010 Nike
2011–12 Galaxia
2013 Diadora
2014–2018 Joma
2018–2019 Maca
2019–Present Umbro

Other departments

Football

Reserve team

The reserve team serves mainly as the final stepping stone for promising young players under the age of 21 before being promoted to the main team. The second team is coached by Eduardo Castillo. the team played in the Primera División Reserves, their greatest successes were winning the Reserve championships in Apertura 2001, Apertura 2005, Apertura 2007, Clausura 2017, Apertura 2017, Clausura 2019, Apertura 2023.

Águila's youth squad plays in the ten-team Primera División Reserves (El Salvador). Current members of the squad are:As of August 2023

Junior teams

The youth team (under 17 and under 15) has produced some of El Salvador's top football players, including TBD and TBD. The Under 17 finished 3rd place at the 2018 UNCAF U-17 Interclub Cup, the highest finish internationally done by a Salvadoran team in that age range.[9]

Women's team

The women's first team, which is led by head coach TBD, features several members of the El Salvador national ladies team. Their greatest successes were reaching the semi-finals the in Apertura 2020.

Other sports

Aguila has other departments for a variety of sports.

Basketball

Aguila Básquetbol Club or Águila BC for short was founded on TBD and play Liga Mayor de Baloncesto (LMB) which is the highest level in El Salvador league tier. the club is led by head coach Argentinian Pablo Epeloa, the club features several key members including American Marquise Mosley and TBD. Their greatest successes were winning the 2015 Apertura and the Clausura 2022. https://www.elsalvador.com/deportes/otros-deportes/baloncesto-cd-aguila-campeones-lmb-santa-tecla-bc/1023736/2022/

They currently play the Cancha Alvarez y Biblioteca e Infocentro Municipal, San Miguel.Previous coach: Roberto CarrilloNotable players:

Baseball

Aguila Béisbol Club was founded in 2016 and play Liga Nacional de Béisbol (LNB) which is the highest level in El Salvador league tier. the club is led by head coach Venezuelan Jesús Cartagena, the club features several key members including Puerto Rican Bryan Vásquez and TBD. Their greatest successes was TBD

Volleyball

Aguila Voleibol Club was founded in 2016 and play Campeonaro Nacional which is the highest level in El Salvador league tier. the club is led by head coach TBD, the club features several key members including TBD and TBD. Their greatest successes were reaching the TBD.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Raúl Recinos . Águila comenzará su pretemporada con un cuadro tranquilo . Elsalvador.com . 2017-06-25 . 2017-07-19 . 6 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180706161810/https://www.elsalvador.com/deportes/futbol/366407/aguila-comenzara-su-pretemporada-con-un-cuadro-tranquilo/ . live .
  2. Web site: Águila confirma amistoso ante Olimpia de Honduras | El Gráfico . Elgrafico.com . 2017-07-19 . 20 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170720095933/http://www.elgrafico.com/2017/07/17/aguila-confirma-amistoso-ante-olimpia-de-honduras . dead .
  3. Web site: Salvadoreños lucen los colores del Águila en el Camp Nou | El Gráfico . Elgrafico.com . 2017-06-30 . 2017-07-19 . 4 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170704204208/http://www.elgrafico.com/2017/07/01/salvadorenos-lucen-los-colores-del-aguila-en-el-camp-nou . dead .
  4. Web site: .:. Club Deportivo Águila .:. Historia . 2009-10-09 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20091021092629/http://www.cdaguila.com.sv/aguila/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=86&Itemid=53 . 21 October 2009 .
  5. Web site: Juan Antonio Merlos . Juan Antonio Merlos : Juan Antonio Merlos Cabrera . Ceroacero.es . 1941-12-03 . 2017-07-19.
  6. Web site: Saúl Molina . Saúl Molina : Saúl Victorino Molina . Ceroacero.es . 1938-03-14 . 2017-07-19.
  7. Web site: aguilaonline: CAMISETAS . Aguilaonline.blogspot.com.au . 2017-07-19 . 22 November 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161122063619/http://aguilaonline.blogspot.com.au/p/camisetas.html . live .
  8. Web site: Águila se lleva la Supercopa al vencer en penaltis al Alianza .
  9. Web site: Águila finaliza tercero en el torneo Interclubes sub 17 .