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 (5 ft 8 in) | ||
| Position(s) | 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) |
| Total | 251 | (60) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2008–2015 | Venezuela | 23 | (3) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 21 March 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 October 2015 |
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Ronald Alejandro Vargas Aranguren (born on December 2, 1986) is a former professional footballer from Venezuela. He played as a forward or an attacking midfielder.
Contents
Club Career Highlights
Starting at Caracas FC
Ronald Vargas began his football journey in the youth teams of Caracas. He joined the main team in 2006. His first big game was in the Copa Libertadores on March 14, 2006, against Cienciano. Ronald scored his first goal in the final of the 2006–07 Primera División, helping his team win 1–0.
The 2007–08 season was important for him. He became a regular player for Caracas. He scored his first goal of that season on October 21, 2007, in a league match. He finished the season having played 29 games and scored 8 goals.
Moving to Club Brugge
On May 14, 2008, Vargas signed a four-year contract with the Belgian team Club Brugge. This transfer was a big deal, as Caracas received €1.5 million. It was the most expensive transfer ever from a Venezuelan team at that time.
He played his first game for Club Brugge on August 29, 2008, in a league match they won 4–1. He also made his debut in the UEFA Cup on September 18. Later, on November 27, he scored his first goal in that competition.
In the 2010–11 season, Ronald started very strong, scoring many goals. However, on February 6, 2011, he suffered a serious knee injury during a league match. This injury meant he would be out for more than six months. He also missed the chance to play for his national team in the 2011 Copa América.
Time at Anderlecht
In the summer of 2011, Vargas moved to R.S.C. Anderlecht on June 29, 2011. The transfer fee was about €2.5 million. Transfers between Club Brugge and Anderlecht are not very common because the two clubs are big rivals.
Vargas played his first game for Anderlecht in a Belgian Cup match on September 21. This was his return to playing after seven months recovering from his injury, and he even scored a goal in the 4–0 win. However, on October 26, he got injured again on the same knee during another cup match. This new injury meant he would be out for about four months.
Playing for Balıkesirspor
On July 28, 2014, Vargas signed a one-year contract with Balıkesirspor, a club in the Super Lig in Turkey. He played his first game for them on September 20, 2014, in a 2–0 win against Galatasaray. Two months later, he scored his first goal for the club. At the end of the season, he did not renew his contract and left the team.
Adventures with AEK Athens
AEK Athens announced that Vargas had signed a two-year contract with them. On August 22, 2015, he made his debut for the club in a 3–0 home win, scoring the second goal. On November 13, 2015, he received a red card in a league game and was suspended for three matches.
On January 6, 2016, AEK won a Greek Cup match against Levadiakos, with Vargas scoring a great goal. On January 24, 2016, Vargas scored the only goal in a 1–0 win against PAOK, helping AEK stay in second place in the Superleague Greece. He was recognized as the best Venezuelan footballer of the month for January 2016.
On February 13, 2016, Vargas scored a goal that helped his team win 1–0 against Olympiacos, who were undefeated champions. He was named "Man of the Match" for his performance. On February 28, 2016, Vargas scored from a free kick, leading AEK to a 1–0 victory against Panathinaikos. He suffered another injury before the Greek Cup final, which was likely his last game of the season.
In December 2016, there were talks about extending Vargas's contract with AEK. He received an offer for a two-year extension in April 2017. However, he decided to leave the club because he was not happy with the offer or his role on the team.
Time with Newcastle Jets
In September 2017, Vargas signed a one-year deal with the Australian A-League club, Newcastle Jets. He was their special "marquee player" for the 2017–18 season. In his third game, Vargas suffered a serious leg injury that kept him out for a long time. Four months later, he returned to play. He appeared in Newcastle's Grand Final match, which they lost.
Vargas scored his first goal for Newcastle in a 1–1 draw against Adelaide United in the 2018–19 season.
Playing for Venezuela
Ronald Vargas played 23 times for the Venezuela national team and scored 3 goals. His first game for Venezuela was in February 2008 against Haiti, which Venezuela won 1–0. He scored his first goal for his country in a famous 2–0 win against Brazil in June 2008.
On September 9, 2009, Ronald Vargas scored the final goal in Venezuela's 3–1 victory over Peru.
Vargas was part of the 23-player squad for the 2015 Copa América. Venezuela had a big surprise win, beating Colombia 1–0. This was their first win against Colombia in the history of the competition. Vargas played very well in that match.
Career Statistics
Club Appearances and Goals
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Caracas | 2006–07 | Venezuelan Primera División | 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 | Belgian First Division | 22 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 30 | 4 |
| 2009–10 | Belgian Pro League | 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 | Belgian Pro League | 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 | Süper Lig | 25 | 6 | 1 | 0 | — | 26 | 6 | |
| AEK Athens | 2015–16 | Superleague Greece | 26 | 9 | 6 | 2 | — | 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 | A-League | 9 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 0 | ||
| 2018–19 | 21 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 10 | 3 | ||
| Total | 30 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 33 | 7 | ||
| Oostende | 2019–20 | Belgian First Division A | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 19 | 3 | |
| Deinze | 2020–21 | Belgian First Division B | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | |
| Career total | 251 | 60 | 21 | 6 | 30 | 5 | 303 | 71 | ||
International Appearances and Goals
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela | 2008 | 10 | 2 |
| 2009 | 3 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 22 | 3 | |
- Scores and results list Venezuela's goal tally first.
| No. | 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
Anderlecht
- Belgian Pro League: 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14
- Belgian Supercup: 2012, 2013
AEK
- Greek Football Cup: 2015–16
See also
In Spanish: Ronald Vargas para niños
