Américo Tesoriere

Américo Tesoriere

Tesoriere in 1927 as he appeared on the cover of El Gráfico
Personal information
Full name	Américo Miguel Tesoriere
Date of birth	(1899-03-18)March 18, 1899
Place of birth	Buenos Aires, Argentina
Date of death	December 30, 1977(1977-12-30) (aged 78)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1916–1920	Boca Juniors	47	(0)
1921	Sportivo del Norte	?	(?)
1922–1927	Boca Juniors	97	(0)
International career
1920–1925	Argentina	32	(?)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Américo Miguel Tesoriere, sometimes nicknamed Mérico (Buenos Aires, March 18, 1899 – December 30, 1977), was an Argentine football goalkeeper who spent most of his career in Boca Juniors. He is regarded as one of the first idols of the club, and as one of the best Argentine goalkeepers.

Tesoriere was the third goalkeeper in the history of the Argentina national team after José Buruca Laforia and Carlos Wilson, winning two Copa América with the squad, keeping his goal unbeaten in both competitions.

Biography

Tesoriere on the cover of El Gráfico n° 158 (July 1922), the first time the publication displayed a football player as its main subject

Born in Barracas as Américo Miguel Tesoriero in 1899, he started his career as goalkeeper in Club Aurora of La Boca. He later moved to Boca Juniors, where he played in the youth divisions until his debut in the senior squad in 1916 at the age of 17, replacing goalkeeper Fabbiani, who had been seriously injured. He played for Boca Juniors until 1927, except for the 1921 season when he played for Sportivo del Norte.

Nicknamed La Gloria, Tesoriere soon gained the attention of media and fans for his skills and good performances, being called up for the Argentina national team in 1920. With Argentina he played the 1921 and 1921 Copa América (then called "Campeonato Sudamericano"), keeping his goal unbeaten in both occasions. At the end of the Argentina v. Uruguay match for the 1924 South American Championship, Tesoriere was carried aloft by the Uruguayan supporters as a recognition for his outstanding performance during the game. The crowd said to President of Uruguay, José Serrato (who had attended the match): "Sir, this man did not allow us to defeat the Argentine team".

Tesoriere in an exhibition, 1974

Tesoriere was also the first footballer to appear on the cover of El Gráfico, the most famous sports magazine of Argentina, in July 1922.

He was part of the Boca Juniors team that toured on Europe in 1925, receiving only 16 goals in 19 matches played. With Boca Juniors, Tesoriere played 184 matches, winning a total of 14 titles, including five Primera División championships and seven National cups and two international cups. With the Argentina national team, he won two Copa Américas in 32 matches played.

After leaving the club in 1927, Tesoriere returned to Boca Juniors ten years later in an administrative role and stayed with the club as groundsman until 1953. On May 25, 1940, Tesoriere raised the Argentine flag at the inauguration of La Bombonera.

When he was answered about his retirement at a short age, Tesoriere stated: "I decided to retire because of the internal problems in Boca Juniors. I was part of the elections, but always in the loser side, of course".

Tesoriere died on December 30, 1977, at the age of 78.

The famous song "We have a goalkeeper who is a marvel himself; He stops penalty shots sitting on a chair" was composed by the Boca Juniors supporters in honor of Tesoriere.

Titles

Club

Boca Juniors

• Primera División (5): 1919, 1920, 1923, 1924, 1926
• Copa Competencia Jockey Club (3): 1919, 1923, 1924
• Copa Ibarguren (3): 1919, 1923, 1924
• Copa Estímulo (1): 1926
• Tie Cup (1): 1919
• Copa de Honor Cousenier (1): 1920

National team

Argentina

• Copa América (2): 1921, 1925

External links

• Red Argentina at the Wayback Machine (archived 2007-10-20) (in Spanish)
• Football factory profile at the Wayback Machine (archived October 20, 2007) (in Spanish)