Justo Villar

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Villar and the second or maternal family name is Viveros.

Justo Villar

Villar with Colo-Colo in 2016
Personal information
Full name	Justo Wilmar Villar Viveros[1]
Date of birth	(1977-06-30) 30 June 1977 (age 47)[1]
Place of birth	Cerrito, Paraguay
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[2]
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
	Sol de América
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1996–2000	Sol de América	103	(0)
2001–2004	Libertad	109	(0)
2004–2008	Newell's Old Boys	135	(0)
2008–2011	Valladolid	44	(0)
2011–2012	Estudiantes	18	(0)
2013	Nacional	13	(0)
2013–2017	Colo-Colo	87	(0)
2017–2018	Nacional	0	(0)
Total		509	(0)
International career
1997	Paraguay U20	5	(0)
2000	Paraguay U23	4	(0)
1999–2018	Paraguay	120	(0)
Medal record Representing  Paraguay Copa América Runner-up 2011 Argentina Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Justo Wilmar Villar Viveros (born 30 June 1977) is a Paraguayan former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Other than in his own country, he also played in Argentina, Spain and Chile, in a senior career that lasted 22 years.

A Paraguay international on 120 occasions, Villar represented the nation in three World Cups and seven Copa América tournaments.^[3][4]

Club career

Born in Cerrito, Ñeembucú Department, Villar started his career at Club Sol de América where he was coached by legendary Ever Hugo Almeida, also a goalkeeper, as the team also included another player in that position as their coach, Modesto Sandoval.

In 2001, he moved to Club Libertad, where he was reunited with Sandoval: he won back-to-back Paraguayan Primera División titles with the side, in 2002 and 2003, signing the following year with Argentina's Newell's Old Boys.

As an undisputed starter, Villar helped Newell's to the 2004 Apertura championship, also being considered by the press as the Goalkeeper of the Year – previously, he had won the Paraguayan Footballer of the Year award (2004).

In January 2008, terms were agreed upon between Newell's and Real Valladolid of Spain for Villar's transfer, effective in the summer. On 14 July, he was officially presented by his new club; due to starter Sergio Asenjo's injury, he was able to appear in 15 La Liga matches in his first year.

During the 2009–10 season, Villar constantly battled for first-choice status with Jacobo,^[5] featuring in 23 games as the Castile and León side returned to Segunda División after a three-year stay. He was released in June 2011 at the age of 34, mainly due to his high salary.^[6]

The following month, Villar moved back to Argentina and signed a three-year deal with Estudiantes de La Plata.^[7] In 2013 he returned to his homeland, joining Club Nacional.

Villar changed clubs and countries again on 18 June 2013, after agreeing to a one-and-a-half-year contract with Colo-Colo in the Chilean Primera División.^[8] He helped them win the Clausura in his debut campaign, as first-choice.^[9]

After one season with Asunción-based Club Nacional, Villar announced his retirement from professional football at age 41, adding he wished to remain active in the sport.^[10]

International career

Villar represented Paraguay at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, and received his first cap for the full side two years later. He also appeared with the under-23s at the 2000 CONMEBOL Men Pre-Olympic Tournament, making four appearances.^{[11][12][13][14]}

Having been selected for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, backing up José Luis Chilavert, Villar was already a starter in the 2006 edition, but had a brief participation: during the first seven minutes of the opener against England, just after Carlos Gamarra's own goal, he got injured, was replaced by Aldo Bobadilla and subsequently sidelined for the rest of the tournament,^[15] in which the national team was eliminated in the first round.

In the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, Villar played all the matches for the eventual quarter-finalists and only conceded two goals, against Italy in the group stage (1–1) and Spain in the last-eight match (0–1, also saving a Xabi Alonso penalty^[16]), and was selected as captain.^[17] During the 2011 Copa América he was again first-choice and captain, and helped his team reach the final, notably saving a penalty in the quarter-finals shootout against Brazil (0–0 after 120 minutes);^[18] he was named the Best Goalkeeper for his displays during the competition, keeping clean sheets in three games.

Villar played four games in the 2015 Copa América, helping Paraguay to the fourth place in Chile.^[19][20]

Career statistics

Appearances and goals by national team and year^[3]

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
Paraguay	1999	8	0
	2000	1	0
	2001	1	0
	2003	8	0
	2004	8	0
	2005	9	0
	2006	5	0
	2007	11	0
	2008	9	0
	2009	10	0
	2010	12	0
	2011	11	0
	2012	5	0
	2013	4	0
	2014	2	0
	2015	7	0
	2016	7	0
	2018	1	0
Total		120	0

Honours

Libertad

• Paraguayan Primera División: 2002, 2003

Newell's Old Boys

• Argentine Primera División: 2004 Apertura

Colo-Colo

• Campeonato Nacional (Chile): 2014 Clausura, 2015 Apertura
• Copa Chile: runner-up 2015

Paraguay

• Copa América: runner-up 2011

Individual

• Paraguayan Footballer of the Year: 2004
• 2011 Copa América: Golden Glove^[21]

See also

• List of men's footballers with 100 or more international caps
• Players and Records in Paraguayan Football

References

1. "2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players" (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 20. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019.
2. "Justo Villar" (in Spanish). Colo-Colo. Archived from the original on 9 March 2017. Retrieved 11 August 2019.
3. Mamrud, Roberto. "Justo Wilmar Villar – Century of International Appearances". RSSSF. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
4. Mamrud, Roberto. "Paraguay – Record International Players". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 6 July 2009. Retrieved 12 July 2014.
5. García Encinas, Antonio (16 September 2009). "Justo Villar quiere irse en diciembre" [Justo Villar wants to leave in December]. El Norte de Castilla (in Spanish). Retrieved 10 May 2015.
6. Ortega, José Miguel (24 May 2010). "El Valladolid decide que Justo Villar no seguirá" [Valladolid decide Justo Villar will not continue]. Marca (in Spanish). Retrieved 1 October 2013.
7. "Justo Villar puso la firma y Estudiantes se aseguró al héroe guaraní" [Justo Villar put pen to paper and Estudiantes confirmed guaraní heroe] (in Spanish). Cancha Llena. 18 July 2011. Retrieved 18 July 2011.
8. Vallejos, Leonardo (18 June 2013). "Justo Villar llega a acuerdo con Colo Colo y será presentado en las próximas horas" [Justo Villar reaches agreement with Colo Colo and will be presented in the next hours]. El Mercurio (in Spanish). Retrieved 14 July 2015.
9. "Colo Colo se coronó campeón y consiguió la anhelada estrella 30 ante Wanderers" [Colo Colo crowned champions and got the long-awaited 30th star against Wanderers] (in Spanish). ADN Radio Chile. 13 April 2013. Retrieved 14 July 2015.
10. "Justo Villar anunció su retiro del fútbol profesional" [Justo Villar announced retirement from professional football] (in Spanish). Goal. 30 July 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
11. Argentina v Paraguay, 18 January 2000; at 11V11
12. Paraguay v Bolivia, 20 January 2000; at 11V11
13. Paraguay v Peru, 22 January 2000; at 11V11
14. Uruguay v Paraguay, 25 January 2000; at 11V11
15. "Villar's World Cup could be over". BBC Sport. 10 June 2006. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
16. Marcus, Jeffrey (3 July 2010). "With another late goal, Spain finds new heights". The New York Times. Retrieved 13 April 2017.
17. Fletcher, Paul (29 June 2010). "Paraguay 0–0 Japan (5–3 pens)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
18. "Justo Villar, el héroe de Paraguay: 'Iremos raspando hasta la final'" [Justo Villar, Paraguay's heroe: 'We will push through until the final']. El Mundo (in Spanish). 18 July 2011. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
19. "Brazil 1–1 Paraguay (Paraguay win 4–3 on penalties)". BBC Sport. 28 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
20. Pérez Bella, Manuel (4 July 2015). "2–0. Perú repite el tercer lugar en un partido de pocas ocasiones" [2–0. Peru repeat third place in match with few chances]. Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 4 July 2015.
21. "The best of 2011 CONMEBOL Copa America". Copa América. 5 February 2021. Retrieved 8 July 2024.

External links

• Justo Villar at BDFutbol
• Justo Villar – FIFA competition record (archived)
• Justo Villar at Soccerway
• Justo Villar at WorldFootball.net