Salomón Rondón

José Salomón Rondón Giménez (Spanish pronunciation: [saloˈmon ronˈdon]; born 16 September 1989) is a Venezuelan professional footballer who plays as a striker for Chinese Super League club Dalian Professional and the Venezuela national team.

This article uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Rondón and the second or maternal family name is Giménez.

Salomón Rondón
Rondón with Zenit in 2014
Personal information
Full name José Salomón Rondón Giménez[1]
Date of birth (1989-09-16) 16 September 1989[2]
Place of birth Caracas, Venezuela
Height 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in)[2]
Playing position(s) Striker
Club information
Current team
 Dalian Professional
Number 9
Youth career
1996–2004 San José de Calasanz
2004–2005 Deportivo Gulima
2005–2006 Aragua
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2006–2008 Aragua 49 (15)
2008–2010 Las Palmas 46 (10)
2010–2012 Málaga 67 (25)
2012–2014 Rubin Kazan 36 (13)
2014–2015 Zenit Saint Petersburg 37 (20)
2015–2019 West Bromwich Albion 108 (24)
2018–2019 → Newcastle United (loan) 32 (11)
2019– Dalian Professional 11 (5)
National team‡
2009 Venezuela U20 11 (7)
2008– Venezuela 80 (30)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 1 December 2019
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 13:56, 19 November 2019 (UTC)

After starting out at Aragua, he went on to spend most of his career in Europe, appearing in La Liga with Málaga, the Russian Premier League with Rubin Kazan and Zenit Saint Petersburg (winning the 2015 national championship with the latter club) and the Premier League with West Bromwich Albion and Newcastle United.

A Venezuela international since 2008, Rondón is the country's all-time top goalscorer with 30 goals, and he represented his country in four Copa América tournaments.

Club career

Early years

Born in Caracas, Rondón's sporting idols growing up were Ronaldo and Michael Jordan.[3] He made his debut in the Venezuelan Primera División at the age of 17, appearing for Aragua FC against Carabobo FC on 8 October 2006; on 8 April of the following year he scored his first goal(s) for the club, in a 2–2 draw against Caracas FC.

Las Palmas

In the summer of 2008, Rondón was signed by UD Las Palmas in Spain, and made his official debut on 5 October in a 1–2 away loss against Deportivo Alavés for the Segunda División championship.[4] Almost one year after his arrival, on 2 September 2009, he netted his first goal, in a Copa del Rey match against Cádiz CF – becoming the youngest foreign player to ever score for the club, at the age of 19 years, 11 months and 17 days[5]– and finished the season with ten goals in 36 games, as the Canary Islands side narrowly avoided relegation.[6]

Málaga
Rondón says farewell to Málaga, a week before joining Rubin Kazan

On 19 July 2010, Málaga CF signed Rondón for a record €3.5 million transfer fee.[7] He scored his first goal for the Andalusians exactly two months later, in a 1–2 home defeat against Sevilla FC in La Liga.[8] Four days later, he opened the score in a 2–0 win at Getafe CF,[9] adding a third the following week in a 2–3 home loss to Villarreal CF.[10]

On 1 May 2011, Rondón contributed with one goal as Málaga came from behind at home to defeat Hércules CF 3–1.[11] That was his 13th goal of the campaign, with which he surpassed the record of goals from a Venezuelan footballer in the Spanish top flight previously held by Juan Arango;[12] the team finally escaped relegation, with the player finishing as their top scorer.[13]

Rondón started 2011–12 on the substitutes bench. He eventually beat competition from ageing Ruud van Nistelrooy,[14] again finishing as Málaga's best scorer – this included goals in narrow home wins against RCD Espanyol (2–1)[15] and Levante UD (1–0),[16] and a brace against Rayo Vallecano (4–2 success, also at La Rosaleda Stadium).[17]

Rubin Kazan
Rondón before a Europa League match against Chelsea

In August 2012, Rondón signed for Russian Premier League team FC Rubin Kazan, for a reported fee of €10 million[18] which made him the most expensive Venezuelan player in history.[19] He made his league debut on the 12th in a 2–0 home win over FC Dynamo Moscow, and he scored his first goal against FC Terek Grozny on 1 September, albeit in a 1–2 home defeat.[20]

Rondón made his first appearance in the UEFA Europa League against Inter Milan, and he scored once in a 2–2 group stage away draw, also playing the entire match.[21] In the second match between the two sides he netted a brace in the final three minutes, helping his team to a 3–0 win.[22]

On 10 March 2013, following the winter break in the Russian Premier League, Rondón scored the only goal of the match as Rubin claimed a home victory over reigning champions FC Zenit Saint Petersburg.[23] In continental competition, he opened up the scoring in the 100th minute of the round-of-16 clash against Levante, latching on to a cross from Bibras Natkho as the hosts won it 2–0 in that leg and on aggregate.[24]

On 19 April 2013, Rondón opened the scoring for Rubin, who could only manage a 1–1 draw at relegation-threatened FC Amkar Perm.[25] In the club's next league match, against PFC CSKA Moscow, he netted the first goal in a 2–0 victory over the league leaders and eventual champions.[26]

On 1 September 2013, Rondón scored a hat-trick in a 3–0 win against recently promoted FC Ural Sverdlovsk Oblast.[27]

Zenit

On 31 January 2014, Rondón underwent a medical and joined fellow league club Zenit Saint Petersburg, signing a five-year contract for a fee in the region of £15.8 million.[28] He played his first game for his new team on 25 February, scoring in an eventual 2–1 away win against Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League's round of 16-second-leg (4–5 aggregate defeat).[29]

On 6 April 2014, again as a second-half substitute, Rondón scored a rare second-half hat-trick in a 6–2 home routing of former team Rubin.[30] On 20 September he added another three, in a 5–0 win at FC Rostov.[31]

On 26 February 2015, Rondón scored a brace at home against PSV Eindhoven, being essential in a 3–0 home victory for the Europa League round of 32 and a 4–0 aggregate triumph.[32]

West Bromwich Albion
Rondón playing for West Bromwich Albion in 2017

On 10 August 2015, Rondón joined English club West Bromwich Albion on a four-year-deal for a club-record fee of £12 million.[33] He made his debut in the Premier League five days later, replacing Craig Gardner in the 62nd minute of an eventual 0–0 away draw against Watford.[34] On 23 August, he made his first start, at the expense of Tottenham Hotspur-linked Saido Berahino, in a 2–3 home defeat to Chelsea, assisting James Morrison in his first goal and later being brought down by John Terry who received a straight red card.[35]

Rondón scored his first goal for the Baggies on 29 August 2015, netting the game's only in stoppage time of the first half of the away fixture against nine-man Stoke City.[36] On 19 December, he was sent off at the end of a 1–2 home loss to Bournemouth for thrusting his head at Dan Gosling, with teammate James McClean also dismissed in the first half;[37] he finished his first season in English football with ten goals.[38]

Rondón began the 2016–17 campaign strongly, scoring the winner in the opening match win over Crystal Palace, then continued his impressive form in September with goals in consecutive matches against West Ham United[39] and Stoke.[40] On 21 November he netted once and provided an assist in a 4–0 victory over Burnley,[41] and on 14 December, against Swansea City, he scored his first Premier League hat-trick after netting three headers in a 3–1 win, which was only the second time this feat was achieved in the history of the competition, the first being Everton's Duncan Ferguson in 1997.[42]

Rondón's goal in 1–1 draw with Tottenham, on 25 November 2017, made him the first Venezuelan to score at either the rebuilt Wembley Stadium or the original facilities,[43] as well as the first Albion player to score at the new ground. The following 20 January, early into the second half of the away fixture against Everton, he accidentally broke James McCarthy's leg, and was reduced to tears upon realising the extent of McCarthy's injury;[44] recalling the incident in an interview some months later also caused him to become upset.[45]

Newcastle United

On 6 August 2018, Rondón joined Newcastle United on a one-year loan swap, with Dwight Gayle heading in the opposite direction.[46] He made his debut five days later, in a 2–1 home loss against Tottenham on the opening day of the season.[47] He scored his first goal in a 3–1 EFL Cup defeat at Nottingham Forest on 29 August.[48]

Rondón opened his league account on 10 November 2018, scoring twice to help the hosts defeat Bournemouth 2–1.[49] In the second half of the season, his partnership up front with Ayoze Pérez began to take shape and the Venezuelan often assisted the Spaniard with his goals.[50] He also maintained a steady record in terms of goalscoring and was neck-and-neck with Pérez until the latter stages of the campaign, finishing with eleven league goals—just one behind his teammate.

In May 2019, Rondón was named Newcastle's player of the year, becoming the first forward to win the award since Alan Shearer in 2003.[51]

Dalian Yifang

On 19 July 2019, Rondón signed with Dalian Yifang F.C. of the Chinese Super League, reuniting with manager Rafael Benítez who had joined the club two weeks before and reportedly activated the player's release clause of £16.5 million.[52]

International career

Rondón appeared for the Venezuela under-20 side in the 2009 FIFA World Cup in Egypt. He scored four times during the competition – as teammate Yonathan del Valle, with both netting hat-tricks in the 8–0 group stage routing of Tahiti – as the former managed to qualify to the last-16 stage.[53]

Previously, on 3 February 2008, 18-year-old Rondón made his debut for the senior team in a friendly with Haiti,[54] scoring his first goal on 23 March against El Salvador (another exhibition match, another 1–0 win). Selected by manager Noel Sanvicente to the 2015 Copa América, he scored in La Vinotinto's first game of the tournament to help defeat Colombia 1–0;[55] later that year, he was among 15 national players who threatened to quit the team after the president of the Venezuelan Football Federation accused them of conspiring to get the manager sacked.[56]

On 5 June 2016, during the Copa América Centenario, Rondón earned his 50th cap, starting in a 1–0 group stage win against Jamaica in Chicago.[57] He scored the only goal of the following game against Uruguay to become the first Venezuelan player to find the net at three tournaments,[58] and repeated the feat in the quarter-finals, a 1–4 defeat to Argentina.[59]

On 9 June 2019, after his brace in a 3–0 friendly victory over the United States in Cincinnati, Rondón surpassed former holder Juan Arango to become Venezuela's all-time scorer at 24 goals.[60]

Career statistics
Rondón playing for Zenit in a match against Amkar Perm, 2015

Club
As of match played 1 December 2019[1]
Club Season League Cups Continental Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Aragua 2006–07 21700——217
2007–08 28893——3711
Total 491593——5818
Las Palmas 2008–09 10000—100
2009–10 361012—3712
Total 461012—4712
Málaga 2010–11 301422—3216
2011–12 371130—4011
Total 672552—7227
Rubin Kazan 2012–13 257001263713
2013–14 11600861912
Total 36130020125625
Zenit 2013–14 1070021128
2014–15 2613211664420
2015–16 10100020
Total 3720311875828
West Bromwich Albion 2015–16 34961—4010
2016–17 37810—388
2017–18 37743—3910
Total 108241140011928
Newcastle United (loan) 2018–19 321111—3312
Total 321111003312
Dalian Yifang 2019 11510—115
Career total 38612329133819452155

International
As of 19 November 2019[61]
Venezuela
YearAppsGoals
200831
200931
201030
2011113
201285
201362
201420
2015102
2016114
201791
201842
2019109
Total8030

International goals
As of 19 November 2019 (Venezuela score listed first, score column indicates score after each Rondón goal)[61]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 23 March 2008José Antonio Anzoátegui, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela3 El Salvador1–01–0Friendly
2 11 February 2009Estadio Monumental, Maturín, Venezuela4 Guatemala2–12–1
3 9 February 2011José Antonio Anzoátegui, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela10 Costa Rica1–12–2
4 2–2
5 13 July 2011Padre Ernesto Martearena, Salta, Argentina13 Paraguay1–03–32011 Copa América
6 24 May 2012Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela22 Moldova2–04–0Friendly
7 4–0
8 2 June 2012Estadio Centenario, Montevideo, Uruguay23 Uruguay1–11–12014 FIFA World Cup qualification
9 11 September 2012Defensores del Chaco, Asunción, Paraguay25 Paraguay1–02–0
10 2–0
11 26 March 2013Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela29 Colombia1–01–0
12 10 September 2013José Antonio Anzoátegui, Puerto la Cruz, Venezuela33 Peru1–13–2
13 14 June 2015El Teniente, Rancagua, Chile38 Colombia1–01–02015 Copa América
14 8 September 2015Polideportivo Cachamay, Puerto Ordaz, Venezuela43 Panama1–11–1Friendly
15 27 May 2016Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica48 Costa Rica1–01–2
16 1 June 2016Lockhart Stadium, Fort Lauderdale, United States49 Guatemala1–11–1
17 9 June 2016Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia, United States51 Uruguay1–01–0Copa América Centenario
18 18 June 2016Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States53 Argentina1–31–4Copa América Centenario
19 28 March 2017Monumental David Arellano, Santiago, Chile59 Chile1–31–32018 FIFA World Cup qualification
20 11 September 2018Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama68 Panama1–02–0Friendly
21 2–0
22 22 March 2019Wanda Metropolitano, Madrid, Spain71 Argentina1–03–1
23 9 June 2019Nippert Stadium, Cincinnati, United States73 United States1–03–0
24 3–0
25 10 October 2019Estadio Olímpico, Caracas, Venezuela78 Bolivia3–04–1
26 4–1
27 14 October 201979 Trinidad and Tobago1–02–0
28 19 November 2019Panasonic Stadium Suita, Suita, Japan80 Japan1–04–12019 Kirin Challenge Cup
29 2–0
30 3–0

Honours
Rondón holding the Russian Super Cup, won during his time with Zenit

Club

Aragua

Zenit

Individual

References
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