José María Rivas Explained

Fullname:José María Rivas Martínez
Birth Date:12 May 1958
Birth Place:San Salvador, El Salvador
Position:Striker
Years1:1978–1984
Clubs1:Independiente
Years2:1985–1990
Clubs2:Atlético Marte
Years3:1990–1991
Clubs3:San Pedro Dolphins
Years4:1992
Clubs4:Huracán
Years5:1992
Clubs5:Cojutepeque
Nationalyears1:1980–1989
Nationalteam1:El Salvador
Nationalcaps1:47
Nationalgoals1:19

José María Rivas Martínez (12 May 1958 – 9 January 2016) was a football player from El Salvador.

Club career

Nicknamed Mandingo, Rivas played several years for Independiente De San Vicente and Atlético Marte, with whom he won a League Championship in 1985. In 1990, he joined San Pedro of Belize and after leaving them had short spells at the end of his career in the Salvadoran second division with Huracánand Cojutepeque.[1]

He won the 1985 Top league goal scorer award and also won the Golden Boot and Golden Ball in that year.

International career

The moustached Rivas made his official debut for El Salvador in a March 1980 friendly match against Panama, played in 17 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and featured in all three of El Salvador's games at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. He scored 19 goals for the El Salvador national football team from 1980 to 1989.[2] He scored 42 goals in 97 matches including non-official games.[3]

His final international game was a November 1989 FIFA World Cup qualification match against the United States in St. Louis.

Retirement and illness

After he retired, he was in charge of C.D. Árabe Marte and took the reins at FAS in 1999 along with José Luis Rugamas.[4]

During his playing career, he had obtained his medical diplomas to become a doctor and was part of the El Salvador national football team medical staff. In June 2011, it became clear Rivas was seriously ill[5] and needed a marrow operation, for which funds would be raised with a benefit match.[6] A lot of former players were reunited to help Rivas.[7] Rivas died of leukemia on 9 January 2016 at the age of 57.[8]

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: "El Mandigo Goleador urge de nuestra ayuda" – ESALMUNDOTV.COM :: Transmitiendo en directo desde El Salvador al Mundo . Esalmundotv.com . 2016-01-11.
  2. Web site: Owsianki, Jarek. El Salvador - Record International Players. 2004-04-18. RSSSF. 2016-01-11.
  3. http://fusaflor.org/carta-ayuda.pdf
  4. http://www.elsalvador.com/noticias/edicionesanteriores/mayo29/DEPORTES/depor7.html
  5. Web site: Jose Maria Mandingo Rivas Simbolo Marciano esta muy enfermo. ~ Club Deportivo Atletico Marte . Clubdeportivoatleticomarte.com . 2016-01-11.
  6. http://www.elsalvadorfc.com/2011-07-01-mandingo-rivas-necesita-ayuda
  7. Web site: http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=6429&idArt=6156512 . January 29, 2012 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110906115252/http://www.elsalvador.com/mwedh/nota/nota_completa.asp?idCat=6429&idArt=6156512 . September 6, 2011 .
  8. Web site: Falleció José María "Mandingo" Rivas | El Gráfico . Elgrafico.com . 2016-01-11.