Noel Valladares
Encyclopedia
Noel Eduardo Valladares Bonilla (born May 3, 1977) in Comayagua, Honduras, is a Honduran football
goalkeeper, who currently plays for Olimpia
, a Honduras football club based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
He was a member of the national squad at the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
. Prior to that experience he played as goalkeeper and forward for Honduras at the 1999 PanAmerican games in Winnipeg. He played as a striker
for several seasons at Motagua.
Valladares is the first-choice goalkeeper for the Honduran national team
and has earned more than 70 caps. He was an instrumental figure behind Honduras's qualifying run to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
finals and played in all three games, conceding 3 goals against Chile
(0-1) and Spain
(0-2) before keeping a clean sheet and earning the Man of the Match
award in the team's final game against Switzerland
.
His nickname in the Honduran squad is 'The Secret' due to his shy personality away from the field. In 2010 he succeeded Amado Guevara as the captain of the Honduran national team
.
In 2011, he won the award for "Best Goalkeeper in the Gold Cup 2011."
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper, who currently plays for Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia
Club Deportivo Olimpia is a Honduran football and baseball club based in Tegucigalpa, Francisco Morazán. They compete in the Liga Nacional de Honduras, the top division in the country, and play their home matches in the Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino...
, a Honduras football club based in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
He was a member of the national squad at the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. Prior to that experience he played as goalkeeper and forward for Honduras at the 1999 PanAmerican games in Winnipeg. He played as a striker
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
for several seasons at Motagua.
Valladares is the first-choice goalkeeper for the Honduran national team
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
and has earned more than 70 caps. He was an instrumental figure behind Honduras's qualifying run to the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
finals and played in all three games, conceding 3 goals against Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
(0-1) and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
(0-2) before keeping a clean sheet and earning the Man of the Match
Man of the match
In sport, a Man of the Match or Player of the Game or Man of the Series award is given to the outstanding player, almost always the one who makes the most impact, in a particular match or series. The term was originally used more often in cricket before being adopted by other sports. This can be a...
award in the team's final game against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
.
His nickname in the Honduran squad is 'The Secret' due to his shy personality away from the field. In 2010 he succeeded Amado Guevara as the captain of the Honduran national team
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
.
In 2011, he won the award for "Best Goalkeeper in the Gold Cup 2011."