Their Yellow and Black stripes are iconic. They've conquered Uruguay, South America, and Europe on numerous occasions. And now, Uruguayan powerhouse Peñarol is coming to face LAFC at Banc of California Stadium.
The match is LAFC's third international friendly in three seasons. After facing Japan's Vissel Kobe last year and Borussia Dortmund in 2018, LAFC welcomes another team famous around the globe for its yellow and black kit.
LAFC vs Peñarol - 1/25/20
Aside from their famous striped kits, there's a lot to know about LAFC's friendly opponent. Peñarol has one of the richest histories of any South American club. Let's take a closer look at the former team of Diego Rossi and Brian Rodríguez. It's time to get to know Peñarol:
The Club's Origins
Founded in 1891, Peñarol is one of the oldest active football clubs in South America. Originally founded under the name "Central Uruguay Railway Cricket Club, they adopted the name C.A. Peñarol with the founding of the Uruguayan Football League in 1914.
As soon as 1927, Peñarol was making a name for itself worldwide. Los Carboneros toured Europe, playing against European giants Bayern Munich, Barcelona, and Atlético Madrid. The 80-day tour of Europe prepared Peñarol for a triumphant return to Uruguay as they won the Uruguayan championship the following year in 1928.
Domestic & International Success
The preeminent power of Uruguayan football, Peñarol has been crowned champions 52 times domestically. Current LAFC wingers Diego Rossi and Brian Rodríguez were a part of three title-winning teams in 2015-16, 2017, and 2018.
Peñarol hasn't contained its winning ways simply to domestic competition. In South America's biggest football tournament Copa Libertadores, Peñarol has lifted the trophy five times. They have also been runners-up on five occasions. Only Boca Juniors and Independiente of Argentina have been crowned champions of South America more times than Peñarol.
In the Intercontinental Cup, a competition between the champions of Europe and South America, Peñarol holds a record of three trophies. With the FIFA World Club Cup taking over for the Intercontinental Cup, Peñarol forever holds that record with the likes of AC Milan, Boca Juniors, and Real Madrid.
Famous Players
As a powerhouse in both Uruguay and South America, Peñarol has been the home to some of the world's best footballers.
Already mentioned is LAFC and Peñarol's connection with Diego Rossi and Brian Rodríguez, representing both clubs. In addition to those two, here are select few names of the many famous players in Yellow & Black stripes:
Juan Alberto Schiaffino & Alcides Ghigga - While their names may not be familiar to most, they're legends in Uruguay. The scorers of Uruguay's two goals in the 1950 World Cup final, they shocked the world by beating Brazil in Brazil.
Néstor Gonçalves - Holds the record for most official appearances with Peñarol (571).
Fernando Morena - The all-time leading scorer for Peñarol with 203 goals in the Primera División. Morena won six Uruguayan titles with Los Carboneros, as well as a Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup trophy.
Maxi Rodríguez - The Argentine winger won two titles with Peñarol. He played in three World Cup for Argentina, scoring the decisive penalty in the 2014 semifinal against Holland.
Diego Forlán - The first Uruguayan player to 100 caps with the national team, Forlán helped Peñarol to the title in the 2015-16 season. The former Manchester United and Atlético Madrid striker has twice won the European Golden Shoe as the continent's top scorer and was awarded the Golden Ball as the best player in the 2010 World Cup. Forlán returned to Peñarol in 2020 as the head coach. He'll be leading the club in its friendly with LAFC.
The Current Peñarol Squad
Led by Diego Forlán, Peñarol arrives in the US with a blend of experience and young stars.
Cristian Rodríguez captains the side. The winger is in his second stint with Peñarol, having come up through their youth system before playing for the likes of Paris Saint-Germain, Porto, and Atlético Madrid in Europe.
Midfielder Walter Gargano holds down the Peñarol midfield after spending eight seasons in Europe with the likes of Napoli and Inter Milan.
On the youth side, attacking midfielder David Terans has joined the club on loan from Brazilian side Atlético Minerio. He is joined in the attack by 18-year-old winger Facundo Pellistri. In his first professional season, Pellistri has already attracted attention from the likes of Boca Juniors and Atlético Madrid. After developing Rossi and Rodriguez, it looks like Peñarol has another young, promising winger in its squad.
