Valeriano López
Valeriano López Mendiola was a football forward from Peru, nicknamed Tanque de Casma. Recognized as one of Peru's most important players, he was an all round forward with great finishing, positioning, and heading skills.
Prolific goalscorer, next to Ferreyra and Friedenreich, have been only the American professional footballers with an average of more than 1 goal per match, having made 207 goals in 199 games of 1946 to his retirement in 1961.
Biography
Club career
López's career began with the Peruvian club Sport Boys at the age of 20. He became a prolific goalscorer, winning the Peruvian league top-scorer honor its three first seasons, with 62 goals scored in 54 matches. After a successful beginning in Peru, in 1949 it is punished to perpetuity for the practice of soccer to escape of the concentration of the Peru national football team days before the South American Championship of Brazil.López moved to Colombia club Deportivo Cali and remains one of their most iconic players.
International career
His international career with Peru was short but prolific. He scored nine goals in 14 appearances. He was the top scorer in the 1952 Panamerican Championship with seven goals, five of them headers against Panama, in a final victory of 7–1. He participated in two South American championships, ten years apart, in 1947 and 1957, due to a suspension for indiscipline that caused him to miss the 1949 South American Championship in Brazil.Statistics
International goals
Source : RSSSF| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 19 December 1947 | Estadio George Capwell, Guayaquil, Ecuador | 1–2 | 1–2 | 1947 South American Championship | |
| 2. | 11 December 1947 | Estadio George Capwell, Guayaquil, Ecuador | 2–3 | 2–3 | 1947 South American Championship | |
| 3. | 23 March 1952 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | 1–0 | 7–1 | 1952 Panamerican Championship | |
| 4. | 23 March 1952 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | 2–0 | 7–1 | 1952 Panamerican Championship | |
| 5. | 23 March 1952 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | 4–0 | 7–1 | 1952 Panamerican Championship | |
| 6. | 23 March 1952 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | 5–0 | 7–1 | 1952 Panamerican Championship | |
| 7. | 23 March 1952 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | 6–1 | 7–1 | 1952 Panamerican Championship | |
| 8. | 30 March 1952 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | 2–4 | 2–5 | 1952 Panamerican Championship | |
| 9. | 2 April 1952 | Estadio Nacional, Santiago, Chile | 2–2 | 2–3 | 1952 Panamerican Championship |
Individual Honours
- Peruvian Championship's Top Scorer: 1946, 1947, 1948, 1951
- 1951 South American Top scorer on the year
- 1952 Panamerican Championship: Top Scorer
Records
- He also set a record by scoring in 12 consecutive Colombian League games.