Pablo Larios

Pablo Larios
Personal information
Full name	Pablo Larios Iwasaki
Date of birth	July 31, 1960
Place of birth	Zacatepec, Morelos, Mexico
Date of death	January 31, 2019 (aged 58)
Place of death	Puebla, Mexico
Height	1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Senior career*
Years	Team
1980–1984	Zacatepec
1984–1989	Cruz Azul
1989–1994	Puebla
1994–1997	Toros Neza
1997	Zacatepec
1998–1999	Toros Neza
Total
International career
1983–1991	Mexico
Medal record
Representing Mexico
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Pablo Larios Iwasaki (Japanese: パブロ・ラリオス・イワサキ, July 31, 1960 – January 31, 2019) was a Mexican professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was nicknamed "El Arquero de la Selva" (The Goalkeeper of the Jungle), both for being from Zacatepec, a town in the Mexican state of Morelos known for his humid and warm climate, and for starting his career with his hometown's football club.^[1]

Career

Larios was a goalkeeper for Zacatepec, Cruz Azul, Puebla and Toros Neza during his playing career. He played for the Mexico national football team at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where Mexico reached the quarter-finals and 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup.^[2] He also participated in the 1979 FIFA World Youth Championship.^[3]

He was the goalkeeper trainer in the 2006 FIFA World Cup working for Ricardo Lavolpe.^{[citation needed]}

Personal life

He has Japanese ancestors on his maternal side.^[1]

In early September 2008, Larios's 19-year-old son, Pablo Larios Garza, was reported missing. After an intense search, he was found dead by the border police near the area of Grajeno, approximately 600 feet away from Rio Grande. He attempted to illegally cross the border to visit his girlfriend, who lived in the US, since he had lost his visa.^[4]

Death

On January 31, 2019, Larios was pronounced dead at a hospital in Puebla at the age of 58. The former goalkeeper had been admitted to hospital due to an intestinal occlusion and respiratory arrest, for which he underwent surgery from which he did not survive.^[5]