Eduardo Vargas: From McMahon to Iona College

Tarcy Castro
PrideTime Reporter

Eduardo Vargas (‘19), mostly known by his fellow classmates as ‘Eddy’, has recently committed to Iona College where he will be playing soccer for the next four years. Vargas has been playing since the age of 6, his hard work and dedication paid off and he will be joining the Gael family this upcoming fall.

After playing the sport for many years, Vargas reveals that he hasn’t always been a fan of soccer. “My parents forced me to play soccer, even though I wanted to play football because I was a big and chubby baby. Sometimes I would even cry because I didn’t want to play soccer, but when I noticed I was sort of good, I enjoyed playing and everything went uphill from there.”

Vargas would often travel to different states for soccer showcases where he would show off his wonderful skills in hopes of getting contacted by coaches from many different colleges. This is when he first heard from Iona.

“I first heard about Iona when the coaches reached out to my parents after seeing me at a showcase in Texas, asking about me and if I wanted to train with them over the summer.”

While still getting offers from different schools, he always had Iona on his mind.

“It was not my first choice, but definitely in my top three. Northeastern University was my first choice and Elon University was my second, but they didn’t offer enough money and they didn’t have much interest after I got injured and was out for a while my junior season.”

Vargas got to know more about Iona and built a relationship with the coach, helping his decision of choosing a school a little easier.

“I knew Iona was the right choice when the coach offered me a lot and guaranteed me a good career and playing time as long as I work hard. The people there were great and I am looking forward to be attending.”

Melanie Vargas (19’), a long-time friend of Eddy said, “Eddy is a great player and I think he deserves everything he is accomplishing. I am truly happy for him.”

Vargas’ future plans for his soccer career is to get better everyday at the sport he loves playing the most and to do well in college. He hopes to get chosen for the Major League Soccer (MLS) draft or go pro overseas.