MAXI RODRIGUEZ BIOGRAPHY
Maximiliano Ruben "Maxi" Rodriguez born 2 January 1981 in Rosario, Santa Fe is an Argentine footballer who plays for Liverpool in the Premier League. Nicknamed La Fiera, he is commonly used as a right winger or a left winger, but can also operate as an attacking midfielder.
Rodríguez arrived in Spain in his early 20s, and went on to spend the bulk of his professional career there, playing for Espanyol and Atlético Madrid and amassing La Liga totals of 232 games and 58 goals, over the course of eight seasons.
Rodríguez won the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship with the Argentina under-20s on home turf, scoring four goals in seven matches, scoring the first and last goals for the winners.
He made his full squad debut in a friendly match against Japan on June 8, 2003, in which he also scored. After being part of the 2005 FIFA Confederations Cup squad, Rodríquez was called for the 2006 FIFA World Cup by national boss José Pekerman. On 16 June, he scored twice in Argentina's 6–0 victory over Serbia and Montenegro in the group stage.
In the round of 16, Rodríguez scored the winning goal against Mexico in a 2–1 extra time victory. He controlled a cross-field pass from Juan Pablo Sorín with his chest before volleying into the top corner from outside the penalty area with his left foot, in the 98th minute. In an unofficial online poll by FIFA, it was voted the best goal of the tournament.
After Argentina lost the quarter-final game against Germany on 30 June 2006, Rodríquez punched German player Bastian Schweinsteiger in the back. FIFA fined him CHF5,000 and suspended him from two matches in the 2007 Copa América for violent conduct. However, after a serious knee injury in a friendly with Spain in October 2006, he missed the continental competition, as national team manager Alfio Basile, whom initially intended to select the player, eventually rested him for precaution.
Rodríguez scored in Diego Maradona's first game in charge of Argentina, a 0–1 friendly win in Scotland. On 19 May 2010, he was named in the squad of 23 for the World Cup in South Africa and, in the last home game before the finals five days later, scored twice against Canada in a 5–0 win.
MAXI RODRIGUEZ PROFILE
Full name: Maximiliano Ruben Rodriguez
Date of birth: January 2, 1981
Place of birth: Rosario, Argentina
Height: 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Playing position: Winger / Attacking Midfielder
Club information
Current club Liverpool
Number 17
Senior career
1999–2002 Newell's Old Boys 56 (20)
2002–2005 Espanyol 111 (26)
2005–2009 Atlético Madrid 121 (32)
2010– Liverpool 40 (4)
National team
2003– Argentina 41 (12)
source: wikipedia
