Carlos Roa
Encyclopedia
Carlos Ángel Roa is a retired Argentine
footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Most of his professional career - which was interrupted due to his Seventh-day Adventist Church
beliefs - was spent with Racing Avellaneda
and in Spain
with Mallorca
, winning one major trophy with the latter.
Roa was first-choice for the Argentine national team
at the 1998 World Cup
.
, making his Primera División debut on 6 November 1988, aged 19. During a summer tour of Africa
with the club, he contracted malaria
, but fully recovered. In 1994, he moved to Club Atlético Lanús
, rarely missing a match with the Buenos Aires Province
side as it achieved three consecutive third-place league finishes (one in 1995, two in 1996), and adding the Copa CONMEBOL
in 1996.
Roa then signed with Spain
's RCD Mallorca
, alongside Lanús teammate Óscar Mena
, playing 25 La Liga
matches as the Balearic Islands
club finished fifth straight out of Segunda División
, also reaching the final in the Copa del Rey
, lost against FC Barcelona
on penalties.
In the 1999 summer, after helping Mallorca win
the domestic Supercup
and reach the final
of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
(already accompanied in the team by former Lanús teammates Ariel Ibagaza
and Gustavo Siviero
), 30-year old Roa retired from football in order to take a religious retreat. After a year of charitable and religious work spent as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
, his convictions led to his refusal to discuss a new contract with his team, because he believed the world was going to end in the near future.
Less than one year later, Lechuga (lettuce
, a nickname
coming from his eating preferences) Roa returned to Mallorca, forced to play out the remaining two years of his contract. Never being able to reproduce his previous form, he was relegated to the bench by compatriot Leo Franco
.
Subsequently, Roa moved to another Spanish team, second division's Albacete Balompié
, appearing in 39 league as the Castile-La Mancha
side returned to the top division after a seven-year absence. Midway through the following season, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer
and was forced to stop playing; after an operation, he spent an entire year between chemotherapy and rehabilitation.
After keeping his fitness with amateurs CD Constancia
and CD Atlético Baleares
, both in the Majorca area, Roa returned to professional football and his country, joining Olimpo de Bahía Blanca
, and retiring after one top division season.
In 2008, Roa joined amateurs Club Atlético Brown as goalkeeper coach. Two years later, he was appointed assistant manager at Club Sportivo Ben Hur
.
for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
in France
. After not conceding any goals during the group stage, he saved the decisive penalty in the shootout against England
in the round of 16, denying Newcastle United
's David Batty
. The national team was eventually defeated in the following match by Holland
(1–2).
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
footballer who played as a goalkeeper.
Most of his professional career - which was interrupted due to his Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
beliefs - was spent with Racing Avellaneda
Racing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
and in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
with Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
, winning one major trophy with the latter.
Roa was first-choice for the Argentine national team
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
at the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
.
Club career
Roa started playing professionally for Racing Club de AvellanedaRacing Club de Avellaneda
Racing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
, making his Primera División debut on 6 November 1988, aged 19. During a summer tour of Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
with the club, he contracted malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
, but fully recovered. In 1994, he moved to Club Atlético Lanús
Club Atlético Lanús
Club Atlético Lanús is a sports club from Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Founded on 3 January 1915, the club's main sports are football and basketball. In both sports, Lanús plays in Argentina's top divisions: Primera División and Liga Nacional de Básquet...
, rarely missing a match with the Buenos Aires Province
Buenos Aires Province
The Province of Buenos Aires is the largest and most populous province of Argentina. It takes the name from the city of Buenos Aires, which used to be the provincial capital until it was federalized in 1880...
side as it achieved three consecutive third-place league finishes (one in 1995, two in 1996), and adding the Copa CONMEBOL
Copa CONMEBOL
The Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
in 1996.
Roa then signed with Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
's RCD Mallorca
RCD Mallorca
Real Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
, alongside Lanús teammate Óscar Mena
Óscar Alcides Mena
Oscar Alcides Mena Fernández, nicknamed El Mencho , is a retired Argentine footballer who played as a defensive midfielder.-Football career:...
, playing 25 La Liga
La Liga
The Primera División of the Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional , commonly known as La Liga or, for sponsorship reasons, Liga BBVA since 2008, is the top professional association football division of the Spanish football league system...
matches as the Balearic Islands
Balearic Islands
The Balearic Islands are an archipelago of Spain in the western Mediterranean Sea, near the eastern coast of the Iberian Peninsula.The four largest islands are: Majorca, Minorca, Ibiza and Formentera. The archipelago forms an autonomous community and a province of Spain with Palma as the capital...
club finished fifth straight out of Segunda División
Segunda División
The Segunda División is the lower tier of the two professional football leagues in Spain. From the season 2008-09 onwards, the name of the league is Liga Adelante.-History:...
, also reaching the final in the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey
The Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
, lost against FC Barcelona
FC Barcelona
Futbol Club Barcelona , also known as Barcelona and familiarly as Barça, is a professional football club, based in Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain....
on penalties.
In the 1999 summer, after helping Mallorca win
1998 Supercopa de España
The 1998 Supercopa de España was two-leg Spanish football matches played on 18 August and 22 August 1999. It contested by RCD Mallorca, who were Spanish Cup runner-up in 1997–98, and FC Barcelona, who won the 1997–98 Spanish League.-First leg:-Second leg:...
the domestic Supercup
Supercopa de España
The Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
and reach the final
1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final
The 1999 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup Final was a football match played between S.S. Lazio of Italy and RCD Mallorca of Spain, to determine the winner of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup 1998–99. The final was held at Villa Park in Birmingham on 19 May 1999...
of the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a football club competition contested annually by the most recent winners of all European domestic cup competitions. The cup is one of the many inter-European club competitions that have been organised by UEFA. The first competition was held in the 1960–61 season—but...
(already accompanied in the team by former Lanús teammates Ariel Ibagaza
Ariel Ibagaza
Ariel Miguel Santiago Ibagaza is an Argentine footballer who plays for Olympiacos FC in Greece.Nicknamed El Caño, his usual position is attacking midfielder, and he is well known for his technique and vision, and spent the vast majority of his professional career in Spain, where he represented...
and Gustavo Siviero
Gustavo Siviero
Gustavo Lionel Siviero is a retired Argentine professional footballer who played as a central defender.-Club career:...
), 30-year old Roa retired from football in order to take a religious retreat. After a year of charitable and religious work spent as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church
Seventh-day Adventist Church
The Seventh-day Adventist Church is a Protestant Christian denomination distinguished by its observance of Saturday, the original seventh day of the Judeo-Christian week, as the Sabbath, and by its emphasis on the imminent second coming of Jesus Christ...
, his convictions led to his refusal to discuss a new contract with his team, because he believed the world was going to end in the near future.
Less than one year later, Lechuga (lettuce
Lettuce
Lettuce is a temperate annual or biennial plant of the daisy family Asteraceae. It is most often grown as a leaf vegetable. It is eaten either raw, notably in salads, sandwiches, hamburgers, tacos, and many other dishes, or cooked, as in Chinese cuisine in which the stem becomes just as important...
, a nickname
Nickname
A nickname is "a usually familiar or humorous but sometimes pointed or cruel name given to a person or place, as a supposedly appropriate replacement for or addition to the proper name.", or a name similar in origin and pronunciation from the original name....
coming from his eating preferences) Roa returned to Mallorca, forced to play out the remaining two years of his contract. Never being able to reproduce his previous form, he was relegated to the bench by compatriot Leo Franco
Leo Franco
Leonardo "Leo" Neoren Franco is a professional Argentine footballer who plays for Real Zaragoza as a goalkeeper.-Club career:...
.
Subsequently, Roa moved to another Spanish team, second division's Albacete Balompié
Albacete Balompié
Albacete Balompié, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Albacete, in the autonomous community of Castile-La Mancha. Founded on August 2, 1940, it currently plays in Segunda División B, holding home matches at Estadio Carlos Belmonte, with a 17,300-seat capacity.-History:The club was founded...
, appearing in 39 league as the Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha
Castile-La Mancha is an autonomous community of Spain. Castile-La Mancha is bordered by Castile and León, Madrid, Aragon, Valencia, Murcia, Andalusia, and Extremadura. It is one of the most sparsely populated of Spain's autonomous communities...
side returned to the top division after a seven-year absence. Midway through the following season, he was diagnosed with testicular cancer
Testicular cancer
Testicular cancer is cancer that develops in the testicles, a part of the male reproductive system.In the United States, between 7,500 and 8,000 diagnoses of testicular cancer are made each year. In the UK, approximately 2,000 men are diagnosed each year. Over his lifetime, a man's risk of...
and was forced to stop playing; after an operation, he spent an entire year between chemotherapy and rehabilitation.
After keeping his fitness with amateurs CD Constancia
CD Constancia
Club Deportivo Constancia is a Spanish football team based in Inca, Majorca, in the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Founded in 1922, it plays in Tercera División, holding home games at Nou Camp d'Inca, with a capacity of 10,000 seats....
and CD Atlético Baleares
CD Atlético Baleares
Club Deportivo Atlético Baleares is a Spanish football team based in Palma, Majorca, in the autonomous community of the Balearic Islands. Founded on 27 May 1942, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 3.-History:...
, both in the Majorca area, Roa returned to professional football and his country, joining Olimpo de Bahía Blanca
Olimpo de Bahía Blanca
Club Olimpo, usually referred to as Olimpo de Bahía Blanca, is a sports club based in the city of Bahía Blanca, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. The club was founded on October 15, 1910, and their main activities are basketball and association football. The football team currently plays in the...
, and retiring after one top division season.
In 2008, Roa joined amateurs Club Atlético Brown as goalkeeper coach. Two years later, he was appointed assistant manager at Club Sportivo Ben Hur
Club Sportivo Ben Hur
Club Sportivo Ben Hur is an Argentine sports club from Rafaela, Santa Fe Province. The club was founded in 1940 and is mostly known for its basketball and football teams....
.
International career
Roa was selected by ArgentinaArgentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
for the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. After not conceding any goals during the group stage, he saved the decisive penalty in the shootout against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
in the round of 16, denying Newcastle United
Newcastle United F.C.
Newcastle United Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear. The club was founded in 1892 by the merger of Newcastle East End and Newcastle West End, and has played at its current home ground, St James' Park, since the merger...
's David Batty
David Batty
David Batty is an English retired professional footballer, who played as a defensive midfielder....
. The national team was eventually defeated in the following match by Holland
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
(1–2).
Club
- RacingRacing Club de AvellanedaRacing Club is an Argentine professional football club from Avellaneda, a suburb of Greater Buenos Aires. Founded in 1903, Racing has been historically considered one of the "big five" clubs of Argentine football...
:- Supercopa SudamericanaSupercopa SudamericanaThe Supercopa Sudamericana , also known as the Supercopa Libertadores João Havelange, Supercopa Libertadores, Supercopa João Havelange or simply Supercopa, was a football club competition contested annually by the past winners of the Copa Libertadores...
: 1988
- Supercopa Sudamericana
- LanúsClub Atlético LanúsClub Atlético Lanús is a sports club from Lanús, Buenos Aires Province, Argentina. Founded on 3 January 1915, the club's main sports are football and basketball. In both sports, Lanús plays in Argentina's top divisions: Primera División and Liga Nacional de Básquet...
- Copa CONMEBOLCopa CONMEBOLThe Copa CONMEBOL was an annual football cup competition organized by CONMEBOL between 1992 and 1999 for eligible South American football clubs. During its time of existence, it was the third most prestigious South American club football contest after the Copa Libertadores and Supercopa...
: 1996
- Copa CONMEBOL
- MallorcaRCD MallorcaReal Club Deportivo Mallorca is a Spanish football team based on Palma, Majorca, in the Balearic Islands. Founded on 5 March 1916, the team currently plays in the Spanish first division, holding home games at Son Moix....
:- Supercopa de EspañaSupercopa de EspañaThe Supercopa de España is a Spanish football championship contested by the winners of La Liga and the Copa del Rey...
: 1998 - Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: Runner-up 1997–98
- Supercopa de España