Rocky Rodríguez

(Redirected from Raquel Rodríguez)

Raquel "Rocky" Rodríguez Cedeño[a] (born 28 October 1993) is a Costa Rican professional footballer who plays as an attacking midfielder for Angel City FC of the National Women's Soccer League and the Costa Rica national team.

Rocky Rodríguez
Rodríguez with Sky Blue FC in 2018
Personal information
Full name Raquel Rodríguez Cedeño[1]
Date of birth (1993-10-28) 28 October 1993 (age 31)[1]
Place of birth San José, Costa Rica
Height 1.66 m (5 ft 5+12 in)[1]
Position(s) Forward, Midfielder
Team information
Current team
Angel City FC
Number 7
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2015 Penn State Nittany Lions 93 (23)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2019 Sky Blue FC 76 (8)
2017–2018Perth Glory (loan) 9 (0)
2020–2023 Portland Thorns 56 (6)
2024– Angel City FC 20 (1)
International career
2008–2010 Costa Rica U17 3 (3)
2008–2012 Costa Rica U20 14 (10)
2008– Costa Rica 107 (58)
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Costa Rica
Pan American Games
Bronze medal – third place 2019 Lima Team
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20 October 2024
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 18 June 2020

Rodríguez played college soccer for the Penn State Nittany Lions, where she won the NCAA championship and the Hermann Trophy in 2015. She was drafted second overall by Sky Blue FC in the 2016 NWSL College Draft and named NWSL Rookie of the Year in 2016. In 2020, she was traded to Portland Thorns FC, where she won the NWSL Championship in 2022.

Early life

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Born in San José, Costa Rica to Grettel Cedeño and Sivianni Rodriguez.[2] Rodriguez, nicknamed Rocky, was raised in Costa Rica and moved to the United States where support for women's soccer offered more opportunity.[3][4] Her father, Sivianni Rodríguez, played professionally in Costa Rica with Herediano and the Costa Rica men's national team.[5]

Rodriquez began playing soccer at age four and played on boys teams and trained with her brother and father as a youth. At age 11, her cousin told her one of the well-known men's club teams was holding tryouts for a women's team. After trying out, she played for the under-15 team.[5] She played for the high school team while still attending elementary school.[5] Both Raquel and her brother, Sivianni, attended International Christian School.[5] She played for the school's team for a short while before committing to play for Costa Rica's national teams.[5]

Penn State, 2012–2015

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Rodriguez was a four-year starter for the Penn State Nittany Lions.[2] As the 2015 team captain, she led her team to victory at the NCAA College Cup by scoring the game-winning goal against the Duke Blue Devils.[6] Rodriguez received numerous awards in 2015, including NSCAA Scholar Player of the Year, Top Drawer Soccer Player of the Year, and she was the 2015 recipient of the Hermann Trophy.[2] As a senior, she won the Honda Sports Award as the nation's top soccer player.[7][8]

Club career

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Sky Blue FC, 2016–2019

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Rodríguez was selected second overall by Sky Blue FC in the 2016 NWSL College Draft.[9] In her rookie season, she scored 1 goal in 18 matches, and at the end of the season was named NWSL Rookie of the Year.[10] In the 2017 season, Rodríguez scored the fastest goal in NWSL history, netting 24 seconds from kick-off against Portland Thorns FC.[11]

Perth Glory, 2017

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On 12 October 2017, Rodríguez joined Perth Glory for the 2017–18 W-League season. Rodríguez is the first Central American ever to play in the W-League.[12]

Portland Thorns FC, 2020–2023

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On 8 January 2020, Rodríguez was traded to Portland Thorns FC.[13] During the 2020 season, Rodriguez scored 1 goal. During the 2021 season, she scored 2 goals. During the 2022 season, she scored 3 goals. [14]

Angel City FC, 2024–

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On January 23, 2024, Angel City FC announced they had acquired Rodríguez from the Portland Thorns in exchange for $275,000 in allocation money, with additional conditional funds to be paid against the transfer fee threshold.[15] After missing the first two games of the season due to concussion protocol, Rodríguez made her debut for Angel City on March 30, 2024 in a match against Kansas City Current. She came on a substitute for Amandine Henry and came close to scoring her first goal for Angel City to tie the game at 3–3, but was the goal was ultimately disallowed after a VAR check, and the match ended as a 4–2 defeat.[16] Rodríguez started her first match the following match day on April 13, 2024 against the Chicago Red Stars which finished as a 0–1 victory, the teams first win of the season.[17] Rodríguez scored her first goal for Angel City on June 19, 2024, in a 3–2 victory against Racing Louisville FC.[18]

International career

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During the 2015 FIFA World Cup, Rodriguez scored Costa Rica's first ever Women's World Cup goal during the opening Group Stage match against Spain, which ended 1–1.[19][20] Rodriguez played in all of Costa Rica's three matches in the tournament.[21] During the CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying tournament, Rodriguez scored five goals in the three group stage matches.[22]

Rodriguez was selected for the roster for the inaugural 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup where she played every minute before Costa Rica were ultimately defeated in the quarterfinals by Canada.[23]

Career statistics

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International goals

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No. Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 30 April 2010 Estadio Nacional de la UNAN-Managua, Managua, Nicaragua   Nicaragua 1–0 2–0 2010 CONCACAF Women's World Cup Qualifying qualification
2. 30 October 2010 Estadio Quintana Roo, Cancún, Mexico   Haiti 2–0 3–0 2010 CONCACAF Women's Championship
3. 3–0
4. 2 October 2011 Estadio Cementos Progreso, Guatemala City, Guatemala   El Salvador 1–2 6–2 2012 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Tournament
5. 2–2
6. 4 October 2011   Honduras 4–0 4–0
7. 6 October 2011   Guatemala 1–0 5–2
8. 2–1
9. 4–2
10. 22 October 2011 Estadio Omnilife, Guadalajara, Mexico   Argentina 2–3 3–3 2011 Pan American Games
11. 6 March 2013 Estadio Ernesto Rohrmoser, San José, Costa Rica   Belize 1–0 14–0 2013 Central American Games
12. 2–0
13. 4–0
14. 7–0
15. 8 March 2013   Nicaragua 3–0 3–0
16. 10 March 2013   El Salvador 1–0 3–1
17. 12 March 2013   Panama 2–0 3–0
18. 22 May 2014 Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala   El Salvador 2–0 4–0 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship qualification
19. 24 May 2014   Nicaragua 1–0 3–0
20. 26 May 2014   Guatemala 2–0 3–0
21. 3–0
22. 18 October 2014 Toyota Park, Bridgeview, United States   Jamaica 2–1 2–1 2014 CONCACAF Women's Championship
23. 9 June 2015 Olympic Stadium, Montreal, Canada   Spain 1–1 1–1 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup
24. 13 February 2016 Toyota Stadium, Frisco, United States   Puerto Rico 2–0 9–0 2016 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
25. 6–0
26. 9–0
27. 15 February 2016   Mexico 1–0 2–1
28. 2–0
29. 19 February 2016 BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, United States   Canada 1–2 1–3
30. 27 August 2018 IMG Academy, Bradenton, United States   El Salvador 6–0 11–0 2018 CONCACAF Women's Championship qualification
31. 29 August 2018   Nicaragua 2–0 4–1
32. 31 August 2018   Panama 1–0 3–1
33. 2–0
34. 31 July 2019 Estadio Universidad San Marcos, Lima, Peru   Peru 1–1 3–1 2019 Pan American Games
35. 3–1
36. 8 October 2019 Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica   El Salvador 1–0 5–0 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship qualification
37. 2–0
38. 28 January 2020 BBVA Stadium, Houston, United States   Panama 2–0 6–1 2020 CONCACAF Women's Olympic Qualifying Championship
39. 31 January 2020   Haiti 1–0 2–0
40. 2–0
41. 30 November 2021 Estadio Nacional, San José, Costa Rica   Nicaragua 4–2 5–2 Friendly
42. 17 February 2022   Saint Kitts and Nevis 6–0 7–0 2022 CONCACAF W Championship qualification
43. 20 February 2022 Bethlehem Soccer Stadium, Saint Croix, US Virgin Islands   U.S. Virgin Islands 2–0 6–0
44. 4–0
45. 9 April 2022 Stadion Rignaal Jean Francisca, Willemstad, Curaçao   Curaçao 1–0 4–0
46. 2–0
47. 4–0
48. 5 July 2022 Estadio BBVA, Guadalupe, Mexico   Panama 1–0 3–0 2022 CONCACAF W Championship
49. 11 October 2022 Estadio Ricardo Saprissa Aymá, San José, Costa Rica   Philippines 1–1 2–1 Friendly
50. 6 April 2023 Stadion Miejski im. Władysława Króla, Łódź, Poland   Poland 1–1 2–1
51. 25 September 2023 Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica   Saint Kitts and Nevis 3–0 11–0 2024 CONCACAF W Gold Cup qualification
52. 8–0
53. 4 December 2023 SKNFA Technical Center, Basseterre, St. Kitts & Nevis   Saint Kitts and Nevis 11–0 19–0
54. 6 April 2024 Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto, Alajuela, Costa Rica   Peru 1–0 5–1 Friendly

Honors and awards

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Penn State Nittany Lions

Portland Thorns FC

Individual

Notes

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  1. ^ In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Rodríguez and the second or maternal family name is Cedeño.

References

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  1. ^ a b c "List of Players – 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup" (PDF). Fédération Internationale de Football Association. Retrieved 18 June 2015.
  2. ^ a b c "Raquel Rodríguez Bio". GoPSUsports.com. Penn State Athletics. Archived from the original on 23 October 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Raquel 'Rocky' Rodriguez has plans beyond soccer". Pennsylvania State University. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  4. ^ "Women's soccer: How Sky Blue's Raquel Rodríguez fought for a dream for all of Costa Rica". Excelle Sports. 1 May 2017. Retrieved 29 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e Lee, Allison (24 May 2016). "Raquel Rodríguez's journey to the NWSL anything but typical". Once A Metro. SB Nation.
  6. ^ "Penn State wins the 2015 DI Women's Soccer Championship". NCAA.com. Retrieved 16 January 2016.
  7. ^ "Rodriguez nominated for NCAA Woman of the Year | News, Sports, Jobs". The Express. Retrieved 20 March 2020.
  8. ^ "Raquel Rodríguez of Penn State Named Honda Sports Award Winner for Women's Soccer". CWSA. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 29 March 2020.
  9. ^ Scavuzzo, Diane (31 January 2016). "Sky Blue's Raquel Rodriguez - A Dream Comes True". GoalNation. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Raquel Rodriguez voted NWSL Rookie of the Year". FourFourTwo. 3 October 2016. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  11. ^ Forrester, Nick (21 June 2017). "Sky Blue FC's Raquel Rodriguez goal confirmed as fastest in NWSL history". Excelle Sports. Archived from the original on 14 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Glory add Costa Rican international for new season". Perth Glory. 12 October 2017. Archived from the original on 13 October 2017. Retrieved 12 October 2017.
  13. ^ "Sky Blue FC Acquires Margaret 'Midge' Purce from Portland Thorns FC". Sky Blue FC. 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 13 September 2020.
  14. ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 29 April 2016. Retrieved 23 March 2024.
  15. ^ "Angel City FC acquire midfielder Raquel "Rocky" Rodriguez via trade with Portland Thorns - Angels on Parade". angelsonparade.com. 23 January 2024. Retrieved 23 January 2024.
  16. ^ "Kansas City Current 4-2 Angel City FC (Mar 30, 2024) Final Score". ESPN. Retrieved 30 March 2024.
  17. ^ "National Women's Soccer League Official Site | NWSL". www.nwslsoccer.com. Retrieved 21 April 2024.
  18. ^ "Sydney Leroux's late goal gives Angel City a win over Racing Louisville". Los Angeles Times. Associated Press. 20 June 2024. Retrieved 20 June 2024.
  19. ^ "World Cup: Costa Rica and Spain settle for draw, 1–1". Los Angeles Times. 9 June 2015. Retrieved 13 June 2015.
  20. ^ "Entertaining battle sees debutants draw". FIFA. Archived from the original on 10 June 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  21. ^ "FIFA player's stats". FIFA. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 29 June 2015.
  22. ^ "Costa Rica joins U.S. women's national team in CONCACAF semifinals". espnW. 16 February 2016. Retrieved 18 February 2016.
  23. ^ "Game Details". Concacaf. 12 May 2023. Retrieved 20 March 2024.
  24. ^ Snipes, Tyler (22 August 2021). "The Portland Thorns are WICC Champions!". International Champions Cup. Archived from the original on 5 October 2021. Retrieved 5 October 2021.
  25. ^ "NWSL RECAP | Thorns claim 2021 NWSL Shield with 1-0 road win over Houston Dash | PTFC".
  26. ^ Azzi, Alex (30 October 2022). "Portland Thorns win 2022 NWSL Championship, MVP Smith scores game winner". On Her Turf. Retrieved 1 November 2022.
  27. ^ "SKY BLUE FC'S RAQUEL RODRIGUEZ VOTED ROOKIE OF THE YEAR | National Women's Soccer League". 4 October 2016. Archived from the original on 4 October 2016. Retrieved 20 November 2021.
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