José Cardozo
José Saturnino Cardozo Otazú is a Paraguayan football manager and former footballer who played as a striker. Known for his prolific scoring ability, Cardozo spent most of his playing career with the Mexican club Deportivo Toluca, where he became the club's all-time leading scorer, with 249 goals in 332 appearances. Cardozo stands as the fourth-highest scorer in the history of Liga MX and is widely regarded as one of the greatest foreign players ever to compete in the league. He was a key figure in Toluca's "golden era," spanning from 1998 to 2002, during which the club won four league titles and cemented one of the most dominant periods in Liga MX history.
Cardozo was awarded Paraguayan Footballer of the Year in 2000, 2002, and 2003. He also was awarded the World's Best Top Division Goal Scorer by the IFFHS for scoring 58 goals in Liga MX's 2002–2003 season. On the international stage, Cardozo made 82 appearances for Paraguay over a fifteen-year period, scoring 25 goals to become the country's second-highest scorer. He represented the national team in three Copa América tournaments, two FIFA World Cups and the 2004 Summer Olympics, where he won a silver medal. At a club level he was a runner-up in two Copa Libertadores.
Early life
José Saturnino Cardozo Otazú was born on 19 March 1971 in Nueva Italia, Central Department, Paraguay, as the eighth of ten siblings. His father, Juan, worked at a refinery and was often absent for long periods to financially support the large family, while his mother, Constanza, managed the household. From an early age, Cardozo expressed a desire to become a professional football player. His mother recalled that he spent most of his time after school playing football, often brought a ball to class, and occasionally skipped school to play.At twelve years old, Cardozo tried out for Unión Pacífico, a youth club. When asked about his position, he said he played as a "10," the traditional playmaker role associated with creativity and passing. However, he was assigned the position of "9," the classic striker or center forward, responsible for scoring goals—a role he would maintain throughout his professional career. On 27 March 1985, at the age of fourteen, he began playing regularly for Unión Pacífico.
Club career
Early career: 1988–1995
Cardozo began his professional career in 1988, making his debut for Paraguay's River Plate Asunción, where he scored 10 goals in 26 appearances. In 1990, he joined the Swiss club FC St. Gallen, his first international experience, where he played until 1992 and scored 12 goals in 30 appearances. He returned to South America in 1993, joining Chile's Club Deportivo Universidad Católica, where he scored 11 goals in 35 appearances. During his time with the club, he competed in the 1992 edition of the Copa Libertadores, where he scored one goal against Chile's Coquimbo Unido in group stage where his team won 5–1. Universidad Católica advanced to Round of 16 but were eliminated by Colombia's América de Cali 0–1. Cardozo also played for the team in the 1993 edition, scoring one goal against Bolivia's Deportivo San José in group stage where his team won 2–5. Universidad Católica finished as runners-up in the 1993 edition, losing the final 5–1 to Brazil's São Paulo. Mexico's Atlante, the reigning champions in their domestic league, expressed interest in signing Cardozo after the cup. He was flown to Mexico to train with the team, but after about 15 days without receiving a formal offer, he returned to Chile.Soon after his return, Cardozo was called up by Club Olimpia, where he played for two years, scoring 27 goals in 41 appearances. In his first year, he won the 1993 Paraguayan Primera División championship, with Olimpia finishing undefeated that season and beating their rivals Cerro Porteño in a tiebreaker match decided by a penalty shootout after a 0–0 draw in regular time. Cardozo successfully converted one of the penalties. He scored seven goals in ten appearances during the season. Internationally, he represented Olimpia twice in the 1993 Supercopa Libertadores, scoring one goal against Brazil's Flamengo in the group stage, although the team did not advance to the knockout phase.
In 1994, Cardozo continued to played for Olimpia, finishing as runners-up in the Paraguayan Primera División after a 1–1 aggregate draw with Cerro Porteño, losing the final match in a penalty shootout. During the league he played 22 games and scored 16 goals. Internationally, he participated in the 1994 Supercopa Libertadores, playing two matches but scoring no goals, and in the 1994 Copa Libertadores, where he appeared in nine games and scored three goals: two in a 3–1 aggregate victory over Ecuador's Barcelona de Guayaquil in the round of 16, and another in the semifinals against São Paulo, where Olimpia drew 2–2. Cardozo's team was ultimately eliminated in a penalty shootout.
Toluca: 1995–2005
In December 1994, at 23 years old, Cardozo signed with the Mexican club Deportivo Toluca. He made his debut in the 1994–95 Mexican Primera División season on 8 January 1995 in an away match against Tampico Madero, which Toluca lost 2–0. At the time of his arrival, the team was in crisis, having not won a league title since the 1974–75 season and facing the threat of relegation. In his first season, Cardozo appeared in eight matches and made three goals, but was sidelined for about a year and a half due to a knee injury sustained while playing for the Paraguay national team, which worsened during the Mexican league season. Although doctors assured him he would recover, the injury was severe enough for Cardozo to fear he might never play professionally again or at least not at the same level. During that period, Toluca was managed by Miguel Ángel López, who did not include Cardozo in the main squad. However, following López's departure in 1996, the club's management gave Cardozo a vote of confidence and assigned him for the upcoming season under the new manager Enrique Meza. Cardozo made his return in Invierno 1997, the first short tournament of the 1997–98 season, scoring seven goals in 13 appearances, including a hat-trick in a 4–0 victory over Veracruz. Toluca did not advance to the playoffs that season.In the following season, Verano 1998, Cardozo helped Toluca secure their first championship in over 23 years. Toluca dominated the regular season, finishing first in the table standings, and advanced through the liguilla, ultimately defeating Club Necaxa 6–4 on aggregate in the final. Cardozo scored two goals in the final and finished the season as the league's top goalscorer, with 18 goals in total—13 in the regular season and five in the playoffs. In Invierno 1998, Toluca finished second in the standings but were eliminated by Atlas 3–2 on aggregate in the quarter-finals. Cardozo scored 13 goals, ranking second in the league. In Verano 1999, Toluca topped the table and won the championship, defeating Atlas in a penalty shootout after a 5–5 aggregate in the final. Cardozo scored during the match and successfully converted a penalty in the shootout. The match is widely regarded as one of the greatest finals in Mexican football history. Cardozo concluded the season as the league's top goalscorer with 15 goals.
Following his dominant performance in the tournament and with his contract nearing its end, Cardozo attracted interest from several clubs, including Mexico's Club América, England's Arsenal under Arsène Wenger, Spain's Real Zaragoza and Atlético Madrid, and one unnamed team from Japan. The connection with Arsenal originated through a Paraguayan national with ties to the club. Zaragoza's offer, meanwhile, fell through after they were unable to match his salary at Toluca. Cardozo said he had originally planned to play in Europe but was nervous about making the move. He ultimately chose to remain at Toluca, both to continue building the team's legacy and out of gratitude for the fans and the club's management, who had supported him during his early years while he was injured.
In his ten years with the team, he has scored a record 249 goals for the club, including 36 goals in 25 matches in the 2002 Apertura. Cardozo was top scorer of the league four times. He moved to the 4th spot in the list of all-time top scorers in the Mexico Primera Division after Jared Borgetti scored his 250th goal with Monarcas Morelia.
Cardozo was a key figure in Toluca's "golden era," spanning from 1998 to 2002, during which the club won four league titles and cemented one of the most dominant periods in Liga MX history. Under the coaches Meza and Ricardo La Volpe, the team was known for its precise, attack-minded style of play and frequently won by large goal margins, with Cardozo serving as the central figure.
Due to his work at Toluca, Cardozo was elected as the Paraguayan Footballer of the Year in the years 2000, 2002 and 2003; and the South American Footballer of the Year in 2002. While playing for Toluca, Cardozo struggled through the 1997 campaign with hamstring problems and then played through much of the 2001 season despite suffering a broken wrist in the season opener. Cardozo is the all-time leading scorer for Toluca, with 249 goals in 332 appearances. He is widely regarded as one of the best foreign players to ever compete in Mexico's Liga MX. During his time with Toluca, he earned the nicknames El Diablo Mayor, a reference to the club’s devil mascot, and El Príncipe Guaraní, in homage to his Guaraní heritage.
On 26 June 2001, shortly after the Copa Libertadores Final, Cardozo’s representative, Alejandro Mancuso, confirmed that the player was being pursued by Argentina's River Plate, amid rumors of an US$8 million offer. Cardozo remained in Buenos Aires after the final to consider the proposal and stated that he was interested in joining either River Plate or Boca Juniors, the latter having shown interest in him several years earlier. He commented, "If I make a change, it’s not because they might pay me more or anything like that. I'm coming because I want to play for a big club here, and that's all."