Former Major League Soccer Newcomer of the Year, MLS Cup Champion and LAFC’s 2022 leading scorer Chicho Arango joins Real Salt Lake as the Club’s third Designated Player.
Arango took MLS by storm when he first joined the reigning league champions in 2021, scoring 14 goals in 17 games, and making his first ever appearance for the Colombian National Team. He followed up his inaugural season by scoring 16 goals and helping LAFC win the Supporters Shield and their first ever MLS Cup. Over the span of his MLS career before joining Liga MX side Pachuca in 2023, Arango established himself as one of the league's most prolific strikers and best overall players. In all competitions, Arango scored 35 goals in only 58 appearances for LAFC, which earned him a spot as a MLS MVP finalist in 2022.
The first match for which Arango will be eligible to play for RSL would be July 8th against Orlando City at America First Field. Tickets are available here.
Chicho will be making his first appearance at America First Field at halftime of the June 10 match against NYCFC where he will be introduced to the Claret-and-Cobalt faithful. There will also be free “Chicho” personalization on all Beehive State kits at the RSL Team Store on June 10. RSL's newest signing will wear the #9 jersey when he arrives.
Here is everything you need to know about Arango's career prior to joining RSL:
- Arango, 28, was born in Medellin, Colombia
- He began as a 17-year-old in his home country of Colombia with Enviagdo FC in the the top-flight professional league in Colombia, Categoria Primera A.
- In three seasons with Enviagdo, Arango recorded nine goals and eight assists in 82 appearances, earning a loan to Valencia B, the reserve side for the Spanish football club. In his one season in Spain with Valencia B, Arango scored nine goals in 26 appearances.
- Ahead of the 2017 season Arango made a move to Colombian giants, Millonarios where he netted three goals in 12 matches, helping his club lift its 15th Liga Águila title before securing a deal with Benfica in Portugal.
- Throughout his time with Benfica, Arango saw himself loaned out twice, first to C.D. Aves where he scored three goals in 22 games played, winning the Taça de Portugal. The next season Arango was loaned out to C.D. Tondela where he again scored three goals, this time in 21 matches.
- Arango then returned to Millonarios in Colombia where he scored 24 goals in 60 matches, gaining the attention of Los Angeles FC in Major League Soccer.
- The Colombia forward burst onto the American soccer scene in 2021, scoring 14 goals in 17 matches his first season, earning the title of 2021 MLS Newcomer of the Year. In his second season with LAFC Arango led his team in the regular season with 16 goals in 34 matches to clinch the 2022 Supporter’s Shield. In the postseason Arango netted two goals in three matches on the team’s way to winning its first MLS Cup, beating Philadelphia Union in penalty kicks. For his performance that season Arango was named a finalist for the 2022 Landon Donovan MVP award.
- Across two seasons with LAFC Arango was named to Team of the Week five times, earning Player of the Week twice. In both seasons he finished as LAFC’s leading scorer.
- This past season Arango moved to Mexico where he recorded five goals and two assists in 13 games with CF Pachuca in Liga MX.
Fast Facts:
- Arango is RSL’s 11th all-time Designated Player and the Club’s first new DP since Jefferson Savarino (33 goals in 114 games) rejoined Real Salt Lake in August of 2022. The two join Captain Damir Kreilach (45 goals in 137 games) as the team’s three current Designated Players. Former Designated Players include, Alvaro Saborio (63 goals in 127 games), Javier Morales (49 goals in 240 games), Kyle Beckerman (30 goals in 350 games), Joao Plata (46 goals in 175 games), Sebastian Jaime (5 goals in 27 games), Juan Manuel Martinez (8 goals in 50 games), Yura Morsisyan (31 goals in 110 games), Albert Rusnak (41 goals in 140 games) and Sam Johnson (10 goals in 34 games).
- Arango becomes just the fourth-ever RSL player to have been named a finalist for the Landon Donovan Most Valuable Player award, having been nominated after the 2022 season. He joins Clint Mathis who was nominated in 2000 as a member of the MetroStars (now New York Red Bulls) and Jeff Cunningham who received the nomination while with Real Salt Lake in 2006 and with Dallas Burn (now FC Dallas) in 2009. Former Head Coach and RSL Legend Jason Kreis is still the only member to have worn the Claret-and-Cobalt and won the league’s MVP award, winning it in 1999 with the Dallas Burn.
- Arango becomes the third current member and sixth all-time of the Claret-and-Cobalt to hail from Colombia, joining elite company that includes current Real Monarchs Head Coach Jamison Olave who appeared in 120 matches during his tenure with Real Salt Lake, while also helping the Club capture its only league title in 2009. Olmes Garcia (104 appearances) and Sebastian Velazquez (43 appearances) make up the other two members of the trio of former RSL men that are from Colombia. Meanwhile, current center back Brayan Vera and Andrés Goméz are the other two members of RSL who are currently from Colombia. Never in RSL’s history has the team had three Colombians on its team at one time, Arango’s arrival will mark the first.
- Having appeared in two matches for Colombia, Arango becomes the first member of Real Salt Lake to have made his national team debut for Los Cafeteros, and just the 10th active player in Major League Soccer.
- Fellow Colombian and now RSL teammate Andrés Goméz crossed over with Arango at Millonarios F.C. during the 2021 season. However, Goméz did not make his Millonarios debut until after Arango had already departed to join LAFC.
- Arango is now the second player in RSL history to have won the MLS Newcomer of the Year award, joining Alvaro Saborio who won the award with Real Salt Lake in 2010.
- Arango is the only player on the current RSL roster to have lifted an MLS Cup, having won it in 2022 with LAFC. Additionally, other than midfielder Scott Caldwell who won the award in 2021 with New England Revolution, Arango is the only current player to have won the Supporter’s Shield, clinching the title with LAFC, also in 2022.
