TAHUICHI HISTORY

The “Tahuichi” Aguilera Soccer Academy was founded on May 1, 1978 by the Ing. Rolando Aguilera Pareja in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.

The name Tahuichi was in honor to his father Ramón Aguilera Costas know as “Tahuichi”, player of Florida Team and Senior of Bolivia Soccer.

1978 The first kick-off

The Ing. Rolando Aguilera founded the Academy with the initial purpose to teach his children Roly and Erwin the fundamentals of soccer and therefore contracted the services of the Brazilian coach “Dede”.

Later more children were added, having the need to hire more coaches, fields and secretaries, until one day there was the necessity to create a soccer academy.

The first two teams formed were “Bloomingcito” and “Orientito” in honor of the Professional teams Blooming and Oriente Petrolero, classical teams in Santa Cruz Bolivia.

Our Golden years

1979 Bolivian infantile champion

In 1.979 Bolivian infantile champion (first championship won by Tahuichi).

1980 South American Champion

In 1.980 South American Champion, the first Infantile South American Championship held in Buenos Aires, Argentina. First triumph for a Bolivian Team out of our boundaries. National Commotion

Bolivian President, Lidia Gueiler honors Tahuichi in 1.980, since then Tahuichi has received honors from all of the presidents of Bolivia.

1981 Mundialito of River A Reason to be Proud Of

Lets go back in history and immerge in time. Tahuichi of Bolivia and Internationale of Italy await the beginning of the final game of the Youth World Cup organized by River Plate. World class teams such as: Flamengo of Brazil, Real Madrid and Barcelona of Spain, Stuttgart of Germany, Tel Aviv of Isreal, Rapid of Austria, America of Mexico, Olimpia of Paraguay, Universidad of Chile, and the Argentinean teams Independiente, Boca Juniors,, Platense, Rosario Central, Velez Sarsfield plus the host River Plate took part of this Championship.

This was Bolivia’s first World Cup Championship and up to this day it is a Reason to be Proud of.

1982 Champion of the Mundialet of Spain

1.982 Tahuichi became champion of the Mundialet in Spain being praised by from Dr. Joao Havelange, FIFA President, and he sent José Bonetti FIFA Instructor to analyze the South American Phenomenon “Tahuichi”.

1985 Tahuichi in FIFA world cups

1.985 the FIFA decided to organize the first world infantile championship (Under-16) in Pekin – China. The Tahuichi Academy was invited as Guest of Honor and represented the Bolivia Select Team.

1986 South American Under-16 FIFA Championship

In 1.986 Tahuichi won, representing Bolivia, the South American Under-16 FIFA Championship in Lima – Peru. Marcos Etcheverry was the top scorer of the Tournament and was named as the MVP as well. Until this moment, this is the only FIFA title that Bolivia has won outside its frontiers.

1987 Tahuichi in FIFA world cups

1987 Tahuichi represented Bolivia en the FIFA Under 17 World Cup in Canada

1994 Tahuichi´s FIFA World Cup USA

In 1.993 Marco Etcheverry, Erwin Sánchez, Luis Cristaldo, Juan Manuel Peña, Alvaro Peña, Jaime Moreno, Mauricio Ramos, Eduardo Jiguchi and Juan Carlos Chávez, Tahuichis that were part National Select Team that qualified to the Word Cup USA 1994

1996 Mundialito Tahuichi “Paz y Unidad” Under 15

1.996 Tahuichi organizes the first Mundialito Tahuichi “Paz y Unidad” Under 15, See Mundialito.

Gothia Cup

Back in 1984 I got a call from Spain. A friend of mine had just seen “the best youth team ever”. He was talking about Tahuichi and their presence at a tournament in Barcelona. I remember that I had to ask him twice if he really was sure that they came from Bolivia. A country that wasn’t famous for producing football players. Not at that time, anyway. He was sure.

The day after I called Rolando Aguilera and two days later they made their first game at the Gothia Cup in Gothenburg, Sweden. I remember the game and so do the other 40 spectators that were there. Tahuichi won with 16-0 and still today we 40 people can say to each other ”we saw the first Tahuichi game in Sweden”. Because that was the start of a new era. When Tahuichi played the final 6 days later more than 20.000 people came to the stadium to watch.

Today Tahuichi has been present at the Gothia Cup 12 times and at 10 occasions they have won the title. No club in the history of the Gothia Cup has made such an impact on the tournament, on the city or on the spectators.

I can hardly think that any organization or person has meant more for Bolivia than Tahuichi. In every detail they have acted as the perfect ambassadors for their country. They have made people proud of being Bolivians. Thousands of Bolivians now living in Sweden came to see them play. Year after year. For one week every year they felt truly proud. Tahuichi was their team and Bolivia their country. People admired the Swedish-bolivians just because they also came from Bolivia. Just like their favorite team – Tahuichi.

For me it was an honor to become a friend of Rolando Aguilera. As a person he was an example to look up to and to admire. I have never before or after met a person so dedicated to one cause. In his case to help the poor children, to give them a good start in life and to fight against everything that was corrupt and self destructive. To fight was a way of living for Rolando. His memory will for always be a part of our hearts, his work of life – Academia Tahuichi will for ever shine as an example of what one man can create.

Dallas Cup

The Dallas Cup International Youth Soccer Tournament is known throughout the world for it's competiveness, and no one team is more responsible for that reputation than Tahuichi. In 1986,I had the pleasure of watching Tahuichi win the under 16 final at the Gothia Cup by an unbelievable score of 8 to 0. I met the next day with "Mr. Tahuichi, Roly Aguilera, to invite Tahuichi to the soccer wilderness of Dallas, Texas.

In Dallas we were planning the development of our elite under 19 division called the Super Group. I invited Tahuichi to play up, and not only did they accept but they proceeded to win the tournament for the next four years. One of these championships included the greatest final game in the history of the Dallas Cup against a tremendous USA team, North Huntington Beach from California. This team included future USA National team stars Colby Jones, Joe Max Moore, Brad Friedel and Jorge Salcedo. With time the younger Tahuichi players were not able to defeat the older professional clubs such as Real Madrid, West Ham United and Moscow Dynamo, but the passing style of play of Tahuichi continued to attract huge excited crowds.

Winning, exciting soccer, however, is only half the Tahuichi story. I also had the honor of attending the first under 15 Mundialito Tahuichi “Peace and Unity” in Santa Cruz, Bolivia where I saw now only great soccer but the compassion and good works that Roly Aguilera brought to the world of youth soccer. He was truly one of the greats and made a huge difference to all the Dallas Cups, Gothia Cups and youth soccer.

See historical review of disputed tournaments