Ronald Vargas facts for kids
Ronald Vargas.
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ronald Alejandro Vargas Aranguren | ||
| Date of birth | 2 December 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Guatire, Venezuela | ||
| Height | 1.73 m | ||
| Playing position | Attacking midfielder, winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2006 | Caracas | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2006–2008 | Caracas | 32 | (9) |
| 2008–2011 | Club Brugge | 71 | (22) |
| 2011–2014 | Anderlecht | 25 | (4) |
| 2014–2015 | Balıkesirspor | 25 | (6) |
| 2015–2017 | AEK Athens | 43 | (11) |
| 2017–2019 | Newcastle Jets | 30 | (5) |
| 2019–2020 | Oostende | 18 | (3) |
| 2020–2021 | Deinze | 10 | (0) |
| National team | |||
| 2008–2015 | Venezuela | 23 | (3) |
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Ronald Alejandro Vargas Aranguren (born 2 December 1986) is a Venezuelan former professional footballer. He played as a forward, which means he was usually one of the main players who tried to score goals.
Ronald Vargas: A Football Journey
Starting His Career in Venezuela
Ronald Vargas began his football journey in the youth teams of Caracas, a big club in Venezuela. He joined their main team in 2006. His first big game was in the Copa Libertadores on 14 March 2006. This is a very important football competition for clubs in South America.
Ronald scored his first goal in a final match of the Venezuelan league. This goal helped his team win the 2006–07 championship. In the next season (2007–08), he became a regular player for Caracas. He played 29 games and scored 8 goals, showing he was a talented player.
Moving to Europe: Belgium and Turkey
Playing for Club Brugge
In May 2008, Ronald Vargas moved to Europe to play for Club Brugge in Belgium. This was a big step for him. His transfer cost €1.5 million, which was a lot of money for a player from Venezuela at that time.
He played his first game for Club Brugge in August 2008. He also played in the UEFA Cup, which is another important European competition. In the 2010–11 season, Ronald was playing really well, scoring many goals. However, in February 2011, he got a serious knee injury during a game. This meant he had to stop playing for about six months and missed a big tournament with his national team.
Time at Anderlecht
After his injury, Ronald Vargas moved to another Belgian club, R.S.C. Anderlecht, in June 2011. This was a special move because these two clubs are big rivals. It was rare for a player to move directly between them.
He made his comeback from injury in September, scoring a goal in his first game for Anderlecht. But he got injured again on the same knee in October. This second injury kept him out of the game for another four months. After his contract ended, Anderlecht wanted to keep him, but he eventually moved on.
Joining Balıkesirspor
In July 2014, Ronald Vargas signed a one-year contract with Balıkesirspor, a club in Turkey. He played his first game for them in September 2014 and scored his first goal two months later. He played 25 games and scored 6 goals for the club before his contract ended.
Adventures in Greece and Australia
Success with AEK Athens
In 2015, Ronald Vargas moved to AEK Athens in Greece, signing a two-year contract. He quickly made an impact, scoring in his first game for the club.
He scored a wonderful goal in a Greek Cup game in January 2016, helping his team win. Later that month, he scored the winning goal against PAOK, helping AEK stay high in the league. He was even named the best Venezuelan footballer of the month for his great performances. He continued to score important goals, including one against their big rivals Olympiacos. He also scored the winning goal against Panathinaikos from a free kick.
Ronald helped AEK win the Greek Football Cup in the 2015–16 season. After this, he got another injury, which ended his season. In 2017, he decided to leave AEK Athens.
Playing for Newcastle Jets
In September 2017, Ronald Vargas moved to Australia to play for Newcastle Jets. He joined as a "marquee player," which means he was a key player signed to attract fans and improve the team.
Sadly, in only his third game, he suffered a serious leg injury. This kept him out for a long time. But he worked hard and returned to play four months later. He even played in the Grand Final, which is the championship game, though his team lost. He scored his first goal for Newcastle in the next season.
Playing for His Country: Venezuela
Ronald Vargas has played 23 times for the Venezuela national team, scoring 3 goals. His first game for Venezuela was in February 2008.
He scored his first goal for his country in a famous 2–0 win against Brazil in June 2008. This was a big moment for Venezuelan football. He also scored a goal in a 3–1 victory over Peru in 2009.
In the 2015 Copa América, a major South American tournament, Ronald Vargas was part of the Venezuelan team. They achieved a big surprise by beating Colombia 1–0, which was their first win against Colombia in the tournament's history. Ronald played very well in that game.
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Caracas | 2006–07 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 2007–08 | 29 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 38 | 10 | |
| Total | 32 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 7 | 2 | 43 | 11 | |
| Club Brugge | 2008–09 | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 30 | 4 |
| 2009–10 | 26 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 34 | 5 | |
| 2010–11 | 23 | 15 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 16 | |
| Total | 71 | 22 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 1 | 92 | 25 | |
| Anderlecht | 2011–12 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 |
| 2012–13 | 11 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 13 | 2 | |
| 2013–14 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 2 | |
| Total | 25 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 30 | 5 | |
| Balıkesirspor | 2014–15 | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 |
| Total | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 26 | 6 | |
| AEK Athens | 2015–16 | 26 | 9 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 11 |
| 2016–17 | 14 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 18 | 3 | |
| Total | 40 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 50 | 14 | |
| Newcastle Jets | |||||||||
| 2017–18 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | |
| 2018–19 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 3 | |
| Total | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 3 | |
| Career totals | 211 | 55 | 20 | 6 | 28 | 3 | 260 | 64 | |
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6 June 2008 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States |  Brazil |
0–2 | 0–2 | Friendly |
| 2. | 14 June 2008 | Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay |  Uruguay |
1–1 | 1–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 3. | 9 September 2009 | Estadio José Antonio Anzoátegui, Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela |  Peru |
3–1 | 3–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Trophies and Awards
Club Achievements
Caracas FC
- Venezuelan Primera División: 2006–07 (Venezuelan League Champions)
Anderlecht
- Belgian Pro League: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14 (Belgian League Champions)
- Belgian Supercup: 2012, 2013 (Winner of the Belgian Supercup)
AEK
- Greek Football Cup: 2015–16 (Greek Cup Winners)
