Salvador Cabañas shot. Critical - but stable.

[Golden_Boy™]

Link

Where the bullet went in



His poor family in the Hospital waiting room



They have the incident on CCTV by the looks of it.



There are some pictures of Cabanas on the floor after being shot, but I won't be posting them.

[Golden_Boy™]

Salvador Cabanas Remains 'Critical But Stable' – But What Actually Happened?

Paraguayan international Salvador Cabanas remains in critical condition following an incident in which the 29-year-old was shot in the head in Mexico City on Monday around 5.30am local time.

There has been much confusion and many conflicting reports since the incident. What we do know is that Cabanas received a gunshot wound to the head during an exchange with a man in the bathroom of a popular drinking establishment in Mexico City called ‘Bar Bar’.

Cabanas had been drinking in the popular nightspot with his brother-in-law and wife. The incident occurred as they were leaving the establishment and Cabanas’ wife found him bleeding on the bathroom following the attack.

Mexico City Attorney General, Miguel Angel Mancera, has alleged the culprit is a man called Jose J. Balderas Garza aka ‘JJ’ or ‘El Modelo’ (The Model), described as a ‘businessman’ who frequented the bar.

CCTV footage shows Garza walking into the bathroom with his bodyguard moments before Cabanas was shot. The same footage also showed staff at the bar allegedly assisting the assailants escape, with Mancera exclaiming, “They did nothing to stop them.”

“Joseph J. Balderas Garza is a person who appeared to be a businessman, he was a frequent visitor [to the bar],” he continued.

Mancera went on to suggest that the incident may have stemmed from an argument over a Cuban woman that had accompanied Garza to the bar. The woman in question has already spoken with the police.

“She tells us that she established a dialogue, a closeness, not with Salvador Cabanas, but his brother [in-law],” he said.

Cabanas was taken straight to hospital following the incident and was conscious when he went into emergency surgery, telling his agent Jose Maria Gonzalez to “tell my parents I am fine.”

Cabanas underwent a seven hour surgery at Los Angeles Pedregal at around 6pm, however doctors were unable to retrieve the bullet that was lodged in his skull.

"We operated on his cranium and stopped the bleeding and the clotting and the brain is in a stable condition,” said surgeon Dr. Francisco Martinez at a press conference.

Dr. Alfonso Diaz, head of medical services at Cabanas’ club America, told the press that the striker’s future was in god's hands.

“You have faith, nothing else in a delicate situation, you have to wait and as days go by expectations are higher," he said.

Apparent X-rays of Cabanas with the bullet lodged in his head have been published by many media outlets over the last 24-hours, however, the photo has been confirmed to be of a child who took an arrow between the eyes in 2008 in China, and not of the Paraguay international.

There has been a barrage of public outcry from all over the globe since the incident, with two prominent figures in Mexico offering their condemnation of the attack.

Mexico's president Felipe Calderon has publicly condemned the shooting, insisting of his government’s “willingness to contribute to investigating the case” and Jorge Vergara, owner of Chivas, Club America’s fierce rivals, offered his side’s support with a banner on the the team's website saying “Chava are with you, come back soon."

Cabanas’ parents landed in Mexico City today to be with their son during his recovery and spoke briefly to reporters.

“For us, it doesn’t matter whether he will play again or not. The most important thing is to survive. He is strong and I’m sure he can,” said his father.

There has been some good news today, with reports that Cabanas has responded to stimulus and is currently showing regular brain activity. His condition has not worsened in the 24-hours following the shooting.

“We have to wait a little longer, he is still sedated. His brain activity is still within the usual categories,” confirmed surgeon Dr. Martinez.

Cabanas remains in “critical but stable” condition tonight as doctors continue to closely monitor his brain activity and hope that further complications do not arise from the bullet that remains in his skull.

Read More

[ogsdog]

read about this the other day - really sad that this kind of crap goes down. I heard, that previous to this incident, he was being linked with Sunderland

[Golden_Boy™]

Jan 27, 2010 18:05:24 GMT -1 @ogsdog said:

read about this the other day - really sad that this kind of crap goes down. I heard, that previous to this incident, he was being linked with Sunderland

Only just seen this, OG.

Yeah he was indeed previously linked with a move to Sunderland, there was definite interest, contact between the players agent and the two respective clubs etc, just a great shame these events happen.

Reports that I have seen/read indicate that he's recovering well - he left intensive care a few weeks ago now, I think. Lets hope the guys that shot him are caught and justice is served. Who knows - he may even make the Paraguay squad for the World Cup...

[El Morto La Hoja!]

they're tough them there Paraguayans.....

[ITFC Dudette6]

I read somewhere yesterday that he really wants to play in the World Cup and thinks he can, but the bullet's still in his head!

[Golden_Boy™]

Paraguay's Cabanas moved to clinic after gun shot.

Paraguay international Salvador Cabanas, who was shot in the head at point-blank range in January, was moved Tuesday from Mexico City's Angeles del Pedregal Hospital to a specialized clinic to continue his miraculous recovery.

Cabanas' Mexico City club America said he was transferred to begin the second stage of treatment at an unidentified clinic.

Cabanas, 29, was shot just before dawn in a Mexico City bar on Jan. 25. Hours after, surgeons operated hoping to remove the bullet, but decided it was too risky and left metal fragment lodged in his skull.

"Salvador has been in a rehabilitation clinic since this morning to continue his recovery," the club said.

Cabanas was expected to be a star on the Paraguay national team when it opens play in the World Cup in June in South Africa. Doctors have not ruled out he may one day return to play, though they have repeatedly said it is too early to make predictions.

The main suspect in the shooting, identified as Jose Jore Balderas, remains at large.

Six employees of the nightspot "Bar Bar" were questioned in the shooting and released on bail. The bar owner is still in custody.

[Golden_Boy™]

Time working against Cabanas

World Cups only come round every four years. Playing in one is the highlight of many a career. Missing one through injury is heartbreak, especially if the chance may not come again.

Perhaps Salvador Cabanas should be happy merely to be alive. He suffered much more than a sporting injury. The stocky Paraguayan striker took a bullet in the head in Mexico City nearly three months ago, and was fighting for his life.

That battle seems to have been won. His progress has surprised doctors and he appears to be recuperating well in a Buenos Aires clinic. Neurologist Celso Fretes said this week that Cabanas is still experiencing problems with concentration and memory, but that he is doing well and should be able to make a good recovery.

His progress may well have been motivated by a desire to play in the World Cup - his father says that this is a constant topic in his conversation. But it is hard to see how this can possibly happen.

"He might be able to become an outpatient in about four weeks," said Fretes, "coming to the clinic for a couple of hours per day but living in a house or flat in Buenos Aires."

World Cup looming

Given that the action in South Africa kicks off in just over seven weeks, such a timescale surely precludes any possible active involvement in the World Cup. Even if he further astounds the doctors and makes a full medical recovery in time, there is no way that he could be in the required physical shape. Fretes says that Cabanas is taking part in hospital kickabouts - but that is miles away from top-level competition of finely honed athletes.

Much as he deserves it, for all that it would make a great story, it simply does not seem feasible for Salvador Cabanas to play in the World Cup - and that is nothing less than a tragedy. Getting on the field in South Africa would be the pinnacle of a sporting career. And Cabanas is 30 in August. However good his recovery he will struggle to be in contention for the tournament in Brazil in four year's time.

Cabanas is something of a late developer. He was originally a midfielder in Paraguayan club football, converted into a striker in the course of his wanderings first through Chile and finally Mexico. With that stocky build and low centre of gravity he is hard to knock off the ball. He receives possession well, with subtle control, is superb on the turn and shoots with venomous power.

He went to the last World Cup in Germany, but sat on the bench throughout Paraguay's disappointing campaign. A few months before the tournament I suggested to then-coach Anibal Ruiz that Cabanas might be a useful option - the record indicates that Ruiz was almost certainly wrong to ignore him. Paraguay was eliminated after failing to score in their first two group games.

A Mexican idol

His form in the subsequent years made him impossible to ignore. Cabanas became an idol in Mexico with America, the giants from the country's capital. Twice he was top scorer in the Copa Libertadores, South America's Champions League. With prestige soaring, he was Paraguay's top scorer in qualification, where he was like two players in one. His old midfielder's sensibility made him a creator of chances. His new striker's ruthlessness made him a deadly finisher. Until that bullet struck, he carried his country's hopes of a first ever quarter-final appearance in this year's World Cup.

At the start of the year there was speculation lining him to a move to Sunderland in the English Premier League. But there were sound reasons to doubt that it would go ahead. Twenty nine is an advanced age for a first trip across the Atlantic - by the time he had adapted to his new surroundings he might already find himself on the downward slope.

This World Cup, then, would be his everything - the moment when he was in his prime, the time when the entire planet would be witness to the prowess of a stocky little guy from the outskirts of Asuncion.

Here's hoping that Salvador Cabanas makes a complete recovery, and goes on to lead a full and happy life as a footballer, husband, father, grandfather and whatever else fate has in store for him.

But it is hard not to grieve for the moment that he could have had in South Africa this June and July. He was born to shine in this World Cup, and an idiot's bullet has cheated him of his destiny.

www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/fifaworldcup/blog/2010/04/time-working-against-cabanas.html

[Golden_Boy™]

Club America Agree To Compensate Salvador Cabanas - Report
After months of legal wranglings, it is reported that Salvador Cabanas and Club America have come to an agreement over unpaid wages...

Representatives of Salvador Cabanas and Club America have finally come to an agreement over the issue of unpaid wages, with the club agreeing to pay an unspecified amount to the recovering Paraguayan striker.

ABC reports that Cabanas' partner Maria Lorgia Alonzo and America president Michel Bauer held a meeting on Tuesday, and managed to come to an agreement after several hours of negotiation. The striker, who claims that he has not been paid for over six months after the January shooting which left him with a bullet in his head and close to death, had previously lost a tribunal in front of the Mexican FA and was planning to appeal to a higher authority.

According to the report, Cabanas will receive a monetary transfer from the club which will partially compensate him for his lost income; a confidentially clause in the accord prevents the amount from being released. America will also play a testimonial in 2011 in either the USA or Mexico, with all the proceeds going to the Paraguayan.

Cabanas is currently in rehabilitation from the attack, and although the bullet is still in his skull the 30 year old still maintains that he will return to play. The player's legal troubles are still not over however; he is in the middle of proceedings against former agent Jose Maria Gonzalez, who is accused of stealing large sums of money from his client.

[ovechkin8]

A bit grubby on the part of America not to pay up immediately considering Cabanas may never reach the level he was before this unfortunate incident.

[Golden_Boy™]

Mexican police have confirmed an arrest

Mexican Police Confirm Arrest Of Suspect Accused Of Salvador Cabanas Shooting

Police in Mexico confirm that they have made arrests in connection with the shooting of Paraguayan Salvador Cabanas.

Mexican police have confirmed the arrest of a man wanted in connection with the attempted murder of Paraguay forward Salvador Cabanas.

It is almost a year to the day since the 30-year-old was shot in the head in a bar in Mexico City, and although he has since recovered from the trauma, he has been unable to participate for club or country.

The authorities had speculated that the supposed perpetrator, Jose Jorge Balderas (also known as JJ) may have been hiding in Colombia, but he was apprehended in the Mexican capital along with six other individuals linked to the crime.

JJ is related to notorious drug lord Edgar Valdez Villareal, who was arrested in August of last year and awaits trial, and upon his arrest Balderas accused a security guard by the name of Francisco Jose Barreto of orchestrating the shooting.

JJ being held in custody brings to an end a harrowing year for Cabanas, who was set to travel to the World Cup in South Africa with the Paraguayan national team prior to the incident, and afterwards doctors remained cautious of his recovery, refusing to allow him to travel to the tournament, and his return to the game remains in serious doubt.

Link

[ogsdog]

It only took them a little less than a year.
Seems that justice moves at a snails pace in Mexico.

[Golden_Boy™]

Salvador Cabañas returned to training yesterday.

[ogsdog]

Feb 4, 2011 7:33:50 GMT -1 Golden_Boy™ said:

Salvador Cabañas returned to training yesterday.

[Golden_Boy™]

A Latin Soap Opera



A year on from a truly horrific attack, Salvador Cabañas has been forced to retire from football and is trying to find a life after the game. Adam Brandon reports on a sad but also complicated story…

I would imagine Salvador Cabañas is glad to see the back of 2010, a year in which his football career was ruined, his World Cup dream taken away from him, tax problems surfaced in Mexico, his former agent is suing him, and his wife has made unpopular comments back in his homeland of Paraguay.

Cabañas is not a footballer that well known outside of Latin America, as he never made a move to a Europe, despite some strong rumours of a move to Sunderland. He started out in Paraguay, and then it was onto Chile before heading north to Mexico to earn a greater salary and reputation.

His career took off when he had a prolific season with Audax Italiano in the Chilean Primera Division in 2003. He then won a place in the Paraguayan national team and earned a big money move to Mexico where he made quite a name for himself with his scoring exploits. Cabanas first joined Jaguares de Chiapas before going onto Club America, a force in Mexican football.

Cabanas had been enjoying the moniker of ‘King of America’ in Mexico, a title reflecting his hero status with the fans of Club America for whom he’d scored 66 goals in 115 games. Then, one fateful night in a bar in Mexico City, he was shot in the head whilst enjoying a drink with his wife. It looked at once as if his life was over. In reality, the drama had only just begun.

Cabañas has hero status in his homeland. He was top scorer for Paraguay as they qualified for the World Cup in South Africa and when the tragic news came through of his shooting, thousands gathered in the national stadium to hold a vigil for the striker. After 30 days he regained consciousness and was talking within minutes, astounding doctors, although he remembers nothing of the actual incident.

Cabañas’ wife, Maria Alonso, has been very vocal since the attack and has criticisedher husband’s Mexican club for not paying his wages. In turn many citizens in Paraguay have been critical of Salvador’s wife’s pleading of poverty and the fact the government has granted them a welfare pension – usually only reserved for the very poor. She has now rejected the offer from the government, says she is prepared to work and just wants justice for her husband. This has brought about much attention in Paraguayan society, and it seems the Cabañas family are on the brink of bankruptcy, brought about through alleged tax evasion, and have sued the striker’s former agent José María González and Club America for breach of trust and fraud.

However, Cabanas is also being countersued by his agent for these claims.

As for the shooting incident, I would like to introduce to the story José Jorge Balderas Garza or ‘JJ’. He is the alleged perpetrator of attempted murder and has been arrested recently, bizarrely with the help of Facebook. A location update posted by his Colombian model girlfriend Juliana Sossa (Miss Antioquia 2008!) alerted Mexican police to his whereabouts. You can only conclude that Ms. Sossa must either be very naive or looking for revenge of some kind.

JJ is an alleged associate of the infamous purported drug lord Edgar Valdez Villarreal, known as “La Barbie,” who was arrested last year and all kinds of different rumours circulate around the pair and just why they would want to shoot Cabañas. JJ claims Cabañas was acting violently that night but denies carrying out the shooting, instead blaming his bodyguard. JJ and his six associates were arrested soon after the Facebook update. They were carrying false IDs, along with what appeared to be bags of cocaine, guns and ammunition. He had been in hiding since the incident.

As for Cabañas, he needs to go back to Mexico to give evidence for the prosecution of JJ, however there is an arrest warrant out for Cabanas to. He is wanted by Mexican authorities for those unpaid taxes since 2007. The case rests on a knife-edge.
It’s a Latin soap opera that I have been following for a while with many unbelievable episodes but I hope Salvador and his family find some solace and peace soon. He has recently been given some hope that he might be able to play football again, although with the bullet still lodged in his head and after all his been through already it’s debatable as to whether it is a risk worth taking.

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