Luis Fernando Solano

Luis Fernando Solano
Personal information
Full name Luis Fernando Solano Vega
Date of birth (1945-09-21) 21 September 1945 (age 81)
Place of birth San José, San José Province, Costa Rica
Position Right-back
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1965–1976 Saprissa
1977–1978 Cartaginés
International career
1969–1972 Costa Rica 17 (0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  Costa Rica
CONCACAF Championship
Bronze medal – third place1971 Trinidad and TobagoTeam
* Club domestic league appearances and goals

Luis Fernando Solano Vega (born 21 September 1945) is a Costa Rican retired footballer. He played for Saprissa and Cartaginés throughout the 1960s and the 1970s. He also represented Costa Rica for the 1969 and 1971 CONCACAF Championship.

Club career

Finding himself within the youth sector, Solano made his senior debut for Saprissa within the 1965 Primera División de Costa Rica [de] as he was part of the winning squad that season even if his debut season also saw him get fined 25.00 colón for rough play. This success continued into the rest of the decade as he won the 1967 [de], 1968 [de] and 1969 Primera División de Costa Rica [de]. The 1968 season also saw Solano gradually make more appearances within Saprissa including appearing in a friendly against Honduran club Atlético Indio. This success continued into the 1970s as Saprissa dominated the Primera División as starting in the 1972 Campeonato de Fútbol de Costa Rica [es], Saprissa dominated the Primera División throughout the decade. The 1972 season also saw Solano partake in a friendly against Brazilian club Santos where he notably played against Pelé with that season also seeing Solano be part of the winning squad of the 1972 Copa Juan Santamaría [es]. Prior to Saprissa's first success in the 1970s, the 1971 season saw Solano cement himself as a right-back with Saprissa narrowly missing the title that season.

He then played for Cartaginés for the 1977 Primera División de Costa Rica [es] with the club ending as runners-up. However, his switch to Cartaginés saw significantly less appearances due both to his age as well as internal management issues within Cartaginés and retired following the 1978 Primera División de Costa Rica [es].

International career

Solano was first called up for the 1969 CONCACAF Championship in where Costa Rica had been selected as hosts. He made his international debut in the 3–0 victory over Jamaica. Throughout the tournament, he made 3 more appearances, all being victories against Netherlands Antilles, Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago. In the following 1971 CONCACAF Championship however, he made less appearances as his only two appearances were 1–0 and 1–3 defeats against Mexico and Trinidad and Tobago respectively. His final international appearances came during the 1973 CONCACAF Championship qualifiers where Costa Rica narrowly failed to qualify for the 1973 CONCACAF Championship as they lost in point difference to Honduras.

References

  1. ↑ "Los grandes del futbol mundial" (in Spanish). San José: La Prensa Libre. 15 December 1965. p. 8. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  2. ↑ "Notas de Grandes Ligas" (in Spanish). San José: La República. 27 February 1968. p. 25. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  3. ↑ Valverde, Esteban (29 December 2022). "Pelé impresionó a jugadores costarricenses por su amabilidad, carisma y accesibilidad" (in Spanish). La Nación. Retrieved 24 June 2026.
  4. ↑ "Saprissa Campeón invicto de la Confraternidad" (in Spanish). San José: Diario de Costa Rica. 17 March 1972. p. 5. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  5. ↑ "Saprissa sacó un punto en El Salvador al empatar con Alianza cero a cero" (in Spanish). San José: La República. 30 January 1971. p. 15. Retrieved 24 August 2026.
  6. ↑ "FERNANDO SOLANO: 20 AÑOS DE FUTBOL" (in Spanish). San José: La República. 22 September 1978. p. 17. Retrieved 12 August 2026.
  7. ↑ Mendoza, Eduardo; Lugo, Erik Francisco; ANCCIF (4 November 2021). "IV COPA DE NACIONES CONCACAF 1969 (NORCECA) - Match Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  8. ↑ Mendoza, Eduardo; Lugo, Erik Francisco; ANCCIF (4 November 2021). "V COPA DE NACIONES CONCACAF 1971 (NORCECA) - Match Details". RSSSF. Retrieved 20 February 2026.
  9. ↑ Reyes, Macario; Lugo, Erik Francisco; Mendoza, Eduardo (7 April 2022). "VI. CONCACAF NATIONS CUP 1973". RSSSF. Retrieved 25 June 2025.