to stay in Cádiz. His stay was somewhat short-lived, however, as he was transferred to Real Valladolid in the 1985 January transfer window due to problems with manager Benito Joanet. He did not get along at Valladolid, where his personal life was tightly controlled and, after playing in just nine games, he returned to Cádiz exactly one year later; as a precaution against his partying, his contract was reputed to have contained a clause stipulating he was to be paid US$700 per game played and none for the ones he missed. After several coaching changes, González was finally able to shine again for Cádiz under Víctor Espárrago, still competing in a further four top-tier campaigns. In all, he scored 58 goals in 194 league games for the club until his departure on 6 June 1991, aged 33. Late career González returned to El Salvador and FAS after Atalanta again failed to sign him. He stayed with the former until 1999 when he retired to begin coaching as an assistant in Houston, Texas. After a short stint in the US, he returned to his homeland. In 2001, Cádiz honored González with a testimonial match, with the proceeds going to the victims of a recent earthquake in El Salvador. In 2003, the Salvadoran National Assembly gave González the government's highest honor, the Hijo Meritísimo, and renamed the national stadium the Flor Blanca after him. On 28 August 2004, another testimonial was played in his honor, this time in El Salvador at the Mágico González Stadium, between America XI, a group of international stars, and a team made up of ex-FAS players; he played a half with either side and scored a total of three goals. International career Many critics and journalists say that if González had been Argentinian or Brazilian, he would have ranked amongst the best in the world, alongside Maradona and Pelé. He received the first of his 62 caps for El Salvador on 1 December 1976, in a FIFA World Cup qualification match against Costa Rica. He was also instrumental in leading the nation to the 1982 FIFA World Cup – the second time in history – where he appeared in all three group-stage matches, including the 10–1 loss to Hungary. González represented his country in 31 World Cup qualifiers, and scored 21 goals in full internationals. International goals Scores and results list El Salvador's goal tally first. Style