Julio Arca
Encyclopedia
Julio Andrés Arca is an Argentine footballer, he currently plays for Middlesbrough
. Arca is also a former Argentina Under-20 captain. He is a left back or midfielder. An attack minded player, his key attributes include good long and short passing as well as hard work.
's manager, Peter Reid
, signed Arca in 2000 from Argentinos Juniors
with a £3.5 million five-year deal, while holding off competition from Newcastle United
and Leeds United. He was an immediate success, scoring on his debut at the Stadium of Light
against West Ham United
. Peter Reid spotted him in an Under 21s match playing against England at Craven Cottage
and tracked him until completing the signing in July 2000.
Arca played for his previous club and national team at left back, but was successfully converted to left midfield by Reid. Arca was Reid's most expensive signing of that summer and was then second only behind Stefan Schwarz
as the club's record buy. The youngster was tipped for the brightest of futures and full international honours in the near future.
Arca scored three times for the Black Cats in his first season in the Premiership. However, like so many Sunderland players, Arca's 2001–02 campaign
was disappointing as he was troubled by a series of niggling injuries. He did not manage to rediscover his form of the previous season, and was out of action from February.
At the start of the 2002–03 campaign
, Arca, who had then played 54 games for the club, stated his determination to get back to his best – both in fitness and form. He became a regular once again after Sunderland's relegation that season, and was arguably their best player as they returned to the Premiership under manager Mick McCarthy
, winning the Football League Championship
in 2004–05
. Arca was also named in the PFA Team of the Year
for First Division team in 2004 and Championship team in 2005.
Sunderland were relegated in the 2005–06 season
. As a result of relegation, Arca moved back to the Premiership joining North-East rivals Middlesbrough
as a replacement for Franck Queudrue
who moved to Fulham
's first senior player signing in the dawn of the 2006–07 season
on a five-year deal for a reported fee of £1,750,000. Arca had scored the previous season against Middlesbrough in a 2–0 win for Sunderland with a superb free kick, their first win of a disastrous season for the black cats.
Arca had a terrible debut for Middlesbrough, breaking his toe early in the match. After regaining fitness he proved a revelation. With the progress of Andrew Taylor
at left-back, Arca has been utilised as central attacking midfielder. His performances have earned rave reviews with many suggesting an international call-up would be just rewards. He scored his first goal for the club against Charlton
in December 2006..
After that, Arca has established himself in the centre of the midfield. Some excellent performances, most notably in the 2–2 draw with Manchester United F.C. in the FA Cup
, have led to speculation by the English press, that he could soon be awarded full international honours with Argentina
.
He is still liked strongly by most Sunderland fans despite moving to their local rivals, and in the 2007 Tees-Wear derby
at the Riverside
when he went off injured after scoring against them, he was cheered by the visiting Sunderland supporters. Unfortunately, following this injury Arca struggled to regain his excellent form in the months prior to it.
In January 2008, Arca was named the new Middlesbrough captain by manager Gareth Southgate
, replacing fellow midfielder
George Boateng
as skipper. His first game as captain was against Blackburn Rovers F.C. in the Premier League, the match ended 1–1. After only a few games leading the team he was replaced by Austria
n left back Emanuel Pogatetz
.
Arca regained fine form towards the end of 2010, scoring in Middlesbrough's 2-1 win over Chesterfield in the Carling Cup and scoring his first league goal for over three years from a rare penalty kick, to give Middlesbrough a 1-0 victory over Cardiff. He scored his second of the season against Hull, and later that week, he scored his third of the campaign on a 2-1 win over Coventry City. His goal the equaliser from the edge of the penalty area, a stinging shot firing in close to the keeper.
His contract ended at the end of the 2010/2011 season, but re-signed with a two year contract on the 12th August 2011.
He made his first appearance for middlesbrough after signing a new contract in the hotly contested game against Leeds United, coming off the bench to play a killer pass to set up the only goal of the game, with Marvin Emnes being on the end it.
, Nicolás Burdisso
and Maxi Rodríguez in the same squad.
After his successful first season in the Premier League with Sunderland, Arca captained the Argentina Under-20 team
which won the FIFA U-20 World Cup
tournament in Buenos Aires
, Argentina
. They beat the Ghana U-20 team
3-0 in the final to win their fourth title.
Sunderland
Individual
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
. Arca is also a former Argentina Under-20 captain. He is a left back or midfielder. An attack minded player, his key attributes include good long and short passing as well as hard work.
Sunderland
SunderlandSunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
's manager, Peter Reid
Peter Reid
Peter Reid is an English football manager, pundit and retired player, who is currently without a club since his departure from Plymouth Argyle.A defensive midfielder in his playing days, Reid enjoyed a long and successful career...
, signed Arca in 2000 from Argentinos Juniors
Argentinos Juniors
Asociación Atlética Argentinos Juniors is an Argentine football club based in La Paternal, Buenos Aires. Founded on August 15, 1904, the club was originally called the “Martyrs of Chicago”, in homage to the eight anarchists imprisoned or hanged after the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago.-Early...
with a £3.5 million five-year deal, while holding off competition from 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...
and Leeds United. He was an immediate success, scoring on his debut at the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
against West Ham United
West Ham United F.C.
West Ham United Football Club is an English professional football club based in Upton Park, Newham, East London. They play in The Football League Championship. The club was founded in 1895 as Thames Ironworks FC and reformed in 1900 as West Ham United. In 1904 the club relocated to their current...
. Peter Reid spotted him in an Under 21s match playing against England at Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage
Craven Cottage is the name of a football stadium in the Hammersmith and Fulham area that has been the home ground of the association football team Fulham F.C. since 1896....
and tracked him until completing the signing in July 2000.
Arca played for his previous club and national team at left back, but was successfully converted to left midfield by Reid. Arca was Reid's most expensive signing of that summer and was then second only behind Stefan Schwarz
Stefan Schwarz
Hans-Jürgen Stefan Schwarz is a Swedish former footballer.Born to a German father, he played as a midfielder and a left-back. He started playing football at youth level in Kulladals FF and began his career at his hometown club Malmö FF...
as the club's record buy. The youngster was tipped for the brightest of futures and full international honours in the near future.
Arca scored three times for the Black Cats in his first season in the Premiership. However, like so many Sunderland players, Arca's 2001–02 campaign
FA Premier League 2001-02
The 2001–02 FA Premier League season was the tenth season of the competition. It began with a new sponsor, Barclaycard, and was titled the FA Barclaycard Premiership, replacing the previous sponsor, Carling...
was disappointing as he was troubled by a series of niggling injuries. He did not manage to rediscover his form of the previous season, and was out of action from February.
At the start of the 2002–03 campaign
FA Premier League 2002-03
The 2002–03 FA Premier League was the eleventh season of the Premier League, the top division in English football. The first matches were played on 17 August 2002 and the last were played on 11 May 2003...
, Arca, who had then played 54 games for the club, stated his determination to get back to his best – both in fitness and form. He became a regular once again after Sunderland's relegation that season, and was arguably their best player as they returned to the Premiership under manager Mick McCarthy
Mick McCarthy
Michael Joseph "Mick" McCarthy is an English-born former Irish international footballer who is currently the manager of Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, where he has been in charge since July 2006....
, winning the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
in 2004–05
FA Premier League 2004-05
The 2004–05 season of the FA Premier League began on 14 August 2004 and ended on 15 May 2005. Arsenal were the defending champions after going unbeaten the previous season....
. Arca was also named in the PFA Team of the Year
PFA Team of the Year
The Professional Footballers' Association Team of the Year is an annual award given to a set of 44 footballers in the top four tiers of English football; the Premier League, the Championship, League One and League Two, whom are seen to be deserving of being named in a "Team of the Year".The award...
for First Division team in 2004 and Championship team in 2005.
Sunderland were relegated in the 2005–06 season
FA Premier League 2005-06
The 2005–06 season of the FA Premier League began on 13 August 2005, and concluded on 7 May 2006. The season saw Chelsea F.C retain their title after defeating Manchester United 3–0 at Stamford Bridge towards the end of April...
. As a result of relegation, Arca moved back to the Premiership joining North-East rivals Middlesbrough
Middlesbrough F.C.
Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
as a replacement for Franck Queudrue
Franck Queudrue
Franck Queudrue is a French footballer who plays as a left back for Lens. He began his career with Lens, for whom he played in Ligue 1, and went on to play in the Premier League for Middlesbrough, Fulham and Birmingham City, and in the Football League for Colchester United.-Lens:Queudrue began his...
who moved to Fulham
Fulham F.C.
Fulham Football Club is a professional English Premier League club based in southwest London Fulham, in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham. Founded in 1879, they play in the Premier League, their 11th current season...
Middlesbrough
Arca was Gareth SouthgateGareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...
's first senior player signing in the dawn of the 2006–07 season
FA Premier League 2006-07
The 2006–07 FA Premier League was the fifteenth season of the FA Premier League since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 19 August 2006 and concluded on 13 May 2007....
on a five-year deal for a reported fee of £1,750,000. Arca had scored the previous season against Middlesbrough in a 2–0 win for Sunderland with a superb free kick, their first win of a disastrous season for the black cats.
Arca had a terrible debut for Middlesbrough, breaking his toe early in the match. After regaining fitness he proved a revelation. With the progress of Andrew Taylor
Andrew Taylor (footballer born 1986)
Andrew Derek Taylor is an English footballer who plays for Cardiff City as a left wingback. He has previously played for Middlesbrough, Bradford City and Watford on loan.-Club career:Taylor was born in Hartlepool, County Durham...
at left-back, Arca has been utilised as central attacking midfielder. His performances have earned rave reviews with many suggesting an international call-up would be just rewards. He scored his first goal for the club against Charlton
Charlton Athletic F.C.
Charlton Athletic Football Club is an English professional football club based in Charlton, in the London Borough of Greenwich. They compete in Football League One, the third tier of English football. The club was founded on 9 June 1905, when a number of youth clubs in the southeast London area,...
in December 2006..
After that, Arca has established himself in the centre of the midfield. Some excellent performances, most notably in the 2–2 draw with Manchester United F.C. in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, have led to speculation by the English press, that he could soon be awarded full international honours with Argentina
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...
.
He is still liked strongly by most Sunderland fans despite moving to their local rivals, and in the 2007 Tees-Wear derby
Tees-Wear derby
The Tees-Wear derby is a football local derby contested between Middlesbrough and Sunderland, in the North East of England. The Tees-Wear derby is not quite as intense or as famous as the Tyne-Wear derby, however it remains a massive game to both sets of fans...
at the Riverside
Riverside Stadium
The Riverside Stadium is a football stadium in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire, England, which has been the home of Middlesbrough F.C. since it opened in 1995...
when he went off injured after scoring against them, he was cheered by the visiting Sunderland supporters. Unfortunately, following this injury Arca struggled to regain his excellent form in the months prior to it.
In January 2008, Arca was named the new Middlesbrough captain by manager Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate
Gareth Southgate in Crawley, West Sussex is a retired English footballer and ex-manager. He is known as the "Penalty Misser of '96." He served as manager of Middlesbrough from June 2006, until he was dismissed in October 2009...
, replacing fellow 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...
George Boateng
George Boateng
George Boateng is a Dutch footballer who plays as a midfielder for Nottingham Forest in The Championship.-Club career:...
as skipper. His first game as captain was against Blackburn Rovers F.C. in the Premier League, the match ended 1–1. After only a few games leading the team he was replaced by Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n left back Emanuel Pogatetz
Emanuel Pogatetz
Emanuel Pogatetz is an Austrian footballer who currently plays for Hannover 96 as a defender.- Club career :Pogatetz's career started at Sturm Graz before going to Kärnten and later to Bayer Leverkusen...
.
Arca regained fine form towards the end of 2010, scoring in Middlesbrough's 2-1 win over Chesterfield in the Carling Cup and scoring his first league goal for over three years from a rare penalty kick, to give Middlesbrough a 1-0 victory over Cardiff. He scored his second of the season against Hull, and later that week, he scored his third of the campaign on a 2-1 win over Coventry City. His goal the equaliser from the edge of the penalty area, a stinging shot firing in close to the keeper.
His contract ended at the end of the 2010/2011 season, but re-signed with a two year contract on the 12th August 2011.
He made his first appearance for middlesbrough after signing a new contract in the hotly contested game against Leeds United, coming off the bench to play a killer pass to set up the only goal of the game, with Marvin Emnes being on the end it.
International career
Arca was the captain of the Argentina Youth Team which featured players like Javier SaviolaJavier Saviola
Javier Pedro Saviola Fernández is an Argentine professional footballer who plays for S.L. Benfica in Portugal, as a striker....
, Nicolás Burdisso
Nicolás Burdisso
Nicolás Andrés Burdisso is an Argentine professional footballer who plays as a central or right defender for A.S. Roma. He also holds European Union nationality.-Boca Juniors:...
and Maxi Rodríguez in the same squad.
After his successful first season in the Premier League with Sunderland, Arca captained the Argentina Under-20 team
Argentina national under-20 football team
The Argentina national under-20 football team is the representative of Argentina in FIFA sponsored tournaments that pertain to that age level....
which won the FIFA U-20 World Cup
FIFA U-20 World Cup
The FIFA U-20 World Cup, until 2005 known as the FIFA World Youth Championship, is the world championship of football for male players under the age of 20 and is organized by Fédération Internationale de Football Association...
tournament in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
, Argentina
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...
. They beat the Ghana U-20 team
Ghana national under-20 football team
Ghana national U-20 football team known as the Black Satellites, the current FIFA U-20 World Cup Champions and African Youth Champions, have been a three-time African Champion in 1995, 1999, 2009 and a two-time Runner-up at the FIFA World Youth Championship in 1993 and 2001...
3-0 in the final to win their fourth title.
Honours and awards
Argentina- FIFA U-20 World Cup winner: 2001
Sunderland
- Football League ChampionshipFootball League ChampionshipThe Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
winner: 2005
Individual
- PFA team of the year [2]: Division 1 - 2004, Championship - 2005
- North East Football Award - football league footballer of the year: 2004
- Sunderland Solid Gold XI