Freddy Gonzalez (Filipino footballer)

Alfredo Fernando Razón "Freddy" González (born 1 October 1978 in Parañaque[1]) is a Filipino former football player. He is the current national team director of the Philippine Football Federation and the current team manager of the Philippines national team.[2] He is the current interim team manager for the Philippines women's national team, after the resignation of Jefferson Cheng.

Freddy Gonzalez
Personal information
Full name Alfredo Fernando Razón Gonzalez
Date of birth (1978-01-10) 10 January 1978 (age 46) [1]
Place of birth Mandaluyong, Philippines
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
1998–1999 Portland Pilots
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2003 Kaya 45 (16)
2003 Ngân hàng Đông Á 15 (2)
2004–2012 Pachanga Diliman 127 (51)
2013–2015 Loyola Meralco Sparks 42 (5)
International career
1997–2002 Philippines (4)
Managerial career
2024– Philippines (general manager[a])
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:30, 28 February 2015 (UTC)

Early years

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Gonzalez's mother, Terry Razón, enrolled him to Tomas Lozano's Makati Football School (MFS) at age six. He later became the high school football star of Colegio de San Agustin. Gonzalez earned himself a soccer scholarship to the University of Portland, then considered one of the most professionally run (football wise) and well coached university teams in the US.[3] He stayed there for two years (1998/99) and honed his offensive skills playing for the Portland Pilots, the school soccer team.

Club career

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Learning the game from Spanish expatriate, Tomas Lozano, Gonzalez tried out with French club Calais RUFC coached by Ladislas Lozano, Tomas' brother, in 2000. Gonzalez trained in France for two weeks but was sidelined due to a torn hamstring. By the time he was recovered from injury, Lozano had already accepted a coaching job in Morocco.

Due to impressing team manager Nguyen Tien Huy of the V-League club Ngân hàng Đông Á (East Asian Commercial Bank FC) for his play for the Philippines in the 2002 Tiger Cup in Jakarta, Gonzalez signed a one-year contract with the club in January 2003.[4]

He also played for Komodo AS of Indonesia in 2004, being the only active Filipino professional player at that time.[5] He was a part-time player in Europe and also played for Kaya in the Philippines. Unfortunately, right after his contract with the Vietnam professional club expired Gonzalez retired from playing football, concentrating more into his interest in surfing and other business ventures such as bringing in the Brazilian flip flops brand Havaianas into the Philippines. [6]

Return to football

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However, he put up the team Pachanga for the United Football League Division 2 in 2011.[7]

In January 2012, for the first time in almost half a decade of retirement, he played for Pachanga. He scored in his debut in the 4-0 win against Agila in the opening match.[8]

In the mid of June 2012, he led the team to the championship in Division 2 having 123 goals in the league.[9] He won the Division 2's Golden Ball and Golden Boot Awards together with teammate Kenneth Dolloso, which won the Best Goalkeeper Award.[10]

Loyola

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On January 7, 2013, Gonzales transferred to Loyola before the start of 2013 PFF–Smart National Championship knockout stage and UFL 4th season.[11]

International career

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Gonzalez made his debut for the Philippine national team in the 1997 South East Asian Games.[12] He then played in the then "ASEAN Tiger Cup," (now Suzuki Cup), in Vietnam in 1998.[5] He has, since then, represented the country in South East Asian Games (particularly the 1999 SEA Games in Brunei), in the Tiger Cup,[13] and in any other invitational and qualifying tournaments.

International goals

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Scores and results list the Philippines' goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. 29 August 1998 Thong Nhat Stadium, Ho Chi Minh City   Thailand 1–1 1–3 1998 Tiger Cup
2. 31 August 1998   Myanmar 1–1 2–5
3. 2–1
4. 17 December 2002 Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Jakarta   Myanmar 1–6 1–6 2002 Tiger Cup

Sports executive career

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Football

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Philippines national team

On 11 January 2024, it was announced that Gonzalez was appointed as the new national teams director of the Philippine Football Federation and team manager of the Philippines national team, succeeding long-time national team manager Dan Palami.[2][14]

Personal life

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Gonzalez graduated with an Engineering degree. He is married to Regina Anne Marie Arcenas-Gonzalez, Managing Director of Terry S.A., Inc. (Official distributor of Havaianas, David & Goliath, Pininho, and Dupe in the Philippines). With his varied interests, he opened "Aloha Board Sports," a shop that catered to skaters and surfers. He also owned a skate shop at the Global City in Taguig called 5-O.[12]

Honours

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Club

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Pachanga
Loyola

Individual

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Notes

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  1. ^ General manager role. The role of the head coach is separate position.

References

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General
  • "football forum". Archived from the original on 20 February 2010. Retrieved 14 February 2010.
  • "Fifa.com". Archived from the original on 11 October 2008. Retrieved 13 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
Specific
  1. ^ a b "Gonzalez, Alfredo (Player Profile)". uflphilippines.com.ph. United Football League. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  2. ^ a b "PFF appoints Freddy Gonzalez as Director of National Teams". Philippine Football Federation. 11 January 2024. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
  3. ^ "Alfredo Razon Gonzalez | Usapang Football | Philippine Football Forum".
  4. ^ "Pinoy import laments soccer rut in RP » the Dean's Corner by Quinito …". www.philstar.com. Archived from the original on 30 October 2012. Retrieved 27 January 2022.
  5. ^ a b "PFF sets tone for soccer revival » the Dean's Corner by Quinito Henso…". The Philippine STAR. Archived from the original on 26 October 2012.
  6. ^ Ashley Martelino (11 December 2020). "Terry S.A.: The Company Behind Havaianas in the Philippines". Spot.ph. Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  7. ^ Bob Guerrero (7 April 2014). "UFL: Freddy Gonzalez Turns Back the Clock". Retrieved 2 July 2024.
  8. ^ Olivares, Rick (15 January 2012). "Former national striker Freddie Gonzalez makes a smashing return in a Pachanga victory". Retrieved 3 February 2012.
  9. ^ Decena, Karl (16 June 2012). "Pachanga defeats Agila, secures UFL Division One promotion". interaksyon.com. TV5. Archived from the original on 18 August 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  10. ^ InterAKTV (26 June 2012). "Azkals de Murga, Younghusband win UFL top individual awards". interaksyon.com. TV5. Archived from the original on 30 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  11. ^ Decena, Karl (7 January 2013). "Former national team star Freddy Gonzalez joins Loyola Meralco Sparks". interaksyon.com. TV5. Archived from the original on 11 January 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2012.
  12. ^ a b "Azkals' joint: Alfredo Fernando Razón Gonzalez: A man before his time!". 29 October 2011.
  13. ^ Burkert, Sturmius; Courtney, Barrie (8 December 2004). "ASEAN ("Tiger") Cup 2002 (Indonesia and Singapore)". RSSSF. Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  14. ^ Villanueva, Ralph Edwin (11 January 2024). "Gonzalez appointed director of Philippine national football teams". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 11 January 2024.
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Freddy Gonzalez at National-Football-Teams.com