Rónald Gómez

For other footballers, see Ronald Gómez (Aruban footballer) and Ronald Gómez (Salvadoran footballer).

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Gómez and the second or maternal family name is Gómez.

Rónald Gómez Gómez (born 24 January 1975) is a retired Costa Rican football forward and manager. He is the current manager for Liga Nacional club Achuapa.

Rónald Gómez

Gómez in 2007
Personal information
Full name	Rónald Gómez Gómez^[1]
Date of birth	(1975-01-24) 24 January 1975 (age 49)
Place of birth	Puntarenas, Costa Rica
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)^[2]
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Achuapa (Manager)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1992–1994	Carmelita	27	(9)
1994–1996	Alajuelense	68	(45)
1996–1997	Sporting Gijón	21	(2)
1997–1998	Hércules	11	(4)
1998–1999	Municipal		(22)
1999–2002	OFI Crete	87	(39)
2002–2003	Al Qadsia		(2)
2004	→ Irapuato (loan)	16	(2)
2004–2006	Saprissa	61	(13)
2006–2007	APOEL	20	(4)
2007–2008	Saprissa	28	(4)
2009	Santos de Guápiles	14	(2)
Total		353	(148)
International career
1993–2008	Costa Rica	93	(26)
Managerial career
2009	Carmelita
2010	Santos de Guápiles
2011	Deportivo Cartagena
2012	Juventud Escazuceña
2013	Halcones
2014	Limón
2016–2018	Xelajú
2018–2021	Malacateco
2021–2022	Costa Rica (assistant)
2023	Santa Lucía
2023–2024	Apollon Smyrnis
2024-	Achuapa
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

An important player on the Costa Rica national football team during the 1990s and 2000s, Gómez is regarded as one of Costa Rica's best forwards, known for his rocket shots and top dribbling.

Gómez is, along with Paulo Wanchope, the top scorer for Costa Rica in the FIFA World Cup with three goals.^[3]

Club career

Early years

Born in Puntarenas as the 12th child of Francisca Gómez, he was raised in the village Pilas de Canjel in Guanacaste Province.^[4]

Nicknamed La Bala (The Bullit), Gómez started his career at Carmelita and scored his first league goal on 20 September 1992 against Saprissa.^[5] He then scored 45 goals for Alajuelense before moving abroad.

Years abroad

He has played in 6 different countries: in Spain with Sporting Gijón^[6] and Hercules of Alicante, in Guatemala with Municipal,^[7] in Greece with OFI Crete,^[8] in Kuwait with Al Qadsia, in Mexico with Irapuato^[9] and in Cyprus with APOEL^[10] where he won the Cypriot First Division.^[11]

Saprissa

With Saprissa, he has won 4 national championship; and 1 CONCACAF Champions Cup, and was part of the team that played the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship Toyota Cup where Saprissa finished third behind São Paulo and Liverpool.^[12] He scored the winning goal in the final minutes of the game that Saprissa won in order to achieve the third place of the tournament against Al-Ittihad. His goal was considered among the best of the cup.

Return from retirement

In June 2009, Gómez came out of playing retirement for a final season at Santos after he was relegated to the second division as manager of Carmelita.^[13] After the season, he became manager of Santos.^[14]

International career

Gómez made his debut for Costa Rica in a February 1993 UNCAF Nations Cup qualification match against Nicaragua and earned a total of 93 caps, scoring 26 goals.^[15] He represented his country in 27 FIFA World Cup qualification matches and figured at the 2002 and 2006 World Cups.^[12] He also played at the 1993^[16] and 2001 UNCAF Nations Cups^[17] as well as at the 1993,^[18] 2000^[19] and 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup^[20] and the 1997,^[21] 2001,^[22] and 2004 Copa América.^[23]

His final international was a March 2008 friendly match against Peru.

International goals

Scores and results list. Costa Rica's goal tally first.

Goal	Date	Venue	Opponent	Result	Competition
1	16 February 1993	Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica	Nicaragua	6–0	UNCAF Nations Cup qualifier
2	16 February 1993	Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica	Nicaragua	6–0	UNCAF Nations Cup qualifier
3	5 March 1993	Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa	El Salvador	1–0	UNCAF Nations Cup
–	23 June 1993	Estadio Nacional de Costa Rica, San José, Costa Rica	Panama	3–1	Unofficial friendly match
4	27 September 1993	Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, Dammam, Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia	2–3	Friendly match
5	17 December 1994	King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia	3–1	Friendly match
6	17 December 1994	King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia	3–1	Friendly match
7	17 December 1994	King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia	Saudi Arabia	3–1	Friendly match
8	5 June 1996	Varsity Stadium, Toronto, Canada	Canada	1–0	Friendly match
9	1 September 1996	Queen's Park Oval, Port of Spain , Trinidad and Tobago	Trinidad and Tobago	1–0	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
10	14 December 1996	Stanford Stadium, Stanford, United States	United States	1–2	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
11	23 March 1997	Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San José, Costa Rica	United States	3–2	1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)
12	17 July 1999	Titan Stadium, Fullerton, United States	Saudi Arabia	1–0	Friendly
13	18 August 1999	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Uruguay	4–5	Friendly
14	18 August 1999	Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay	Uruguay	4–5	Friendly
15	30 May 2001	Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, San Pedro Sula, Honduras	Panama	2–1	UNCAF Nations Cup
16	1 September 2001	Hasely Crawford Stadium , Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	Trinidad and Tobago	2–0	World Cup qualifier
17	1 September 2001	Hasely Crawford Stadium , Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	Trinidad and Tobago	2–0	World Cup qualifier
18	26 January 2002	Orange Bowl, Miami, United States	Haiti	2–1	2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup
19	30 January 2002	Rose Bowl, Pasadena, United States	South Korea	3–1	2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup
20	4 June 2002	Gwangju World Cup Stadium, Gwangju, South Korea	China	2–0	2002 FIFA World Cup
21	13 June 2002	Suwon World Cup Stadium, Suwon, South Korea	Brazil	2–5	2002 FIFA World Cup
22	20 June 2004	Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica	Cuba	1–1	World Cup qualifier
23	8 June 2005	Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San José, Costa Rica	Guatemala	3–2	World Cup qualifier
24	19 June 2005	Helong Stadium, Changsha, China	Panama	2–2	Friendly
25	3 September 2005	Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama	Panama	3–1	World Cup qualifier
26	20 June 2006	AWD-Arena, Hannover, Germany	Poland	1–2	2006 FIFA World Cup

Managerial career

He made his debut as manager of Carmelita in January 2009.^[5] In October 2010 he was dismissed by Santos de Guápiles^[24] and he later managed second division sides Deportivo Cartagena^[25] and Juventud Escazuceña.^[26] In September 2013, he took charge of Guatemalan side Halcones^[27] and in May 2014 he returned to Costa Rica to take charge at Limón.^[28]

Personal life

He is married to Gina Soto and they have two sons, Esteban and Daniel.^[29]

Honours

• Primera División de Costa Rica (3):
  • 1995-96, 2005–06, 2007–08
• Copa Interclubes UNCAF (1):
  • 1996
• CONCACAF Champions' Cup (1):
  • 2005
• Cypriot First Division (1):
  • 2006–07

References

1. (PDF). FIFA. 21 March 2014. p. 5. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 June 2019.
2. . FIFA. 4 December 2005. Archived from the original on 19 December 2005.
3. Abreu, Pedro. "Mundial Alemania 2006 .:. Sitio especial de nacion.com". La Nación. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
4. Los secretos de Pinino – Nación (in Spanish)
5. Rónald Gómez debuta como técnico carmelo 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
6. Gómez ilusiona a Gijón 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
7. Gómez al Municipal 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
8. Ronald Gómez jugará con equipo de Grecia 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
9. Rónald Gómez y Mauricio Solís firmaron con Irapuato 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
10. Ronald Gómez destaca en Chipre La última aventura de la Bala, un ‘trotamundos’ del futbol 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
11. Goleador tico es campeón chipriota Gómez alcanza su primera liga europea 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
12. – FIFA competition record (archived)
13. La Bala Gómez jugaría con Santos – Nación (in Spanish)
14. La Bala Gómez dirigirá a Santos 4 March 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
15. Mamrud, Roberto (28 April 2008). "Rónald Gómez – Goals in International Matches". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 18 August 2009.
16. Qualifying Tournament for Gold Cup 1997 – Details^{[dead link]} – RSSSF
17. Qualifying Tournament for Gold Cup 2001 – Details – RSSSF
18. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 1993 – Full Details – RSSSF
19. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2000 – Full Details – RSSSF
20. CONCACAF Championship, Gold Cup 2002 – Full Details – RSSSF
21. Copa América 1997 – RSSSF
22. Copa América 2001^{[dead link]} – RSSSF
23. Copa América 2004^{[dead link]} – RSSSF
24. Santos despide a Ronald Gómez 2 April 2015 at the Wayback Machine – Nación (in Spanish)
25. Ronald Gómez es el nuevo técnico de Cartagena en la liga de ascenso Archived 26 April 2015 at archive.today – Everardo Herrera (in Spanish)
26. El Pato y la Bala se topan en el banco Archived 27 July 2014 at archive.today – Nación (in Spanish)
27. Costarricense Ronald Gómez nuevo técnico del Halcones de Guatemala – Nación (in Spanish)
28. Rónald Gómez dirigirá a Limón FC 20 May 2014 at the Wayback Machine – Al Día (in Spanish)
29. Ronald Gómez con su primer trofeo europeo La Bala no sigue en Chipre – Nación (in Spanish)

External links

• Rónald Gómez at National-Football-Teams.com
• – Nación