Michael Umaña

Míchael Umaña Corrales (born 16 July 1982) is a Costa Rican footballer who plays as a defender for Comunicaciones[1] in the Liga Nacional.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Umaña and the second or maternal family name is Corrales.

Míchael Umaña

Michael Umaña in Persepolis.
Personal information
Full name	Míchael Umaña Corrales
Date of birth	(1982-07-16) 16 July 1982
Place of birth	Santa Ana, Costa Rica
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Playing position(s)	Centre-back
Club information
Current team	Comunicaciones
Number	4
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1999–2003	Carmelita	82	(5)
2003–2007	Herediano	85	(3)
2005	→ LA Galaxy (loan)	14	(0)
2006	→ Brujas (loan)	11	(1)
2007–2010	Liberia Mía	76	(5)
2010–2011	Chivas USA	50	(1)
2012	Comunicaciones	46	(3)
2013–2014	Saprissa	51	(4)
2014–2016	Persepolis	39	(0)
2016	Liberia	5	(0)
2016–2017	Alajuelense	31	(3)
2017	Cartaginés	3	(0)
2017	Pars Jonoubi Jam	7	(1)
2018	Cartaginés	16	(0)
2018–	Comunicaciones	78	(0)
National team^‡
2003–2004	Costa Rica Olympic	10	(0)
2004–2017	Costa Rica	103	(1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 15 March 2020 ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 10 October 2017

Club career

Early career

Born in Santa Ana, Umaña played for Carmelita and Herediano in his native Costa Rica before coming to the United States in 2005 to play on loan in Major League Soccer with Los Angeles Galaxy.[2]

Umaña was released by Galaxy after the 2005 season after an unsuccessful campaign, and returned to Costa Rica to play for Brujas. He moved back to Herediano in 2006, but asked the club to be transferlisted after a move to Israeli side MS Ironi Ashdod fell through.[3]

He eventually transferred to Liberia Mia in 2007,[4] where he spent the next three seasons.

Chivas USA

After winning the 2009 Torneo Verano of the Primera División de Costa Rica in with Liberia Mia, Umaña returned to the United States in 2010 to play for his former club's cross-town rivals, Chivas USA.[5] Umaña scored his first goal with Chivas USA in a Superliga 2010 match against Puebla. Umaña spent the 2010 and 2011 seasons with Chivas USA.

Central America

In January 2012, after his release from Chivas, he signed with Guatemalan side Comunicaciones[6] and a year later he returned to Costa Rica to play for Saprissa.[7]

Persepolis

On 17 August 2014, Umaña joined Persepolis after passing medical tests, thus became the first ever Costa Rican footballer to play in Iran. He signed a two-year contract with the club[8] and was given the number 4 shirt. He made his debut for the club on 25 August in a 1–1 draw against Padideh.[9]

Club career statistics

As of 6 November 2015.

Club	Season	League			Cup^1		Continental^2		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Chivas USA	2010	MLS	28	1	3	0	2	1	33	2
	2011		22	0	0	0	–	–	22	0
	Total		50	1	3	0	2	1	55	2
Comunicaciones	2011–12	Liga Nacional	20	2	–	–	–	–	20	2
	2012–13		26	1	–	–	–	–	26	1
	Total		46	3	0	0	0	0	46	3
Deportivo Saprissa	2012–13	Primera División	14	2	–	–	–	–	14	2
	2013–14		33	2	–	–	–	–	38^3	2
	Total		47	4	0	0	0	0	52	4
Persepolis	2014–15	Persian Gulf Pro League	24	0	3	0	8	0	35	0
	2015–16		6	0	1	0	–	–	7	0
Total			30	0	4	0	8	0	42	0
Career total			173	8	7	0	10	1	190	9

¹ Includes Open Cup and Hazfi Cup.
² Includes North American SuperLiga, CLC and ACL.
³ Includes 5 matches in League Play-offs.

International career

Umaña playing against Uruguay at the 2014 FIFA World Cup

Umaña played for the Costa Rican national team at various youth levels, and was part of their squad at the 2004 Summer Olympics.[10]

He made his senior debut for Costa Rica in a June 2004 friendly match against Nicaragua and has, as of December 2014, earned a total of 87 caps, scoring 1 goal.[11] He played at the 2005 UNCAF Nations Cup and the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup[12] before becoming part of the senior squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign. He played in all three of Costa Rica's group matches at the 2006 FIFA World Cup, as the team was eliminated without winning a point.[13]

In June 2014, Umaña was named in Costa Rica's squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup.[14] In the team's team's first two group matches, he and his central defensive colleagues Giancarlo González and Óscar Duarte allowed only one goal as Los Ticos beat Uruguay (3–1) and Italy (1–0) to qualify for the knockout stage.[15][16] During the round of 16, Umaña converted Costa Rica's decisive fifth kick in a 5–3 penalty shootout defeat of Greece.[17] In the quarter-final against the Netherlands, Umaña was one of two Costa Ricans to have his kick saved by Tim Krul in a 4–3 penalty shootout loss.[18]

International goals

Scores and results list Costa Rica's goal tally first.

N.	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
1.	26 March 2013	Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica	Jamaica	1–0	2–0	2014 FIFA World Cup qualification

Personal life

Umaña is the youngest of three brothers, his brother Erick played in the second division.[2]

Honours

Club

Los Angeles Galaxy

• Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (1): 2005
• Major League Soccer MLS Cup (1): 2005
• Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship (1): 2005

Perspolis

• Persian Gulf Pro League runner-up: 2015–16

References

1. Mendoza, Adrian (15 May 2018). "Michael Umaña fichó con el Comunicaciones de Guatemala". crhoy.com. Retrieved 30 July 2018.
2. Defensor se integró esta semana al Galaxy Umaña quiere saltar a Europa - Nación (in Spanish)
3. Michael Umaña negociará salida de Herediano - Nación (in Spanish)
4. Michael Umaña firmó con Liberia - Nación (in Spanish)
5. Michael Umaña fichó con el Chivas USA - Nación (in Spanish)
6. Serrano, Adam (4 January 2012). "Chivas USA part ways with Umana, three others". Major League Soccer.
7. Saprissa ficha al defensor Michael Umaña - Nación (in Spanish)
8. "Costa Rican defender Michael Umaña signs with top Iranian club following World Club success". The Tico Times. 19 August 2014. Retrieved 13 January 2016.
9. Vargas, Gabriel (26 August 2014). "Michael Umaña debutó en el fútbol iraní en empate del Persépolis FC". La Nación (in Spanish). Retrieved 13 January 2016.
10. Michael Umaña – FIFA competition record
11. Appearances for Costa Rica National Team Archived 6 July 2009 at the Wayback Machine - RSSSF
12. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2005 - Full Details Archived 24 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine - RSSSF
13. "Michael UMANA". FIFA. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
14. "Costa Rica World Cup 2014 squad". The Telegraph. 2 June 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2014.
15. "Uruguay 1-3 Costa Rica". BBC. 14 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
16. "Italy 0-1 Costa Rica". BBC. 20 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
17. "Costa Rica 1-1 Greece". BBC. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 30 June 2014.
18. "Netherlands 0-0 Costa Rica". BBC. 5 June 2014. Retrieved 6 June 2014.

External links

• Michael Umaña at National-Football-Teams.com
• 2006 World Cup profile - Nación (in Spanish)
• Michael Umaña at Major League Soccer
• Profile at Nacion.com (in Spanish)
• All-Time MLS Player Register