José Daniel Ponce

José Daniel Ponce

Personal information
Date of birth	(1962-06-26) June 26, 1962
Place of birth	Godoy Cruz, Argentina
Height
Position(s)	Midfielder
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1980-1984	Estudiantes
1984	Atlético Tucumán
1985-1986	Atlético Junior
1987	Unión Magdalena
1988	Estudiantes
1989-1990	Boca Juniors	27	(4)
1990-1991	Nîmes Olympique	12	(1)
1991-1992	San Lorenzo	24	(1)
1994	Gimnasia y Tiro	8	(1)
1995	Coquimbo Unido
1996	Everton
1997	Huachipato
International career
1983-1985	Argentina	21	(4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 26, 2007

José Daniel Ponce (born 26 June 1962 in Godoy Cruz) is a former Argentine football (soccer) player, who was part of the Estudiantes de La Plata team that won two back-to-back championships in 1982 and 1983.

Ponce was born in Godoy Cruz, Mendoza and was promoted to the first team of Estudiantes by coach Carlos Bilardo, when he shared the midfield with Miguel Ángel Russo, Alejandro Sabella and Marcelo Trobbiani. The team won two back-to-back titles and Ponce was called by Bilardo (now national coach) to the national team. His trademark were his precision free kicks, and his skill with the ball, both dribbling and passing, was often decisive in fast-break attack.

In 1983 Ponce was selected to join the Argentina squad for the Copa América 1983. He later took part in the process that led to Argentina's victory in the 1986 World Cup.

After Estudiantes, Ponce played for several clubs including Atlético Tucumán, Boca Juniors, San Lorenzo and Gimnasia y Tiro in Argentina, Atlético Junior and Unión Magdalena in Colombia, Nîmes Olympique in France and Coquimbo Unido in Chile.

During his time at Boca the club won the Recopa Sudamericana and Copa Sudamericana titles in 1989. He made a total of 33 appearances for the club in all competitions, scoring 5 goals.

His Colombian wife died during labor; his two daughters are Chilean nationals. After a career as a coach in which his temper often got the best of him, Ponce currently coaches youth teams and has a successful sports-related business operation in Concepción, Chile. In 1995 while as a player in Coquimbo Unido, he was fired from the club after punching in the face a youth team player.

Titles

Season	Club	Title
Metropolitano 1982	Estudiantes	Primera División Argentina
Nacional 1983	Estudiantes	Primera División Argentina
1989	Boca Juniors	Recopa Sudamericana
1989	Boca Juniors	Supercopa Sudamericana