Cristian Gonzáles
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Cristian Gérard Alfaro Gonzáles | ||
| Date of birth | 30 August 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Montevideo, Uruguay | ||
| Height | 1.76 m (5 ft 9 1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Striker | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Arema Cronus | ||
| Number | 10 | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1995–1999 | Sud América | 13 | (1) |
| 1997 | → Huracán Corrientes (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2000–2002 | Deportivo Maldonado | 22 | (1) |
| 2003–2004 | PSM Makassar | 56 | (32) |
| 2005–2008 | Persik Kediri | 106 | (100) |
| 2009–2011 | Persib Bandung | 72 | (78) |
| 2011–2012 | Persisam Putra Samarinda | 32 | (18) |
| 2013– | Arema Cronus | 57 | (46) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 1994–1996 | Uruguay U20 | 2 | (0) |
| 2010–2015 | Indonesia | 29 | (12) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 11 July 2012. | |||
Cristian Gérard Alfaro Gonzáles (born 30 August 1976) is an Uruguayan-Indonesian professional footballer who plays as a striker for Arema Cronus. He has been 4 times Liga Indonesia top scorer and has scored 191 goals in the Liga Indonesia. In his early career he played along with Álvaro Recoba in the Uruguay U20.[1] As of 3 November 2010, he officially holds an Indonesian passport and has become the first naturalized player to be called up to the Indonesian national football team.
Career in Uruguay
Sud America
In 1995, he joined the Uruguayan club Sud America. During the 28 months there, he played only once, scoring no goals.
Huracán Corrientes
He was loaned to Huracán Corrientes where he played three times without scoring a goal.
Back to Sud America
After being loaned to Huracán Corrientes, he went back to Sud America in the starting lineup. He played 12 times and scored one goal.
Deportivo Maldonado
In 2000, on expiry of his contract, he moved to Deportivo Maldonado on a free transfer. He played 22 times and scored one goal.
Career in Indonesia
PSM Makassar
He started playing in Indonesia in 2003, joining PSM Makassar. In that season he scored 27 goals. PSM won the Liga Indonesia in that season. He was fined Rp20 million for hitting one of the officials from Persita Tangerang and was suspended.
Persik Kediri
Free from suspension, he joined and led Persik Kediri to become champions of Liga Indonesia in 2006. In 2008 he was sentenced to suspension by the PSSI for unsportsmanlike behaviour. A financial crisis at Persik Kediri led Persik management to rationalize salaries. Gonzáles was one of the few players who was against the decision and looked for another club.
Persib Bandung
On 30 January 2009, Persib Bandung management announced that they had recruited Gonzáles with remission from PSSI chairman Nurdin Halid. Gonzáles was contracted as a loan from Persik Kediri and was paid 60 million rupiahs per month by Persib Bandung.
He debuted as a starter in the Super League for Persib against Persipura Jayapura in a 1–1 draw thanks to a goal he scored. In 2008 he played 16 times in the League and scored 14 goals, making Gonzáles a top scorer in the Super League.
After his contract at Persik Kediri expired, he was immediately hired by Persib Bandung. In the 2009–10 pre-season, he scored a goal for Persib in the East Java Government Cup. In the 2009–10 season, he scored 51 goals.
Persisam Putra Samarinda
In September 2011, he joined Persisam.
Arema Cronus
After his contract at Persisam Samarinda expired. He joined Arema Cronus and wear number 10 on his jersey and he will be the striker of Arema Cronus
International career
Although Gonzales began his career in Indonesia as an Uruguayan, he became an Indonesian national on 3 November 2010 after a six-year wait, including not going home to his father's funeral.[2] He is the first naturalized football player in Indonesia and the first to join the Indonesia national football team. His debut with the national team was on 21 November 2010, in a friendly game against Timor-Leste, where he scored twice in a 6–0 win.[3]
International goals
- Score and Result list Indonesia'a goal tally first
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 21 November 2010 | Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium, Palembang, Indonesia |  Timor-Leste | | | Friendly | |
| 2. | | ||||||
| 3. | 24 November 2010 | Gelora Sriwijaya Stadium, Palembang, Indonesia |  Chinese Taipei | | | Friendly | |
| 4. | 1 December 2010 | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Tanah Abang, Indonesia |  Malaysia | | | 2010 AFF Championship | |
| 5. | 16 December 2010 | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Tanah Abang, Indonesia |  Philippines | | | 2010 AFF Championship | |
| 6. | 19 December 2010 | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Tanah Abang, Indonesia | Philippines | | | 2010 AFF Championship | |
| 7. | 28 July 2011 | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Tanah Abang, Indonesia |  Turkmenistan | | | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification | |
| 8. | | ||||||
| 9. | 22 August 2011 | Manahan Stadium, Surakarta, Indonesia |  Palestine | | | Friendly | |
| 10. | 11 October 2011 | Gelora Bung Karno Stadium, Tanah Abang, Indonesia |  Qatar | | | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification[lower-alpha 1] | |
| 11. | | ||||||
| 12. | 30 March 2015 | Delta Stadium, Sidoarjo, Indonesia |  Myanmar | | | Friendly |
- ↑ Different qualification round as to goals 7 and 8.
Personal life
Gonzáles was born in Uruguay. He converted to Islam after he gained Indonesian passport in 2010.
Controversies
Gonzáles is known for his temper, and has been reprimanded by the PSSI on a number of occasions.[4][5]
Trivia
He is one of the most lethal strikers in the history of the Indonesian football competition. His ability to kick, head, score, and in positioning and game vision are renowned, and he has a strong physique.
When playing in Uruguay, he was an attacking midfielder. He was not at his best before finally moving to Indonesia and joining PSM Makassar as a striker. Since then he has proved his quality as a powerful striker.
Cristian Gonzales is a popular figure among Indonesians and has starred in commercials speaking Bahasa Indonesia.
In 2006, he was the most expensive player in the Liga Indonesia according to the data from the Indonesian Football Association at Rp 1.2 billion[6]
On 21 November 2010 Cristian Gonzales debuted as a member of Indonesia's national football team in a game against Timor Leste scoring two goals, and has now joined Indonesia's core national football team in the 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup.
References
External links
- Cristian Gonzáles at National-Football-Teams.com