Costa Rican defender Giancarlo Gonzalez

Giancarlo Gonzalez is a Costa Rican defender who plays for the Italian "Palermo". He is now 28 years old, but he came to Europe only in 2012. Giancarlo Gonzalez acts in the position of the central defender, but can also rise higher and play the role of the defensive midfielder.

Carier start

Giancarlo Gonzalez was born on February 8, 1988 in Costa Rica, where, from an early age, he played football at the academy of the club "Alajuela". At the age of 12, the boy moved to the academy of the Saprissa club for a while, but two years later he returned to Alahuelens. In this club he spent four more years before signing a professional contract. However, the athlete did not immediately receive a place in the base: within two years the defender acted exclusively for a double, until in 2008 he received a challenge to the main team.

In his first season, Gonzalez almost did not get into the base and sat on the bench, and the rest of the time continued to improve in the double. As a result, the next year he got a chance and took advantage of it - instantly Giancarlo Gonzalez became a key player of the club. For three years, the footballer spent 91 matches, scoring six goals. With his performances, the Costa Rican drew the attention of European clubs and in the summer of 2012 he signed a contract with the Norwegian club "Vålerenga".

Moving to Europe

Giancarlo Gonzalez is a footballer who has never been considered a true genius or future star. But with the tasks of the defender at his level, he did well. Therefore, in Norway, where the football player arrived in the middle of the season, immediately found himself in the starting lineup. In the second half of the season Gonzalez came on the field 12 times and was remembered by many fans. Naturally, the following year he became a key player in the defensive line and played 29 matches on the field, scoring two goals. However, the player chose not the best climate for himself, so in 2014 he was forced to look for other options, because of what he returned to his continent, joining the American club "Columbus".

Return to America

For six months in the "Columbus" Gonzalez played in 17 games, scoring one goal. In the summer of 2014, demand increased significantly after the athlete took part in the World Championship. A number of European clubs wanted to see Giancarlo in his room, and the defender chose the Italian "Palermo". The club had to pay four million euros for the transfer. The contract with the player was signed before 2018.

Going to "Palermo"

After such a strong performance at the World Cup Gonzalez immediately found himself in the first team. In the first season he spent 28 matches, scoring one goal. In the second season, the emotions died down, and the affairs of Gonzalez in the Italian club went to a decline. He went on the field only seventeen times and obviously lost a place in the starting lineup. In the current season, the situation has not changed: the defender remained a substitute player, coming out on the field for today only three times. In the summer there were rumors that Russian clubs were interested in such a player as Giancarlo Gonzalez. "Spartacus" was the main contender, the deal was practically completed, but at the last moment it broke for a number of reasons.

National team appearances

For the national team of Costa Rica Gonzalez made his debut in June 2010 in a friendly against the Slovak national team. However, he became the main defender of the team only in 2012. As a result, the player, along with his team won the Central America Cup 2013, in the finals defeating the national team of Honduras. And in 2014, flashed at the World Cup. Then his team suddenly got to the quarterfinals, where by a miracle did not overcome the Dutch. In total, Gonzalez has 54 matches in the national team's T-shirt, in which he even scored one goal - in May 2012 in a friendly against the Guatemalan team. The last match to date Gonzalez took place in October 2016: Costa Ricans won 4: 3 from the Russians.