Aníbal Paz

Paz started his professional football career in 1933 with the Montevideo team Liverpool when he was 15 years old. Despite being from Montevideo himself, it was at Liverpool where he obtained his nickname “Canario.” In Uruguay, "canarito" is an affectionate nickname for people from the Canelones region, a department in the country. In the context of the Uruguayan national football team, "canarito" is also a nickname used for players and fans due to their passion for the team. Paz stayed with Liverpool through 1937, followed by a brief stint at Bella Vista. Paz joined Nacional in 1939 and stayed until 1953. At just 23 years old and eager to succeed, he put his quality and youth at the service of the tricolor cause. His first derby as a starting goalkeeper was a 2-0 victory in the Nacional Championship on June 11, 1939, in the Campeonato de Honor. He defended for the club for 15 consecutive years, and in his final seasons wore the captain's armband. He was a Uruguayan champion with the Tricolores on nine occasions, a critical player in the Golden Five-Year Championship (Quinquenio de Oro), and won the Atlantic Cup (Copa del Atlántico) in 1947. From his first victory on, he was virtually irreplaceable in the goal. Paz gradually acquired an innovative goalkeeping style and distinctive personality on the pitch. His shout commanding the entire defense could be heard from the stands. It was said to be impossible not to hear his cry of "mine” when he attacked the ball,…