Copa Libertadores
Libertadores top scorer Spencer dies at 68

Alberto Spencer
(AFP)
(REUTERS) 03 Nov 2006

Alberto Spencer, the top scorer in the Libertadores Cup with 54 goals, died on Friday at the age of 68.

Spencer, who played for Ecuador and Uruguay in a way unthinkable today, died in the United States due to a heart problem, said his son Walter.

His body will be flown to Uruguay, where he spent most of his life after retiring from football, for the funeral.

Spencer, born of a Jamaican father and Ecuadorean mother and one of 13 children, was one of South America's most famous players even though he never played at the World Cup.

He scored 48 goals for Uruguayan team Penarol in the Libertadores, the region's equivalent of the Champions League, between 1960 and 1970, and another six for Barcelona of Ecuador in the next two seasons.

"He was a key figure in the days when South American football came of age," said Nicolas Leoz, president of the South American Football Confederation (CSF).

Spencer began his career with Everest in Ecuador before moving in 1960 to Penarol, at the time one of the world's most prestigious clubs.

He won three Libertadores titles with Penarol, in 1960, 1961 and 1966, and was the competition's leading scorer in 1960 and 1962.

Spencer's international career would not have been possible under modern rules, which effectively prevent players from switching allegiances.

After playing for Ecuador in the 1959 Copa America and the qualifiers for the 1962 FIFA World Cup, he then turned out for Uruguay.

In 1964, he became the first Uruguayan player to score against England at Wembley when he was on target in a 2-1 friendly defeat.

The following year he played for Ecuador in the qualifying competition for the 1966 FIFA World Cup. A year later he again switched back to Uruguay.

According to the CSF website, Spencer played 11 times for Ecuador, scoring four goals, and five times for Uruguay, scoring once.

South American football moarns Spencer

News fro the CSF website

03 / 11 / 2006

In view of the sad news of Alberto Spencer's passing this morning in the United States, where he convalesced after a heart operation, the President of the South American Football Confederation and its Executive Committee manifest their solidarity with the sad feeling shared by the whole South American football family.

68 year old Spencer, was the maximum goal scorer of the Liberators of America Cup and the top football figure in his country, Ecuador. His condition as an exemplary sportsman and as a gentleman in life, equaled his glorious stature as a top South American goal scorer.

In January of 1992, Spencer received the Order of Merit of South American Football for exceptional services rendered to football. In the 60's, when football in his country had not yet reached its current degree of evolution, Spencer was a star in Uruguay and in the continent. And, although he never had his World Cup, he was decisive in Pe

Ecuadorean soccer star Alberto Spencer dies following heart surgery in U.S.

The Associated Press

Published: November 3, 2006

 

MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay: Ecuadorean soccer great Alberto Spencer, the all-time leading scorer in the Americas' most prestigious club tournament, died on Friday in a U.S. clinic where he had undergone heart surgery, his son said. He was 67.

Considered Ecuador's greatest soccer player, Spencer was also idolized in Uruguay, where he led Penarol to eight national titles and three South American championships during its golden era in the 1960s.

During 12 years with the team, he found the back of the net 326 times, including 48 in South America's Libertadores Cup. He scored six more goals in the competition playing for Ecuador's Barcelona squad, setting a tournament record of 54 goals that stands today.

Spencer, who had suffered from a heart disease since the late 1970s, underwent quadruple bypass surgery Oct. 10 in a clinic in Cleveland, Ohio. His son, who shares the same name, said Spencer had appeared to be recuperating but was attacked by an intestinal infection and transferred to intensive care.

"My father passed away this morning," Spencer's son told The Associated Press Friday in Montevideo, Uruguay. "He lost the match, but because of the nature of his situation, it was expected."

Born Dec. 6, 1938, in Ancon, Ecuador, to a Jamaican father and an Ecuadorean mother, Spencer got his start with Everest in Guayaquil and in 1960 signed with Penarol of Uruguay, where his catlike moves, speed and power made him a national icon.

Led by Spencer and Peruvian Juan Joya, Penarol defeated European powers Benfica in 1961 and Real Madrid in 1966 to take the Intercontinental Cup.

Spencer was one of the few players to represent two different national squads, playing for both Ecuador and Uruguay. In 1964 he was part of the Uruguayan side that defeated England in London's Wembley Stadium.

He retired in 1973 and returned to Montevideo, where he represented Ecuador as a diplomat from 1982 until his death.

Ecuadorean officials said Friday that President Alfredo Palacio was prepared to send an air force plane to Cleveland to transport his remains.

Spencer is survived by his wife Maria Teresa and his children Alberto, Walter and Jacqueline.

Alberto Spencer is Dead

Rest in Peace

Today, the top scorer of the Copa Libertadores of all times, Alberto Spencer passed away in Cleveland, United States.

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