Diego Jiménez
Encyclopedia
Diego Octavio Jiménez Villa (born April 7, 1986 in Tepatitlán, Jalisco) is a Mexican
football defender
. He currently plays for Morelia of the Primera División de México
. He is known as "Tepa".
After a lengthy pursuit for his signature, Jiménez was loaned to New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
during the July 2008 transfer window by UAG Tecos. After signing it took awhile for Jiménez to establish himself at the club. Suspensions and ineffective play by the teams starting central defenders, opened up an opportunity for Diego. Jiménez started both legs of the clubs improbable 4-1 aggregate victory over defending champion Houston Dynamo
in the 2008 MLS Playoffs, leading the backline in negating one of the league's most potent attacks. He then helped New York reach the 2008 MLS Cup
by defeating Real Salt Lake
1-0 in Utah.
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
football defender
Defender (association football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
. He currently plays for Morelia of the Primera División de México
Primera División de México
The Primera División Profesional , known simply as the Primera División, is the top level of the Mexican football league system and is administered by the Mexican Football Federation. It was established in 1943 and as of 2011 has 18 clubs. Up to June 2011, it was divided into three groups competing...
. He is known as "Tepa".
Club career
The Mexican defender began his career with the Estudiantes reserve side, appearing in 29 matches and scoring one goal. He then went to Tecos 2A side, where he anchored the back line during the 2004 Clausura appearing in all 17 matches. His play in 2005 with Tecomán drew the attention of the Tecos UAG first team and Jiménez was quickly called up by Tecos. He debuted with Tecos in the Mexican First Division during the 2005 Apertura and made 11 appearances including seven starts.After a lengthy pursuit for his signature, Jiménez was loaned to New York Red Bulls of Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
during the July 2008 transfer window by UAG Tecos. After signing it took awhile for Jiménez to establish himself at the club. Suspensions and ineffective play by the teams starting central defenders, opened up an opportunity for Diego. Jiménez started both legs of the clubs improbable 4-1 aggregate victory over defending champion Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
in the 2008 MLS Playoffs, leading the backline in negating one of the league's most potent attacks. He then helped New York reach the 2008 MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
by defeating Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
1-0 in Utah.
National team
Jiménez was a starter on Mexico’s Under-21 and Under-20 National Team, including playing in the Touloun Youth Tournament in France in 2006.Statistics
| League | Appearances | Goals |
|---|---|---|
 Mexican First Division |
99 | 3 |
 Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada... |
10 | 0 |
New York Red Bulls
- Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Western Conference Championship (1): 20082008 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...