'Palomo' Usuriaga had his flight cut off 20 years ago today

He was an atypical forward. Despite his height (1.92 meters) he had sensational ability. He demonstrated it in the most important play in Colombian soccer in the 90s, in the hook he made to leave a defender behind and face Israeli goalkeeper Boni Ginsburg and score the goal that, added to a 0-0 in Tel Aviv gave Colombia qualification to the World Cup after 28 years of absence.

Read here: Video | Mayra Ramírez: see her incredible backheel to score her first goal for Chelsea

Off the court, Usuriaga was a child, with an easy smile, generous with his friends. He was a very good friend of the night and that cost him his career not to be much more important. But with what he achieved he was enough to remain in history.

They called him 'El Palomo'. And the nickname was born during his time at Cúcuta Deportivo, in 1988. He loved going for walks along the boardwalk, dressed in white from head to toe. He had arrived on loan to that team from América, which in those years had the luxury of loaning players to many teams on the continent. He had arrived at the red club after kicking balls in the 12 de Octubre neighborhood, where he grew up.

In America he debuted in 1986, on an alternate roster that was nicknamed 'The Smurfs', because most of them were short: Ánthony de Ávila, Orlando Maturana, Chonto Herrera… All of them, at the time, went out to other clubs to seek their fortune. . And the one from 'Palomo' took a while to arrive. He first went to Tolima and then, in 1988, he arrived at Cúcuta, which had not reached the finals for eight years. He shared the forward line with a legendary Paraguayan attacker, who stood out more for his looks than his game: the 'Caveman' Felipe Nery Franco.

Usuriaga had something that caught our attention. And Francisco Maturana, who was building the great Nacional that would later win the Copa Libertadores, borrowed it from América. 'Palomo' literally flew in the Cup, especially in the semi-final, in which He scored four goals against Danubio of Uruguay in a 6-0 in Medellín, and in the final, in an El Campín stadium disguised as Atanasio Girardot, green in all its stands: A header with his back to the south goal opened the way to a tie in the final series and the eternal jump-off from the 12 steps in which René Higuita graduated from idol.

Maturana did not take him to the Copa América in Brazil, which was played a month and a half after the Libertadores title. But he did give him minutes in the tie, until he established himself with the goal against Israel. But curiously, he didn't take it to the World Cup. The real reasons were never known. But he gave a clue, in an interview with Fabio Poveda Márquez for a book called 'Gods of flesh and blood': “I grew bigger, I lost my humility, I didn't want to talk to any journalists, and it bothered me to have to sign autographs. “I already thought it was Pelé.”

América rehired him in 1990 and then loaned him to Málaga in Spain for a year. He was the first Colombian to play in the Spanish League. But his nostalgia for homeland got the better of him: he barely appeared in six games. He returned to the red club of Cali before moving to another devil in which he became a legend: Independiente.

In the Avellaneda red, Usuriaga met an attacker who he lined up on the bench at América, Ricardo Gareca. And with 'Palomo' on the field, Independiente was Argentine champion in 1994 and also won the Super Cup that same year.

After spells at Necaxa in Mexico, Barcelona in Ecuador and Santos (yes, Pelé's team), 'Palomo' returned to Independiente, but his career began to go downhill. He was sentenced to two years for cocaine use, but he managed to get it lifted. But he began to move from club to club without being able to be the same as before: Millonarios, Bucaramanga, General Paz Juniors, All Boys, Sportivo Luqueño, Chicó Fútbol Club and Carabobo de Venezuela, his last team, in 2003.

On February 11, 2004, 'Palomo' was shot dead in his Cali del alma. That's where the flight of 'Palomo' arrived, which today, 20 years after his death, Independiente fans still miss. And also those of Nacional, who owe him, in large part, the first great title in their history.

Technical details of the 'Palomo'

Birth: June 13, 1966

Equipment: América (1986 and 1991-93), Tolima (1987), Cúcuta (1988), Nacional (1989), Málaga (1990), Independiente (1994-95 and 1997), Necaxa (1995-96), Barcelona, ​​Ecuador (1996 ), Santos (1996), Millonarios (1998), Bucaramanga (1998), General Paz Juniors (1999-00), All Boys (2001), Sportivo Luqueño (2002), Chicó (2002) and Carabobo (2003).

Games played in A: 183

Goals: 38

Taken from the book 'Play, boys!', by José Orlando Ascencio (Intermedio Editores, 2018).

SPORTS