Darío Sala
Encyclopedia
Darío Sala is a retired Argentine
footballer now working as a player agent.
. He aspired to be a soldier
and attended a top military prep school at age 11. On weekends, Sala returned to his home to sell churro
s with his family outside the local soccer stadiums. Sala had no interest in football and instead played team handball
. At an early age, he earned a place on Argentina's national handball team as a right winger.
in the Argentine Army
, Sala started law
school at the age of 18. As a way to get free drinks, he would bet the professional players a Coke
that he could stop their shots from outside the 18-yard box. His efforts caught the attention of a scout
, who, in 1995 signed him as a reserve player for first division powerhouse San Lorenzo
. At San Lorenzo, Sala was coached by Hector Baley
, goalkeeper for the 1978
Argentine
World Cup squad.
and later Racing de Córdoba
. In 1996, he joined Belgrano
of the Primera B Nacional Argentina
; for the next two years he would be the starter winning Belgrano a promotion to the Primera División Argentina
. He moved on to Los Andes
, again helping his club to a promotion to the Primera División. Sala's good play earned him a look from Argentine powerhouse River Plate
who bought his rights. After earning a few non-league match starts, he was loaned out to rival Independiente
where he started for two seasons. After two seasons Independiente were looking to buy Sala, but the price was not right. As the Argentine economy unraveled, River officials looked to loan him to a team that could actually afford Sala's price tag; Deportivo Cali
in Colombia
was that club.
. Cali attempted to buy Sala's rights, but, due to a personal problem, Sala did not accept the move. Sala was offered a trial for the MetroStars
which he refused. He returned to Argentina playing with Newell's Old Boys
; he was the second goalkeeper behind Justo Villar and was loaned to Arsenal de Sarandí
where he was the starter.
season, Sala was signed by FC Dallas
. He made one appearance, a start, during the season which resulted in a shutout
. During the 2006 Major League Soccer season, Dario Sala was controversially announced the starter. He excelled throughout the season earning 28 starts, 93 saves, a 1.24 GAA
, and 14 win
s, leading the team to a first place finish In two playoffs games against the Colorado Rapids
, Sala made many crucial stops, but it wasn't enough to win the series as FC Dallas lost 5-4 on penalties. After the match, the Rapid players taunted the FC Dallas supporters, namely The Inferno. Sala, trying to divert the attention of the Rapids, ultimately punched Hunter Freeman
as a result of the scuffle. He later apologized, but was fined and suspended for six games anyway. During the 2007 Major League Soccer season
, Dario Sala was sidelined for the first six games due to the suspension received during the 2006 playoffs. He made his first appearance of the season on May 12, 2007 in a game versus the Kansas City Wizards
, leading the team to a road win with an amazing series of 9 saves. Dario went on to play 19 regular season games (8-7-2) in 2007, missing an additional 6 games due to a knee injury. In 2008, Sala started 28 games, missing only two due to a right hip injury. He posted career bests in minutes played with 2,520 and shutouts with seven. He finished the season with a 1.32 goals against average, helping lead the team to the fourth-best goal differential (+4) in Major League Soccer
.
After the 2010 MLS season FC Dallas declined Sala's contract option and he elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft
. Sala became a free agent in Major League Soccer when he was not selected in the Re-Entry draft. Shortly thereafter he retired as a player and began a new career as a player agent.
and handball, as well as skydiving.
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
footballer now working as a player agent.
Early life
Sala was born into a working-class family in CórdobaCórdoba, Argentina
Córdoba is a city located near the geographical center of Argentina, in the foothills of the Sierras Chicas on the Suquía River, about northwest of Buenos Aires. It is the capital of Córdoba Province. Córdoba is the second-largest city in Argentina after the federal capital Buenos Aires, with...
. He aspired to be a soldier
Soldier
A soldier is a member of the land component of national armed forces; whereas a soldier hired for service in a foreign army would be termed a mercenary...
and attended a top military prep school at age 11. On weekends, Sala returned to his home to sell churro
Churro
A churro, sometimes referred to as a Spanish doughnut, is a fried-dough pastry-based snack that has disputed origins. Churros are also popular in Latin America, France, Portugal, Morocco, the United States, Australia, and Spanish-speaking Caribbean islands. There are two types of churros in Spain....
s with his family outside the local soccer stadiums. Sala had no interest in football and instead played team handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
. At an early age, he earned a place on Argentina's national handball team as a right winger.
Early career
After becoming a lieutenantLieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the Argentine Army
Argentine Army
The Argentine Army is the land armed force branch of the Armed Forces of the Argentine Republic and the senior military service of the country.- History :...
, Sala started law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
school at the age of 18. As a way to get free drinks, he would bet the professional players a Coke
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
that he could stop their shots from outside the 18-yard box. His efforts caught the attention of a scout
Scout (sport)
In professional sports, scouts are trained talent evaluators who travel extensively for the purposes of watching athletes play their chosen sports and determining whether their set of skills and talents represent what is needed by the scout's organization...
, who, in 1995 signed him as a reserve player for first division powerhouse San Lorenzo
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro
Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro is an Argentine sports club based in Boedo neighbourhood, Buenos Aires, mostly known because of its football team....
. At San Lorenzo, Sala was coached by Hector Baley
Héctor Baley
Héctor Rodolfo Baley is a former Argentine football goalkeeper.Baley was a reserve goalkeeper in Argentina's 1978 FIFA World Cup winning squad and also in the 1982 tournament...
, goalkeeper for the 1978
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
Argentine
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
World Cup squad.
Becoming a starter
After his short stint at San Lorenzo, he was traded to his hometown team, TalleresTalleres de Córdoba
Club Atlético Talleres is a sports club from the city of Córdoba, Argentina, mostly known for its professional football team, which currently plays in the regionalised third division, the Torneo Argentino A...
and later Racing de Córdoba
Club Atlético Racing de Córdoba
Club Atlético Racing is an Argentine sports club from the city of Córdoba in Córdoba Province. The football squad currently plays in Torneo Argentino A which is the regionalised third tier of the Argentine Football Association league system.The club was founded in Nueva Italia Neighbourhood,...
. In 1996, he joined Belgrano
Belgrano de Córdoba
Club Atlético Belgrano is a sport club from Córdoba, Argentina, best known for its football team, promoted to the Argentine first division at the end of the 2010/2011 season. The football team is very popular and it has one of the largest fan bases outside Buenos Aires...
of the Primera B Nacional Argentina
Primera B Nacional Argentina
Primera B Nacional is the second most important category of Argentine football organized by the Argentine Football Association.It is played by teams from all over the country...
; for the next two years he would be the starter winning Belgrano a promotion to the Primera División Argentina
Primera División Argentina
The Primera División is a professional football league in Argentina. It is the country's premier football division and is at the top of the Argentine football league system. Contested by twenty clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Primera B Nacional. The season runs...
. He moved on to Los Andes
Club Atlético Los Andes
Club Atlético Los Andes is a sports club from the city of Lomas de Zamora, Greater Buenos Aires, Argentina. The football team currently plays in the Primera B Metropolitana, the regionalised third division of the Argentine Football Association....
, again helping his club to a promotion to the Primera División. Sala's good play earned him a look from Argentine powerhouse River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate
Club Atlético River Plate is an Argentine sports club based in the Nuñez neighborhood of Buenos Aires. It is best known for its professional football team, which currently competes in Nacional B, the second tier of Argentine football....
who bought his rights. After earning a few non-league match starts, he was loaned out to rival Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente
Club Atlético Independiente is an Argentine athletic, sports and social club, which has its headquarters and stadium in the city of Avellaneda, Buenos Aires Province. The club is best known for its football team, that plays in the Argentine Primera División....
where he started for two seasons. After two seasons Independiente were looking to buy Sala, but the price was not right. As the Argentine economy unraveled, River officials looked to loan him to a team that could actually afford Sala's price tag; Deportivo Cali
Deportivo Cali
Asociación Deportivo Cali is a Colombian sports club based in Cali, Colombia. Mostly known for its football team, it also sponsors basketball, volleyball and swimming...
in Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
was that club.
Leaving Argentina
At Cali, he won goalkeeper of the year honors for the league and was named top foreigner in the league. He also enjoyed international acclaim for being the least scored upon goalkeeper in the Copa Libertadores 2003Copa Libertadores 2003
The 2003 Copa Libertadores de América was the 44th edition of the Copa Libertadores, CONMEBOL's premier annual international club tournament....
. Cali attempted to buy Sala's rights, but, due to a personal problem, Sala did not accept the move. Sala was offered a trial for the MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
which he refused. He returned to Argentina playing with Newell's Old Boys
Newell's Old Boys
Club Atlético Newell's Old Boys is an Argentine sports club based in Rosario. The club was founded on November 3, 1903, and is named after Isaac Newell, one of the pioneers of Argentine football...
; he was the second goalkeeper behind Justo Villar and was loaned to Arsenal de Sarandí
Arsenal de Sarandí
Arsenal Fútbol Club, usually referred as Arsenal de Sarandí, is a football club from the Sarandí neighbourhood in the city of Avellaneda, Argentina, which was founded in 1957 by the Grondona brothers. Arsenal currently plays in the top tier of Argentine football, the Primera División Argentina....
where he was the starter.
Move to the US
During the 2005 MLSMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
season, Sala was signed by FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. He made one appearance, a start, during the season which resulted in a shutout
Shutout
In team sports, a shutout refers to a game in which one team prevents the opposing team from scoring. While possible in most major sports, they are highly improbable in some sports, such as basketball....
. During the 2006 Major League Soccer season, Dario Sala was controversially announced the starter. He excelled throughout the season earning 28 starts, 93 saves, a 1.24 GAA
Goals against average
Goals Against Average is a statistic used in ice hockey, water polo, lacrosse, and soccer that is the mean of goals allowed per game by a goaltender....
, and 14 win
Win
A win is a victory.Win may also refer to:* Win , the opposite of the internet meme fail* Win , a 1975 song by David Bowie* Win , a statistical credit given to a pitcher* Win , a Scottish band...
s, leading the team to a first place finish In two playoffs games against the Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league...
, Sala made many crucial stops, but it wasn't enough to win the series as FC Dallas lost 5-4 on penalties. After the match, the Rapid players taunted the FC Dallas supporters, namely The Inferno. Sala, trying to divert the attention of the Rapids, ultimately punched Hunter Freeman
Hunter Freeman
Hunter Freeman is an American soccer player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.-College and amateur:...
as a result of the scuffle. He later apologized, but was fined and suspended for six games anyway. During the 2007 Major League Soccer season
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
, Dario Sala was sidelined for the first six games due to the suspension received during the 2006 playoffs. He made his first appearance of the season on May 12, 2007 in a game versus the Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
, leading the team to a road win with an amazing series of 9 saves. Dario went on to play 19 regular season games (8-7-2) in 2007, missing an additional 6 games due to a knee injury. In 2008, Sala started 28 games, missing only two due to a right hip injury. He posted career bests in minutes played with 2,520 and shutouts with seven. He finished the season with a 1.32 goals against average, helping lead the team to the fourth-best goal differential (+4) in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
After the 2010 MLS season FC Dallas declined Sala's contract option and he elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft
2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft
The two-stage 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft took place on December 8, 2010 and December 15, 2010. The Stage 1 Draft of the Re-Entry Process took place on Wednesday, December 8, at 2 p.m. ET via teleconference. The Stage 2 Draft took place on Wednesday, December 15, at 2 p.m. ET...
. Sala became a free agent in Major League Soccer when he was not selected in the Re-Entry draft. Shortly thereafter he retired as a player and began a new career as a player agent.
Personal
Is married to Margot, an American, and has three children, Alexandra, Emmanuel and Agustina. In his free time, Sala enjoys playing golfGolf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
and handball, as well as skydiving.
FC Dallas
- Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Western Conference Championship (1): 20102010 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion...