JORGE CAMPOS VISITS YUFC
by Djuradj Vujcic
This article was written for the Volume 3, Issue 2 edition of the York United fanzine called The Crust.
On July 22, out of the blue, an Instagram post caught my eye: the special guest and honorary captain for the upcoming home game against Atlético Ottawa on July 26 would be the great Jorge Campos.
Born on October 15, 1966, in Acapulco, Mexico, Campos became famous not only for his exceptional skills on the field but also for his vibrant personality and the revolutionary impact he had on the goalkeeper position. His colourful self-designed jerseys (often with the number 9) became a symbol of his individuality, making him a fan favourite and a memorable figure in the football world. Campos was renowned for his agility, quick reflexes, and ability to play as a “sweeper-keeper” often venturing far from his goal to clear the ball or even participate in attacking plays. Remarkably, he sometimes even featured as a forward in games. His small stature for a goalkeeper (5 ft 6 in) was more than compensated by his athleticism and daring style.
Campos played for several clubs throughout his career, including Pumas UNAM, Atlante, LA Galaxy, Cruz Azul, Chicago Fire, Tigres UANL and Puebla. He won several individual and team awards in the Mexican League and was a mainstay in the Mexican national team during the 1990s and early 2000s. He represented Mexico in three FIFA World Cup tournaments (1994, 1998, and 2002) and was known for his leadership and reliability in crucial matches. Campos, affectionately often referred to as El Brody (a local slang word for bro), retired from professional football in January 2004 and his legacy lives on as one of the most versatile, distinctive and beloved players in Mexican football history.
At York Lions Stadium in Toronto, Campos signed match-day posters of himself before the game and I had the great pleasure of meeting both Campos and York United technical and sporting director Jorge Villalpando (who knows Campos from their time together at Puebla) and sharing a quick chat with them. Campos mentioned how they were just reminiscing about Serbian coach Bora Milutinovic who is very well respected in Mexico (having led Mexico to their second Gold Cup title in 1996 for example). During the pre-game ceremony, Campos brought out the match ball in front of the roaring near-capacity audience.
Campos brought York United good fortune and the game itself was magical – after conceding a goal early on, York went on to score a whopping four goals (Elijah Adekugbe in the 41st, Juan Córdova in the 51st, Mo Babouli in the 78th and Brian Wright in the 89th) to inch one step closer to top of the table. Our fans really turned out for this one and one of our players (Josué Martínez) was even in the supporters section contributing to the atmosphere. Wonderful vibes all around were felt on this night to remember!
