Ulises de la Cruz
Encyclopedia
Ulises Hernán de la Cruz Bernardo (born February 8, 1974 in Piquiucho) is a Ecuador
ian footballer currently with LDU Quito.
De la Cruz has set up a charity
, Friends of FundeCruz, in his home village to fund a number of projects serving the local community.
, for whom he started playing at the age of 16 in the junior division and later the professional division. Nonetheless, De la Cruz's breakthrough season was with LDU Quito in 1998. He scored three goals in the final against Emelec (7–0).
Alex McLeish
, the manager of Scottish Premier League
club Hibernian
, watched de la Cruz play in international matches for Ecuador, and then signed him in June 2001 for a club record fee of £700,000. De la Cruz scored two goals for Hibs, both coming in an Edinburgh derby
match against Hibs' local rivals Hearts
. He only played for Hibs in one season; after de la Cruz played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, he was signed by Graham Taylor
for Aston Villa
.
took over, and an injury to Mark Delaney ensured that de la Cruz could start more games than he had previously, and he signed a new contract for the 2004-05 campaign.
During his third season with Aston Villa, de la Cruz became frustrated at his lack of first team opportunities and accused O'Leary of blocking transfers for him, but on August 25, 2006, he signed a one year deal with Reading
on a free transfer.
in a 3-1 win on January 20, 2007. After an impressive first season with Reading, he was offered a contract that would tie him to the Madejski Stadium
for two more years. Following their relegation from the Premier League, Reading announced on 16 May 2008 that he would not be offered a new contract.
of the Football League Championship
in March 2009. The player was initially given squad number
27, previously allocated to Krystian Pearce
who had been loaned out for the season; however the Football League
ruled that the number could not be re-used and De la Cruz was given number 36 instead. He made his Birmingham debut as a second-half substitute in the 2–0 win away at Doncaster Rovers
on 14 March. When his contract expired, the player chose not to accept the offer of an extension until the end of the season.
de Porto Alegre
. LDU Quito won the Recopa giving Ulises his first international title.
in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
which reached the second round.
In his homeland, de la Cruz is one of Ecuador's most popular players, both for his footballing talent and his charitable projects. The Supporters Trust At Reading
(STAR) have organised a facility to allow Reading and other supporters the means to donate to the Ulises de la Cruz Foundation.
Due to Ecuador
's poor start in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers
, de la Cruz and his teammate, Ivan Hurtado
sharply criticized the coach and the atmosphere in the team. As a result, they were excluded from selection for the last two matches of 2007 against Paraguay
and Peru
.
registered charity
. At one of the Reading matches, fans were asked to donate money to his fund and he raised a few thousand pounds. Money will also be raised at the Ruta del Sol
in February 2008. The foundation funds amongst other things a water treatment plant, a health centre and a sports ground. He has been named a UNICEF
ambassador.
Total = 485 caps, 40 goal
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
ian footballer currently with LDU Quito.
De la Cruz has set up a charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
, Friends of FundeCruz, in his home village to fund a number of projects serving the local community.
Early career
De la Cruz's first team was the Ecuadorian side Sociedad Deportivo QuitoSociedad Deportivo Quito
Sociedad Deportivo Quito is a Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league....
, for whom he started playing at the age of 16 in the junior division and later the professional division. Nonetheless, De la Cruz's breakthrough season was with LDU Quito in 1998. He scored three goals in the final against Emelec (7–0).
Alex McLeish
Alex McLeish
Alexander "Alex" McLeish , is a Scottish former professional footballer and manager, who is currently managing English Premier League club Aston Villa...
, the manager of Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
club Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
, watched de la Cruz play in international matches for Ecuador, and then signed him in June 2001 for a club record fee of £700,000. De la Cruz scored two goals for Hibs, both coming in an Edinburgh derby
Edinburgh derby
The Edinburgh derby is an informal title given to any football match played between Scottish clubs Heart of Midlothian and Hibernian , the two professional clubs based in Edinburgh, Scotland. The two clubs have a fierce rivalry that dates back to the clubs being founded in the mid-1870s, which...
match against Hibs' local rivals Hearts
Heart of Midlothian F.C.
Heart of Midlothian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Gorgie, in the west of Edinburgh. They currently play in the Scottish Premier League and are one of the two principal clubs in the city, the other being Hibernian...
. He only played for Hibs in one season; after de la Cruz played in the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, he was signed by Graham Taylor
Graham Taylor (football manager)
Graham Taylor OBE is a football pundit, ex-football manager, and a former player. He is best known as the manager of the England national football team, as well as being manager of Watford, a club he took from the Fourth Division to the First in the space of five years, then from bottom of the...
for Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
.
Aston Villa
In De la Cruz's first season at the club, he played 24 times, scoring one league goal, against Charlton Athletic. He featured more in the 2003-04 season after David O'LearyDavid O'Leary
David Anthony O'Leary is an Irish football manager and former player. His managerial career began at Leeds United and later he managed Aston Villa. He most recently worked as the manager of Al-Ahli Dubai...
took over, and an injury to Mark Delaney ensured that de la Cruz could start more games than he had previously, and he signed a new contract for the 2004-05 campaign.
During his third season with Aston Villa, de la Cruz became frustrated at his lack of first team opportunities and accused O'Leary of blocking transfers for him, but on August 25, 2006, he signed a one year deal with Reading
Reading F.C.
Reading Football Club is an English association football club based in the town of Reading, Berkshire who currently play in the Championship...
on a free transfer.
Reading
De la Cruz scored his first Reading goal against Sheffield UnitedSheffield United F.C.
Sheffield United Football Club is a professional English football club based in the city of Sheffield, South Yorkshire.They were the first sporting team to use the name 'United' and are nicknamed 'The Blades', thanks to Sheffield's worldwide reputation for steel production...
in a 3-1 win on January 20, 2007. After an impressive first season with Reading, he was offered a contract that would tie him to the Madejski Stadium
Madejski Stadium
The Madejski Stadium is a stadium in Reading, Berkshire, England. The stadium is the home of Reading Football Club and to the rugby union club London Irish as tenants. It also provides the finish for the Reading Half Marathon...
for two more years. Following their relegation from the Premier League, Reading announced on 16 May 2008 that he would not be offered a new contract.
Birmingham City
After a few weeks' training with the club, de la Cruz signed a one-month contract with Birmingham CityBirmingham City F.C.
Birmingham City Football Club is a professional association football club based in the city of Birmingham, England. Formed in 1875 as Small Heath Alliance, they became Small Heath in 1888, then Birmingham in 1905, finally becoming Birmingham City in 1943.They were relegated at the end of the...
of the Football League Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
in March 2009. The player was initially given squad number
Squad number
In team sports, the squad number, shirt number, jersey number, sweater number, uniform number or simply a number is the number worn on a player's uniform, to identify and distinguish each player from others wearing the same or similar uniforms...
27, previously allocated to Krystian Pearce
Krystian Pearce
Krystian Mitchell Victor Pearce is an English professional footballer who plays for Notts County as a central defender. He had an earlier spell on loan at Notts County, and also played in the Football League for Port Vale, Scunthorpe United, Peterborough United and Huddersfield Town...
who had been loaned out for the season; however the Football League
The Football League
The Football League, also known as the npower Football League for sponsorship reasons, is a league competition featuring professional association football clubs from England and Wales. Founded in 1888, it is the oldest such competition in world football...
ruled that the number could not be re-used and De la Cruz was given number 36 instead. He made his Birmingham debut as a second-half substitute in the 2–0 win away at Doncaster Rovers
Doncaster Rovers F.C.
Doncaster Rovers Football Club is an English football club, based at the Keepmoat Stadium in Doncaster, South Yorkshire. The team currently competes in the Football League Championship, after being promoted via the League One play-offs in 2008, and have remained there since.The club was founded in...
on 14 March. When his contract expired, the player chose not to accept the offer of an extension until the end of the season.
LDU Quito
Following his release, de la Cruz returned to Ecuador to play for FIFA World Club Cup runner-up LDU Quito, his third spell at the club. De la Cruz played in both 2009 Recopa Sudamericana matches against Sport Club InternacionalSport Club Internacional
Sport Club Internacional is a Brazilian football team and multi-sport club from Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, founded on April 4, 1909, and are one of the only five clubs to have never been relegated, along with Santos, São Paulo, Flamengo and Cruzeiro. They play in red shirts, white shorts and...
de Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre
Porto Alegre is the tenth most populous municipality in Brazil, with 1,409,939 inhabitants, and the centre of Brazil's fourth largest metropolitan area . It is also the capital city of the southernmost Brazilian state of Rio Grande do Sul. The city is the southernmost capital city of a Brazilian...
. LDU Quito won the Recopa giving Ulises his first international title.
International career
Although not always a first choice for his club, he remained an important member of the national side picking up 90 caps and five goals in his career to date. He was a fixture in the Ecuadorian teamEcuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
in the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
which reached the second round.
In his homeland, de la Cruz is one of Ecuador's most popular players, both for his footballing talent and his charitable projects. The Supporters Trust At Reading
Supporters Trust At Reading
"Supporters' Trust At Reading" also known as "STAR", is the official organisation representing the interests of supporters of Reading Football Club everywhere...
(STAR) have organised a facility to allow Reading and other supporters the means to donate to the Ulises de la Cruz Foundation.
Due to Ecuador
Ecuador national football team
The Ecuadorian national football team represents Ecuador in international football competitions and is controlled by the Ecuadorian Football Federation. They generally play official home matches at Estadio Olímpico Atahualpa in Quito, but often play friendlies in other stadiums around the country...
's poor start in the 2010 World Cup qualifiers
2010 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONMEBOL)
The South American zone of 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification saw 10 teams competing for places in the finals which were held in South Africa. The format is identical to that used for the previous three World Cup qualification tournaments held by CONMEBOL...
, de la Cruz and his teammate, Ivan Hurtado
Iván Hurtado
Iván Jacinto Hurtado Angulo is an Ecuadorian professional football central defender for Barcelona as well as captaining the Ecuadorian national team. He is currently one of the most capped male footballers of all time....
sharply criticized the coach and the atmosphere in the team. As a result, they were excluded from selection for the last two matches of 2007 against Paraguay
Paraguay national football team
The Paraguay national football team is controlled by the Paraguayan Football Association and represents Paraguay in men's international football competitions. The team has reached the second round of the World Cup on four occasions . The 2010 trip also featured their first appearance in the...
and Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
.
Charitable work
Born in Piquiucho, a small village in the Valle del Chota, one of Ecuador’s poorest regions, De la Cruz set up the charity Friends of FundeCruz to fund a number of projects serving the local community, to which he donates about 10% of his salary. Friends of FundeCruz is also a BritishUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
. At one of the Reading matches, fans were asked to donate money to his fund and he raised a few thousand pounds. Money will also be raised at the Ruta del Sol
Ruta del Sol (motor race)
The Ruta del Sol is an amateur motor race for charity using a VW Beetle to race from Quito, Ecuador to Rio, Brazil.In 2009 the event is changing its name and format. The details have not yet been released by the organisers....
in February 2008. The foundation funds amongst other things a water treatment plant, a health centre and a sports ground. He has been named a UNICEF
United Nations Children's Fund
United Nations Children's Fund was created by the United Nations General Assembly on December 11, 1946, to provide emergency food and healthcare to children in countries that had been devastated by World War II...
ambassador.
Club
LDU Quito- Serie A: 19981998 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie AThe 1998 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol de la Serie A was the 41st season of the Serie A, the top level of professional football in Ecuador. LDU Quito won their fifth national championship.-Format:...
, 19991999 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie AThe 1999 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol de la Serie A was the 42nd season of the Serie A, the top level of professional football in Ecuador. LDU Quito successfully defended their title and won their sixth national championship.-First stage:...
, 20102010 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol Serie AThe 2010 Campeonato Ecuatoriano de Fútbol de la Serie A was the 52nd season of the Serie A, Ecuador's premier football league. It ran from February 7 to December 12.... - Recopa SudamericanaRecopa SudamericanaThe Recopa Sudamericana is an annual football match-up between the reigning champions of the previous year's Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana, South America's premier club competitions....
: 2009 - Copa SudamericanaCopa SudamericanaThe Copa Bridgestone Sudamericana de Clubes , known simply as the Copa Sudamericana , is an annual international club football competition organized by the CONMEBOL since 2002. It is the second most prestigious club competition in South American football. CONCACAF clubs were invited between 2004...
: 20092009 Copa SudamericanaThe 2009 Copa Sudamericana de Clubes is the 8th edition of the CONMEBOL's secondary international club tournament. Internacional were the defending champions, having won the trophy the previous season...
Nation
-
- Canada CupCanada Cup (soccer)The Canada Cup or Maple Cup was a men's invitational international football tournament for national football teams. Its first edition was the 1995 Canada Cup. Three nations competed: Canada, Chile and Northern Ireland...
: 19991999 Canada Cup-Canada vs Guatemala:-Ecuador vs Guatemala:-Canada vs Iran:-Iran vs Guatemala:-Canada vs Ecuador:-References:*...
- Canada Cup
Total = 485 caps, 40 goal