Guillermo Ramírez
Encyclopedia
Guillermo "El Pando" Ramírez Ortega (born March 26, 1978 in Livingston, Guatemala
) is a Guatemalan football midfielder
. He most recently played for C.D. Motagua in the Honduran top division
.
Ramírez is also currently a member of the Guatemala national team
and as of August 2008, he is Guatemala's most capped player of all time.
in Greece making him the first ever Guatemalan player to play in Europe, and in 2003 with Jaguares
in the Mexican First Division
.
He played the 2005 season on loan for the Los Angeles Galaxy
of Major League Soccer
. He struggled, scoring a lone goal during the regular season, but in the playoffs, in his only appearance, as a substitute in the MLS Cup
Final, he scored the game-winner in extra time to give Galaxy its second MLS title. This feat was in high contrast with his poor scoring percentage in the MLS regular season, with 62 shots and 1 goal, which incidentally came from a penalty.
After the 2005 MLS season, Ramírez went back to Municipal, where he remained until 2009, helping the team win four league championships during that period. He then joined C.D. Marathón in the Honduran 2009-2010 league season and had a respectable tournament; he scored in the final to earn the league championship. The following year, he rejoined Municipal, but then in January 2011 he signed a 6 month contract with C.D. Motagua where head coach Ramón Maradiaga
wanted him because of the type of player he was under his tenure managing the Guatemala national team
. He appeared in the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round
, scoring the last goal of a 4-0 win for Motagua against his former club Municipal.
in an April 1997 UNCAF Cup match against Costa Rica
and has earned over 100 caps since, being the most capped player in the history of the Guatemala national team. He has been part of the qualification processes
for the World Cup
s of 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. He captained the squad that reached the final stage of the 2006 World Cup qualification.
Los Angeles Galaxy
C.D. Marathón
C.D. Motagua
Livingston, Guatemala
Livingston is the name of a town in Izabal Department, eastern Guatemala, at the mouth of theRío Dulce at the Gulf of Honduras. The town serves as the municipal seat of the municipality of the same name.It was Guatemala's main port on the Caribbean Sea before the construction of nearby Puerto...
) is a Guatemalan football midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He most recently played for C.D. Motagua in the Honduran top division
Liga Nacional de Futbol de Honduras
Liga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras is the first and highest division of football in Honduras. The league season is divided into Opening and Closing . One team is relegated to the Liga de Ascenso and one team is promoted from Liga de Ascenso...
.
Ramírez is also currently a member of the Guatemala national team
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
and as of August 2008, he is Guatemala's most capped player of all time.
Club career
Having been a part of Municipal since 1995, Ramírez also had spells in 2001 with PAS GianninaPAS Giannina
PAS Giannina , the Panepirotic Athletic Association Giannina, is a Greek association football club based in the city of Ioannina, the capital of Greece’s Epirus region.Following the 2010–11 season, PAS was promoted to Greece’s Super League division...
in Greece making him the first ever Guatemalan player to play in Europe, and in 2003 with Jaguares
Jaguares de Chiapas
The Club de Fútbol Jaguares de Chiapas, is a Mexican football club now based in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, in the state of Chiapas. They currently play in Primera División de México...
in the Mexican First Division
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 played the 2005 season on loan for the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
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...
. He struggled, scoring a lone goal during the regular season, but in the playoffs, in his only appearance, as a substitute in the 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...
Final, he scored the game-winner in extra time to give Galaxy its second MLS title. This feat was in high contrast with his poor scoring percentage in the MLS regular season, with 62 shots and 1 goal, which incidentally came from a penalty.
After the 2005 MLS season, Ramírez went back to Municipal, where he remained until 2009, helping the team win four league championships during that period. He then joined C.D. Marathón in the Honduran 2009-2010 league season and had a respectable tournament; he scored in the final to earn the league championship. The following year, he rejoined Municipal, but then in January 2011 he signed a 6 month contract with C.D. Motagua where head coach Ramón Maradiaga
Ramón Maradiaga
Ramón Enrique Maradiaga Chávez is a retired Honduran football player. Currently, he is coach of the C.D. Motagua....
wanted him because of the type of player he was under his tenure managing the Guatemala national team
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
. He appeared in the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round
2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round
The 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League Preliminary Round was played from July to August 2011. The first legs were played July 26–28, 2011, and the second legs were played August 2–4, 2011....
, scoring the last goal of a 4-0 win for Motagua against his former club Municipal.
International career
Ramírez made his debut for GuatemalaGuatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
in an April 1997 UNCAF Cup match against Costa Rica
Costa Rica national football team
The Costa Rica national football team, nicknamed La Sele, is the national team of Costa Rica and is controlled by the Federación Costarricense de Fútbol. Costa Rica is the third most successful team in CONCACAF after Mexico and the United States...
and has earned over 100 caps since, being the most capped player in the history of the Guatemala national team. He has been part of the qualification processes
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
for the World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
s of 2002, 2006, 2010, and 2014. He captained the squad that reached the final stage of the 2006 World Cup qualification.
Honors
C.S.D. Municipal- Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala League Championships (8) : 2000 Apertura, 2004 Apertura, 2005 Clausura, 2005 Apertura, 2006 Clausura, 2006 Apertura, 2008 Clausura, 2009 Apertura
Los Angeles Galaxy
- 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...
MLS Cup (1): 2005
C.D. Marathón
- Liga Nacional de Fútbol de HondurasLiga Nacional de Futbol de HondurasLiga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras is the first and highest division of football in Honduras. The league season is divided into Opening and Closing . One team is relegated to the Liga de Ascenso and one team is promoted from Liga de Ascenso...
League Championship (1) : 2009–10 Apertura2009–10 Honduran Liga NacionalThe 2009–10 Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras season is the 45th season of top-flight professional football in Honduras and the nineteenth season in which the Apertura and Clausura system is used....
C.D. Motagua
- Liga Nacional de Fútbol de HondurasLiga Nacional de Futbol de HondurasLiga Nacional de Fútbol Profesional de Honduras is the first and highest division of football in Honduras. The league season is divided into Opening and Closing . One team is relegated to the Liga de Ascenso and one team is promoted from Liga de Ascenso...
League Championship (1) : 2010–11 Clausura2010–11 Honduran Liga NacionalThe 2010–11 season in Liga Nacional de Fútbol de Honduras will be divided into two tournaments and will determine the 57th and 58th champions in the history of the league. It will also provide two berths for the 2011–12 CONCACAF Champions League...
External links
- Player profile - CSD Municipal
- FIFA.com - Individual record at FIFA tournaments - FIFA
- Career stats - National Football Teams
- Mexican league stats - Mediotiempo