Gustavo Javier Almada Gonzales (born 29 April 1994) is a professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Bolivian club Universitario de Vinto. Born in Paraguay, he represents Bolivia at international level.

Gustavo Almada
Personal information
Full name Gustavo Javier Almada Gonzales
Date of birth (1994-04-29) 29 April 1994 (age 30)
Place of birth Itauguá, Paraguay
Height 1.82 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Team information
Current team
Universitario de Vinto
Number 12
Youth career
2009–2012 Sol Paraguayo
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2014 Sol Paraguayo
2015–2016 Norte América
2016 Torre Fuerte
2017 Universidad Cruceña
2017 Torre Fuerte
2018 Destroyers
2019 Torre Fuerte
2020 Aurora 0 (0)
2020 Sur-Car
2021 Torre Fuerte
2022 CDT Real Oruro
2022– Universitario de Vinto 29 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 June 2024

Club career

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Born in Itauguá, Almada played for hometown sides Sol Paraguayo and Norte América before moving to Bolivia in 2016 with Torre Fuerte.[1] He subsequently continued to appear for clubs in the country, representing Universidad Cruceña, Torre Fuerte and Destroyers[2] before signing for Aurora in January 2020.[3]

After failing to feature in a single match for Aurora, Almada joined Sur-Car in October 2020,[4] and later went on a trial period at San José.[5] In 2022, after a short period at CDT Real Oruro,[6] he signed for Primera División side Universitario de Vinto.[7]

Initially a backup option, Almada made his professional debut at the age of 28 on 10 September 2022, coming on as a second-half substitute for Raúl Olivares in a 2–0 away loss to Bolívar.[8]

International career

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A naturalized citizen of Bolivia after spending more than five years living in the country,[2] Almada was called up to the Bolivia national team on 20 May 2024, for a friendly against Mexico.[9] He was also included in Antônio Carlos Zago's 26-man squad for the 2024 Copa América.[10]

References

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  1. ^ "En Paraguay fue "ninguneado" y ahora podría jugar la Copa América con otra selección" [In Paraguay he was a "nobody" and now he could play the Copa América with another national team] (in Spanish). Versus. 27 May 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  2. ^ a b "Almada es convocado para el amistoso con México, el golero está feliz de "representar a Bolivia"" [Almada is called up for the friendly against Mexico, the goalkeeper is happy to "represent Bolivia"] (in Spanish). Visión 360. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  3. ^ "Arquero paraguayo Almada llegará para reforzar al Aurora" [Paraguayan goalkeeper Almada will arrive to bolster Aurora] (in Spanish). Opinión. 6 January 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  4. ^ "Damos la bienvenida a un nuevo jugador del Club Deportivo Sur Car Gustavo Almada #OnofreZunaVeliz #ElTriunfoEsPorTi #GraciasPorTodo ⚽️" [We welcome the new player of Club Deportivo Sur Car Gustavo Almada #OnofreZunaVeliz #ElTriunfoEsPorTi #GraciasPorTodo ⚽️]. CD Sur Car (in Spanish). Facebook. 15 October 2020. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  5. ^ "San José pone a prueba a nueve extranjeros" [San José put nine foreigners on trial] (in Spanish). Premium Sports. 10 June 2021. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  6. ^ "CDT Real Oruro renueva a la mitad de su plantel" [CDT Real Oruro renew half of their squad] (in Spanish). La Patria. 6 July 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  7. ^ "El Paraguayo Gustavo Almada es nuevo arquero de la U de Vinto" [Paraguayan Gustavo Almada is the new goalkeeper of U de Vinto]. Dosis de Futbol (in Spanish). Facebook. 8 July 2022. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  8. ^ "Bolívar vence sin sobresaltos a un apocado «U» de Vinto" [Bolívar defeat a shy "U" de Vinto smoothly] (in Spanish). Deporte Total. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  9. ^ "¿Qué se sabe sobre Gustavo Almada? El nuevo arquero convocado a la selección boliviana" [What do we know about Gustavo Almada? The new goalkeeper called up to the Bolivia national team] (in Spanish). El Deber. 20 May 2024. Retrieved 19 June 2024.
  10. ^ "Copa América 2024: Las listas de jugadores las 16 selecciones" [2024 Copa América: The squad lists of the 16 national teams]. copaamerica.com (in Spanish). CONMEBOL. 14 June 2024. Retrieved 17 June 2024.
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