Valeriano López Mendiola (born 4 May 1926 in

Casma Casma is a city in the coastal desert of Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National s ...

— died 7 May 1993 in Callao) was a football forward from

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, nicknamed ''Tanque de Casma''. Recognized as one of

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

's most important players, he was an all round forward with great finishing, positioning, and heading skills. Prolific goalscorer, next to Ferreyra and

Friedenreich Arthur Friedenreich (18 July 1892 – 6 September 1969) was a Brazilian professional footballer who played as a forward. He was nicknamed ''The Tiger'' or ''The Original "Black" Pearl'', and was arguably the sport's first outstanding mixed-race ...

, have been only the American

professional A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and ski ...

footballers A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby ...

with an average of more than 1 goal per match, having made 207 goals in 199 games of 1946 to his retirement in 1960.

Career

López's career began with the Peruvian club

Sport Boys Sport Boys Association, commonly referred to as Sport Boys or simply Boys, is a Peruvian football club based in the port city of Callao. It was founded on 28 July 1927. Its classic and historic rival is the Atlético Chalaco against whom dispute ...

at the age of 20. He became a prolific goalscorer, winning the Peruvian league top-scorer honor its three first seasons, (1946, 1947 and 1948) with 62 goals scored in 54 matches. After a successful beginning in

Peru , image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg , image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg , other_symbol = Great Seal of the State , other_symbol_type = National seal , national_motto = "Firm and Happy f ...

, in 1949 it is punished to perpetuity for the practice of soccer to escape of the concentration of the

Peru national football team The Peru national football team represents Peru in men's international football. The national team has been organised, since 1927, by the Peruvian Football Federation (FPF). The FPF constitutes one of the ten members of FIFA's South America ...

days before the

South American Championship A South American Championship is a top level international sports competition between South American athletes or sports teams representing their respective countries or professional sports clubs. List of Championships * ATP Buenos Aires, a tenni ...

Brazil Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...

. López moved to Colombia club Deportivo Cali and remains one of their most iconic players.

Honours

Individual Honours

* Peruvian Championship's Top Scorer: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951 * 1948

Bolivarian Games The Bolivarian Games (Spanish: ''Juegos Bolivarianos'', full name ''Juegos Deportivos Bolivarianos'') are a regional multi-sport event held in honor of Simón Bolívar, and organized by the Bolivarian Sports Organization (''Organización Deport ...

: Best Player * 1948

: Top Scorer * 1951 South American Top scorer on the year *

1952 Panamerican Championship The 1952 Panamerican Championship was the first edition of the Panamerican Championship, an association football tournament featuring national teams from North, Central and South America. Organized by the Panamerican Football Confederation, this fi ...

: Top Scorer

Records

*He also set a record by scoring in 12 consecutive Colombian League games.Scoring Streacks, Valeriano López
/ref>

References

External links

*
Biography of Valeriano López
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lopez, Valeriano 1926 births 1993 deaths People from Casma Province Association football forwards Peruvian footballers Peru international footballers Peruvian Primera División players Categoría Primera A players Argentine Primera División players Sport Boys footballers Deportivo Cali footballers Club Atlético Huracán footballers Club Alianza Lima footballers Peruvian expatriate footballers Expatriate footballers in Argentina Expatriate footballers in Colombia