Johan Rubén Rodríguez Álvarez[a] (born 15 August 1975) is a Mexican former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.
Rodríguez made his football debut in 1996 with Cruz Azul,[1] playing as a tough-tackling defensive midfielder behind international starters Benjamín Galindo and Carlos Hermosillo.
Although his first appearance came under Enrique Meza in 2000, in a 2–0 loss to the United States, he is most associated with the era of Javier Aguirre.
He scored goals against Liberia and El Salvador in 2001, both in friendly matches, and proceeded to solidify his place in the starting eleven through the 2001 Copa América[5] and 2002 FIFA World Cup.
[6] After six months out injured and not having kicked a ball, he found it impossible to find a new club and decided instead to concentrate on his private businesses.