View source for Juan Carlos Plata

{{Short description|Guatemalan footballer (born 1971)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Juan Carlos Plata
| fullname = Juan Carlos Plata
| image = Juan Carlos Plata (2019).jpg
| caption = Plata in 2019
| image_size = 200px
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|df=yes|1971|1|1}}
| birth_place = [[Guatemala City]], [[Guatemala]]
| height = {{height|m=1.70}}
| currentclub  =
| clubnumber = 
| position = [[Forward (association football)|Forward]]
| youthyears1=
| youthclubs1=
| years1= 1988–2011
| clubs1= [[C.S.D. Municipal|Municipal]]
| caps1= 553 | goals1 = 302
| nationalyears1= 1996–2010
| nationalteam1= [[Guatemala national football team|Guatemala]]<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/jcplata-intlg.html Juan Carlos Plata – International Goals]</ref>
| nationalcaps1= 87 | nationalgoals1 = 35
| pcupdate = 4 March 2010
| ntupdate = 4 March 2011
| manageryears1  = 2017
| managerclubs1 =[[Deportivo Mixco|Mixco]]
}}

'''Juan Carlos Plata''' (born 1 January 1971), nicknamed '''El Pin''' or '''Pin Plata''', is a Guatemalan professional [[Manager (association football)|football manager]] and former [[Association football|player]] who played as a [[Forward (association football)#Striker|striker]]. He is the highest-scoring player in the history of Guatemala's top division. As of January 2010, Plata has, except for [[Marc Lloyd-Williams]], been the most prolific scorer among all active players in the world in top division leagues,<ref>[http://www.iffhs.de/?b4a390f03be4ac07cda14b45fdcdc3bfcdc0aec7cdee09 "The World's most successful Top Division Goal Scorers among the still active Players"] – www.iffhs.de – [[IFFHS]] – retrieved 23 January 2008.</ref> and is among the top 60 goalscorers of all time in the world<ref>[http://www.iffhs.de/?b4a390f03be4ac07cda17b45fdcdc3bfcdc0aec28d6d18 "The World's most successful Top Division Goal Scorers of all time"] – www.iffhs.de – [[IFFHS]] – retrieved 31 October 2006.</ref> according to the [[International Federation of Football History & Statistics]].

He is also the second-highest goalscorer in the history of the [[Guatemala national football team|Guatemala national team]] behind [[Carlos Ruiz (Guatemalan footballer)|Carlos Ruiz]].

Plata played all of his professional club career for [[C.S.D. Municipal]] and is also the all-time top goalscorer for that club; he has broken virtually every scoring record associated with professional football in Guatemala. He also has won 15 domestic league titles, 5 domestic cup titles, and 2 international titles playing for Municipal.

==Playing style==
Plata was not a very physically gifted player, but he was a technical player with a good sense of positioning and playing without the ball. He was not only a good finisher but he could also be a creative [[playmaker]] and passer. His personal-best 33 goals in one season came at age 35, a testament to his reliance on intelligent play instead of pure athletic ability.

==Club career==
Plata, born in [[Guatemala City]], made his debut in the ''Liga Mayor'' (Major League, now [[Liga Nacional de Guatemala|Liga Nacional]]) in the 1988–1989 league season, won by Municipal, under coach [[Rubén Amorín]]. He has since been a regular for the club, and has helped them win 14 league titles, 5 domestic cups, and 2 [[UNCAF Club Tournament|Central American championships]].

A consistent goalscorer throughout his career, Plata has scored at least 15 goals in 13 different seasons, with his most prolific season in terms of total goals scored being 2005–2006, when he scored 32 goals in total for both the ''Torneo de Apertura'' and the ''Torneo de Clausura''.

On 15 February 2008, Plata played his 500th official match with Municipal against [[Deportivo Zacapa]] for the domestic league.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20080226144721/http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2008/febrero/16/220761.html Source]</ref>
On 17 May 2009, Plata scored his 400th career goal against [[Deportivo Petapa]].<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20090520084652/http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2009/mayo/17/314921.html Source]</ref>
{{Expand section|date=June 2008}}

===Notable goals===
Plata holds the domestic record for most goals scored in finals. Some of his most memorable performances include scoring 4 goals in a 9–2 beatdown over rival team [[CSD Comunicaciones]] in the Apertura 2004 final. He also scored 2 late goals in the Apertura 2005 championship over Comunicaciones to win the title. In the Clausura 2005 final, he scored a record 4 goals in one game against [[CD Suchitepequez]] to win another title. His latest final was against [[Xelajú MC]] in the Clausura 2010 tournament, coming in as a late substitute after being inactive for the majority of the tournament due to a major injury and scoring a header which gave Municipal its third goal in an eventual 3–1 victory. In the second game he again came in as a late substitute and again scored a goal to add a second goal to a 7–1 aggregate victory and his fifteenth league title with Municipal.

He also holds the domestic record of most goals scored in the Guatemalan derby (Municipal vs. Comunicaciones) with 39, all scored with Municipal against Comunicaciones. Further, he holds the record for most goals scored in international club competitions by a Guatemalan with 33.

==International career==
He made his debut for Guatemala as a second half [[substitute (football)|substitute]] for [[Jorge Rodas]] in a January [[1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup]] match against [[Mexico national football team|Mexico]] and scored 35 international goals in 86 international matches.<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/miscellaneous/jcplata-intlg.html International appearances and goals] – by Dick Holstein, [[RSSSF]]</ref> He played in the [[Football World Cup qualification|World Cup qualification]] processes of [[Football World Cup 1998 (qualification)|1998]], [[Football World Cup 2002 (qualification)|2002]] and [[Football World Cup 2006 (qualification)|2006]],<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20121108094503/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=155536/index.html Record at FIFA Tournaments] – FUFA</ref> scoring 7 goals in 27 World Cup qualification matches, including 2 in a 2–1 win against [[Costa Rica national football team|Costa Rica]] on 5 September 2004 that helped Guatemala advance to the final stage of the [[2006 FIFA World Cup (qualification CONCACAF)|2006 CONCACAF World Cup qualification]].

On 21 January 2002 he scored his 26th goal with the national team, against Mexico at the [[2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2002 Gold Cup]], surpassing the record of 25 that had been held by [[Carlos Humberto Toledo|Carlos Toledo]] since 1953. Plata's most famous goal with the national team, however, might be the one he scored in the dying seconds of the [[1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup]] match against [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]], a header from a [[corner kick]] to equalize the score 1–1, a very surprising result considering Brazil were the reigning world champions at the time and fielded stars like [[Romario]], [[Mauro Silva]], [[Edmundo]], [[Denílson de Oliveira Araújo|Denilson]] and [[Claudio Taffarel|Taffarel]].<ref>[https://www.rsssf.org/tables/98gc-full.html CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 1998 – Full Details] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090610084535/http://www.rsssf.com/tables/98gc-full.html |date=10 June 2009 }} – RSSSF</ref>

''El Pin'' retired from international play in 2006, after a friendly match against [[Panama national football team|Panama]]. He did however earn a final cap in a testimonial match against [[Belize national football team|Belize]] on 9 October 2010 in which he came on as a second-half substitute.<ref>[http://www.todanoticia.com/19213/guatemala-4-2-belice-amistoso/?lang=en Belize Guatemala 2–4 in friendly] – Todanoticia</ref>

===International goals===
:''Scores and results list Guatemala's goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Plata goal.''

{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ List of international goals scored by Juan Carlos Plata 
|-
!scope="col"|No.
!scope="col"|Date
!scope="col"|Venue
!scope="col"|Opponent
!scope="col"|Score
!scope="col"|Result
!scope="col"|Competition
!scope="col" class="unsortable"|{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}}
|-
|style="text-align:center"|1
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|27 March 1996}}
|rowspan="2"|[[Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores]], [[Guatemala City]], Guatemala
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Venezuela}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|3–0
|rowspan="2"|[[Friendly (association football)|Friendly]]
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Venezuela|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/7617/Guatemala_Venezuela.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|2
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|3
|{{dts|23 April 1996}}
|[[Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum]], [[Los Angeles]], United States
|{{fb|El Salvador}}
|style="text-align:center"|–
|style="text-align:center"|2–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. El Salvador|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26609/Guatemala_El_Salvador.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|4
|{{dts|5 May 1996}}
|[[Estadio Cacique Diriangén]], [[Diriamba]], Nicaragua
|{{fb|Nicaragua}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|[[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Nicaragua vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26966/Nicaragua_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|5
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|10 May 1996}}
|rowspan="2"|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Nicaragua}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–1
|rowspan="2"|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification	
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Nicaragua|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26967/Guatemala_Nicaragua.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|6
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|7
|{{dts|18 August 1996}}
|[[Weingart Stadium]], [[Monterey Park, California|Monterey Park]], United States
|{{fb|Honduras}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Honduras|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26948/Guatemala_Honduras.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|8
|{{dts|24 November 1996}}
|Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States	
|{{fb|Costa Rica}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification	
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Costa Rica|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26908/Guatemala_Costa_Rica.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|9
|{{dts|21 December 1996}}
|[[Estadio Cuscatlán]], [[San Salvador]], El Salvador
|{{fb|USA}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–1
|style="text-align:center"|2–2
|1998 FIFA World Cup qualification	
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. USA|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26787/Guatemala_Usa.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|10
|{{dts|19 February 1997}}
|[[Valley Children's Stadium]], [[Fresno]], United States
|{{fb|Mexico}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mexico vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/25730/Mexico_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|11
|{{dts|16 April 1997}}
|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|{{fb|Costa Rica}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|[[1997 UNCAF Nations Cup]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Costa Rica|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26133/Guatemala_Costa_Rica.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|12
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|20 April 1997}}
|rowspan="2"|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Nicaragua}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|6–1
|rowspan="2"|1997 UNCAF Nations Cup	
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Nicaragua|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26164/Guatemala_Nicaragua.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|13
|style="text-align:center"|4–1
|-
|style="text-align:center"|14
|{{dts|25 April 1997}}
|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|{{fb|Honduras}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|1997 UNCAF Nations Cup	
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Honduras|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/26166/Guatemala_Honduras.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|15
|{{dts|5 February 1998}}
|[[Miami Orange Bowl]], [[Miami]], United States
|{{fb|Brazil}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|[[1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Brazil vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16849/Brazil_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|16
|{{dts|8 February 1998}}
|Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States	
|{{fb|Jamaica}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|2–3
|1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup	
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Jamaica|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16851/Guatemala_Jamaica.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|17
|{{dts|17 November 1998}}
|Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States	
|{{fb|Honduras}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–1
|style="text-align:center"|3–3
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Honduras|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/25298/Guatemala_Honduras.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|18
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|18 November 1998}}
|rowspan="2"|Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States	
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Mexico}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–2
|rowspan="2"|Friendly
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mexico vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/25039/Mexico_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|19
|style="text-align:center"|2–1
|-
|style="text-align:center"|20
|{{dts|15 February 2000}}
|Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States	
|{{fb|Trinidad and Tobago}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|2–4
|[[2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Trinidad & Tobago vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16833/Trinidad_Tobago_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|21
|{{dts|7 May 2000}}
|Estadio Cuscatlán, San Salvador, El Salvador	
|{{fb|El Salvador}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|[[2002 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)|2002 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=El Salvador vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/22854/El_Salvador_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|22
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|17 June 2000}}
|rowspan="2"|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Antigua and Barbuda}}
|style="text-align:center"|4–0
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|8–1
|rowspan="2"|2002 FIFA World Cup qualification	
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Antigua and Barbuda|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/22857/Guatemala_Antigua_And_Barbuda.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|23
|style="text-align:center"|6–1
|-
|style="text-align:center"|24
|{{dts|3 July 2000}}
|[[Montreal]], Canada
|{{fb|Haiti}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|4–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Haiti|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/4760/Guatemala_Haiti.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|25
|{{dts|20 January 2002}}
|[[Rose Bowl (stadium)|Rose Bowl]], [[Pasadena, California|Pasadena]], United States
|{{fb|Mexico}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|1–3
|[[2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Mexico vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/16807/Mexico_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|26
|{{dts|8 July 2003}}
|[[NRG Stadium|Reliant Stadium]], [[Houston]], United States
|{{fb|El Salvador}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|2–1
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. El Salvador|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/19120/Guatemala_El_Salvador.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|27
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|4 September 2004}}
|rowspan="2"|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Costa Rica}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|2–1
|rowspan="2"|[[2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)|2006 FIFA World Cup qualification]]
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Costa Rica|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/733/Guatemala_Costa_Rica.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|28
|style="text-align:center"|2–1
|-
|style="text-align:center"|29
|{{dts|2 October 2004}}
|[[Lockhart Stadium]], [[Fort Lauderdale, Florida|Fort Lauderdale]], United States
|{{fb|Jamaica}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|2–2
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jamaica vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/17977/Jamaica_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|30
|{{dts|19 February 2005}}
|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|{{fb|Belize}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|[[2005 UNCAF Nations Cup]]
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Belize|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/2025/Guatemala_Belize.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|31
|{{dts|21 February 2005}}
|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|{{fb|Nicaragua}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–0
|style="text-align:center"|4–0
|2005 UNCAF Nations Cup	
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Nicaragua|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/2028/Guatemala_Nicaragua.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|32
|rowspan="2"|{{dts|27 February 2005}}
|rowspan="2"|Estadio Doroteo Guamuch Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala	
|rowspan="2"|{{fb|Panama}}
|style="text-align:center"|2–0
|rowspan="2" style="text-align:center"|3–0
|rowspan="2"|2005 UNCAF Nations Cup	
|rowspan="2"|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Guatemala vs. Panama|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/2036/Guatemala_Panama.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|-
|style="text-align:center"|33
|style="text-align:center"|3–0
|-
|style="text-align:center"|34
|{{dts|1 October 2005}}
|Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States	
|{{fb|Jamaica}}
|style="text-align:center"|1–1
|style="text-align:center"|1–2
|Friendly
|<ref>{{Cite web|title=Jamaica vs. Guatemala|url=https://www.national-football-teams.com/matches/report/17377/Jamaica_Guatemala.html|website=National Football Teams|access-date=10 April 2025}}</ref>
|}

== Coaching career ==
He started his coaching career in October 2012 as an assistant coach for [[Ramón Maradiaga|Ramon Maradiaga]] in [[C.S.D. Municipal|CSD Municipal]], and continued in the assistant coach position in the club until December 2015.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.soy502.com/articulo/juan-carlos-plata-fin-relacion-contractual-municipal|title=Juan Carlos Plata y el fin de su relación contractual con Municipal|access-date=2017-04-03|language=es}}</ref> In January 2016 he joined Walter Claveri to be assistant coach for [[Guatemala national football team|Guatemala's National Team]].<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.prensalibre.com/deportes/futbol-nacional/plata-maana-nos-reuniremos-como-cuerpo-tecnico-de-la-seleccion-nacional|title=Plata: "Voy con Claverí al cuerpo técnico de la Selección Nacional"|work=Prensa Libre|access-date=2017-04-03}}</ref>

In March 2017 he made his debut as coach with [[Deportivo Mixco|CSD Mixco]] in the [[Primera Division de Ascenso]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.publinews.gt/gt/deportes/2017/03/22/plata-neto-bran-mixco.html|title=Neto Bran ficha a una leyenda de Municipal para el Deportivo Mixco|website=Publinews|date=22 March 2017 |language=es-ES|access-date=2017-04-03}}</ref>

==Honours==

'''Municipal'''
*[[Liga Nacional de Guatemala]]: 1992, 1994, Apertura 2000, Clausura 2000, Apertura 2001, Clausura 2002, Apertura 2003, Apertura 2004, Clausura 2005, Apertura 2005, Clausura 2006, Apertura 2006, Clausura 2008, Apertura 2009, Clausura 2010
*Domestic Cup: 1994, 1995, 1998, 2003, 2004
*[[UNCAF Interclub Cup]]: [[2001 UNCAF Interclub Cup|2001]], [[2004 UNCAF Interclub Cup|2004]]

'''Individual'''
*[[Liga Nacional de Guatemala Top Goalscorer]]: 1996, 2005

'''Orders'''
*[[Order of the Quetzal]]: 2009

==Biography on film==
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[Image:Dvd cover 321 juan carlos plata.jpg|thumb|300pix|right|Special edition DVD cover for Juan Carlos Plata's documentary film.]] -->
Juan Carlos Plata's career received a tribute with the release in Guatemala of his biographic [[documentary film]] ''321: Juan Carlos Plata'' on 16 February 2006. The 94-minute film makes emphasis on the scoring of goal 321, which gave Plata the record as top goal scorer in the history of professional Guatemalan football. It also covers his ongoing career as well as non-sport related subjects, such as family and business. The premiere took place at the [[Centro Cultural Miguel Ángel Asturias]] (national theatre), with over 2000 people in attendance. The documentary and other additional features, are included in a [[DVD]] which includes over 200 of his career goals and was released for sale to the public on the night of the film's premiere.

==Retirement from active career and number retirement==
On 19 December 2010 Juan Carlos Plata played his last official game as a professional player in Guatemala, as a substitute in the final match for Apertura 2011, a series defining the national championship between CSD Municipal and Comunicaciones. The match ended in a draw 2–2 (being 3–3 the global score), so there was the need to define the championship on penalty series. At that time he scored a goal, however his team lost dramatically, he retired being a national Second Place.

On 9 January 2011 Juan Carlos Plata received a tribute and played a friendly match between his team CSD Municipal and an informal team composed by former and active players (all of them played at least once with Juan Carlos Plata either in CSD Municipal or Guatemala national team), named "Estrellas de Plata" (Plata's Stars). Right after the match completion, the number 15, which was used by Juan Carlos Plata during his whole career, was officially retired from CSD Municipal, being the first and only soccer player in Guatemala who is granted with this honour, thus he forms part of the [[Retired numbers in association football]].

==Further reading==
*{{cite web|url=http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2006/enero/09/131800.html |author1=Barrios, Antonio |author2=Castro, Claudia |work=[[Prensa Libre (Guatemala)|Prensa Libre]] |title=Un goleador especial (A special goalscorer) |access-date=20 December 2006 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20061212011834/http://www.prensalibre.com/pl/2006/enero/09/131800.html |archive-date=12 December 2006 |url-status=dead }}

==Personal life==
Plata was born to a family of five brothers and one sister in [[Guatemala City]]. Before becoming a professional footballer Plata quit school early to be a baker and help his family. Plata is married to Paty Francisco and has three children: Juan Carlos, Juan de Marco, and Ivan.<ref>{{cite web|title=Juan Carlos Plata es una historia de esfuerzo, sacrificio y éxito (Juan Carlos Plata is a story of effort, sacrifice and success)|url=http://www.prensalibre.com/deportes/futbol_nacional/Juan_Carlos_Plata-Graduacion-Municipal_0_1243675758.html|date=6 November 2014|access-date=24 February 2018|language=es|first=Gloria|last=Cabrera|publisher=[[Prensa Libre (Guatemala)|Prensa Libre]]}}</ref> Plata was born with [[Polydactyly]], he has two thumbs on his left hand.

==References and footnotes==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080318195045/http://www.juancarlosplata.com/ Dedicated web site]
* {{in lang|es}} [http://www.rojos.com/contenido.php?page=94 Player profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080330230652/http://www.rojos.com/contenido.php?page=94 |date=30 March 2008 }} – CSD Municipal
* {{in lang|es}} [http://www.terra.com.gt/especiales/jcplata/portada.htm Player profile] – Terra.com
* {{in lang|es}} [http://www.deguate.com/artman/publish/personajes_deportistas/Juan_Carlos_Plata_813.shtml Player profile] – deGuate.com
* {{NFT player|pid=2747}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090529172753/http://www.lared.com.gt/detalle_noticia.php?id=20553 Todos los goles del Pin Plata] – LaRed Deportiva {{in lang|es}} (All goals of Juan Carlos Plata)

{{2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup Team of the Tournament}}
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{{Guatemala squad 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{Guatemala squad 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{Guatemala squad 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{Guatemala squad 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{Guatemala squad 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Plata, Juan Carlos}}
[[Category:1971 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Footballers from Guatemala City]]
[[Category:Guatemalan people of Maya descent]]
[[Category:C.S.D. Municipal players]]
[[Category:Guatemalan men's footballers]]
[[Category:Guatemala men's international footballers]]
[[Category:1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:Men's association football forwards]]