Albeiro Usuriaga

Albeiro Usuriaga

Personal information
Full name	Albeiro Usuriaga López
Date of birth	June 12, 1966(1966-06-12)
Place of birth	Cali, Colombia
Date of death	February 12, 2004(2004-02-12) (aged 37)
Place of death	Cali, Colombia
Height	1.92 m (6 ft 3 1⁄2 in)
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1987	Deportes Tolima
1988	Cúcuta Deportivo
1989	Atlético Nacional
1990	Málaga	15	(4)
1990–1993	América Cali
1993	Málaga B
1994–1995	Independiente	26	(9)
1995	Necaxa	6	(0)
1996	Barcelona SC
1996	Santos	1	(0)
1996–1997	Independiente	15	(4)
1998	Millonarios
1999	Bucaramanga
1999–2000	General Paz
2000–2001	All Boys	4	(0)
2001	Deportivo Pasto
2002	Sportivo Luqueño
2003	Carabobo
National team
1989–1991	Colombia	15	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals).

This name uses Spanish naming customs; the first or paternal family name is Usuriaga and the second or maternal family name is López.

Albeiro Usuriaga López (12 June 1966 – 11 February 2004) was a Colombian footballer who played as a striker.

Nicknamed El Palomo, he played professionally in Colombia, Spain, Argentina, Mexico, Ecuador, Brazil, Paraguay and Venezuela, before being murdered at the age of 37.

Club career

Usuriaga first came to prominence with Medellín's Atlético Nacional, scoring four goals in a 6–0 win against Danubio F.C. for the 1989 Libertadores Cup, and adding another against Club Olimpia in the final (2–0 in the second leg in Paraguay), in an eventual penalty shootout win; goalkeeper René Higuita was amongst his teammates.

After playing two season halves in Spain with CD Málaga - Málaga CF's predecessor - and having a three-year spell with América de Cali, he rarely settled with a team and continuously changed countries, appearing for Club Atlético Independiente (two stints), Club Necaxa, Barcelona Sporting Club, Santos Futebol Clube, Club Deportivo Los Millonarios, Atlético Bucaramanga, General Paz Juniors, All Boys, Deportivo Pasto, Club Sportivo Luqueño and Carabobo FC.

In 1993–94, Usuriaga contributed with four goals as Argentina's Independiente won the Clausura tournament. Three years later, whilst with the same team, he was handed a two-year ban by the Argentine Football Association after testing positive for cocaine. After playing in various levels of football, he retired from the game in 2003, at the age of 37.

International career

Usuriaga gained 15 caps for Colombia, during three years. His only international goal came during the 1990 FIFA World Cup qualification playoffs against Israel, the only goal in the two legs.

He was later, however, omitted from the final squad in Italy, due to disciplinary problems.

Death

On 11 February 2004, 37-year old Usuriaga was gunned down in a nightclub district in his hometown of Cali, in unclear circumstances.

See also

• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

External links

• Albeiro Usuriaga at National-Football-Teams.com
• BDFutbol profile