Squad No: 1
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 32
Birth Date: Jun 30, 1977
Birth Place: Cerrito, Paraguay
Height: 5' 11" (1.80m)
Weight: 174 lbs (79 kg)
Club: Valladolid (Spain)
International Caps: 73
Club History
Valladolid (ESP): 2008-
Newell's Old Boys (ARG): 2004-2008
Libertad (PAR): 2001-2004
Sol de America (PAR): 1996-2000
from Wikipedia (full wiki)
Villar represented Paraguay at the 1997 FIFA World Youth Championship, and received his first full cap two years later.
Having been selected for the 2002 FIFA World Cup, backing up legendary José Luis Chilavert, he was already a starter in the 2006 edition, but had a brief participation: during the first seven minutes of the opener against England, just after Carlos Gamarra's own goal, Villar got injured, was replaced by Aldo Bobadilla, and subsequently was sidelined for the rest of the tournament, in which Paraguay was eliminated in the first round.
Additionally, Villar also appeared in three Copa América tournaments.
from ESPN SoccerNet
Paraguay's first-choice goalkeeper says he cannot wait for the World Cup to kick-off in South Africa and with good reason. At the 2006 finals, he played only seven minutes, injured in the opening exchanges of the 1-0 loss to England in Frankfurt, so he feels he has some unfinished business in this particular competition.
Some think he lacks height, as well as conviction off his line, but his reflexes are astonishing and as a shot-stopper he has few peers. His rather sober style stands in marked contrast to the flamboyance of his predecessor Jose Luis Chilavert.
Villar has played for Paraguayan sides Sol America and Club Libertad, as well as Newell's Old Boys in Argentina, where he won an Apertura (Opening) championship title medal in 2004.
This season, he has been fighting a relegation battle in Spain with Valladolid in recent months and he has been given plenty of practice in the shot-stopping department behind a creaking defensive line.
from FIFA.com
As they prepare for their fourth straight appearance at the FIFA World Cup™ finals, Paraguay can relax in the knowledge that the goalkeeping legacy bequeathed by the likes of Ever Hugo Almeida, Roberto Fernandez and Jose Luis Chilavert is in safe hands.
Aside from their traditional defensive strength and an increasing number of options in midfield and up front, the Paraguayans can also count on the experience and reliability of Justo Villar in goal. Thanks to his prominent role in La Albirroja’s last two FIFA World Cup qualification successes, the Real Valladolid custodian has become one of the leaders of the team.
After travelling to Korea/Japan 2002 as third-choice keeper and then having to go off after only seven minutes of Paraguay’s opening game at Germany 2006 against England, Villar now has the chance to show that he belongs on the big stage.
“It was tough, I could feel a lump in my throat,” he told FIFA.com in reference to that cruel injury against the English. “Now that I’ve got another shot at it, maybe I can make up for that. I hope to be there to help the team give a good account of themselves, and finally get that World Cup monkey off my back.”
Now 32, Villar began his professional career in 1996 with Sol de America, who were then coached by Almeida, one of the country’s finest glovemen of all time. Over the next five seasons Villar acquired a reputation for excellence and was snapped up by Libertad, where he won league titles in 2002 and 2003.
His performances had not gone unnoticed outside Paraguay. In 2004 he made the move to Argentina, signing for Newell’s Old Boys, one of the country’s biggest clubs. Conceding only 11 goals in 19 games in the 2004 Apertura, he made a significant contribution to their first title triumph in 12 seasons and quickly earned the undying adulation of the Lepra faithful.
After four years in Argentina he took another step forward in his career, joining Spanish first division side Real Valladolid, where he has combined spells on the sidelines with some excellent performances.
A dependable mainstay for his country in all that time, Villar played in all but one of Paraguay’s qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, conceding a mere 12 goals in the process.
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