René Orlando Houseman (19 July 1953 – 22 March 2018), nicknamed Loco,[1] was an Argentine footballer, who played as a right winger. At the beginning of his career, Houseman was considered successor of legendary winger Omar Corbatta,[1] being still regarded by many sports journalists as one of the best wingers ever.[2]
 Houseman with Argentina in 1978 | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | René Orlando Houseman | |||||||||||||
| Date of birth | 19 July 1953 | |||||||||||||
| Place of birth | La Banda, Argentina | |||||||||||||
| Date of death | 22 March 2018 (aged 64) | |||||||||||||
| Place of death | Buenos Aires, Argentina | |||||||||||||
| Height | 1.65 m (5 ft 5 in) | |||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Winger | |||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||
| 1971–1973 | Defensores de Belgrano | 38 | (16) | |||||||||||
| 1973–1980 | Huracán | 267 | (110) | |||||||||||
| 1981 | River Plate | 12 | (1) | |||||||||||
| 1982 | Colo-Colo | 18 | (3) | |||||||||||
| 1983 | Amazulu | ? | (?) | |||||||||||
| 1984 | Independiente | 3 | (0) | |||||||||||
| 1985 | Excursionistas | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||
| Total | 339 | (130) | ||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||
| 1973–1979 | Argentina | 55 | (13) | |||||||||||
Medal record
| ||||||||||||||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||
An extraordinarily skilled player, Houseman was characterised by his outstanding dribbling ability, speed and mischief into the field.[1]
Club career
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Houseman was born in La Banda, Santiago del Estero Province.[2] Despite having started his career at Club Atlético Excursionistas youth divisions, Houseman debuted professionally playing for Excursionistas's arch-rival Defensores de Belgrano, where he won its first title, the Primera C championship in 1971.[3] At the beginning of 1973, as a recommendation by manager César Menotti, he was hired by Club Atlético Huracán.
Mother, don't worry because these legs will save you
— Houseman to his mother at the beginning of his career[4]
Houseman was a keyplayer of the Huracán team that won the 1973 Metropolitano championship. Managed by Menotti, that squad is widely regarded as one of the best Argentine teams ever, where Houseman played along with notable players such as Miguel Brindisi, Carlos Babington and Omar Larrosa.[5][6]
After leaving Huracán in 1980, Houseman spent a short time in River Plate (only one season, 1981), then moving to Chile to play for Colo Colo and then to South Africa when he joined AmaZulu F.C.
In 1984 he returned to Argentina to play for Independiente but he only played three matches in total. Nevertheless, Houseman was part of the roster that won the Libertadores and Intercontinental Cups that year.
Houseman retired from football in 1985, playing for his first club, Excursionistas, a match v. Boca Juniors.[2][4]
International career
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During his international career Houseman also played for the Argentina national team and participated at the 1974 FIFA World Cup, where he scored three goals. His greatest achievement in football was being a member of the 1978 FIFA World Cup winning team and scoring in the 6–0 win over Peru.
Post retirement
editHouseman was part of the coaching staff led by Ángel Cappa that managed Huracán between 2008 and 2009. He said he was never paid for his services.[4]
Personal life
editHouseman's career was cut short due to problems with alcoholism, with which he struggled for most of his life.[7] Houseman even scored a goal versus River Plate which he later claimed not to remember as he was drunk throughout that game. In 2017, it was revealed that Houseman had tongue cancer. The Argentine Football Association announced that it would help him to afford medical treatment.[8]
Houseman died on 22 March 2018 after a long battle with cancer, eight days after the death of his 1978 teammate, Rubén Galván.[9]
Honours
editClub
editDefensores de Belgrano
- Primera C: 1972
Huracán
Colo-Colo
Independiente
International
editArgentina
- FIFA World Cup: 1978[12]
- Copa Newton: 1975, 1976
- Copa Lipton: 1976
- Copa Félix Bogado: 1976
- Copa Ramón Castilla: 1976, 1978
References
edit- ^ a b c Idolos de la Selección: René Houseman on El Grafico, 7 May 2014
- ^ a b c Uno de los últimos wines del fútbol argentino Houseman recibió el cariño de los chaqueños, Diario Norte, 21 March 2013
- ^ "Club Atlético Defensores de Belgrano". Sitio Web Oficial del Club Atlético Defensores de Belgrano. 15 December 2016. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ a b c d El partido que el Loco Houseman nunca quiso jugar, TN, 23 May 2014
- ^ Huracán 73 on El Gráfico, 2008
- ^ El fútbol hecho fantasía, Clarín, 7 September 2002
- ^ El alcohol, un problema para los que juegan con la número 7 by Guido Piotrkowskion Minuto Uno
- ^ La AFA ayudará a René Houseman en el tratamiento al que se someterá por cáncer de lengua, La Nación, 28 October 2017
- ^ "Argentina WC winner Houseman dies at 64". 22 March 2018.
- ^ "Championship Cup — Campeonato Metropolitano — 1973". Prepared and maintained by Javier Roimiser for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 2 October 2005. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "Copa Libertadores de América 1984". Prepared and maintained by John Beuker and Pablo Ciullini for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 7 March 2013. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
- ^ "World Cup Champions Squads 1930–2014". Prepared and maintained by Gwidon Naskrent, Roberto Di Maggio and José Luis Pierrend for the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. 27 July 2014. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
External links
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- René Houseman – FIFA competition record (archived)
- René Houseman at National-Football-Teams.com
- Futbol Factory profile at the Wayback Machine (archived 20 October 2007) (in Spanish)