Ariel José Graziani Lentini (born June 7, 1971) is a former football player. He is a naturalized

Ecuador Ecuador, officially the Republic of Ecuador, is a country in northwestern South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It also includes the Galápagos Province which contain ...

ian striker who represented the Ecuador national team on 34 occasions between 1997 and 2000. After retiring in Ecuador he is only able to play amateur football, he has chosen to play for Argentinian fifth-level club Atlético Empalme since May, 2007.

Career

Graziani has been a top goalscorer for practically every team for which he has played. He made his professional debut in 1993 with

Newell's Old Boys Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys () is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario, Santa Fe. The club was founded on 3 November 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell of the English county of Kent, one of the pioneers of Argentine football. A ...

of Argentina, where he was a teammate with

Diego Maradona Diego Armando Maradona Franco (30 October 196025 November 2020) was an Argentine professional association football, football player and manager. Widely regarded as one of the greatest players in the history of the sport, he was one of the two ...

until he transferred later that year to

Sport Boys The Sport Boys Association, commonly referred to as the Sport Boys or simply the Boys, is a Peruvian association football club based in the port city of Callao, founded on 28 July 1927. The club currently participate in the Peruvian Primera Divi ...

of the

Peruvian First Division Peruvians (''/peruanas'') are the citizens of Peru. What is now Peru has been inhabited for several millennia by cultures such as the Caral before the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. Peruvian population decreased from an estimated 5–9 m ...

. Graziani transferred to the Ecuadorian First Division to play for Aucas in 1995, and moved a year later to join Emelec. During his two years with the club, 1996 and 1997, he led the league in scoring (52 goals in 69 matches) while helping Emelec earn league titles. His standout play earned him a transfer to

Morelia Morelia (; from 1545 to 1828 known as Valladolid; Otomi language, Otomi: ) is a city and municipal seat of the municipalities of Mexico, municipality of Morelia in the north-central part of the state of Michoacán in central Mexico. It is both th ...

of the

Mexican Primera División Liga MX, also known as Liga BBVA MX for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Mexico and the highest level of the Mexican football league system. Formerly known as Liga Mayor (1943–1949) and also as Primera Divi ...

. Again he was one of the top goalscorers for his club and the league.

Major League Soccer

In 1999, Ariel was acquired by

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

for a transfer fee of slightly less than $2 million, which at the time was the highest transfer fee ever paid by the league.

New England Revolution

On July 26, 1999, Graziani was allocated to

New England Revolution The New England Revolution are an American professional association football, soccer club based in the Greater Boston area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. It is on ...

. In New England, he would once again be playing with his former teammate

Joe-Max Moore Joe-Max Moore (born February 23, 1971) is an American former soccer player. He played professionally for clubs in Germany, England and the United States. He finished his career with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer. In addition ...

, with whom he had played at Emelec in 1997. The Revolution were able to add Graziani under their $1.7m salary budget due to the trade of midfielder

Edwin Gorter Wilhelmus Edwin Gorter (born 6 July 1963) is a Dutch former professional association football, footballer who played as a midfielder. Early and personal life Born in The Hague, Gorter's mother died when he was 8 years old. Gorter has two childr ...

to the

Miami Fusion Miami Fusion F.C. was an American professional soccer club based in the Miami metropolitan area. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team played from 1998 to 2001. Announced in 1997 as one ...

and the retirement of midfielder Richard Goulooze. Graziani's arrival in New England was well received by the media and Revolution front office.

The Sun Chronicle ''The Sun Chronicle'' (formerly ''The Attleboro Sun'' and the ''Evening Chronicle'') is a daily newspaper in Attleboro, Massachusetts, United States. Most of its readers are in Attleboro and North Attleborough, Massachusetts, but it also covers n ...

referred to Grazini as the "highest paid and, perhaps, most prolific player to ever perform in Major League Soccer...". The Revolution had been targeting Graziani since 1998, looking for a high-profile allocation from the league who could help with marketing as well as on the field. Revolution head coach

Walter Zenga Walter Zenga (; born 28 April 1960) is an Italian professional football manager and former player, currently club manager at Serie C club Siracusa. He is regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation, and one of Italy's best ...

praised Graziani as "great player" stating Graziani has "excelled as a goalscorer everywhere he has played. His addition gives us one of the most dangerous attacks in MLS.” Revolution General Manager Brian O'Donovan stated there was "absolutely no doubt in our minds as an organization that we want Ariel Graziani on this team" and added Graziani "is a big-time player who will have a major impact on whatever team he goes to. We are celebrating the addition of a high-impact player in spite of our defensive weaknesses, which we can correct." Graziani was immediately inserted into the lineup upon his arrival, making his Revolution debut (and first start) on July 31, 1999, a 4-1 loss to the

Tampa Bay Mutiny The Tampa Bay Mutiny were an American professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The Mutiny were a charter member of MLS, playing from 1996 to 2001. Th ...

. He made his home debut in a 2-1 loss to the San Jose Clash on August 12. Graziani's home debut proved to be his final appearance in a Revolution jersey. Graziani played in only three matches for the club before he was traded to the

Dallas Burn Dallas () is a city in the U.S. state of Texas and the most populous city in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, the List of Texas metropolitan areas, most populous metropolitan area in Texas and the Metropolitan statistical area, fourth-most ...

for Colombian international Leonel Álvarez on August 13. The trade was not well received, and was referred to as what may be the "most shortsighted move in MLS history."

Dallas Burn

Graziani immediately made an impact on the Burn, scoring his first goal in the 4th minute of his first appearance on August 18, in a 3-0 victory over the 1st-place

Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Founded in ...

. He would make eight total appearances (all starts) for the Burn in 1999, contributing four total goals and one assist, helping Dave Dir's side qualify for the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year. Graziani continued his prolific play for the Burn in the following seasons, finishing as the Burn's leading scorer in both

2000 2000 was designated as the International Year for the Culture of Peace and the World Mathematics, Mathematical Year. Popular culture holds the year 2000 as the first year of the 21st century and the 3rd millennium, because of a tende ...

and

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

, with 15 goals and with 11 goals respectively. He was named an All-Star in both seasons; representing the Western Conference in the

2000 MLS All-Star Game The 2000 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the fifth MLS All-Star Game. It was played on July 29, 2000 at Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. In the highest scoring MLS All-Star Game, the Eastern Conference won 9-4. Players from the le ...

as a 46th-minute substitute, and scoring a 26th-minute goal for the West as a starter in the

2001 MLS All-Star Game The 2001 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 6th Major League Soccer All-Star Game, played on July 28, 2001, at Spartan Stadium in San Jose, California. The game ended in a 6–6 tie. It is the only MLS All-Star Game that has ended in a t ...

San Jose Earthquakes

In the offseason, due to salary cap constraints, the Burn traded Graziani to the

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional association football, soccer club based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Origin ...

for

Salvadoran Salvadorans (), also known as Salvadorians, are citizens of El Salvador, a country in Central America. Most Salvadorans live in El Salvador, although there is also a significant Salvadoran diaspora, particularly in the United States, with smalle ...

international, and Quakes all-time leading goalscorer,

Ronald Cerritos Ronald Osvaldo Cerritos Flores (born January 3, 1975) is a Salvadoran former professional footballer who played as a striker. Cerritos was once the all-time leader in assists of the Major League Soccer team, the San Jose Earthquakes, with 47. ...

and a second-round pick in the

2002 MLS SuperDraft The 2002 Major League Soccer SuperDraft was held on February 10, 2002 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. One month earlier, MLS had contracted two clubs: Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion. In conjunction with the contraction, the league conducted ...

on February 8, 2002. In the 2002 San Jose Earthquakes season, Graziani broke a record by scoring six game-winning goals on his way to leading the team with 14 goals and five assists. For the third consecutive year, Graziani received MLS All-Star honors, and represented MLS against the

United States men's national soccer team The United States men's national soccer team (USMNT), officially recognized as USA by FIFA, represents the United States in men's international Association football, soccer. The team is governed by the United States Soccer Federation, which is ...

in the

2002 MLS All-Star Game The 2002 Major League Soccer All-Star Game was the 7th edition of the Major League Soccer All-Star Game, played on August 3, 2002 at RFK Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C. The match was contested by the MLS All-Stars team and the United St ...

. while the team's leading goalscorer, Graziani failed to connect adequately with strike partner

Landon Donovan Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American former professional association football, soccer player and coach who was most recently the interim head coach of San Diego Wave FC of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL). Often co ...

. MLS loaned out the final year of his contract. A bidding war between Emelec and

Barcelona SC Barcelona Sporting Club (), internationally known as Barcelona de Guayaquil, is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil, known best for its professional football team. They currently play in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of fo ...

ensued where, in the end, Barcelona offered MLS more money.

Later Career

In 2003, Graziani, was the top scorer in Ecuador with Barcelona SC. He also scored what was voted the top goal in that year's

Copa Libertadores The CONMEBOL Libertadores, also known as Copa Libertadores de América (), is an annual continental club football competition organized by CONMEBOL since 1960. It is the highest level of competition in South American club football. The tournam ...

against the eventual winners

Boca Juniors Club Atlético Boca Juniors () is an Argentine professional sports club based in La Boca, a neighbourhood of Buenos Aires. The club is best known for its men's professional Association football, football team which, since its promotion in 1913 ...

. In 2004, he signed with Lanús in Argentina but only managed 4 goals in 17 games and eventually left the same year to return to

and scored 8 goals from 18 games. In 2005, Graziani signed for

LDU Quito Liga Deportiva Universitaria () is an Ecuadorian professional football club based in Quito. They play in the Serie A, the highest level of the Ecuadorian professional football league. They play their home games at the Estadio Rodrigo Paz Delgad ...

. He played there until December, 2006, when he officially retired. Nevertheless, in May, 2007, he signed with Atlético Empalme, where he started his career. Empalme in 2007 played for

Santa Fe Province The Invincible Province of Santa Fe (, , lit. "Holy Faith") is a Provinces of Argentina, province of Argentina, located in the center-east of the country. Neighboring provinces are from the north clockwise Chaco Province, Chaco (divided by the 2 ...

in zone 9 of the '' Torneo del Interior C'', a complex regional fifth-level tournament. Nowadays, Graziani holds a political position in his country of birth Argentina. He is the vice-mayor of a small town called Empalme Villa Constitución where he is trying to help the poorest people in his town.

Honours

Club

Club Sport Emelec Club Sport Emelec is an Ecuadorian sports club based in Guayaquil that is best known for their professional association football, football team. The football team plays in the Ecuadorian Serie A, the highest level of professional football in th ...

Serie A de Ecuador The Liga Pro Ecuador Serie A, simply known as the Liga Pro or the Serie A (or the Ecuadorian Serie A to distinguish it from the Italian Serie A and the Brazilian Campeonato Brasileiro Série A, Série A), or as Liga Pro Ecuabet for sponsorship re ...

: 1996 *

: 2005

Nation

Canada Cup The Canada Cup () was an invitational international ice hockey tournament held on five occasions between 1976 and 1991. The brainchild of Toronto lawyer Alan Eagleson, the tournament was created to meet demand for a true world championship that a ...

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

Individual

MLS All-Star The Major League Soccer All-Star Game is an annual Association football, soccer game held by Major League Soccer featuring selected players from the league against an international club or selected players from another league. MLS initially ado ...

2002 The effects of the September 11 attacks of the previous year had a significant impact on the affairs of 2002. The war on terror was a major political focus. Without settled international law, several nations engaged in anti-terror operation ...

Achievements

Graziani has played in 33 games for the Ecuador national team during his career, scoring 15 goals for his adopted country. He became top scorer at the 1999 Canada Cup, scoring three goals in three matches.

References

External links

*
Major League Soccer
{{DEFAULTSORT:Graziani, Ariel 1971 births Living people Argentine emigrants to Ecuador Ecuadorian men's footballers Argentine men's footballers Ecuadorian people of Italian descent Argentine sportspeople of Italian descent Ecuador men's international footballers Ecuadorian expatriate men's footballers 1997 Copa América players 1999 Copa América players Newell's Old Boys footballers Sport Boys footballers S.D. Aucas footballers C.S. Emelec footballers C.D. Veracruz footballers Atlético Morelia players New England Revolution players FC Dallas players San Jose Earthquakes players Barcelona S.C. footballers Club Atlético Lanús footballers L.D.U. Quito footballers Argentine Primera División players Expatriate men's footballers in Ecuador Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Expatriate men's footballers in Peru Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Ecuadorian expatriate sportspeople in the United States Ecuadorian expatriate sportspeople in Mexico Ecuadorian football managers Argentine football managers Major League Soccer players Major League Soccer All-Stars Liga MX players Peruvian Primera División players Naturalized citizens of Ecuador Men's association football forwards Footballers from Santa Fe Province C.D. Olmedo managers Argentine expatriate football managers