Mágico González
Encyclopedia
Jorge Alberto González Barillas (born 13 March 1958 in San Salvador
), popularly known as El mágico (the wizard
), is a retired Salvadoran
footballer.
A striker gifted with superb ball-control skills (his talent being overshadowed by questionable behaviour off the pitch), he is mainly associated with Cádiz Club de Fútbol
, while also representing El Salvador national team
for well over a decade.
González was born to a family of modest means in the Luz neighborhood of San Salvador, one of seven brothers and only one sister. His older brother, Mauricio González
"Pachín", was a footballer who became well known at the local level.
over the course of two seasons, before moving to Club Deportivo Fútbolistas Asociados Santanecos
, a club in the Salvadoran first division
.
While playing in El Salvador, he became known as Mago but later, upon transferring to Spain, his nickname was slightly changed to Mágico.
Both Atlético de Madrid and Cádiz CF
became interested in acquiring González in 1982; despite the colchoneros higher profile, he signed with the Andalusia
ns. González's debut in Spain came in a friendly against La Barca de la Florida, while his top flight
first game was on 11 September 1982, in a 1–3 defeat against Real Murcia
. González became a fan-favorite thanks to his dazzling moves and goals. He was notorious for his love of the nightlife and his sleeping habits were also brought into question, but his on-field abilities endeared him to the Cádiz fans enough that they overlooked his minor indiscretions.
In 1983 and 1984, Cádiz traveled to the United States to play. The first year it was González who was the principal attraction, but in 1984 the team was joined by FC Barcelona
and its superstar Diego Maradona
.
Despite relegation into the second division
in 1984 and interest from French club Paris Saint-Germain and Italian sides ACF Fiorentina
and U.C. Sampdoria
, González opted to stay in Cádiz. His stay was somewhat short-lived, however, as he was transferred to Real Valladolid
after the 1983–84 season due to problems with then manager Benito Joanet. He did not get along at Valladolid, where his personal life was tightly controlled and, after playing in just nine games, he returned to Cádiz in January 1986. As a guard against his partying, González's contract is reputed to have contained a clause stipulating he was to be paid $
700 per game played and none for the ones he missed.
After several coaching changes, González was finally able to shine again for Cádiz under Víctor Espárrago. In all, he scored 57 goals in 183 games for the Spanish side until his departure, on 6 June 1991.
González returned to El Salvador and FAS after another Italian club, Atalanta BC
, failed to garner his services. He stayed at FAS until 1996, when he retired to begin coaching as an assistant in Houston, Texas
. After a short stint in the US, González returned to his native El Salvador.
In 2001, Cádiz honored González with a testimonial match, with the proceeds going to the victims of a recent earthquake in El Salvador. In 2003, the Salvadoran National Assembly gave González the government's highest honor, the Hijo Meritísimo, and renamed the national stadium the Flor Blanca, after him. On 28 August 2004, another testimonial match was played in his honor, this time in El Salvador, in the Mágico González Stadium. The match was between America XI, a group of international stars, and a team made up of ex-FAS players. González played a half with either side and scored a total of three goals.
or Brazilian, he would have ranked amongst the best in the world, alongside Maradona and Pelé
.
He received the first of his 62 caps for El Salvador
on 1 December 1976, in a FIFA World Cup qualification
match against Costa Rica
. He was also instrumental in leading the nation
to the 1982 FIFA World Cup
- the second time in history - where he appeared in all three group stage matches, including the 1–10 loss to Hungary
.
González represented his country in 31 World Cup qualifiers, and scored 21 goals in full internationals.
San Salvador
The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador...
), popularly known as El mágico (the wizard
Magician (fantasy)
A magician, mage, sorcerer, sorceress, wizard, enchanter, enchantress, thaumaturge or a person known under one of many other possible terms is someone who uses or practices magic that derives from supernatural or occult sources...
), is a retired Salvadoran
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
footballer.
A striker gifted with superb ball-control skills (his talent being overshadowed by questionable behaviour off the pitch), he is mainly associated with Cádiz Club de Fútbol
Cádiz CF
Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1910, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 4, holding home games at Estadio Ramón de Carranza, with a 22,000-seat capacity.Salvadoran legend Mágico González, who...
, while also representing El Salvador national team
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
for well over a decade.
González was born to a family of modest means in the Luz neighborhood of San Salvador, one of seven brothers and only one sister. His older brother, Mauricio González
Mauricio Ernesto Gonzalez
Mauricio Ernesto González Barillas is a retired football player from El Salvador. He represented his country at the 1968 Summer Olympics. González also participated at the 1963 CONCACAF Championship and the 1965 CONCACAF Championship where he scored a total of 5 goals in 10 matches.Mauricio is the...
"Pachín", was a footballer who became well known at the local level.
Club career
González began his professional playing career in 1975 with the Administración Nacional de Telecomunicaciones (ANTEL) team. He played for ANTEL and Independiente Nacional 1906Independiente Nacional 1906
Independiente Nacional 1906 is a Salvadoran football club. The club did not register to compete in the second division Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño after being relegated in May 2007, so therefore they are inactive now....
over the course of two seasons, before moving to Club Deportivo Fútbolistas Asociados Santanecos
C.D. FAS
Club Deportivo Futbolistas Asociados Santanecos, commonly known as C.D. FAS or simply FAS , is a Salvadoran professional football club based in Santa Ana. They are rivals with Club Deportivo Águila. FAS currently play in the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional, their home ground being the...
, a club in the Salvadoran first division
Primera División de Fútbol Profesional
The Primera División of the ' , more commonly known as La Liga Mayor or La Primera, is the top professional football league in El Salvador. It was established in 1969 and as of 2011 has 10 clubs...
.
While playing in El Salvador, he became known as Mago but later, upon transferring to Spain, his nickname was slightly changed to Mágico.
Both Atlético de Madrid and Cádiz CF
Cádiz CF
Cádiz Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football team based in Cádiz, in the autonomous community of Andalusia. Founded in 1910, it currently plays in Segunda División B - Group 4, holding home games at Estadio Ramón de Carranza, with a 22,000-seat capacity.Salvadoran legend Mágico González, who...
became interested in acquiring González in 1982; despite the colchoneros higher profile, he signed with the Andalusia
Andalusia
Andalusia is the most populous and the second largest in area of the autonomous communities of Spain. The Andalusian autonomous community is officially recognised as a nationality of Spain. The territory is divided into eight provinces: Huelva, Seville, Cádiz, Córdoba, Málaga, Jaén, Granada and...
ns. González's debut in Spain came in a friendly against La Barca de la Florida, while his top flight
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...
first game was on 11 September 1982, in a 1–3 defeat against Real Murcia
Real Murcia
Real Murcia Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in the region of Murcia. Founded in 1908, it currently plays in the second division, playing home matches at Estadio Nueva Condomina, which can hold 33,045 spectators....
. González became a fan-favorite thanks to his dazzling moves and goals. He was notorious for his love of the nightlife and his sleeping habits were also brought into question, but his on-field abilities endeared him to the Cádiz fans enough that they overlooked his minor indiscretions.
In 1983 and 1984, Cádiz traveled to the United States to play. The first year it was González who was the principal attraction, but in 1984 the team was joined by 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....
and its superstar Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
.
Despite relegation into the second division
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:...
in 1984 and interest from French club Paris Saint-Germain and Italian sides ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
and U.C. Sampdoria
U.C. Sampdoria
Unione Calcio Sampdoria is an Italian association football club based in Genoa. The club was formed in 1946 from the merger of two existing sports clubs whose roots can be traced back to the 1890s, Sampierdarenese and Andrea Doria...
, González opted to stay in Cádiz. His stay was somewhat short-lived, however, as he was transferred to Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid
Real Valladolid Club de Fútbol, S.A.D. is a Spanish football club based in Valladolid, in the autonomous community of Castile and León, from where the nickname Pucela is derived....
after the 1983–84 season due to problems with then manager Benito Joanet. He did not get along at Valladolid, where his personal life was tightly controlled and, after playing in just nine games, he returned to Cádiz in January 1986. As a guard against his partying, González's contract is reputed to have contained a clause stipulating he was to be paid $
Dollar sign
The dollar or peso sign is a symbol primarily used to indicate the various peso and dollar units of currency around the world.- Origin :...
700 per game played and none for the ones he missed.
After several coaching changes, González was finally able to shine again for Cádiz under Víctor Espárrago. In all, he scored 57 goals in 183 games for the Spanish side until his departure, on 6 June 1991.
González returned to El Salvador and FAS after another Italian club, Atalanta BC
Atalanta B.C.
Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio, commonly known as just Atalanta, Atalanta Bergamo or the abbreviation Atalanta BC, is an Italian football club based in Bergamo, Lombardy.They are nicknamed the Nerazzurri and the orobici...
, failed to garner his services. He stayed at FAS until 1996, when he retired to begin coaching as an assistant in Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
. After a short stint in the US, González returned to his native El Salvador.
In 2001, Cádiz honored González with a testimonial match, with the proceeds going to the victims of a recent earthquake in El Salvador. In 2003, the Salvadoran National Assembly gave González the government's highest honor, the Hijo Meritísimo, and renamed the national stadium the Flor Blanca, after him. On 28 August 2004, another testimonial match was played in his honor, this time in El Salvador, in the Mágico González Stadium. The match was between America XI, a group of international stars, and a team made up of ex-FAS players. González played a half with either side and scored a total of three goals.
International career
Many critics and journalists say that if González had been ArgentinianArgentina
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...
or Brazilian, he would have ranked amongst the best in the world, alongside Maradona and Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
.
He received the first of his 62 caps for El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
on 1 December 1976, in a FIFA World Cup qualification
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...
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...
. He was also instrumental in leading the nation
1982 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
Listed below are the dates and results for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the South American zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification....
to the 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
- the second time in history - where he appeared in all three group stage matches, including the 1–10 loss to Hungary
Hungary national football team
The Hungary national football team represents Hungary in international football and is controlled by the Hungarian Football Federation....
.
González represented his country in 31 World Cup qualifiers, and scored 21 goals in full internationals.
International goals
- Scores and results list El Salvador's goal tally first.
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition | Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 24 November 1976 | Estadio Cuscatlán Estadio Cuscatlán Monumental Estadio Cuscatlán is a football stadium located in San Salvador, El Salvador. It is the largest stadium in Central America with a capacity of 45,000... , San Salvador San Salvador The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador... |
 IndependienteIndependiente Medellín Corporación Deportiva Independiente Medellín is a professional Colombian football team competing in Fútbol Profesional Colombiano, the Colombian first division. The club is based in the city of Medellín and founded in 1913. It has won the league's national tournament known as Copa Mustang five... |
4–2 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
1 |
| 2 | 29 April 1977 | ? | 1–2 | Friendly | 1 | |
| 3 | 17 June 1977 | ? |  Newell's Old BoysNewell's Old Boys Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football... |
1–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 4 | 19 August 1977 | ? | Talleres de Córdoba Talleres de Córdoba Club Atlético Talleres is a sports club from the city of Córdoba, Argentina, mostly known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the regionalised third division, the Torneo Argentino A... |
3–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 5 | 10 October 1977 | Estadio Tecnológico Estadio Tecnológico The Estadio Tecnológico is a stadium located in city of Monterrey, Mexico.It is the property of the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education. The Monterrey Football Club play their home games there, but only rent the space and are not affiliated with the Institute.The stadium was... , Monterrey Monterrey Monterrey , is the capital city of the northeastern state of Nuevo León in the country of Mexico. The city is anchor to the third-largest metropolitan area in Mexico and is ranked as the ninth-largest city in the nation. Monterrey serves as a commercial center in the north of the country and is the... |
3–2 | 1977 CONCACAF Championship 1977 CONCACAF Championship Mexico qualified for the 1978 FIFA World Cup.-See also:*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification*1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification *1978 FIFA World Cup qualification... |
1 | |
| 6 | 28 November 1977 | ? | 6–0 | 1977 Central American Games Central American Games The Central American Games are a multi-sport regional championships event, held quadrennial , typically in the middle year between Summer Olympics. The Games are for countries in Central America.-Editions:- References :*... |
2 | |
| 7 | 1 December 1977 | ? | 8–0 | 1977 Central American Games | 3 | |
| 8 | 11 May 1980 | Estadio Fello Meza Estadio José Rafael Fello Meza Ivankovich Estadio Jose Rafael Fello Meza Ivankovich is a multi-use stadium in Cartago, Costa Rica. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home stadium of C.S. Cartaginés. The stadium holds 13,500 people and was built in 1949.-References:... , Cartago Cartago Cartago is the name of at least three different places:* Cartago Province, Costa Rica* Cartago, Costa Rica, capital of the province of Cartago* Cartago, Valle del Cauca, Colombia* Cartago, California, United States-See also:*Special:Allpages/Cartago... |
 CartaginésC.S. Cartaginés Club Sport Cartaginés Deportiva S.A. is a Costa Rican football club, that currently plays in the Costa Rican Primera División. The club plays in Estadio Jose Rafael Fello Meza, in Barrio Asis de Cartago, Costa Rica.-History:... |
2–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 9 | 4 June 1980 | Estadio Flor Blanca, San Salvador San Salvador The city of San Salvador the capital and largest city of El Salvador, which has been designated a Gamma World City. Its complete name is La Ciudad de Gran San Salvador... |
3–0 | Friendly | 1 | |
| 10 | 31 July 1980 | Qemal Stafa Qemal Stafa (stadium) The Qemal Stafa Stadium , named after Qemal Stafa a World War II hero, is a national stadium and the largest football stadium in Tirana, Albania. Construction started in 1939 and the stadium was inaugurated in 1946 for the Balkan Cup, which was won by the Albania national football team... , Tirana Tirana Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over... |
 Marathón |
1–3 | Friendly | 1 |
| 11 | 17 August 1980 | Estadio Mateo Flores Estadio Mateo Flores The Estadio Nacional Mateo Flores is a multi-use national stadium in Guatemala City, the largest in Guatemala. It was built in 1948, to host the Central American and Caribbean Games in 1950, and was renamed after long-distance runner Mateo Flores, winner of the 1952 Boston Marathon... , Guatemala City Guatemala City Guatemala City , is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Guatemala and Central America... |
1–1 | Friendly | 1 | |
| 14 | 24 August 1980 | Estadio Rommel Fernández Estadio Rommel Fernandez Estadio Rommel Fernández is a multi-purpose stadium located in Panama City, It is used for different sports, and mainly for the conduct of games football. It was inaugurated February 6 of 1970. It was designed to accommodate the XI Central American and Caribbean Games in 1970... , Panama City Panama City Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the... |
 |
3–1 | 1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification 1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification A total of 15 CONCACAF teams entered the competition. The 15 teams were divided into 3 zones, based on geographical considerations, as follows:* North American Zone had 3 teams. The teams played against each other on a home-and-away basis. The group winner and runner-up would advance to the Final... |
1 |
| 15 | ? September 1980 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador | 3–2 | Friendly | 2 | |
| 16 | 5 October 1980 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador | 4–1 | 1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification | 3 | |
| 17 | 23 November 1980 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador | 2–1 | 1981 CONCACAF Championship qualification | 1 | |
| 18 | 26 July 1981 | Estadio Cuscatalan, San Salvador | 4–0 | Friendly | 1 | |
| 19 | 2 August 1981 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador |  Vitória Guimarães |
2–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 20 | 2 September 1981 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador | Newell's Old Boys |
3–2 | Friendly | 1 |
| 21 | 25 March 1982 | Estadio Chateau Carreras, Córdoba Córdoba, Argentina Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with... |
Talleres de Córdoba |
1–2 | Friendly | 2 |
| 23 | 18 April 1982 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador | 3–2 | Friendly | 2 | |
| 24 | 9 May 1982 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador |  Universitario de DeportesUniversitario de Deportes Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of... |
2–2 | Friendly | 1 |
| 25 | 12 May 1982 | Estadio Flor Blanca, San Salvador | Universitario de Deportes Universitario de Deportes Club Universitario de Deportes, also known as Universitario, or more popularly as [La] "U", is a Peruvian football club located in Lima. It is the most successful football club in Peru. The club was founded in 1924 under the name Federación Universitaria by students of the National University of... |
4–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 26 | 16 May 1982 | Estadio Flor Blanca, San Salvador |  Ponte PretaAssociação Atlética Ponte Preta Ponte Preta is a Brazilian football club located in Campinas, São Paulo. Ponte Preta is also known as Macaca. Ponte Preta's biggest rival is from the same city: Guarani. The games between Ponte Preta and Guarani are known as derby . They are known as "pontepretanos"... |
2–2 | Friendly | 1 |
| 27 | 8 December 1991 | Estadio Cuscatlán, El Salvador | 1–1 | Friendly | 1 | |
| 28 | 19 July 1992 | Managua Managua Managua is the capital city of Nicaragua as well as the department and municipality by the same name. It is the largest city in Nicaragua in terms of population and geographic size. Located on the southwestern shore of Lake Xolotlán or Lake Managua, the city was declared the national capital in... , Nicaragua Nicaragua Nicaragua is the largest country in the Central American American isthmus, bordered by Honduras to the north and Costa Rica to the south. The country is situated between 11 and 14 degrees north of the Equator in the Northern Hemisphere, which places it entirely within the tropics. The Pacific Ocean... |
5–0 | 1994 World Cup qualification 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) Listed below are the dates and results for the 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for the North, Central American and Caribbean zone . For an overview of the qualification rounds, see the article 1994 FIFA World Cup qualification.... |
2 | |
| 29 | 23 July 1992 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador | 5–1 | 1994 World Cup qualification | 1 | |
| 30 | 17 August 1992 | Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador |  Gabor Spittal |
2–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 33 | 21 August 1992 | ? |  Savigliano |
1–1 | Friendly | 1 |
| 34 | 23 August 1992 | ? | Belnsag |
3–0 | Friendly | 2 |
| 36 | 25 October 1992 | Estadio Cusctalan, San Salvador | 1–1 | 1994 World Cup qualification | 1 | |
| 37 | 1 November 1992 | Estadio Cusctalan, San Salvador | 4–1 | 1994 World Cup qualification | 1 | |
| 38 | 2 May 1992 | Estadio Cusctalan, San Salvador | 1–2 | 1994 World Cup qualification | 1 |