C.S. Cartaginés

Club Sport Cartaginés Deportiva S.A.

Year Founded:

July 1, 1906

Stadium
- Name
- First Game
- Capacity

Estadio José Rafael Fello Meza Ivankovich
1947
18,000

Business Associate :

Owner Association

Seasons
- First Division
- Second Division
- Third Division

88 years
1 years
1 years

Championships

3

President/ Owner

Thelvin Cabezas Garita

Coach

Carlos Linaris

http://www.cartagines.co.cr/

Club Sport Cartaginés History

Club Sport Cartaginés Deportiva S.A. is a Costa Rican football club, who currently play in the Costa Rican Primera División. The club plays in Estadio Jose Rafael Fello Meza, in Barrio Asis de, Cartago, Costa Rica. The club is the oldest in Costa Rica, having been founded in 1906. It has won three Costa Rican championships, in 1923, 1936, and 1940.

Club Sport Cartaginés was founded on July 6, 1906 by Willie Perie and a group of Costa Rica's with English decent and English immigrants that lived in Cartago. Since there were few soccer teams at the time games where repetedly held against teams in Cartago such as Combate and Monte Libano. The teams original uniform colors were red and black much like todays Liga Deportiva Alajuelense. Club Sport Cartaginés first official match was seen as a local social event as the municipal Philharmonic played prior to the game.

On May 4, 1920 Costa Rica experienced on of its largest and its most destructive earthquake the country has ever felt. The epicenter being in Cartago, and also being the country's capital at the time, totally demolished the city. Due to the destruction of the city the capital was moved to San Jose and Club Sport Cartaginés experienced a 4 year absence from Costa Rican Soccer. In 1914 Club Sport Cartaginés returned to the Costa rican soccer scene but under its new name the Americano. The name Americano lasted until 1921 when Costa Rica's Primera División started its national chmpionship, at the time Americano reverted back to its original name of Club Sport Cartaginés and changed their uniform and colors to horizontal white and blue lines, a scheme that prevails til today. The 1923 National Championship Finals saw Club Sport Cartaginés face La Libertada match that Cartagines won by a score of two to one giving the club its fir of three national titles.

After the seasons many of the players for Cartagines left the team to play in Europe and in teams based in San Jose. Due to the mass exodus of players on the team Club Sport Cartaginés disbanded in 1925. By 1934 the popularity of soccer in Cartago reemerged as a tournament of local Cartagen teams participated. After the Tournament it was decided to form Club Sport Cartaginés once again with the best players that participated in the tournament and to emerge as a third division team winning the third division title in 1935. In 1936 the team managed to be victorious in the second division winning all of its games and being crowned the second division champions earning them a spot in first division. For the first year back in the second division the team reinforced themselves with local star players that had played for other teams. In that first year back Club Sport Cartaginés once again made it to the Finals of Costa Ricas first division and once again facing La Libertad, defeating them by a score of One to nil and achieving national Champions status in Costa Ricas national Stadium in San Jose. By 1940 Cartagines only had three players left from its amazing 1936 championship season, but they still managed to make it to the finals against heavily favorite Club Sport Herediano. During the game first half the score was in favor of Herediano as they led 3 to 1 but amazingly Cartagines reenforced themselves for the second half scoring three goals and beating the favorite Herediano by a score of 4 to 3. The 1940 Cartagines team has been the last to achieve national championship status for Cartago. In the years following the 1940 Championship cartago managed to discovered a new and talented player, José Rafael "Fello" Meza Ivancovich. Within a few years Jose Rafael became known as el "Maestro," the teacher. He was named so because it was said that he thought new tricks and ways of playing that had not been seen in Costa Rica. José Rafael "Fello" Meza Ivancovich was voted at the end of the century as Costa Rica's best player of the 20th century and is still recognized as the player with the biggest impact in national soccer. The club has been unable to break Saprissa and Alajuelense's hold on the top position in recent years, but has frequently finished second. They did, however, win the CONCACAF Champions' Cup in 1994.

Estadio Jose Rafael "Fello" Meza Ivancovich

Estadio Jose Rafael "Fello" Mesa Ivancovich is located in Barrio Asis in Cartago, it has a capacity of 18,000 and in 2005 went through a renovation that saw the red, blue, and white grandstands change to green. The change was done in order to give the stadium a newer look which will blend in with the green mountain terrain that is the backdrop of the stadium. Along with the renewed grandstands the stadium also obtain a new playing turf.

Notable players

José Rafael "Fello" Meza Ivancovich, Leonor Troyo, Randall Brenes, Raúl Chaverri,Enrique Marín, Fernando Jiménez, Harry Garret, Danilo García,Tarcicio Guillén, Enrique Madriz, Enrique "Pelirrojo" Córdoba, Walford "Wally" Vaughns, Rigoberto "Feo" Rojas, "Piche" García, Héctor "Macho" Coto,Leonel Hernández, y Asdrúbal Meneses.

Costa Rican National Championships

1923
1936
1940
1960

International Championships

1994 CONCACAF Champions' Cup

External links

Official Website