Rodolfo Zelaya
Encyclopedia
Rodolfo Antonio Zelaya García (born July 3, 1988 in Usulután
Usulután
Usulután is the 5th largest city in El Salvador, and capital of the Department of Usulutan in the south-east of El Salvador. As of 2006, it is estimated to have population of 71,636 people.Usulutan rests in a rich agricultural valley....

) is a Salvadoran footballer who currently plays for Russian club Alania Vladikavkaz, and internationally for the El Salvador national team
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...

.

Club career

Zelaya started his career playing for C.D. San Rafael
C.D. San Rafael Maracaná
Club Deportivo San Rafael Maracaná is a Salvadoran professional football club based in San Rafael Obrajuelo, La Paz, El Salvador.The club currently plays in the Tercera Division de Fútbol Salvadoreño.-Current squad:As of 2011:...

 in 2004 where he would play for one year. The following season, he moved to Atlético La Merced.

In July 2006, both Zelaya and Rusvel Saravia
Rusvel Saravia
Rúsvel Alexis Saravia Mejía is a Salvadoran footballer. He currently plays for C.D. Topiltzín in El Salvador.-Club career:Saravia plays as a striker and was first spotted by San Francisco F.C. head coach Gary Stempel, when he was coaching Águila in El Salvador. At the time Saravia was playing in...

 were offered a contracts to play for one of El Salvadors biggest clubs, C.D. Águila
C.D. Águila
Club Deportivo Águila is a Salvadoran football club based in San Miguel. They currently play in the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional, and are one of the most prestigious teams in the country along with long-time rivals Club Deportivo FAS...

. Unfortunately for both Zelaya and Saravia, they could not come to terms with the club over their proposed salaries, and as a result, the transfer fell through. Zelaya then moved on to play in Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño
Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño
The Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño is the second level of the El Salvador League System of football. Teams have a chance to gain promotion to the Primera División de Fútbol Profesional. The champions of the Apertura and Clausura play the direct promotion playoff every year. The winner of...

 with A.D. Intipucá
ADI F.C.
Asociación Deportiva Intipucá Futbol Clube are a Salvadoran professional football club based in Intipucá, El Salvador.The team was given its name by Enrique Villatoro Larios, a former professional footballer...

. After 2 years with the club, Zelaya caught the attention of C.D. Chalatenango
C.D. Chalatenango
Club Deportivo Chalatenango is a Salvadoran football club. The team is based out of Chalatenango, El Salvador and plays in the Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño, which is the country's second tier league.Their mascot is the Scorpion.-History:...

 coach Vladan Vićević
Vladan Vicevic
Vladan Vićević is a retired Serbian-born Salvadoran international football player.Vićević, born in Titovo Užice, SR Serbia, SFR Yugoslavia, played with his hometown club FK Sloboda Užice for a decade between 1986 and 1996 before moving to El Salvador to play with C.D. Águila...

. After meeting with Vivevic, Zelaya was offered, and accepted a contract to play with his first Primera División
Primera División de Fútbol Profesional
The Primera División of the ' , more commonly known as La Liga Mayor or La Primera, is the top professional football league in El Salvador. It was established in 1969 and as of 2011 has 10 clubs...

 club C.D. Chalatenango
C.D. Chalatenango
Club Deportivo Chalatenango is a Salvadoran football club. The team is based out of Chalatenango, El Salvador and plays in the Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño, which is the country's second tier league.Their mascot is the Scorpion.-History:...

. Zelaya went on to impress in his first season with the club and grew a fan base with both spectaors and reporters for being one of El Salvador's most promising young strikers.

In 2008, Zelaya moved to Alianza F.C.
Alianza F.C.
Alianza Fútbol Club, also known simply as Alianza, is a football club based in San Salvador, El Salvador. Alianza is one of the most popular and successful clubs in El Salvador...

 after former C.D. Chalatenango
C.D. Chalatenango
Club Deportivo Chalatenango is a Salvadoran football club. The team is based out of Chalatenango, El Salvador and plays in the Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño, which is the country's second tier league.Their mascot is the Scorpion.-History:...

 president Lisandro Pohl switched clubs. This switch lead to Pohl taking various players with him to Alianza F.C.
Alianza F.C.
Alianza Fútbol Club, also known simply as Alianza, is a football club based in San Salvador, El Salvador. Alianza is one of the most popular and successful clubs in El Salvador...

 whose rights he supposedly owned due to them being bought when he was president at C.D. Chalatenango
C.D. Chalatenango
Club Deportivo Chalatenango is a Salvadoran football club. The team is based out of Chalatenango, El Salvador and plays in the Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño, which is the country's second tier league.Their mascot is the Scorpion.-History:...

.

On June 15, 2009, Zelaya was one of the three Salvadoran footballers signed to Mexican club Club León
Club León
Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...

 on a loan deal, the other two were Cristian Castillo and Julio Enrique Martínez
Julio Enrique Martínez
Julio Enrique Martínez Rivera is a Salvadoran footballer who currently plays for Alianza in the Salvadoran Premier Division.He also plays internationally for the El Salvador national team.-León:...

. On 3 December 2009, it was announced that Club León
Club León
Club León, is a Mexican professional football club based in the city of León, in the state of Guanajuato, Mexico. They currently play in the Liga De Ascenso formerly known as "Primera A", the second tier of football in Mexico since their relegation from the Primera Division in 2002.León has won...

 had permanently signed Zelaya along with the other two Salvadorans with a three-year contract. On 12 December 2009, it was confirmed by Alianza's own president, Lisandro Pohl, that Zelaya would return to Alianza
Alianza F.C.
Alianza Fútbol Club, also known simply as Alianza, is a football club based in San Salvador, El Salvador. Alianza is one of the most popular and successful clubs in El Salvador...

 on a loan deal. Zelaya later played without a loan deal and participated at the Clausura 2011
Primera División de Fútbol Profesional - Clausura 2011
The Clausura 2011 season will be the 26th edition of El Salvador's Primera Division since its establishment of an Apertura and Clausura format. Isidro Metapán will be heading into this tournament as the defending champions. The season will begin in early 2011 and conclude in mid year...

, where he was top goalscorer with 13 goals to his part. He also had the opportunity to reign champion and score 2 goals at the final to give his team the championship. On 19 July 2011, Zelaya signed with Russian First Division club FC Alania Vladikavkaz on a loan transfer for six months. Alania may be able to redeem his transfer by January 2012. On August 9, 2011, Zelaya debuted at the Russian league championship
Football Championship of the National League
The Football Championship of the National League , formerly called Russian First Division is the second level of Russian professional football....

 in a match against Torpedo Vladimir
FC Torpedo Vladimir
Football Club Torpedo Vladimir is a Russian football club from Vladimir, founded in 1959. In 2011, they will play in the Russian First Division after winning their zone of the Russian Second Division in 2010. The club has been called Trud , Traktor and Motor . Their best historical result was 6th...

 as a starter.

International career

Zelaya officially received his first cap on April 23, 2008 in a friendly match against China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...

. He scored his first goal with the national team on September 6, 2008 in a 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification - CONCACAF Third Round
This page provides the summaries of the CONCACAF Third Round matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification. The 12 winners from the Second Round contested this round. The draw took place on 25 November 2007 in Durban, South Africa.- Format :...

 match against Haiti
Haiti national football team
The Haiti national football team represents Haiti in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the governing body for football in Haiti. Haiti's home ground is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince and their head coach is Edson Tavares...

. This game also saw him score his first hat-trick
Hat-trick
A hat-trick or hat trick in sport is the achievement of a positive feat three times during a game, or other achievements based on threes. The term was first used in 1858 in cricket to describe HH Stephenson's feat of taking three wickets in three balls. A collection was held for Stephenson, and he...

 which lead El Salvador to a 5-0 win against the then Caribbean Nations Cup champions. At the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the 11th edition of the CONCACAF Gold Cup competition and 21th CONCACAF regional championship overall in CONCACAF's fifty years of existence...

, Zelaya received two trophies for the best player in the matches against Cuba and Panama. Overall, Zelaya scored 4 goals being the second top goalscorer of the tournament. Zelaya was noted by Goal.com
Goal.com
Goal.com, founded in 2004 by Chicco Merighi and former Ferrari Maserati and Ralph Lauren President and CEO Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni, is a website for international football news. Goal.com represents the largest football community in the world, with 22 language versions, covering over 200...

 as being one of the Best XI of the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup — alongside Javier Hernández as forwards. CONCACAF also noted "Fito" scoring the fifth best goal of the tournament, a decent feat considering 80 goals scored in the tournament.

International caps and goals

El Salvador's goal tally first.

External links

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