Denis_Caniza
Denis Caniza
Paraguayan footballer (born 1974)
Denis Ramón Caniza Acuña (born 29 August 1974) is a Paraguayan former footballer who played as a defender.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Denis Ramón Caniza Acuña[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1974-08-29) 29 August 1974 (age 49) | ||
| Place of birth | Bella Vista, Paraguay | ||
| Height | 1.74 m (5 ft 8+1⁄2 in)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Full back | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1999 | Olimpia Asunción | 97 | (3) |
| 1999–2001 | Lanús | 61 | (1) |
| 2001–2005 | Santos Laguna | 191 | (8) |
| 2005–2008 | Cruz Azul | 51 | (0) |
| 2006–2007 | → Atlas (loan) | 39 | (1) |
| 2008–2009 | Olimpia Asunción | 35 | (0) |
| 2009 | Nacional Asunción | 20 | (0) |
| 2010–2011 | León | 35 | (2) |
| 2011 | Nacional Asunción | 20 | (0) |
| 2011 | Irapuato | 15 | (1) |
| 2012 | Nacional Asunción | 19 | (1) |
| 2013 | Sportivo Luqueño | 33 | (0) |
| 2014 | Rubio Ñu | 32 | (2) |
| Total | 648 | (19) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–2010 | Paraguay | 100 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Born in Bella Vista, Amambay, Caniza started his career in Olimpia of Paraguay. He also played in Lanús of Argentina, Santos Laguna, Atlas, Cruz Azul, Leon, and Irapuato of Mexico.
Caniza was a regular in the Paraguay national football team because of his versatility, as he can play as a side defender or as a centre-back. After the 2006 FIFA World Cup, Caniza announced his retirement from the Paraguay national team. However, when coach Gerardo Martino took the helm of the national team Caniza was called back and accepted to return to play for Paraguay. After Gerardo Martino took the head coach job in the Paraguay national football team, Caniza was voted for his teammates to become the captain of the team, so every time he played (when he was not injured or suspended) he captained the Paraguay national football team.
Caniza holds the distinction as the only Paraguayan footballer to be selected for 4 consecutive FIFA World Cup Finals, having been chosen in 1998, 2002, 2006 and 2010.
Due to his small size and industrial play, he has been described by BBC South American reporter Tim Vickery as "the Paraguayan Nobby Stiles".
In December 2014, Caniza announced his retirement at the age of 40 and his intention to have wanted to retire at Olimpia Asunción.[3]
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 14 March 1998 | Qualcomm Stadium, San Diego, California, USA |  United States | 2–2 | Draw | Friendly |
Olimpia
- Paraguayan Primera División (4): 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999
Santos Laguna
- Mexican Primera División (1): 2001 Verano
- InterLiga (1): 2004
Nacional
- "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019.
- Denis Caniza FIFA World Cup profile Retrieved 13 June 2010
- "Denis Caniza: ¿Quería retirarme con Olimpia?". Archived from the original on 9 December 2014. Retrieved 5 December 2014.
- International statistics at rsssf
- Denis Caniza at National-Football-Teams.com
- Denis Caniza at FootballDatabase.com
- Denis Caniza – Liga MX stats at MedioTiempo.com (archived) (in Spanish)