Juan Pablo Ángel facts for kids
Ángel with the New York Red Bulls in 2008
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Juan Pablo Ángel Arango | ||
| Date of birth | 24 October 1975 | ||
| Place of birth | Medellín, Colombia | ||
| Height | 1.85 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| 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 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 22 | (3) |
| 2011–2012 | Chivas USA | 28 | (11) |
| 2013–2014 | Atlético Nacional | 47 | (17) |
| Total | 617 | (224) | |
| International career | |||
| 1996–2005 | Colombia | 33 | (9) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Juan Pablo Ángel Arango (born on October 24, 1975) is a former professional footballer from Colombia. He played as a forward, which means he was a main goal-scorer for his teams.
Juan Pablo Ángel started his career at a club called Atlético Nacional in Colombia. He helped them win a championship in 1994. Later, he moved to River Plate in Argentina, where he was a top scorer in 2000. In 2001, he joined Aston Villa in England's Premier League. He then played for three different clubs in the Major League Soccer in the United States. He returned to Atlético Nacional in 2013 and finished his playing career there a year later.
Juan Pablo Ángel is also the father of another footballer, Tomás Ángel. Tomás currently plays as a forward for San Diego.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting in Colombia and Argentina
Juan Pablo Ángel began his professional football journey with Atlético Nacional in his hometown of Medellín, Colombia. He became well-known when he scored the winning goal against their local rival, Independiente Medellín. This goal helped Nacional win the Colombian title in 1994. During his time with his hometown club, Ángel played in 147 league matches and scored 45 goals.
In January 1998, Ángel moved to River Plate in Argentina. Fans there often 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, which is a big South American club competition.
Playing in England with Aston Villa
On January 12, 2001, when he was 25 years old, Ángel signed with Premier League team Aston Villa. He became the club's most expensive player at the time, costing £9.5 million. He played his first game for Villa on January 20, 2001, against Manchester United.
After a bit of a slow 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 goals in the Premier League and 23 goals overall. During his time at Aston Villa, Ángel scored 62 goals in 205 games across all competitions.
Time in the United States with New York Red Bulls
On April 17, 2007, the New York Red Bulls announced that Ángel was joining their team. He made his debut on May 8, 2007, in a US Open Cup match. Ángel came into the game as a substitute and scored a goal from a free kick.
He quickly showed how good he was, scoring two goals and assisting another in his next game. He was even voted MLS Player of the Month for May 2007. He became the first Red Bulls player to score in six games in a row. On August 18, 2007, Ángel scored two more goals, helping his team beat Los Angeles Galaxy 5–4. He also scored the first goal in the 2007 MLS All-Star Game and was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of that match.
Ángel finished his first season in New York with 19 goals and 5 assists in 24 league matches. He scored a total of 20 goals in 27 official matches.
Playoff Appearances
In 2008, Ángel helped lead the Red Bulls to their first ever MLS Cup final. They beat teams like Houston Dynamo and Real Salt Lake along the way. However, they lost the final to Columbus Crew. After a tough 2009 season, the Red Bulls did not make the playoffs.
In the 2010 season, Ángel played very well during the regular season. The New York Red Bulls qualified for the playoffs again. They lost in the first round, but Ángel scored a late goal in a very exciting game. On November 11, 2010, it was announced that he would not return to the Red Bulls. Ángel is second only to Bradley Wright-Phillips in the club's all-time leading goal record, with 62 goals.
Later MLS Clubs and Return to Colombia
After leaving the Red Bulls, Ángel was chosen by Los Angeles Galaxy in a special draft. On January 19, 2011, he signed a contract with the Galaxy. He scored his first goal for them in a game against Real Salt Lake.
On August 17, 2011, Ángel was traded to Chivas USA. He scored his first goal for Chivas USA in his very first game against the Colorado Rapids. He finished the 2011 season with seven goals in nine games for Chivas USA. He stayed with Chivas USA through the 2012 season.
Ángel's career came full circle in January 2013 when he signed a one-year contract to play for and captain his first club, Atlético Nacional. He returned to help the team score more goals. He showed his commitment by accepting a much lower salary than he had in the US.
On February 2, 2013, Ángel played for Atlético Nacional again and scored a goal from a penalty kick. His return led to a very successful period for Nacional. Ángel was the team's top goal scorer in the 2013 Apertura season, helping them win the league title. This was the first of three championships they won in a row (2013 Clausura and 2014 Apertura).
Besides winning league titles, Ángel also helped Nacional win the 2013 Copa Colombia in 2013. He also helped his team reach the final of the Copa Sudamericana in 2014. He played in the second game of the Sudamericana final against his former club, River Plate, on December 10, 2014. He said it was a wonderful way to end his career. Three days later, he played his final professional game, coming on as a substitute in a match against Santa Fe.
International Career
Juan Pablo Ángel played for the Colombian national team. He made 33 appearances for his country and scored 9 goals.
He was first called up to play for Colombia in 1995. His debut was on November 1, 1996, in a friendly game against Honduras, where he scored the winning goal. He continued to represent Colombia in qualifying matches for the FIFA World Cup in 1998, 2002, and 2006, scoring eight goals in these games. His last game for Colombia was on October 11, 2005, in a World Cup qualifying match against Paraguay.
Honours
Atlético Nacional
- Categoría Primera A: 1994, 2013-I, 2013-II, 2014-I
- Copa Interamericana: 1995
- Copa Colombia: 2013
Club Atlético River Plate
- Primera División Argentina: Apertura 1999, Clausura 2000
Aston Villa
- UEFA Intertoto Cup: 2001
New York Red Bulls
- MLS Western Conference (Playoffs): 2008
Individual
- MLS Player of the Month: May 2007, June 2007, October 2008
- MLS Best XI: 2007
See also
In Spanish: Juan Pablo Ángel para niños
