Rodrigo Vargas

Football player infobox
playername = Rodrigo Vargas
fullname = Rodrigo Alejandro Vargas


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1978|10|20
cityofbirth = Melbourne
countryofbirth = Australia
height = height|m=1.81
currentclub = Melbourne Victory
clubnumber = 12
position = Centre Back
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1996
1997–1999
1999–2004
2004–2006
2006–"present"
clubs = Springvale City
Port Melbourne Sharks
Melbourne Knights
Green Gully Cavaliers
Melbourne Victory
caps(goals) = 017 (0)
067 (1)
127 (3)
060 (9)
043 (1)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
pcupdate = 24 January 2008
ntupdate =

Rodrigo Alejandro "Roddy" Vargas (born 20 October, 1978 in Melbourne, Australia) is a Chilean-Australian football (soccer) player. He currently plays as a central defender for the Australian A-League club Melbourne Victory.

Club career

Rodrigo Vargas started his career at Victorian Premier League side, Springvale City, where he debuted at the age of 17. After three seasons with Port Melbourne, he was recruited by the Melbourne Knights at the age of 21, who were competing in the National Soccer League. He had a very successful tenure at the club, notching up over 100 games over five seasons as well as being awarded the captaincy.

When the National Soccer League came to an end in 2004, he moved to Victorian Premier League side Green Gully, where he developed a reputation as a goal scoring defender from set pieces. Rodrigo was drafted into the Melbourne Victory squad in 2006 after a successful trial, and soon became a key member of the Victory backline.

Rodrigo is a strong defender who was known for his aggressiveness in the old NSL. He is also very consistent and durable, not missing a single game with injury in his time with the Melbourne Knights. He is the brother of Green Gully player Andy Vargas.

He was involved in a controversy when he was allegedly called a “black monkey” by Newcastle United Jets midfielder, Stuart Musialik. [ [http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,22493990-5013549,00.html Musialik suspended for one game] ]

Vargas was called up to Pim Verbeek's 39-man Socceroos squad for the World Cup Qualifier against Qatar in his home town of Melbourne in the first week of February 2008.

A broken nose to Sydney FC's Mark Milligan could have seen Vargas elevated on to the starting XI, however, the central defensive role was handed to veteran Craig Moore, who retired from international football after the Socceroos rolled over Qatar 3-0 at the Telstra Dome.

Vargas was also part of the 18-man squad that Pim Verbeek took to the Sydney Football Stadium on June 15 for the international friendly against the "Black Stars", African powerhouse, Ghana. Unfortunately he did not play in that match (which the Socceroos won 1-0 from a goal by Mile Sterjovski in the closing stages of the match), however he was named in both AFC World Cup Qualifiers against Iraq on June 1 and 8, and also in the squad against Qatar in Doha on June 15. He is also said to have been named by Verbeek in the squad for the upcoming AFC World Cup Qualifier in Sydney on June 22 against China, to be played at the ANZ Stadium in Homebush.

Vargas was a key member of the Melbourne Victory team in their first appearance in the Asian Champions League in 2008 against Chunnan Dragons at the Telstra Dome. Vargas capped off a great performance with a brilliant goal, the club's second ever in Asia and only Rodrigo Vargas' second career goal for Melbourne Victory.

Vargas was also captain for Melbourne Victory in there pre-season Cup win over Wellington Phoenix on August 6. He was the stand in captain for the injured Kevin Muscat.

Honours

With Melbourne Victory:
* A-League Championship: 2006-2007
* A-League Premiership: 2006-2007Personal Honours:
* Melbourne Victory Victory Medal: 2007-2008

References

External links

* [http://www.melbournevictory.com.au/default.aspx?s=mvfc_playerprofile_item&pid=878 Melbourne Victory profile]
* [http://www.ozfootball.net/ark/Players/V/VA.html Oz Football profile]