José Daniel Ponce

José Daniel Ponce (born 26 June 1962 in Godoy Cruz) is an Argentine former football player, who played as a midfielder; he 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 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, Milena, died of a tumor, days after delivering his first son; 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 a youth team player in the face.

Honours