Vanessa Michelle Kara González (born 27 November 1996) is a professional footballer who plays as a forward. Born in the United States, she plays for the Dominican Republic women's national team.[1]
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Vanessa Michelle Kara González | ||
| Date of birth | 27 November 1996 | ||
| Place of birth | Burlington, New Jersey, U.S. | ||
| Height | 1.63 m (5 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| PDA Force | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2015–2017 | Drexel Dragons | 53 | (22) |
| 2019 | Florida Gators | 20 | (10) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2020 | TiPS | 9 | (2) |
| 2021 | Racing Louisville | 1 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2021– | Dominican Republic | 4 | (3) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 03:50, 16 April 2021 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 22 October 2021. | |||
Early life
editBorn in Burlington, New Jersey to a Dominican mother,[2] Kara began playing soccer at the Bridle Club in her hometown, playing alongside her brothers.[3] She soon joined the PDA Fusion, part of the Players Development Academy.[3] During her club and her high school career at Moorestown Friends School, Kara suffered two ACL tears in both knees.[3] During her senior year of high school, Kara committed to playing for the Drexel Dragons of Drexel University.[3]
During her first season with Drexel Dragons, she recorded a team record 11 goals in 18 matches, and was named the 2015 CAA Rookie of the Year.[4] In her sophomore year, Kara scored 6 goals and contributed 5 assists as she earned All-CAA First Team honors.[4] During her final season with the Dragons, she scored 5 goals.[4] Prior to the 2017 playoffs, Kara tore her ACL again and had to red shirt during what would have been her senior year.[3]
In 2019, Kara left Drexel University, and joined the Florida Gators of the University of Florida.[3] One of her former coaches had recommended Kara to Gators head coach Becky Burleigh.[3] During her only season with the Florida Gators, Kara scored a team leading 10 goals, tied for 5th in the Southeastern Conference.[5]
Club career
editOn 16 January 2020, Kara was eligible for selection in the NWSL College Draft but was not selected.[6] The day after the draft, Kara received a call from North Carolina Courage head coach Paul Riley to join the team for preseason.[6] Later that year, Kara joined Kansallinen Liiga club TiPS.[7] She made her debut for the side on 22 August 2020 against Åland United, starting in a 3–0 defeat.[8] Kara then scored her first goal on 5 September against PK-35, scoring the only goal in a 1–0 victory.[9]
Racing Louisville
editOn 5 April 2021, after training with them during preseason, Kara returned to the United States and joined National Women's Soccer League club Racing Louisville.[10] She made her professional debut for the club on 15 April 2021 in the NWSL Challenge Cup against the Washington Spirit, coming on as an 89th-minute substitute in a 1–0 defeat.[11]
International career
editKara made her senior debut for the Dominican Republic on 22 October 2021, starting in a 3–0 friendly home win over Bolivia. During the match, she scored a brace and assisted the remaining goal.[12]
Career statistics
edit- As of match played 15 April 2021[13]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| TiPS | 2020 | Kansallinen Liiga | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 2 |
| Racing Louisville | 2021 | National Women's Soccer League | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | 10 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 2 | ||
Honours
editIndividual
- 2015 CAA Rookie of the Year
References
edit- ^ "Called up for friendlies, Kara to represent Dominican Republic". Racing Louisville FC. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 16 September 2021.
- ^ "Called up for friendlies, Kara to represent Dominican Republic". Racing Louisville FC. 14 September 2021. Retrieved 23 September 2021.
- ^ a b c d e f g Marsh, Graham (15 November 2019). "Beating the odds: Kara overcomes injuries, transfer". The Independent Florida Alligator. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ a b c "Vanessa Kara - Drexel Dragons". Drexel Dragons.
- ^ "Vanessa Kara - Florida Gators". Florida Gators.
- ^ a b Miceli, John (22 March 2020). "Feature: Two Gator Soccer Players Trying to Go Pro". WRUF. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Six former Gators prepare for NWSL opening day". The Independent Florida Alligator. 9 April 2021. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "TiPS 0–3 Åland United". Soccerway.
- ^ "PK-35 0–1 TiPS". Soccerway.
- ^ Gardner, Hayes (5 April 2021). "Racing Louisville FC announces 22-player roster ahead of club's debut". Courier-Journal. Retrieved 15 April 2021.
- ^ "Washington Spirit 1–0 Racing Louisville". Soccerway.
- ^ "Vanessa Kara sacó la casta por la SEDOFUTBOL Femenina ante Bolivia" [Vanessa Kara took the breed for the Women's SEDOFUTBOL against Bolivia]. Acento (in Spanish). RécoRD. 22 October 2021. Retrieved 23 October 2021.
- ^ Vanessa Kara at Soccerway
