Ricardo Espadas (リカルド・エスパダス, rikarudo esupadasu) is the goalkeeper and captain of the Mexican youth team, the first opponent of All Japan Youth in the World Youth.
Description
Espadas was born at Mexico City slums and quickly befriended García, Saragosa, Alvez, Suárez and López, the Five Soldiers of the Aztec Sun. His main characteristic is that he does not stay in his area, but goes out, does overlaps, assists his team and scores goals. He is based on real-life Mexican goalkeeper Jorge Campos.
Espadas' Jerseys
Espadas wears three different color jerseys. While all of them have the same zigzag design, one has many colors, while the other is white and the last one black. The white one means that Mexico has to attack with all of its might, while the black one says they must put all their effort in defense. The one with many colors is the regular one. This design was inspired by the Mexican Goalkeeper Jorge Campos in the 1990's.
History
Battle of World Youth saga
Espadas and the Five Soldiers of the Aztec Sun grew up in the slums at Mexico City, being each other's family, living at orphanages. With no money, the six of them could only practice with a ball made of clothes. Espadas is a prodigious player, and helps his team by doing overlaps, not just staying at the goal. He loved soccer, and was supported by the quintet, but he grew tired and hateful towards his poverty.
As kids, Espadas and the quintet once attempted to steal soccer balls and equipments from a store. However, they were badly beaten up by the guys that the store owner hired. The turn of events was, coincidentally, that very same day. A charitable institution of Japan came and donated some toys, including soccer balls and equipment. With the ball he received, as time passes, Espadas manage to beat his poverty, and is recognized as a player.
Espadas eventually become part of the Mexican youth team, participating in the World Youth.
At some point before the tournament, Mexico had a training match with Uruguay, in which they lost 1-5.
Mexico is in group A, along with Japan, Uruguay and Italy. During the party held one day prior to the starting match, Espadas confronts Tsubasa Ozora, a player from a rich country - Japan, and destroys the very ball that he received when he was little in front of the latter, in order to show Tsubasa how he hate soccer. Tsubasa realizes that it is a lie, though.
Right at the beginning of the match, Japan already manages to set up a good scoring chance. Espadas catches Shingo Aoi's rovesciata however, and begins to overlap. He dodges Kojiro Hyuga's tackle before sending the ball to the Five Soldiers of the Aztec Sun, but the quintet is offside because of Jun Misugi's offside trap.
Japan quickly resume the play, as Espadas is still far away from his own goal. However Espadas still makes it in time to stop Hyuga's volley shot. He then overlaps again and set up another chance for the Soldiers, who aren't offside this time. However, their aerial Lucha Football Style was rendered ineffective by the Tachibana twins's Skylab technique.
Mexico keeps on attacking, but cannot beat the twins and the keeper Ken Wakashimazu. The first half ends 0-0.
Espadas changes to his white jersey during half time, indicates that Mexico will be even more aggressive during the second half. They still cannot score however, until the 75th minute, when Garcia purposely injure the twins and receives a red card in return. Without the twins, the four remaining Soldiers successfully reach the goal with their aerial technique, and even though Wakashimazu repels Lopez's shot, Espadas manages to follow and score with a trick shot. Mexico then switches to defense. Espadas stops many shots from Japan, but eventually, after the incompleted Sky Dive Shoot, followed by a loop shoot from Tsubasa, Aoi picks up the repelled ball and equalizes. Then, just before the end of the match, Hyuga goes for a jumping volley. Espadas is sure he can stop the shot, but an injured Tsubasa, who sensed this, block the shot with his face to give Hyuga another chance to shoot, and Hyuga scores with his Raiju Shoot, reversing the score.
Both Espadas and Tsubasa are sent to the infirmary. Here, the two of them exchange uniforms, and Espadas ask Tsubasa if he can have his ball - which is full of memories - back. The latter accepts. Later, Espadas warns Tsubasa about their next opponent Uruguay, who defeated Mexico 5-1 before.
Espadas insists on playing the next matches despite his injury, but with another loss and a draw, Mexico is eliminated from the tournament.
Rising Sun saga
Espadas is currently playing for Everton, and is also part of Olympic Mexico, along with Suarez and Saragosa. The three remaining members of the group - Garcia, Lopez and Alvez - had stopped soccer to practice lucha.
Before the Olympic tournament, Olympic Japan has a training camp in Mexico, and Olympic Mexico is their last opponent.
Qualifier round to Madrid Olympics Tournament
At the beginning of the match, Espadas successfully catches Tsubasa's Drive Shot. He then overlaps and sends a cross towards Suarez and Saragosa, who then perform a twin shot. The shot is stopped by Genzo Wakabayashi, however. Espadas inwardly notes that since he didn't have a chance to play against Wakabayashi during the World Youth, this match will be a competition between the two keepers.
Because of Mexico's solid defense, Japan can only attack with long shots, but Espadas stops them all. Eventually, Tsubasa manages to break through, and then goes for an overhead kick, but Espadas stops that at point blank range, as well as the following twin shot from Hyuga and Wakashimazu. Still, Aoi puts the loose ball in the empty goal, opening the score.
The two shots injure Espadas' hand. Even though he notes that that is only a minor wound, and insists on staying on the field, he is still subbed out eventually to rest, and Japan easily wins 8-0.
Madrid Olympics Tournament
In the Olympic tournament, Mexico manages to get out of the group stage as second in group B, qualifying for the quarter-finals where they will face Olympic Spain.
In the quarter-finals, Espadas starts the game as Forward. This proves effective since Mexico spending no time to score the first goal against Spain. Not too long afterwards, Espadas doubles Mexico's advantage over Spain. After scoring two goals, Espadas changes his position as Goal Keeper, which he does his role brilliantly, catching numerous shots from Rail and Torres. Mexico ends the first half leading 2-0.
Things get serious when Michael begins playing more individual. For his miraculous play-style, the odds favor in Spain. They won 6-2 against Mexico and thus leaving Mexico disqualified.
Techniques and Abilities
Shooting techniques
- Long Shot
- Trick Shot
Individual Play
- Ball keep
- Ball control
Physical abilities
- Reflexes
Videogame Techniques
- Condor Punch
- Condor Shot
- Condor Intercept
Gallery
_0.jpg "Mexico Youth (BWY) 0.jpg (131 KB)")
_1.jpg "Suarez Saragosa ch4 (RS) 1.jpg (333 KB)")
External links
- Ricardo Espadas at Captain Tsubasa db (Japanese)
- Ricardo Espadas at Shinji's Captain Tsubasa fansite
- Ricardo Espadas at Captain Tsubasa: Dream Team database