Eduardo Hurtado

Eduardo Hurtado - El Tanque ("The Tank")

Eduardo Hurtado Roa (born January 12, 1969, in Esmeraldas, Ecuador) is a footballer who plays as a striker. He has the record of being one of the all-time leading scorers for the Ecuador national football team with 26 goals in 74 caps. During his time with the national team, he had the distinction of being the best striker.

Hurtado, nicknamed El Tanque ("The Tank") for trying to roll over everything in his path, has played for many teams in different countries. His first teams were now defunct Valdez Sporting Club from Milagro and Emelec from Guayaquil, in his native Ecuador, and he also had stops in Switzerland, Chile, Mexico, the United States, Argentina, and Scotland, where he joined SPL side Hibernian and had a very unsuccessful spell with the Easter Road side, only scoring two goals. He later returned to Ecuador.

Hurtado was one of the early stars of Major League Soccer (MLS). In 1996, the league's first year, he finished second in goals, scoring 21 for the Los Angeles Galaxy. He added three in the playoffs as Galaxy fell short in the MLS Cup final and was named to the MLS Best XI after the season. After only eight goals in 1997, Hurtado was traded to the MetroStars two games into the 1998 season and finished the year with 11 goals and 15 assists (10 and 14 of those for the Metros), plus added a goal in the playoffs.

And then 1999 came. After scoring two goals in the Metro season opener, Hurtado scored just five the rest of the way. Playing for one of the worst teams in league history, he was the epitome of everything wrong with the squad, missing easy sitters and empty nets game after game. El Tanque became known as El Tanque, and the Metros let him go on waivers after the season. The New England Revolution picked him up, but he only lasted three goalless games there before getting his release.

Since his departure from MLS, Hurtado played for Hibernian, Argentinos Juniors, Barcelona Sporting Club, Liga Deportiva Universitaria, El Nacional, the team of Universidad de Concepción, and Audaz Octubrino from Machala. In 2004, he came back to the United States to play indoor soccer, signing with the Cleveland Force of the MISL in December. However, he couldn't adjust to the indoor game and was released in less than a month, going back to Ecuador to play for Olmedo, in 2006 he played for the 2nd Divition club Norte America. Soprising in 2007 he anounced he's transfer to Colombian Football to sign for the 1st Divition Club Deportivo Pereira. The Recordman said: "I feel lke i'm 20 years old, i want score in Colombia" in an interview with a local TV

Personal information
Full name Eduardo Hurtado Roa
Date of birth January 12, 1969 (1969-01-12)
Place of birth: Esmeraldas, Ecuador
Height 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in)
Playing position Center Forward

Youth clubs
1986-1991 Centro Juvenil

Senior clubs

Years Club Gls

1991-1992 UD Valdez 0
1993-1993 Saint Gallen 0
1993-1993 Colo-Colo 0
1994-1994 FC Correcaminos 0
1994-1994 CS Emelec 0
1995-1996 L.A. Galaxy 21
1996-1996 Barcelona SC (loan) 2
1996-1997 L.A. Galaxy 0
1997-1997 LDU Quito (loan) 0
1997-1997 L.A. Galaxy 8
1998-1998 Metro Stars 10
1998-1998 LDU Quito (loan) 3
1998-1999 Metro Stars 0
1999-1999 LDU Quito (loan) 3
1999-1999 Metro Stars 7
2000-2000 N.E. Revolution 0
2000-2000 LDU Quito 10
2001-2001 AA Argentinos Juniors 0
2001-2002 Hibernian FC 0
2002-2003 Barcelona SC 8
2003-2003 CD El Nacional 1
2003-2004 Universidad de Concepción 0
2004-2005 Audaz Octubrino 19
2005-2006 CD Olmedo (loan) 13
2006-2006 Técnico Universitario (loan) 5
2006-2007 CD Norte America (loan) 11
2007- Deportivo Pereira 0

National team

Years Club Played (Gls)

1992-2002 Ecuador 74 (26)