Sergio Goycochea

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Sergio Goycochea bigraphy, stories - Argentine footballer

Sergio Goycochea : biography

October 17, 1963 –

Sergio Javier Goycochea ( born October 17, 1963 in Zárate, Buenos Aires Province is a famous Argentine former football goalkeeper and male model. He is best known for his penalty kick saves.

Career

Goycochea was the substitute for Nery Pumpido both in River Plate and in the Argentine national team, and got his big break in the 1990 FIFA World Cup. When Pumpido was injured in Argentina’s second group game against the Soviet Union, Goycochea became the goalkeeper in the penalty shootout of the quarterfinal game against the Yugoslavian team. In the semifinal game against Italy, he saved penalty kicks in the penalty shootout from players Roberto Donadoni and Aldo Serena. He was also close to saving the game-winning penalty kick of the 1990 World Cup final against Germany, which Argentina lost 0-1. He was chosen as the goalkeeper of the Cup’s All-Star Team.

El Goyco also played a few months in 1991 for the team Stade Brestois 29 from Brest in the region of Brittany, which was then named Brest Armorique, and was in the French second division and included players David Ginola, Corentin Martins and Stéphane Guivarc’h. Nonetheless, the team went bankrupt in November of that year, and was moved to the third division and lost its professional-team status.

With the national team, Goycochea also won the 1993 Copa América. On the occasion of that 1993 Copa América tournament, Goycochea appeared on TV commercials for a Pepsi promotion by PepsiCo’s division in Guayaquil. He also was on TV commercials for Adidas soccer apparel some years later.

His last name, Goycochea, spelled without e, but which other people of the same genealogy spell as Goycoechea, is derived from the Basque surname Goikoetxea meaning topmost house (from goiko "of the top" and etxe "house"). Sergio is frequently nicknamed thus El Vasco, but also El Goyco.

Goycochea is a football journalist hosting Elegante Sport (Argentina’s Canal 7) and has partnered with Diego Maradona at La noche del Diez.

Career statistics

Argentina national team
Year Apps Goals
1987 1 0
1988 0 0
1989 0 0
1990 7 0
1991 13 0
1992 4 0
1993 16 0
1994 3 0
Total 44 0

Honours

River Plate
  • Argentine Primera División (1): 1985–86
  • Copa Libertadores (1): 1986
  • Copa Interamericana (1): 1987
  • Intercontinental Cup (1): 1986
Millonarios
  • Colombian Championship (1): 1988
Olimpia
  • Paraguayan Primera División (1): 1993
Argentina
  • Confederations Cup (1): 1992
  • Copa América (2): 1991, 1993
Individual
  • FIFA World Cup All-Star Team (1): 1990
  • Copa América player of the tournament (1): 1993