Daniel Vaca

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Daniel Vaca

| image_size = 200px

| image = Ecuador-Bolivia 2015 (16) - копия.jpg

| caption = Vaca in 2015

| full_name = Daniel Vaca Tasca

| birth_name =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1978|11|3}}

| birth_place = Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia

| death_date =

| death_place =

| position = Goalkeeper

| height = {{Height|m=1.78|precision=0}}

| youthyears1 = 1995–1998 | youthclubs1 = Blooming

| years1 = 1998–2005 | clubs1 = Blooming | caps1 = 3 | goals1 = 0

| years2 = 2002 | clubs2 = → Oriente Petrolero (loan) | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0

| years3 = 2003–2004 | clubs3 = → Destroyers (loan) | caps3 = 0 | goals3 = 0

| years4 = 2006–2009 | clubs4 = San José | caps4 = 133 | goals4 = 0

| years5 = 2010 | clubs5 = Jorge Wilstermann | caps5 = 45 | goals5 = 0

| years6 = 2011–2021 | clubs6 = The Strongest | caps6 = 385 | goals6 = 1

| years7 = 2022 | clubs7 = Royal Pari | caps7 = 14 | goals7 = 0

| nationalyears1 = 2010–2019

| nationalteam1 = Bolivia

| nationalcaps1 = 16

| nationalgoals1 = 0

}}

Daniel Vaca (born 3 November 1978) is a Bolivian former football goalkeeper who played for The Strongest for a full decade, from 2011 until 2021. He also earned 16 caps for the Bolivian national team in the 2010s.

Early life

During his youth, Vaca played as a forward, making his debut under the sticks at the age of 13, in an inter-neighborhood championship final organized by the Tahuichi Academy, only because the team's starting goalkeeper was not allowed to go due to a storm.{{cite web |url=https://www.urgente.bo/noticia/daniel-vaca-ya-piensa-en-colgar-los-guantes |title=Daniel Vaca ya piensa en colgar los guantes |trans-title=Daniel Vaca is already thinking about hanging up his gloves |language=es |website=www.urgente.bo |date=25 November 2021 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }} As a forward, he was able to anticipate the opposing attackers, making several saves to help his side win the final, after which the Tahuichi Academy gave him a scholarship to train as a goalkeeper, where he was taught the basics of that position by Erwin Frey, a longtime Blooming goalkeeper.

Club career

=Early career=

Having joined the ranks of Blooming as a teenager in the mid-1990s, Vaca made his debut in the Bolivian Primera División on 12 December 1999, aged 21, in a 1–1 draw with his future club The Strongest. Unsatisfied with his lack of playing time, he left the club in 2005, joining San José ahead of the 2006 season, with whom he played until 2009.

=The Strongest=

Vaca signed for The Strongest in 2011. During the first half of a derby against Bolívar on 30 October 2016, Vaca set a club record for the most minutes without conceding a single goal, breaking the previous one set at 706 minutes by Paraguayan Miguel Gariazú and Chilean Víctor Aragón in 1989; he extended the record until 737 minutes, when he conceded a goal from Juanmi Callejón in the second-half.{{cite web |url=https://eju.tv/2016/10/vaca-se-convirtio-en-el-hombre-record-del-tigre/ |title=Vaca se convirtió en el hombre récord del Tigre |trans-title=Vaca became the Tiger's record holder |language=es |website=eju.tv |date=31 October 2016 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }} On 4 August 2017, he made his 300th appearance for The Strongest in a match that included a hat-trick and the debut of three young players.{{cite web |url=https://www.elderribador.com/noticias/the-stongest-en-los-medios/vaca-celebra-sus-300-4747/ |title=Vaca celebra sus 300 |trans-title=Vaca celebrates its 300th |language=es |website=www.elderribador.com |date=4 August 2017 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }} Five days later, on 9 August, Vaca made his 50th Copa Libertadores appearance in a loss to Lanús, becoming the goalkeeper with the most such appearances in Strongest's history.{{cite web |url=https://www.goal.com/es/noticias/daniel-vaca-50-cotejos-en-libertadores/1qnd8df6q6wns1dz85qmn1d9ep |title=Daniel Vaca, 50 cotejos en Libertadores |trans-title=Daniel Vaca, 50 matches in Libertadores |language=es |website=www.goal.com |date=9 August 2017 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }}

On 27 October 2018, he made his 297th appearance for The Strongest in a match against Destroyers, surpassing Luis Galarza as the player with the most appearances for the club.{{cite web |url=https://www.goal.com/es-cl/noticias/vaca-esta-contento-por-el-record-que-logro-en-the-strongest/ls5nc5aq3r7d15bz22j58rmab |title=Vaca está feliz por el récord que logró en el Tigre |trans-title=Vaca is happy about the record he achieved at Tigre |language=es |website=www.goal.com |date=30 October 2018 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }} The following month, on 30 November, Vaca made his 300th appearance for The Strongest in Bolivian tournaments in a match against Bolívar, wearing the captain's armband in the absence of the red-carded Pablo Escobar and helping his side to a 1–1 draw.{{cite web |url=https://www.goal.com/es/noticias/vaca-celebra-sus-300-partidos-en-the-strongest/pz38zwyhes4g115wixoecpenb |title=Vaca celebra sus 300 partidos en The Strongest |trans-title=Vaca celebrates his 300th match with The Strongest |language=es |website=www.goal.com |date=30 November 2018 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }}

On 30 September 2019, Vaca made his 400th appearance for The Strongest in a 6–1 league thrashing of his former club Blooming.{{cite web |url=https://www.pub.eldiario.net/movil/index.php?n=82&a=2019&m=10&d=01 |title=Vaca, el “recordman”, cumplió 400 partidos |trans-title=Vaca, the record holder, played his 400th game |language=es |website=www.pub.eldiario.net |date=1 October 2019 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }} He won the award for Best Goalkeeper of the 2019 season, in which he started in 51 of the 52 league matches, missing only one because of yellow cards accumulation.{{cite web |url=https://www.revista-cabala.com/2020/02/26/daniel-vaca-el-arquero-record-del-futbol-boliviano/ |title=Daniel Vaca, el arquero récord del fútbol boliviano |trans-title=Daniel Vaca, Bolivia's record-breaking goalkeeper |language=es |website=www.revista-cabala.com |date=26 February 2020 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }} By late 2020, he was one of only three 40-year-old players in the Bolivian top-flight, the others being Carlos Saucedo and Martín Palavicini.{{cite web |url=https://premiumsportsbo.com/siendo-cuarentones-o-casi-ellos-siguen-jugando/ |title=Siendo ‘cuarentones’ o casi, ellos siguen jugando |trans-title=Being in their forties or almost, they continue playing |language=es |website=premiumsportsbo.com |date=8 November 2020 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }}

On 13 March 2021, Vaca made his 439th appearances with the Strongest in a top-tier league match against Independiente, surpassing Escobar's tally of 438 to became the player with the most official matches in the club's history, and two months later, on 18 May, he made his 56th Copa Libertadores appearance for The Strongest in a 2–1 victory over Brazilian side Santos, surpassing Escobar's tally of 55 to became the player with the most such appearances in the club's history.{{cite web |url=https://premiumsportsbo.com/daniel-vaca-suma-otro-record-56-partidos-en-la-libertadores/ |title=Daniel Vaca suma otro récord: 56 partidos en la Libertadores |trans-title=Daniel Vaca adds another record: 56 Libertadores matches |language=es |website=premiumsportsbo.com |date=19 May 2021 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }} On 25 July, he started in his 41st Bolivian Superclásico against Bolívar, becoming, at the age of 42 years, 8 months, and 22 days, the oldest-ever player in the history of the Bolivian Superclásico, breaking a 53-year-old record set by Víctor Ugarte in 1968, aged 42 years, 5 months, and 8 days.{{cite web |url=https://eju.tv/2021/07/daniel-vaca-supera-al-maestro-y-es-el-mas-veterano-en-clasicos/ |title=Daniel Vaca supera al Maestro y es el más veterano en clásicos |trans-title=Daniel Vaca surpasses the Maestro and is the most veteran in classics |language=es |website=eju.tv |date=26 July 2021 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }}

In early 2022, Vaca left the club after 11 years, having won 5 titles, including three Bolivian top-flight titles (2012–13, 2013–14, and 2016–17), and playing in 10 consecutive editions of the Copa Libertadores.{{cite web |url=https://premiumsportsbo.com/a-sus-43-anos-daniel-vaca-jugara-en-royal-pari/ |title=A sus 43 años, Daniel Vaca jugará en Royal Pari |trans-title=At 43 years old, Daniel Vaca will play for Royal Pari |language=es |website=premiumsportsbo.com |date=9 February 2022 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }}

=Royal Pari=

On 9 February 2022, the 43-year-old Vaca signed for Royal Pari, with whom he played in the 2022 Copa Sudamericana, starting in both legs of the first stage against Oriente Petrolero in March, becoming, at the age of 43 years and 4 months, the oldest-ever player in the competition's history, surpassing Richard Pellejero's record set in 2019, aged 43 years and 1 day.{{cite web |url=https://libero.pe/futbol-internacional/copa-sudamericana/2024/03/16/jugadores-veteranos-en-alinear-en-copa-sudamericana-2024-1020272 |title=¡El primero es peruano! Los jugadores más veteranos en la historia en jugar la Copa Sudamericana |trans-title=The first is Peruvian! The oldest players in history to play in the Copa Sudamericana |language=es |website=libero.pe |date=16 March 2024 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }}

International career

In total, Vaca earned 16 caps for the Bolivian national team between 2010 and 2019, the last of which on 10 September, in a friendly match against Ecuador, becoming, at the age of 40 years, 10 months, and 8 days, the oldest-ever player in the history of the national team, surpassed Carlos Trucco's record set in the 1994 FIFA World Cup at the age of 40 years, 3 months, and 5 days.{{cite web |url=https://www.eurosport.es/futbol/el-portero-boliviano-vaca-con-su-record-de-casi-41-anos-no-piensa-en-el-adios_sto7470660/story.shtml |title=El portero boliviano Vaca con su récord de casi 41 años no piensa en el adiós |trans-title=Bolivian goalkeeper Vaca, with his record of almost 41 years, isn't thinking about saying goodbye |language=es |website=www.eurosport.es |date=22 September 2019 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }}

In January 2022, Vaca, now a free agent, was surprisingly called up by coach César Farías for three matches during that month, including two World Cup qualifiers, becoming, at the age of 43, the oldest player in any CONMEBOL squad; he remained an unused substitute in every game.{{cite web |url=https://premiumsportsbo.com/daniel-vaca-el-seleccionado-con-mas-edad-vuelve-a-la-verde/ |title=Daniel Vaca, el seleccionado con más edad, vuelve a la Verde |trans-title=Daniel Vaca, the oldest player in the squad, returns to the Verde |language=es |website=premiumsportsbo.com |date=16 January 2022 |accessdate=2 July 2025 }}