View source for Óscar Rojas (Costa Rican footballer)

{{Short description|Costa Rican footballer (born 1979)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Oscar Rojas
| fullname    = Oscar Emilio Rojas Ruiz
| image       =
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1979|04|27|df=yes}}
| birth_place = [[San José, Costa Rica]]
| height      = 1.73 m
| currentclub =
| clubnumber  =
| position    = [[Midfielder (association football)|Midfielder]]
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1999–2000 | clubs1 = [[Asociación Deportiva Carmelita|Carmelita]]      | caps1 =    | goals1 =
| years2 = 2000–2002 | clubs2 = [[C.F. La Piedad|La Piedad]]                      | caps2 = 27 | goals2 = 8
| years3 = 2002      | clubs3 = [[Tigres B|Tigrillos Saltillo]]                   | caps3 = 15 | goals3 = 2
| years4 = 2003      | clubs4 = [[Irapuato FC|Irapuato]]                          | caps4 = 7  | goals4 = 2
| years5 = 2003–2005 | clubs5 = [[Dorados de Sinaloa|Dorados]]                    | caps5 = 57 | goals5 = 10
| years6 = 2005–2006 | clubs6 = [[CD Veracruz|Veracruz]]                          | caps6 = 33 | goals6 = 2
| years7 = 2006–2008 | clubs7 = [[Jaguares de Chiapas|Jaguares]]                  | caps7 = 74 | goals7 = 13
| years8 = 2009–     | clubs8 = [[Monarcas Morelia|Morelia]]                      | caps8 = 13 | goals8 = 0
| years9 = 2009–2010 | clubs9 = → [[C.F. Mérida|Mérida]] (loan)                   | caps9 = 31 | goals9 = 7
| years10= 2010–2011 | clubs10= → [[Indios de Ciudad Juárez|Indios]] (loan)       | caps10= 27 | goals10 = 3
| years11= 2011      | clubs11= → [[Neza FC|Neza]] (loan)                         | caps11= 14 | goals11 = 0
| years12= 2012      | clubs12= → [[C.S. Herediano|Herediano]] (loan)             | caps12= 17 | goals12 = 2
| years13= 2012–2013 | clubs13= → [[C.F. La Piedad|La Piedad]] (loan)             | caps13= 25 | goals13 = 7
| years14= 2014–2015 | clubs14= [[Estudiantes de Altamira|Estudiantes Altamira]]  | caps14= 24 | goals14 = 2
| years15= 2015      | clubs15= → [[Club Zacatepec|Zacatepec XII]] (loan)         | caps15= 12 | goals15 = 1
| years16= 2015–2016 | clubs16= [[Venados F.C.|Venados]]                          | caps16= 15 | goals16 = 2
| years17= 2016–2017 | clubs17= SC Corinthians USA                                | caps17= ?  | goals17 = ?
| years18= 2017      | clubs18= [[Municipal Grecia]]                              | caps18= 8  | goals18 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2001–2012
| nationalteam1 = [[Costa Rica national football team|Costa Rica]]
| nationalcaps1 = 28
| nationalgoals1 = 1
| pcupdate = 9 January 2018
| ntupdate =
}}
{{family name hatnote|Rojas|Ruiz|lang=Spanish}}
'''Oscar Emilio Rojas Ruiz''' (born 27 April 1979 in [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]])<ref>[http://www.ascensomx.net/cancha/jugador/25319/eyJpZENsdWIiOiAxMDczMn0=/ Oscar Rojas profile (Liga MX)]</ref> is a Costa Rican [[association football|football]] [[midfielder]] or forward, who last played for [[Municipal Grecia]].
==Club career==
Rojas made his professional debut in 1999 for [[Asociación Deportiva Carmelita|Carmelita]]<ref name=Nacion/> before moving abroad to play in the Primera División with [[C.F. La Piedad|La Piedad]] in the 2001 Invierno. He had a stint at second division [[Tigres B|Tigrillos de Nuevo León]] and has also played for [[Irapuato FC|Irapuato]].
He made his return to the Primera División in 2004, joining Dorados for the 2004 Apertura. He was a mainstay in midfield with the team, starting 16 of 17 games, and scoring three goals. Rojas subsequently moved to [[Tiburones Rojos de Veracruz|Veracruz]] in summer 2005<ref>[http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2005/agosto/01/deportes12.html Rojas debutó con triunfo en Veracruz] - Nación {{in lang|es}}</ref> and [[Chiapas F.C.|Jaguares Chiapas]] in 2006. He remained with until the end of 2008, helping the club reach the playoff series twice. He left them for a brief spell at [[Monarcas Morelia|Morelia]],<ref>[http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2009/enero/09/deportes1833475.html Tico fue presentado ayer Técnico del Morelia alaba a Óscar Rojas] - Nación {{in lang|es}}</ref> then dropped into the second division to play for [[C.F. Mérida|Mérida]], [[Indios de Ciudad Juárez|Indios]]<ref>[http://www.larednoticias.com/noticias.cfm?n=47544 Oscar Rojas primer futbolista costarricense en militar con el CF Indios] - La Red Noticias {{in lang|es}}</ref> and [[Toros Neza]] before returning to Costa Rica with [[C.S. Herediano|Herediano]] ahead of the 2012 Verano championship.<ref>[http://www.nacion.com/deportes/futbol-internacional/Oscar-Rojas-jugara-meses-Herediano_0_1242475913.html Óscar Rojas jugará seis meses con el Herediano] - Nación {{in lang|es}}</ref>
===Return to Mexico===
In summer 2012, Rojas returned to La Piedad,<ref name=Nacion>[http://www.nacion.com/deportes/futbol-costa-rica/Oscar-Rojas-regresa-Mexico-Piedad_0_1280272183.html Óscar Rojas regresa al futbol de México con La Piedad] - Nación {{in lang|es}}</ref> with the club being relocated to Veracruz and recalled Tiburones Rojos. His debut was postponed when Morelia, who still owed him, did not immediately agree on the transfer.<ref>[http://www.nacion.com/archivo/Oscar-Rojas-varado-Mexico_0_1284071657.html Óscar Rojas está varado en México] - Nación {{in lang|es}}</ref> He left the club in summer 2013 after they told him he did not fit in their plans after winning promotion to Mexico's top tier.<ref>[http://www.nacion.com/deportes/futbol-internacional/Costa-Rica-jugadores-profesional-Mexico_0_1354464691.html Óscar Rojas dejó Tiburones de Veracruz tras su ascenso en México] - Nación {{in lang|es}}</ref> After a few months out of a club, he joined another Mexican second division side, [[Estudiantes de Altamira|Estudiantes Altamira]].<ref>[http://www.nacion.com/deportes/futbol-internacional/Pablo_Gabas-jugara-Delfines_del_Carmen-Ascenso-Mexico-legionarios_0_1384261664.html Pablo Gabas jugará con los Delfines del Carmen■Óscar Rojas, por su parte, se encuentra entrenando con los Estudiantes de Altamira] - Nación {{in lang|es}}</ref>
==International career==
Óscar Rojas made his debut for [[Costa Rica national football team|Costa Rica]] in a 1–0 World Cup qualification victory over [[Jamaica national football team|Jamaica]] on 11 November 2001 and earned a total of 28 caps, scoring 1 goal. He represented his country in 9 [[FIFA World Cup qualification]] matches<ref>{{FIFA player|187162}}</ref> and appeared at the [[2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup]],<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tables/02gc-full.html CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2002 - Full Details] - RSSSF</ref> but missed out on the [[2002 FIFA World Cup]] as one of the last cuts by national coach [[Alexandre Guimaraes]]. Absent from the national team for three years, he returned to the selection in 2005, first under [[Jorge Luis Pinto]] and then under the reappointed Guimaraes and he played at the [[2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup]].<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tables/05gc-full.html CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2005 - Full Details] - RSSSF</ref> Again, however, he was not chosen for the World Cup squad in [[2006 FIFA World Cup|2006]]. His first international goal came against [[Peru national football team]] on 22 August 2007.
He announced his retirement from the national team on 10 April  2009.<ref>{{cite web | title= Óscar Rojas renuncia a selección de Costa Rica | url= http://www.vefutbol.com.mx/notas/15825.html | work= | publisher= vefutbol.com.mx | date= | accessdate=2009-04-18}}</ref> However, he was once again selected by Pinto for a match against Jamaica on 21 March 2012, making his return to the national team just weeks before his thirty-third birthday. His final international was a September 2012 [[FIFA World Cup qualification]] match against [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]]
===International goals===
:''Scores and results list Costa Rica's goal tally first.''
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! {{tooltip|N.|Goal number}} !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| align="center" | 1. || 22 August 2007 || [[Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá]], [[San José, Costa Rica|San José]], [[Costa Rica]] || {{fb|PER}} || align="center" |  '''1'''–0 || align="center" | 1–1 || [[Friendly match]]
|}
==Personal life==
Rojas is married to Jessica Tencio and they were expecting their fourth child in October 2014.<ref>[http://www.aldia.cr/fuera-cancha/Oscar_Rojas-Herediano_0_445155516.html Óscar Rojas espera su cuarto ‘chavito’] - Al Día {{in lang|es}}</ref>
==References==
{{reflist}}
==External links==
* {{NFT player|1609}}
* {{MedioTiempo|oscar-emilio-rojas}}
* {{Soccerway|oscar-emilio-rojas-ruiz/14452}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Óscar Rojas international tournaments
|list1=
{{Costa Rica Squad 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{Costa Rica Squad 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rojas, Oscar}}
[[Category:1979 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from San José, Costa Rica]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Costa Rican men's footballers]]
[[Category:Costa Rica men's international footballers]]
[[Category:2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:A.D. Carmelita footballers]]
[[Category:C.D. Irapuato footballers]]
[[Category:Dorados de Sinaloa footballers]]
[[Category:C.D. Veracruz footballers]]
[[Category:Jaguares F.C. footballers]]
[[Category:Atlético Morelia players]]
[[Category:Venados F.C. players]]
[[Category:Indios de Ciudad Juárez footballers]]
[[Category:Toros Neza footballers]]
[[Category:C.S. Herediano footballers]]
[[Category:Liga MX players]]
[[Category:Municipal Grecia players]]
[[Category:Costa Rican expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Costa Rican emigrants to Mexico]]