Iván Kaviedes

Football player infobox
playername = Iván Kaviedes


fullname = Jaime Iván Kaviedes Llorenty
nickname = Nine, Flaco
height = height|m=1.82
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|10|24
cityofbirth = Santo Domingo de los Colorados
countryofbirth = Ecuador
position = Center Forward
years = 1998
1998–1999
1999-2000
1999–2000
2001-2002
2001-2002
2002
2002-2003
2003
2004-2005
2005-2006
2006-2007
2007
2008
clubs = CS Emelec
Perugia Calcio
Celta de Vigo
Puebla FC
Real Valladolid
FC Porto
Barcelona SC
Celta de Vigo
Sociedad Deportivo Quito
Crystal Palace
Argentinos Juniors
Barcelona SC
El Nacional
LDU Quito
caps(goals) = 39 (43)
12 0(4)
06 0(0)
17 0(5)
29 0(7)
01 0(0)
40 (20)
08 0(3)
10 0(2)
04 0(0)
17 0(1)
14 (11)
44 (15)
02 0(1)
nationalyears = 1996-
nationalteam = Ecuador
nationalcaps(goals) = 53 (16)
pcupdate = 8 February, 2008
ntupdate = January 10, 2008

Jaime Iván Kaviedes Llorenty (born October 24, 1977) is an Ecuadorian footballer of Greek descent, who plays as a forward for LDU Quito in the Ecuadorian Football League. He is one of the leading players in Ecuadorian football, and was only one of the few footballers from Ecuador to play for a professional football team in Europe. However, due to grand performances from the national team, there are many Ecuadorians in several important clubs in Europe and around the world.

Playing style

Kaviedes is known as a striker with wonderful touch, great vision, passing range and a keen eye for goal. Although not particularly strong in the air, Kaviedes has scored spectacular overhead goals in his career. One remembered well even to this day was the bicycle shot he did with his back turned against FC Barcelona while playing for Real Valladolid. This goal was voted as the goal of the year.

Club career

Kaviedes rose to fame after scoring 43 goals in one season for Club Sport Emelec in the Ecuadorian league. This led to a move to A.C. Perugia in the Italian Serie A. Kaviedes was unsuccessful there, however, and has since journeyed around a number of clubs in Europe, Mexico, and South America, even returning to his homeland.

After a brief spell in Deportivo Quito, Kaviedes signed with the English Premiership for Crystal Palace F.C., making him at the time the third Ecuadorian to play in the English Premier League. He arrived at the club for a fee of reputedly £2,000,000, though there is confusion over whether he was signed on loan or on a full transfer. However, Kaviedes did not fit into Crystal Palace or with Manager Iain Dowie's 4-5-1 formation. He was transferred out of the club in the 2004/05 winter transfer window. [cite news | date=2005-01-11 | url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/crystal_palace/4165291.stm | title=Ecuador's Kaviedes leaves Palace | publisher=BBC SPORT |accessdate=2007-08-16]

After the 2006 FIFA World Cup he transferred from Argentinos Juniors in Argentina for El Nacional in his homeland, 2005-2006 Ecuadorian League Champions. In his first official game for the club, he scored an impressive four goals. He scored 14 goals in 2007. Ivan has transferred to Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito for the 2008 season. [http://www.ecuafutbol.org/UI/detalle.aspx?seccion=1&categserie=7&nivel=0&subnivel=0&id=10924&tabla=N]

On the 28th October he had talks with Hartlepool United chairman Ken Hodcroft over a possible move to the English Football League One team.

International career

Due to his rise in world wide prominence in the late 1990s, he was given his debut in a 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifier against Brazil in 1998.

Kaviedes is always remembered for scoring in Ecuador's 1-1 draw with Uruguay in 2001 during the 2002 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, which allowed Ecuador to qualify for the first time ever to a FIFA World Cup.

He was part of the Ecuadorian national team that played at the 2002 and 2006 FIFA World Cups. He inherited the number 10 shirt for Ecuador after Alex Aguinaga's retirement, although it has been worn by Felipe Caicedo among a few others.

Kaviedes played for Ecuador during the 2006 World Cup, defeating Poland 2-0 in the opening match, and Costa Rica 3-0. It was in this game that El Nine scored his first World Cup goal, from a cross by Edison Mendez. Kaviedes' celebration involved donning a yellow Spider-Man mask and raising his arms - mimicking his late team-mate Otilino Tenorio's trademark goal celebration, who was killed in a car crash in 2005. "Otilino is accompanying us from heaven," Kaviedes later said. That goal helped Ecuador qualify to the second round alongside host Germany in Group A. As of 2008 he also has scored two goals in the qualifying campagin for his country.

Kaviedes has also represented his country at Copa América 1999.

References

External links

*nfteams|2059
* [http://www.ivankaviedes.com/ Iván Kaviedes Official Website]
* [http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/player/3508_KAVIEDES_Ivan.html Profile at FIFA World Cup Official Website]
* [http://www.time.com/time/insidebiz/article/0,9171,1223385,00.html TIME magazine article "Marvel Unmasked]