Manuel Neira

{{Infobox football biography

| name = Manuel Neira

| image = Manuel Neira Unión San Felipe v Deportes Antofagasta 2012 03 (cropped).jpg

| full_name = Manuel Alejandro Neira Díaz

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1977|10|12}}

| birth_place = Santiago, Chile

| height = 1.75 m

| position = Forward

| currentclub =

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 = Colo-Colo

| years1 = 1993–1998

| clubs1 = Colo-Colo

| caps1 = 30

| goals1 = 9

| years2 = 1994

| clubs2 = → São Paulo (loan)

| caps2 = 0

| goals2 = 0

| years3 = 1996

| clubs3 = → Everton (loan)

| caps3 = 21

| goals3 = 11

| years4 = 1998–1999

| clubs4 = Las Palmas

| caps4 = 17

| goals4 = 4

| years5 = 1999

| clubs5 = → Colo-Colo (loan)

| caps5 = 8

| goals5 = 6

| years6 = 2000–2001

| clubs6 = Racing Club

| caps6 = 9

| goals6 = 2

| years7 = 2001

| clubs7 = Unión Española

| caps7 = 17

| goals7 = 11

| years8 = 2001–2002

| clubs8 = América de Cali

| caps8 = 9

| goals8 = 2

| years9 = 2002–2004

| clubs9 = Colo-Colo

| caps9 = 82

| goals9 = 37

| years10 = 2005

| clubs10 = Chiapas

| caps10 = 11

| goals10 = 0

| years11 = 2005–2006

| clubs11 = Unión Española

| caps11 = 59

| goals11 = 36

| years12 = 2006

| clubs12 = Alania Vladikavkaz

| caps12 = 1

| goals12 = 0

| years13 = 2007

| clubs13 = Hapoel Tel Aviv

| caps13 = 0

| goals13 = 0

| years14 = 2007–2009

| clubs14 = Unión Española

| caps14 = 52

| goals14 = 24

| years15 = 2010

| clubs15 = Deportes La Serena

| caps15 = 7

| goals15 = 5

| years16 = 2010

| clubs16 = Universidad Católica (ECU)

| caps16 = 6

| goals16 = 0

| years17 = 2011

| clubs17 = San Luis

| caps17 = 24

| goals17 = 5

| years18 = 2012

| clubs18 = Santiago Morning

| caps18 = 5

| goals18 = 2

| years19 = 2012

| clubs19 = Unión San Felipe

| caps19 = 3

| goals19 = 0

| totalcaps = 365

| totalgoals = 154

| nationalyears1 = 1993

| nationalteam1 = Chile U17

| nationalcaps1 =

| nationalgoals1 =

| nationalyears2 = 1995–1997

| nationalteam2 = Chile U20

| nationalcaps2 =

| nationalgoals2 =

| nationalyears3 = 1998–2006

| nationalteam3 = Chile

| nationalcaps3 = 13

| nationalgoals3 = 2

| nationalyears4 = 1998

| nationalteam4 = Chile B

| nationalcaps4 = 1

| nationalgoals4 = 2

}}

Manuel Alejandro Neira Díaz (born 12 October 1977) is a Chilean former professional footballer who played as a forward for clubs including Colo-Colo (Chile), UD Las Palmas (Spain), Racing Club (Argentina) and Unión Española (Chile), and scored 2 goals in 13 internationals, including selections for the 1998 FIFA World Cup and the 2001 Copa América.

Club career

=Early career=

Neira began his career, aged seventeen, at Primera División Chilena club Colo-Colo before moving to the Brazilian club São Paulo FC in 1994,{{cite web |title=El delantero Manuel Neira se convierte en nuevo refuerzo de Colo-Colo |url=https://www.mediotiempo.com/futbol/delantero-manuel-neira-convierte-refuerzo-colo-colo |website=Mediotiempo |access-date=5 September 2022 |language=es |date=22 December 2006}} after a notable performance at the 1993 FIFA U-17 World Championships.{{cite web |title=El triste retiro de Manuel Neira, una de las mayores "promesas" que tuvo el fútbol chileno |url=https://www.latercera.com/noticia/el-triste-retiro-de-manuel-neira-una-de-las-mayores-promesas-que-tuvo-el-futbol-chileno/ |website=La Tercera |access-date=5 September 2022 |language=es |date=11 October 2012}} In the next season, Neira return to Colo-Colo, but in 1996 Neira was loaned to Everton de Viña del Mar of the Primera B in this time.

From 1997 to 1998, Neira was consolidated as player in Colo-Colo, winning the Primera División Chilena title in two consecutive occasions, the 1997 and 1998 season. In December 1998, Colo-Colo sold Neira to the Spanish club UD Las Palmas. However, he was loaned back to Colo-Colo for one season.{{cite web |title=Neira, uno de los fiascos más caros en la historia de la UD, cuelga las botas |url=https://www.tintaamarilla.es/noticia.php?id=4976 |website=tintaamarilla.es |access-date=5 September 2022 |language=es |date=12 October 2012}} When Neira returned to the club, he proclaimed champion of the 1999–2000 Segunda División title. Neira was transferred to an Argentine "giant club" Racing Club de Avellaneda for the 2000–01 season. In the Torneo Apertura 2000, Neira only scored 2 goals in 9 games.{{cite web |title=Neira Manuel |url=https://enunabaldosa.com/2004/08/04/neira-manuel/ |website=En Una Baldosa |access-date=5 September 2022 |language=es |date=4 August 2004}} During the summer of 2001, Neira was transferred to Unión Española, where he made a notable performance scoring 11 goals in 17 games, being one of the top-scorer of the Torneo Apertura. In June 2001, Neira was signed by the Colombian club América de Cali.{{cite web |title=Neira deja el América de Cali con permiso del club |url=https://as.com/masdeporte/2002/02/27/polideportivo/1014786921_850215.html |website=AS.com |access-date=5 September 2022 |language=es |date=27 February 2002}}

=Colo-Colo=

In January 2002, Neira was once again transferred to Colo-Colo. He obtained the runner–up title with the club in the Torneo Apertura, after Colo–Colo's 3–0 defeat against Cobreloa in the final. But in the Torneo Clausura of the same year, Neira made one of his most notable season in his career, winning the top–scorer title with 14 goals, and also winning the Primera Division title, after of win to Universidad Católica in the finals.

In the next season, the team lost twice in the same year the final against Cobreloa. However, Neira scored 21 goals in 42 matches over the season. There were many rumors that he would be transferred to Europe, which did not materialize. He played the Torneo Apertura 2004 scoring 1 goal in 16 matches. In June 2004, he was transferred to the Mexican club Chiapas. He remained there for one season in and then was transferred to Unión Española for second time in his career.{{cite web |title=Historia de Colo-Colo – Manuel Neira |url=https://historiadecolocolo.com/jugadores/manuel-neira.html |website=historiadecolocolo.com |access-date=5 September 2022 |language=es}}

=Unión Española=

With Unión, Neira won the Torneo Apertura 2005 title, after of the victory against Coquimbo Unido for 2–1. In the next season (2006), Neira scored 19 goals in 29 matches. In December 2006, he was released of Unión and he received many offers for several clubs.

In January 2007, he agreed upon moving to Hapoel Tel Aviv F.C. on a one-year deal with the club until December 2007, refusing an offer from Colo-Colo in this time.

In his second game for the team, in the Channel One Cup, he was injured severely by CSKA Moscow player Elvir Rahimić. Neira suffered two fractures in his ankle, and had to sit out for the rest of the season before he even played a single league game for Hapoel.

For the Torneo Clausura 2007, Neira return to Unión, after of Neira was released of the club. He made his Unión re–debut against Everton at Sausalito Stadium, in a 0–0 draw. He scored his first goal in his third cycle in the club against his former club Colo–Colo, in a 2–2 draw. Finally, Neira scored 9 goals in 19 matches for the tournament.

In December 2007, he tried his luck at the Süper Lig club Gaziantepspor, Neira only trained with them for a couple of weeks, but was not liked by the coach, and returned to Unión Española.

During 2008, in the Torneo Apertura 2008, he scored 3 goals in 12 matches. In the Torneo de Clausura 2008 he became a key player of the club, scoring 6 goals in 15 matches. However, the club ended up in the relegation/promotion play-offs. Neira helped the team by scoring 2 goals in 2 matches against Deportes Puerto Montt to save them from relegation.

International career

Neira's first international appearance with Chile national football team was in the FIFA U-17 World Championship 1993 celebrated in Japan. In this tournament he was one of top–scorers of the tournament with Peter Anosike and Nwankwo Kanu with 5 goals under Wilson Oruma with 6 goals winning the third place of the tournament.

He participate in the Chile national under-20 football team, he played in the South American Youth Championship in the years 1995 and 1997.

He was selected for the 1998 FIFA World Cup Chilean squad, but did not play. Prior to this, he played for Chile B against England B on 10 February 1998. Chile won by 2-1 and Neira scored the two goals.{{cite web |title=Inglaterra 1 – Chile 2: Cuando la (otra) Selección venció a Inglaterra |url=https://www.guioteca.com/seleccion-chilena/inglaterra-1-%E2%80%93-chile-2-cuando-la-otra-seleccion-vencio-a-inglaterra/ |website=Guioteca.com |publisher=El Mercurio |access-date=6 October 2021 |language=es |date=13 April 2011}}

Career statistics

:Scores and results list Chile's goal tally first.{{cite web|url=https://www.rsssf.org/tablesc/chil-intres-det.html|title=Chile – International Results – Details|publisher=Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation|access-date=16 May 2017}}

class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"

! No !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition

31 January 1998

Hong Kong Stadium, Wan Chai, Hong Kong

align=center | 1–0

align=center | 1–1

1998 Lunar New Year Cup

17 February 1999

Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala

align=center | 1–0

align=center | 1–1

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