A technical poacher with exceptional positioning and aerial ability. Juan Carlos "El Pin" Plata compensates for average physicality with intelligent movement, sharp finishing, and underrated head play. Ideal for quick chances of goal and crosses into the box. His stats reflect his legacy as Guatemala’s all-time top scorer and a Municipal legend with 376 goals for Municipal and 35 goals for the Guatemala National Team.
Biography: Juan Carlos Plata, nicknamed "El Pin", was a Guatemalan former soccer player born on January 1, 1971 in Guatemala City. Juan Carlos Plata spent his entire career as a forward with Club Social y Deportivo Municipal from 1990 to 2010, becoming a legend of Guatemalan football.
His discovery came in 1984 when a Municipal coach went to watch one of his brothers play for the "Juventud Olímpica" team from the San Antonio neighborhood, but was impressed by the talent of young Juan Carlos. He made his professional debut in the 1990-1991 season under the management of the manager from Uruguay Rubén Amorín. He appeared in 553 official appearances and scored 376 goals for Municipal, with a 0.67 average goals per match.
He became the all-time leading scorer in the Guatemalan National League, all-time leading scorer for Municipal, he has the record for goals in finals in the national league. He scored 39 goals in The Clásico against Comunicaciones (El Clásico record) remembering the 9-2 final in the series (5-1 in the 1st. Leg, and 4-1 in the 2nd. Leg) where he scored 4 goals in the final.
He won with Municipal 15 league championships, 5 national cups and 2 international titles, The UNCAF trophy in 2001 and 2004.
He came to the 400th career goal on May 17, 2009, against Deportivo Petapa, and get the 500th match for Municipal on February 15, 2008.
He has his debut in the national team in january 14, 1996, against Mexico, a game where he entered in the 75' minute of game, but losing the game for the semifinal of the Gold Cup 0-1. Is remembered the goal he scored for Guatemala in the Gold Cup 1998 against Brazil, in the February 5, 1998, where Brazil played with players like Romário, Cláudio Taffarel, Zé María, Mauro Silva, Denílson and Edmundo, engaging a penalty goal from Romario in the 78' minute of game, until in the 90' minute, he scored the 1-1 against the World Champions.
He has 87 matches played and 35 goals, being the second all-time leading scorer behind Carlos "El Pescadito" Ruiz.