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Defender Claudio Suárez didn’t become the player to appear more often for the Mexican national team than anyone else by accident. It took a lot of hard work and effort to reach 178 caps (international appearances) with El Tri.
Now the story of his journey is told in Claudio Suárez: History of a Warrior, written by Enrique León Candiani.
As a young boy in Texcoco, Mexico, Suárez loved to play wherever and whenever he could, even if it was sometimes hard on the neighbors to always have a soccer ball flying around.
Suárez saw how hard his parents worked and wanted to make things easier for his family. As soon as he joined Club Universidad Nacional A.C., a team known as Pumas, and earned his first paycheck, he bought his mother a washing machine so she didn’t have to wash clothes by hand any longer.
Even though he was kindhearted off the field, Suárez was a fierce, tough player in every match. He defended well and even scored at times, usually with a header from a corner or free kick. It was his skill and consistency that brought him to Mexico’s national team, where he took part in many of the team’s greatest achievements.
Suárez shares many details of his life in Candiani’s book, which includes many personal photos, letters, and even a university report card. It’s interesting to find out what Suárez thinks about the various coaches he had in his career.
The book doesn’t skip over the difficult points in the player’s life. Suárez had to deal with injuries at various points, including a broken leg that caused him to miss the 2002 World Cup tournament.
Although many of his early friends and teammates retired from soccer, Suárez continued to explore new adventures. He left the Mexican league to join Major League Soccer in 2006. Not only did he play well enough to help Chivas USA to the playoffs for the first time in club history, but he also made Mexico’s World Cup Team the same year.
A true “iron man” of the sport, Suárez shows that success is no secret. Passion for the game, respect for teammates and most of all, dedication, are the keys to reaching goals in life. His biography is available in Spanish now, and the English edition is out soon.
“I hope my story will inspire others,” said Suarez. “They can read about what I did to find success.”
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