Denis Caniza: Paraguayan mainstay for years
To be a crucial mainstay for your country’s team is almost always something that every footballer desires. To be so for so long that your name’s synonymous with your team can be a luxury not many have. But for Denis Caniza it is very close to reality. By appearing in what is his fourth World Cup final, Caniza emblazoned himself as the first Albirroja star to achieve such a feat.
Caniza made his international debut in 1996, but it wasn’t until France 1998 when he made an impact on the World Cup scene. He started Paraguay’s games against Spain and Nigeria, and in the process helped the South Americans put together one of their finest campaigns.
They went on to meet the host nation in a memorable Round of 16 clash, a game in which Caniza came on as a second-half substitute, only for Les Bleus to see off the plucky Paraguayans with a Laurent Blanc Golden Goal six minutes from the end of extra time.
Caniza has shown his amazing versatility in many of his international campaigns. He spent some time as a wide midfielder and even a full back before settling down as a centre lynchpin, a position in which he had a splendid campaign in 2002.
At 5’ 9 he isn’t exactly the towering figure designed to strike fear in the opposition attackers but his remarkable read of the game and tackling ability meant that he didn’t go wasted in his country of just 6 million people. He reached the last 16 once gain but lost out to Germany who themselves emerged as runners-up.
In 2006, he anchored his defence alongside Carlos Gamarra almost throughout his team’s involvement, missing just two minutes of football before bowing out in the group stages.
The veteran then announced his retirement, having had as success as he could with his National team but was coaxed out of it by Coach Geraldo Martino after which he started eight games in the 2010 qualifying campaign. Able to play on either side, Caniza is a popular figure around the dressing room and was actually voted team captain by his team-mates and has led the rejuvenated squad quite ably.
In a career spanning over 16 years, Caniza started his career in 1994, in the Paraguayan capital with Olimpia Asuncio. After five years and four league titles with Olimpia he moved to Buenos Aires with Lanus in Argentina from 1999 to 2001 playing 61 matches and scoring just one goal.
In 2001 he headed to Mexico, shuttling between Santos Laguna, Cruz Azul and Atlas, making his fortune and becoming a well-known face in the Mexican Primera. He won the inaugural Interliga with Santos Laguna in 2004 giving them an entry to the Copa Libertadores.
In a six year span he played over 200 games, scoring just 9 goals (clearly, he isn‘t a goal scoring defender…) but winning the Championship twice before bouncing back to his homeland as the mid-thirties approached him.
A year stint in Olimpia was followed by a bit-part season in Nacional in 2009, wherein he made 17 appearances for the club and winning the Paraguayan Primera division in the process.
Now, he plies his trade in Mexico with second tier club Leon in what will most likely be a graceful and mellow end to an illustrious footballing career.
His appearance in the World Cup 2010 will also see him achieve the landmark of 100 caps for Paraguay; the ageing 35 year old former mainstay is no longer an automatic selection amongst the younger and fitter players in the national team but a vital addition nevertheless with his invaluable experience on the big stage. For this Cannavaro of Paraguay, there is no way he’ll be resigned to the side-lines during his country’s fourth consecutive Finals foray.
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