Club Deportivo Atlético Balboa, commonly known as Atlético Balboa or Balboa is a Salvadoranfootball club. The team currently plays in La Unión.
History
Team Foundation
The foundation of "Ciclón del Golfo" goes back to 1950, in which a group of cipotes united in the Unionense district of Quebrachal to found a sport team. Mauro "El Turco" Granados, Simón Reyes, Paulino Cáceres, Pablo Rubio, Rodolfo Guzmán, Carlos Villalta, Carlos Juárez, René Pantoja, Luis Ávila, Chico Osorio, Juan Guevara, Chico Ruíz and Timoteo Hernández were the members on that fateful. The sports team purpose was to make a baseball team, however when the team didn't fill expectations they decided to form a football team. They decided to name the club "Balboa" after the Panamanian currency and played their first friendly match against the Honduran team América de Choluteca. The team's first colours were white with Green diagonal stripes, however were changed by the team first president Ricardo Flores to black and red.
After the first 12 months in the Primera División, the team tried to lay the foundation for a better season. However, poor administrative decisions and negative results didn't allow the team to achieve their goals. In this period the team went through three coaches Óscar Benítez, Saúl Molina and the ArgentineJuan Quarterone, however all three didn't stop the slide and they finished in seventh place. Despite the purchase of new players like Argentine Luciano Suárez, Colombian Manuel Díaz, Honduran Camilo Bonilla and Uruguayan Carlos Edgar Villarreal, the team lacked goals and not even Webster and Pereira could break the goalscoring drought.
Days of Crisis
The team had just started the 2002–2003 season when the team ran into economic and performance problems. Juan Quarterone was replaced by the Paraguayan Nelson Brizuela. Under Brizuela, the team performance was woeful and they were only able to achieve 3 draws from 6 games. Brizuela was soon replaced by Argentine-Italian Carlos Barone whose team's last four games almost got them relegated but in the end Dragón had a poorer record. The large amount of money used to purchase foreign players were wasted with only the Colombian Carlos Asprilla providing his worth to the team. Webster, the team's most effective goalscorer was sold to San Salvador. The very next season the coaching merry go round continued with the Costa Rican Manuel Solano, Gabriel Avedissian and Paulo Roberto de Oliveira all turned out to be disaster with Paulo Roberto de Oliveira failing to get a point and Gabriel Avedissian only achieving one point. The only bright spot was assistant coach Jesús Fuentes who directed the team with pride and helped to achieve four victories.
Almost Team Glory
After those scares, Balboa realised its potential in the First Division. The team finished runner-up after the effort of the coaching staff Juan Quarterone and Jorge García. However disagreement between the board and the two technicians separated the club. Colombian Henry Vargas had the chance to participate in the UNCAF tournament, however lost playoff to Luis Ángel Firpo. Atlético Balboa were in financial- and team crisis again, and this time they could not get out of the relegation battle and eventually lost to Vista Hermosa despite Nelson Ancheta best effort.
Current History
The club was promoted to the Primera División, the top flight of El Salvadorfootball, again after defeating Juventud Independiente for promotion in the 2008 season. Two years of moderate success followed under Guatemalan coach Carlos Mijangos and Argentine coach Roberto Gamarra, which included just missing the finals series twice. However, financial problems continue plaguing the club and finally, after two years of dreadful financial records, the First Division relegated the club to the Second Division in the 2011 season.
Honours
League
Segunda División de Fútbol Salvadoreño: 2
Cups
Copa Presidente: 1
Players
Atlético Balboa is the first Salvadoran team to form an Under-17 team for the new Under-17 League competition that will begin in April 2014.
