Name: Salvador Cabañas Ortega
Nickname: "Chava"
Country:
ParaguayClub: Club América
Shirt Number: 7, 9, 10
Position: ★CF
Side: RF/BS
Age: 26-29 years (05/08/1980)
Height: 173 cm
Weight: 78 kg
Attack: 85
Defence: 32
Balance: 86
Stamina: 80
Top Speed: 83
Acceleration: 80
Response: 86
Agility: 79
Dribble Accuracy: 81
Dribble Speed: 76
Short Pass Accuracy: 73
Short Pass Speed: 76
Long Pass Accuracy: 68
Long Pass Speed: 73
Shot Accuracy: 85
Shot Power: 86
Shot Technique: 86
Free Kick Accuracy: 76
Swerve: 81
Heading: 87
Jump: 84
Technique: 84
Aggression: 90
Mentality: 78
Goalkeeper Skills: 50
Team work: 72
Injury Tolerance: B
Condition/Fitness: 6
Weak Foot Accuracy: 5
Weak Foot Frequency: 5
Consistency: 6
Growth type: Standard
CARDS:
P13 - Goal Poacher
S04 - PK Taker
S05 - 1-Touch Play
S06 - Outside Curve
SPECIAL ABILITIES: Positioning - Scoring - Lines - Middle Shooting - 1-Touch Pass - Outside
Attack/Defence Awareness Card: Attack-Minded
INFO:
Salvador Cabañas is a retired Paraguayan footballer who played as a center-forward. Born in Itauguá, Departamento Central (05/08/1980), Cabañas began his sports career at 12 de Octubre in Paraguay, scoring 4 goals from his debut in 1998 until 1999. He was then transferred to Guaraní, where he stayed briefly before returning to 12 de Octubre for the 2000 season, scoring 8 goals, before moving to Audax Italiano in Chile in 2001. In the Torneo Apertura 2003 of the Chilean Primera División, Cabañas scored 18 goals, becoming the top scorer of that tournament. In 2003, he moved to Mexican football, specifically to play for Jaguares de Chiapas, where his goal-scoring prowess led to Cinderella campaigns for the humble southern team, earning him two goal-scoring titles in Clausura 2004 with 15 goals and Clausura 2006 with 11. In 2006, he joined Club América, where he would experience his peak years: at América, after Cuauhtémoc Blanco's departure, he became the team's main reference (which was going through difficult sporting times). He was capped for the Paraguay national football team from 2003 to 2010, playing 44 matches and scoring 10 goals. His early career with the national team was overshadowed by other forwards like José Saturnino Cardozo and Roque Santa Cruz, Paraguay's all-time leading scorer. However, his fortunes changed after joining Club América in Mexico, where his performances were more recognized. Moreover, Cardozo retired from the Paraguayan national team in 2006, increasing Cabañas' chances of becoming a regular starter. "Tata" Martino, who was the Paraguay coach at that time, had blind faith in Cabañas and called him up for the World Cup qualifiers for South Africa 2010, where he scored 6 goals, the most crucial one against Colombia in Bogotá from outside the box. Cabañas would go on to become the top scorer of the Copa Libertadores in 2007 and 2008, being one of the few players to achieve this more than once; he was named in the Ideal Team of America in 2007, 2008, and 2009, the same years he was awarded Paraguayan Footballer of the Year; and in 2007, he repeated the feat of his compatriot José Saturnino Cardozo and was crowned South American Footballer of the Year, an unprecedented achievement considering Cabañas played in Mexico. Now recognized as the best center-forward in North America, Cabañas was on the verge of securing his first professional title, despite his prolific goal-scoring record. Sadly, in 2010, Cabañas suffered an assassination attempt by a drug cartel, forcing him into retirement.
In the early hours of January 25, 2010, Cabañas was shot in the head while entering the restroom at the "Bar Bar" venue in Mexico City. He was shot by a drug trafficker in a situation that was never fully clarified due to the brain damage caused by the gunshot. The next day, it was announced that the bullet would not be removed, as it would require another surgery that would pose a risk to his life. His clinical condition remained stable, showing favorable changes in his health, although he remained in critical condition primarily due to a brain edema. Meanwhile, Salvador received numerous displays of support, especially in Mexico and his native country. Several were held in various places, such as stadiums and churches. Additionally, during local professional football league matches in both countries, teams took to the field with banners and jerseys displaying messages of solidarity for their fellow professional. The team he was playing for at the time of the assault, América, paid tribute to him. The match they played against Indios de Ciudad Juárez at the Estadio Azteca started with one less player on the field in reference to their absent striker. Other tributes included a reserved space on the bench with his jersey placed on one of the seats. Currently, Cabañas is out of danger but with evident permanent damage.
Spoiler: show
12 de Octubre (1998 - 2001) - 28 games, 12 goals.
Club Guaraní (1999 - 2000) - 20 games, 6 goals.
Audax Italiano (2001 - 2003) - 53 games, 29 goals.
Jaguares de Chiapas (2003 - 2006) - 106 games, 61 goals.
Club América (2006 - 2010) - 160 games, 98 goals.