Ricardo Ismael Rojas Mendoza (born 26 January 1971) is a retired Paraguayan professional Association football, footballer who played as a Defender (association football)#Full-back, full-back. He first came into notability at Club Libertad, Libertad in Paraguay, transferring to Estudiantes de La Plata, Estudiantes in 1995, where he established himself and received his first call-up for Paraguay national football team, Paraguay national team. In 1999, he moved to S.L. Benfica, Benfica, but less than a year and half later was back at Argentina, playing for Club Atlético River Plate, River Plate until 2006. He represented Paraguay seven times, being a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup.

Club career

Born in Posadas, Misiones, Posadas, at the Argentine province of Misiones Province, Misiones, Rojas played for Argentinos Juniors at the same time as Christian Dollberg in 1991. He moved to Club Cerro Corá, Cerro Corá in the same year and participated in their campaign in the Paraguayan Primera División, Primera División. In 1992, he joined the larger Club Libertad, where he secured a place in the first team, amassing over 50 league matches in three seasons. After five years in Paraguay, Rojas returned to Argentina, signing with Estudiantes de La Plata, Estudiantes. In Estudiantes, he played the left-back role for four seasons with more than 120 league appearances, but without winning any silverware. In July 1999, the 28-year-old moved abroad and joined S.L. Benfica, Benfica, alongside his teammate, Carlos Bossio;in what he labelled the transfer as the highest point in his career. According to Record (Portuguese newspaper), Record, the fee for both was three million dollars. He made his debut on 12 September, in a 3–0 away win against C.D. Santa Clara, Santa Clara, and went on to play 30 games in all competitions, mainly as a right-back. However, in 2000–01 S.L. Benfica season, 2000–01, the signings of Ivan Dudić on the right, and the breakthrough of Diogo Luís on the left, severely diminished his playing time, so in February 2001, he was loaned to Club Atlético River Plate, River Plate. His pay-check there was a reported 500 thousand dollars, one of highest in the league. Initially, under Américo Gallego, he could only play in the 2001 Copa Libertadores, Copa Libertadores due to his late arrival in the season. In 2001–02 Argentine Primera División, 2001–02, already with Ramón Díaz in charge, Rojas alternated with Matías Lequi on the left and despite speculation that he would be released, he signed on permanent deal in early 2002. On 11 March 2002, he scored his only top tier goal, in a 3–0 victory of River over its main rivals, Club Atlético Boca Juniors, Boca Juniors. After scoring that goal, he was nicknamed ''vaseline''. He would play for River for a further four years, retiring in 2007 after a brief spell at Club Atlético Belgrano, Belgrano. After football, he became a farmer and moved back to his home-town.

International career

Despite being born in Argentina, Rojas grandparents were from Paraguay. He hoped of playing for Argentina national football team, Argentina but the stiff competition made it difficult for him to ever receive a call-up, so he opted to represent Paraguay national football team, Paraguay instead, as he explained in 1999: "My grandparents were Paraguayans and before I played in Argentina, I had already received a call-up to play for Paraguay. Still, I turned it down because my ambition was to play for the Argentina national team, but I soon figured out my chances were slim. Just before the World Cup in France, I was invited again by the Paraguayan Football Association and ended up accepting it and representing Paraguay in the World Cup." He was listed in squad for the 1997 Copa América, and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, but did not make any appearances. In total, he received 7 call-ups from 1997 to 1998.

References

General * Specific

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Rojas, Ricardo 1971 births Living people Footballers from Posadas, Misiones Paraguayan men's footballers Paraguay men's international footballers Argentine men's footballers Argentine sportspeople of Paraguayan descent Men's association football defenders Club Libertad footballers S.L. Benfica footballers Estudiantes de La Plata footballers Club Atlético River Plate footballers Club Atlético Belgrano footballers Argentine Primera División players Primeira Liga players 1998 FIFA World Cup players Paraguayan expatriate men's footballers Expatriate men's footballers in Argentina Expatriate men's footballers in Portugal Paraguayan expatriate sportspeople in Portugal 1997 Copa América players Argentine emigrants to Paraguay 20th-century Argentine sportsmen