|
 |
 |
|
GUSTAVO ADOLFO MUNÚA VERA
Squad Number 07/08: 13
Date of Birth: 27 January, 1978
Nationality: Uruguay (international)
Contract: 2003 - 2009
Transfer: €2,5 million (2003)
Previous Clubs: Nacional de Montevideo
Buy out Clause: ?
Height: 190 cm
Weight: 81 kg
Position: Goalkeeper
|
|
|
 Deportivo president Lendoiro became seriously interested in signing MUNÚA after he saw him playing for the Uruguayan under-21 team. He got a good chance to take a closer look when Munúa’s club back then, Nacional de Montevideo, visited Riazor in the summer of 2003 to play the Teresa Herrera tournament.
In Uruguay, tall Munúa made name for himself being the first ever goalkeeper who scored from a free-kick, and he has the record of defending Nacional's goal for 937 minutes without conceding a goal. Once he played a league match against Maldonado and fractured his forearm. But he continued playing until the match was over. He won the Uruguayan league championships in 1998, 2000 and 2001 with Nacional de Montevideo.
The results of his team at the Teresa Herrera tournament of 2003 were a 3-0 loss against Deportivo and a 2-2 draw in the other match. Despite the five goals, Munúa made a good impression with his amazing feet technique and he was the first signing of Deportivo with the transfer money earned for Makaay.
But the season 2003/2004 didn't see Munúa much on the pitch as Molina showed great form in this period. He made his debut on 7 October 2003 during the Copa match his club won at regional rivals Compostela (0-1). This match won’t be remembered though for his debut, but for the tragic death of Deportivo supporter Manuel Ríos Suárez.
Munúa's "bad luck" continued during his second match which would become notorious: the 8-3 defeat at Monaco. First choice Molina started this match but during the break had to stay behind in the dressing room as he proved to be unfit. After 45 minutes the match had a 5-2 score, but three minutes after the break Munúa already had been beaten twice. The goalkeeper wasn’t to be blamed though for the unusual defeat, as it proved to be the worst day of the team during its long history.
Third time lucky is what they say, and Munúa finally played a ‘normal’ match against Gimnástica on 17 December, 2003. The team qualified for the next round after a hard-fought 1-2 victory and it gave Munúa new chances in the Copa del Rey. Irureta used the tournament to test many of the reserve players, including Munúa, and the goalkeeper did well in both matches against Atlético. Despite the Copa exit he finally was able to show his real value.
The defeat against Atlético nevertheless was extra painful to Munúa as the playing opportunities now were almost gone and his next appearance would be on 17 April, 2004, during the 1-1 Liga draw at home against Valladolid. But at the end of the 2003/2004 season he was given some new opportunities because the club had lost its opportunities to win the title and Molina was given rest. It made him play 5 Liga matches in total that season.
There were some doubts whether Deportivo would lift the option to buy Munúa in 2004, because the season 2003/2004 he actually had played on loan with a buying option for the Galicians. But quickly it became clear that he was here to stay; Deportivo lifted the option and Munúa signed a contract attaching him to the club till the age of 31. Although Molina started the season 2004/2005 (the final one of Irureta at the club) again as first goalkeeper of Deportivo, an injury of the former Spanish international goalkeeper gave Munúa a chance to show his worth on 30 January, 2005 against Osasuna (1-1). Even after Molina’s recovery Munúa defended Depor’s goal, and he did so in seventeen consecutive matches from start to finish (conceding twenty goals).
But the departure of Irureta and the arrival of ex-Sevilla coach Caparrós gave the advantage back to Molina and Munúa was close to playing on loan at Segunda División side Sporting de Gijón. Eventually that deal didn't become a reality and Munúa ended as the third keeper of the squad, even behind Dani Mallo. Caparrós clearly didn't consider Munúa to be very valuable, but the situation with the goalkeepers in 2006 left him with no option: Munúa is the second goalkeeper of the squad during the season 2006/2007.
As an international player, Munúa won a silver medal with his country at the FIFA World Youth Championship Malaysia 1997, when his team lost the final against eternal rivals Argentina. He made his debut in the first national team in 2000 during a 2-0 friendly win over Hungary. Now he’s ready to battle it out with Carini for the regular number one spot. But a club career with Inter gives Carini the edge. So Munúa will have to keep on fighting to earn his place at both Deportivo and the national team. As he himself declared mid-2004: "My dream was to sign at an European club, and I did. But now there's another dream left: to play."
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
