Juan Pablo Ángel facts for kids
Ángel with the New York Red Bulls in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 24 October 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Medellín, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Atlético Nacional | |||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1993–1997 | Atlético Nacional | 147 | (45) |
| 1997–2001 | River Plate | 96 | (46) |
| 2001–2007 | Aston Villa | 175 | (44) |
| 2007–2010 | New York Red Bulls | 102 | (58) |
| 2011 | LA Galaxy | 22 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | Chivas USA | 28 | (11) |
| 2013–2014 | Atlético Nacional | 47 | (17) |
| Total | 617 | (224) | |
| National team | |||
| 1996–2005 | Colombia | 33 | (9) |
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Juan Pablo Ángel Arango, born on October 24, 1975, is a famous former footballer from Colombia. He played as a striker, which means he was a goal scorer for his team.
He started his career at Atlético Nacional in Colombia. He helped them win a championship in 1994. Later, he moved to River Plate in Argentina. There, he became the top scorer in 2000.
In 2001, Ángel moved to Europe. He joined Aston Villa in England's Premier League. This was a record signing for the club at £9.5 million. In 2007, he moved to the United States. He played for three different teams in Major League Soccer. He returned to Atlético Nacional in 2013 and retired a year later.
Ángel also played for the Colombian national team. He played in 33 games and scored 9 goals. His son, Tomás Ángel, is also a footballer. He plays as a forward for Los Angeles FC.
Contents
Playing Career Highlights
Starting in Colombia and Argentina
Juan Pablo Ángel began his professional football journey at Atlético Nacional. This club is in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia. He became well-known when he scored the winning goal against their rival, Independiente Medellín. This goal helped Nacional win the Colombian title in 1994. During his time with Nacional, he played in 147 league matches and scored 45 goals.
In January 1998, Ángel moved to River Plate in Argentina. Fans there sometimes wore angel wings to show how much they liked him. While playing for River Plate, he scored 62 goals in 132 games. This included 16 goals in 25 Copa Libertadores matches.
Time with Aston Villa
On January 12, 2001, Ángel joined Premier League team Aston Villa. He was their most expensive player ever, costing £9.5 million. He played his first game for Villa on January 20, 2001, against Manchester United.
After a tough start, Ángel began to play very well. He quickly became a favorite among the fans. He was one of the few Villa players to score more than 20 goals in a single season. In the 2003–04 season, he was the club's top scorer with 16 league goals. He scored 23 goals in all competitions that season. Overall, he scored 62 goals in 205 games for Aston Villa.
Playing in the United States
On April 17, 2007, Juan Pablo Ángel signed with the New York Red Bulls. He was their second "designated player," meaning he was a star player. He played his first game for the Red Bulls on May 8, 2007. He scored a goal from a free kick in extra time.
Ángel quickly became a key player for the Red Bulls. He scored in six straight games, a club record. He was named MLS Player of the Month for May 2007. On August 18, 2007, he scored two goals against the Los Angeles Galaxy. He also scored in the 2007 MLS All-Star Game and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP). He set a new club record with 17 goals in the season. He finished his first year with 19 goals in 24 league matches.
In 2008, Ángel had some injuries but still scored 14 goals in 23 league games. In 2009, he became the Red Bulls' all-time leading goal scorer. He broke the record of 45 goals held by Clint Mathis. Ángel ended that season with 12 goals. In 2010, he was again the club's top scorer with 13 goals. He helped New York win their second Eastern Conference title. He left the Red Bulls on November 11, 2010. He is second in the club's all-time scoring list with 62 goals.
Playoff Games
Ángel helped the Red Bulls reach their first ever MLS Cup final in 2008. They beat teams like Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake. However, they lost the final to Columbus Crew by a score of 3-1.
In 2009, the Red Bulls did not make the playoffs. In 2010, they qualified again. They lost in the first round, even though Ángel scored a late goal.
Moving to Los Angeles and Chivas USA
After the 2010 MLS season, Ángel joined the Los Angeles Galaxy. He signed a multi-year contract in January 2011. He was the Galaxy's third designated player. He scored his first goal for them in a game against Real Salt Lake.
On August 17, 2011, Ángel was traded to Chivas USA. This move made space for another star player, Robbie Keane, at the Galaxy. Ángel scored in his first game for Chivas USA. He finished the 2011 season with 7 goals in just 9 games for them. He stayed with Chivas USA through the 2012 season.
Back to Atlético Nacional
In January 2013, Ángel returned to his first club, Atlético Nacional. He signed a one-year contract and became the team captain. He wanted to help the club score more goals. He even took a much smaller salary to show his commitment.
On February 2, 2013, Ángel played his first game back for Nacional. He scored a goal from a penalty kick in a 3-0 win. His return helped Nacional have a very successful period. He was the team's top scorer in the 2013 Apertura season. He helped them win the league title. Nacional then won two more championships in a row (2013 Clausura and 2014 Apertura). They were the first club to do this since 2002.
Besides league success, Ángel also won the Copa Colombia in 2013. He helped his team reach the final of the Copa Sudamericana in 2014. He played in the final game against his former club, River Plate. He said it was a "wonderful way to end my career." Three days later, on December 13, 2014, he played his final professional game.
Awards and Trophies
Team Awards
Atlético Nacional
- Categoría Primera A (4): 1994, 2013-I, 2013-II, 2014-I
- Copa Interamericana (1): 1995
- Copa Colombia (1): 2013
Club Atlético River Plate
- Primera División Argentina (2): Apertura 1999, Clausura 2000
Aston Villa
- UEFA Intertoto Cup (1): 2001
New York Red Bulls
- MLS Western Conference (Playoffs) (1): 2008
Individual Awards
- MLS Player of the Month: May 2007, June 2007, October 2008
- MLS Best XI: 2007
Images for kids
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Ángel with the New York Red Bulls in 2008
See also
In Spanish: Juan Pablo Ángel para niños
