Jhon Viáfara

Jhon Viáfara

Personal information
Full name	Jhon Eduis Viáfara Mina
Date of birth	27 October 1978 (1978-10-27)
Place of birth	Robles, Colombia
Height	1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Deportivo Pereira
Number	15
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1999	Deportivo Pasto	44	(2)
2000–2001	América de Cali	37	(0)
2001–2002	Deportivo Pasto	18	(0)
2002–2005	Once Caldas	114	(9)
2005–2006	Portsmouth	14	(1)
2006	→ Real Sociedad (loan)	11	(0)
2006–2008	Southampton	76	(5)
2008–2009	Once Caldas	49	(3)
2010	La Equidad	35	(5)
2011	Atlético Junior	2	(2)
2011-	Deportivo Pereira	0	(0)
National team
2003–	Colombia	32	(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 Viáfara and the second or maternal family name is Mina.

Jhon Eduis Viáfara Mina (born 27 October 1978) is a Colombian midfielder who plays for Junior Barranquilla.

Football career

Born in the Colombian town of Robles, Viáfara came to international attention whilst playing for Once Caldas, for whom he was instrumental during his club's success in the 2004 Copa Libertadores, scoring with a long range strike in the final against Boca Juniors. A tall and athletic midfielder who can play either in his preferred position on the right flank or down the middle, Viáfara is regarded as a fearsome tackler with the stamina to get forward and support the strikers while also protecting the back four.

His performances made him a regular in the Colombia national football team, and earned him a £800,000 move to English club Portsmouth F.C. for the FA Premier League 2005-06 season.

After playing in several games during the first half of Portsmouth's 2005–06 season, he was dropped by returned-manager Harry Redknapp after the sacking of Alain Perrin, the manager who had brought him to the club. In the January 2006 transfer window he made a loan move to Spanish Primera División club Real Sociedad. At the end of this deal Real declined the chance to purchase him and he returned to Portsmouth again, with only 11 matches played and two red cards for his Spanish adventure. He scored one league goal in his time at Portsmouth, in a 2–1 loss at Manchester City.

On 4 August 2006 he signed a three year deal with rival south-coast team Southampton. The transfer fee was undisclosed but is believed to be in the region of £750,000. He has appeared consistently for the Saints in the 2006–07 season. One of his most memorable moments was scoring two goals in the Championship Playoff Semi Final Second Leg against Derby County, though it wasn't enough as Derby went on to win the tie in a penalty shootout.

He scored his first goal of the 2007–08 season with a 12 yard strike in Southampton's 3–2 win over Stoke City on 26 August 2007. Then on 29 September he got his second of the season with a 16 yard strike in the 2–1 win over Sheffield United which proved to be the winner.

Shortly into his third season at the club, after managerial turmoil to the degree of there having been four managers within six months, he left. The reasons for his departure are said to be homesickness, with Dutch manager Jan Poortvliet saying he "did not want anyone who was not completely committed to the club to remain at the club". Other rumours for his departure include wage-bill cutting by chairman Rupert Lowe, although Southampton are not reported to have received a fee for his return to Once Caldas.^{[citation needed]}

After Viáfara's return to Once Caldas the team's fortunes improved, they won their third Colombian league championship in Apertura 2009.

In 2010 he joined La Equidad and helped them to reach the final of the Apertura 2010 tournament as well as reaching the playoff stages of the Clausura 2010.

In 2011 he was signed by Junior and got off to an excellent start, scoring vital goals in both of the sides first two games in the Copa Libertadores 2011 group stages.

Honours

América de Cali

• Copa Mustang: 2000

Once Caldas

• Copa Mustang: 2003, 2009
• Copa Libertadores: 2004

External links

• Jhon Viáfara career stats at Soccerbase
• Player's website
• Jhon Viáfara at National-Football-Teams.com