Salvador Cabanas

Sometimes the world can be a depressing place. Yesterday a man in Mexico City went to a bar to enjoy an evening out with his wife. In the early hours of the morning, on a visit to the bathroom, he was assaulted and shot in the head. That man was Salvador Cabañas, striker for Club America and star of the Paraguay national team.

In what some are reporting may have been a planned attack, Cabañas was set upon by two men in the bathroom of Bar Bar in the South Federal District of Mexico and shot with a .22 calibre pistol. The bullet entered Cabañas’ head and he was taken to hospital with injuries described as “critical” by Ernesto Martinez, head of the surgery team at Los Angeles Hospital in Mexico. Cabañas has since undergone two operations and over 7 hours of surgery but due to the risks posed by removal of the bullet from the rear of his brain, it has not been removed. “We’re talking about a shot with front end entry,” said City Attorney Miguel Angel Mancera.“The player was conscious but his heart had a problem stabilising.”

News of the shooting of Salvador Cabañas shocked the whole of America both North and South, as well as the wider football community. Cabañas plays for arguably the biggest club in Mexico and was a key figure in Paraguay’s qualification for World Cup 2010, scoring 6 goals. “His life in danger” confirmed Excelsior, one of Mexico’s most popular websites when the news broke and word immediately spread across both continents. The Paraguayan FA have sent a delegate to Mexico to oversee the situation.

El Salvador

As a player, Salvador Cabañas is a class act. A short, stocky, bull of a player, the 29-year-old made a name for himself as a gutsy striker with bags of energy and dynamism. Most importantly, he tends to score goals wherever he plays. Cabañas started his career in his native Paraguay, starring for 12 de Octubre and Club Guarani before moving on to Chile to play for Audax Italiano in 2001. In 2003 he was top scorer in Chile before signing for Jaguares de Chiapas in Mexico. Cabañas has played in Mexico since 2003.

He was the Mexican Primera Division’s top scorer in 2006 while at Chiapas, and his goals during that time attracted the attention of Club America, one of Mexico’s top teams. His goalscoring ability, leadership qualities and furious energy rapidly made him a fans favourite at America. His time there has been sprinkled with individual honours. Cabañas twice won top scorer at the Copa Libertadores (2007 and 2008), won El Pais’ highly coveted South American Footballer of the Year award in 2007 (one of only 5 Paraguayans to do so since the award’s inception in 1971) and was named best striker of the 2008 Clausura championship in Mexico.

Cabañas is also a hero in Paraguay’s national team, for whom he has recently become totemic in importance. His 6 goals and all round play were crucial in helping La Albirroja qualify for South Africa. I remember in particular his performance in the 1-0 win against Argentina which secured Paraguay’s passage to World Cup 2010. He was outstanding that day, snapping at the heels of Argentina’s defence like a pitbull terrier, and his linkup play for the winning goal was absolutely superb – trademark Cabañas, a combination of close control and that low centre of gravity that defenders regularly struggle to deal with. He was brilliant.

Though perhaps not too well known in Europe Cabañas had been linked with a move to Sunderland recently, and given Steve Bruce’s extensive contacts in the region there may have been some truth in the rumour. He was without question one of the players I was most looking forward to seeing at the World Cup.

Cabañas not the first

Sadly, Salvador Cabañas is not the first player to be attacked and shot in Mexico. There is history there, going all the way back to 1974 when Jaime Lopez, centre back for Club Deportivo Guadalajara, was shot and killed in the streets of Guadalajara at just 24.

In 1975, Cruz Azul legend Octavio “Centavo” Muciño was also shot in a bar in Guadalajara during his time playing for Chivas Guadalajara. He died three days after the shooting and at 24 years of age a hugely promising career and life was tragically cut short.

In 2008 David Mendoza, nicknamed ‘Magic’ apparently for his skills on the basketball court, was murdered in Jalisco on his way from the stadium having been to watch Tecos UAG vs Aguilas. Mendoza played for various Mexican clubs including Veracruz, Atlas and Cruz Azul.

And most recently, in 2009 Club Pachuca’s first team masseur Ramón Estrella was shot four times and killed outside a restaurant on the outskirts of Pachuca.

All these shootings were for various reasons with differing motives that seem more to reflect the nature of Mexican society rather than anything related to the men as footballers. But the shooting of Salvador Cabañas’, one of the Mexican league’s most prominent stars, has proved cause for concern for players in Mexico. “I like to go out but sometimes people tell me not to because of the lack of security. We all have to be careful. It is a painful situation seeing what is happening in Mexican football,” said Monterrey wing back and Ecuadorean international Walter Ayovi.

Meanwhile the gates of the Azteca Stadium were opened on Tuesday and up to 300 supporters gathered to offer ‘Chava’ their support.

For now the most important thing is that Salvador Cabañas can survive the attack and hopefully make a recovery. “Now is a moment for reflection, support and calm,” said Michel Bauer, president of Club Amer
ica. “The next few hours are extremely important for Salvador’s life and for his family and wife. They are going to be critical.”

We hope and pray he pulls through.

photo courtesy of Club America

Club America, Mexican Primera Division, Paraguay, Salvador Cabanas