Víctor Rodríguez Andrade

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Víctor Rodríguez Andrade
Personal information
Full name Víctor Pablo Rodríguez Andrade
Date of birth(1927-05-02)2 May 1927
Place of birth Montevideo, Uruguay
Date of death 19 May 1985(1985-05-19) (aged 58)
Place of death Montevideo, Uruguay
Height1.69 m (5 ft 6+12 in)
Position(s) Halfback
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1945–1951 Central Español
1952–1957 Peñarol
International career
1947–1957 Uruguay 42 (0)
Medal record
Representing Flag of Uruguay.svg  Uruguay
FIFA World Cup
Winner 1950 Brazil
South American Championship
Winner 1956 Uruguay
Bronze medal icon.svg 1947 Ecuador
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Víctor Pablo Rodríguez Andrade (2 May 1927 [1] [2] – 19 May 1985) was an Uruguayan footballer. He was the left halfback of the Uruguay national team that won the 1950 World Cup tournament, after defeating Brazil in the decisive match.

Contents

He was the nephew of another Uruguayan international player, José Leandro Andrade, who was also a World Cup winner, having played for the Uruguay squad that won the first ever edition in 1930.

Rodríguez Andrade also played at the 1954 World Cup and won the 1956 South American Championship with Uruguay, and at the club level, he won two Uruguayan First Division titles with C.A. Peñarol. He is regarded as one of the finest midfielders ever.

Early life and career

Born in the Barrio Sur of Montevideo, Víctor Rodríguez came into the world in a family that deeply revered the legacy of his uncle, José Leandro Andrade, one of Uruguay's most celebrated footballers. The admiration for his uncle was evident, and it greatly influenced Rodríguez’s football career. Following the naming conventions of his family, Rodríguez took both of his last names, becoming Rodríguez Andrade. This not only paid tribute to his family heritage but also reflected the shared footballing greatness he hoped to emulate. Due to his family connection to Andrade, Rodríguez was often compared to his famous uncle, particularly due to their shared position as wingers. While Andrade had been a prominent player on the right flank, Rodríguez played on the left, earning him recognition as an important figure in Uruguayan football.

Growing up in the vibrant neighbourhoods of Barrio Sur and Barrio Palermo , Rodríguez was immersed in the world of street football. Like many young players, he honed his skills on the streets before joining a formal club. His early playing days saw him at Central Fútbol Club, a club that would become an important part of his football identity. It was at Central Fútbol Club that Rodríguez first made his mark, quickly earning a call-up to the national team in 1947 at the age of 19. His breakthrough at the club level and subsequent national team selection signified the beginning of what would be a distinguished career in Uruguayan football.

Rodríguez’s time at Central was a defining period in his career, where he became one of the most emblematic figures in the club’s history. He played a pivotal role during the early years of the club's rise, helping establish its legacy. However, in 1952, Rodríguez made the decision to leave Central Español, joining Peñarol, one of Uruguay’s most successful and revered football clubs. His move to Peñarol proved to be a turning point in his career. At Peñarol, Rodríguez became an integral part of the team, helping them secure the Uruguayan Championship in both 1953 and 1954, solidifying his status as one of Uruguay's top footballers of the era.

Rodríguez’s early career is remembered not only for his success at the club level but also for his consistency and remarkable skill on the wing. His contribution to both Central Español and Peñarol, as well as his early appearances for the national team, laid the foundation for a career that would continue to shine in South American football.

International career

Rodríguez Andrade wore the Uruguayan jersey from December 1947 to May 1957. He participated at the World Cup finals of 1950 and 1954, as well as the South American Championships of 1947 (his first official international tournament), 1953, and 1956. He earned a total of 42 caps for La Celeste with no goals. [3]

1950 World Cup and the Maracanazo

At the 1950 World Cup in Brazil, Rodríguez Andrade, who at 23 years old was one of the younger members of the Uruguayan squad, played in all four of his team's matches. In the final round match against the hosts, which would decide the winner of the tournament, his defensive duties included the marking of Zizinho, a task he was successful at until the beginning of the second half, when the Brazilian assisted Friaça, who scored the 1–0. However, as he later narrated himself, [4] Rodríguez Andrade saw the lineman lift his flag during the play, indicating offside against Brazil. In the second the Uruguayan lost when he looked at the judge, Friaça left him behind, to face the goalkeeper one-on-one. When he was confronted by Obdulio Varela, Rodríguez told him: "Fue offside, Jacinto", and then, in a key moment of the game, the captain, with the ball under his arm, protested to the referee for several moments; the goal stood, but Varela had cooled down the situation for Uruguay, and silenced the crowd. Uruguay regrouped, and then Juan Schiaffino scored the equalizer and Alcides Ghiggia the winner, to complete the famous upset known as the Maracanazo.

1954: End of World Cup glory

Four years later in Switzerland, the focal point of the spectacular World Cup finals was the Hungarian team. The "Golden Team" scored 17 goals in its two first round victories. Meanwhile, Uruguay played against Czechoslovakia and Scotland and won 2-0 and 7-0 respectively, to top their group. In the second round, they defeated England 4–2, and Hungary beat Brazil by the same score. The defending world champions and the favourites would clash in semi-finals, and in a match that is remembered as one of the most magnificent demonstrations of football by both teams, it took the Magyars 120 minutes to give Uruguay its first ever World Cup defeat. Rodríguez Andrade, who just as he did in 1950, played in every match of the tournament, had a strong performance in his final World Cup appearance, even though he had to play the extra time with a pulled muscle.

South American Championship

Uruguay, which had won its last South American title in 1942 when Rodríguez Andrade was in his teens, was unable to win it six straight times from 1945 to 1955, including the first two in which he appeared, 1953 and 1955. In the 1955 edition, they were humiliated in a 1–6 loss to Angel Labruna's Argentina. But in early 1956, Montevideo hosted the event, and veteran Andrade, who was the only remaining member of the 1950 World Cup final squad, led the Charrúas to win the title; they defeated Labruna and Omar Sivori's Argentina in the last match, which was, like six years earlier in Brazil, not a final, but just happened to be de deciding match. Rodríguez Andrade thus became the only Uruguayan player of his generation to win the World Cup and the South American Championship. [5]

After football

His last international match was on June 5, 1957, a 1–1 draw against Argentina. After ending his football career, he resided in Montevideo for the rest of his life. He worked as an usher at Montevideo's Palace of Congress for about 20 years, and during that time he was involved in the founding of basketball team 25 de Agosto of the Uruguayan Basketball Federation. Rodríguez Andrade died in May 1985, and a month after his death, Senator Luis Hierro Gambardella dedicated a speech to him during a session of the Congress. [6]

In December 2005, the Uruguayan Postal Administration issued a stamp commemorating the 100th anniversary of the foundation of Rodríguez' first team, Central F.C. (since 1971 Central Español). The stamp featured the images of three of the most emblematic figures of the history of the club: in the center, Víctor Rodríguez Andrade, accompanied by his teammate Luis Rijo, and his coach Juan López.

In March 2007, after a 2002 resolution, the Junta Departamental de Montevideo and the city's Comisión de Nomenclatura designated a street of the Barrio Sur "Pasaje Víctor Rodríguez Andrade", to honor the footballer. [1] [2]

Honours

Peñarol

Uruguay

Individual

Notes and references

  1. 1 2 (in Spanish) Junta Departamental de Montevideo, Acta Nº 1313 Archived 2007-09-28 at archive.today , Ordinary Session, March 8, 2007. Retrieved 2007-04-15
  2. 1 2 (in Spanish) Junta Departamental de Montevideo, Resolución Nº 8134 Archived 2006-10-06 at archive.today , July 11, 2002. Retrieved 2007-04-15
  3. Source: RSSSF (https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/uru-recintlp.html).
  4. Kalansky, Andrés (2006). "Andrade, La Perla Negra" (in Spanish). Don Balón, Spain. Archived from the original on 30 October 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  5. Uruguay defender William Martínez, who with Rodríguez Andrade won the 1956 South American Championship, was also in the 1950 World Cup squad, but did not play in that tournament.
  6. (in Spanish) Cámara de Senadores de la República Oriental del Uruguay, Nº 33 - Tomo 290, 32nd Ordinary Session, June 4, 1985. Retrieved 2007-04-15
  7. "IFFHS All-Time Uruguay Men's Dream Team". IFFHS. 5 August 2021. Retrieved 9 January 2023.

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