Minnesota United announced today the club has signed Argentine forward Ramón “Wanchope” Ábila from Club Atlético Boca Juniors of Argentina’s Primera División. This is a season-long loan from Boca, using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM), with an option to buy. Ábila will join the Loons pending a physical, receipt of his P1 Visa and ITC and completion of league-mandated quarantine. Additionally, Ábila will occupy an international spot on Minnesota’s roster.
“We’ve tried long and hard all offseason to bring in someone with a nose for goal — everyone knows that — and then Ramon became available,” said Head Coach Adrian Heath. “Great goal-scoring record. He’s a big strong body, with good technical ability. He can do a bit of everything. Good with his back to goal, good at posting up, he’s got good movement in the box, very strong, very aggressive. When the opportunity arose, we thought it was something we must take. The fact that he and Reynoso played together — and you saw the reaction when he came into the building with Rey — it’s a big teammate of his, big friend of his. But most importantly, we know he’s scored goals, he’s used to playing under pressure. Being the number nine for Boca Juniors comes with certain sorts of pressure and intensity and he’s been able to deal with that and has coped well in living up to that. If he can score the goals we think he will, we think he’s going to be another great piece for us.”
“I liked the club, especially with what Bebelo [Reynoso] had told me about how things were going for him and what the team had accomplished last season,” said Ábila. “And, upon seeing the facilities and the league, all of that was seductive to me to come here to compete and to accomplish great things.”
Abila, 31, joins Minnesota United from Boca Juniors, where he was a former teammate of current Loon Emanuel Reynoso. With 81 total appearances for Boca, across all competitions, Abila has 34 goals and 13 assists, most recently 12 goals during the 2019-2020 season. Like Reynoso, Abila is from Córdoba, Argentina and is a product of the youth program of Instituto Atletico Central Córdoba. At 19, he made his professional debut in 2008 for the Instituto AC Córdoba’s first team in the Primera Nacional — the Argentine second division — where he made 31 appearances. In 2014, Abila signed with Club Atletico Huracán, where he was one of the top scorers at Copa Sudamericana 2015, a title he still holds with five goals. He was also part of a Huracán squad that won the 2013-14 Copa Argentina and the 2014 Supercopa Argentina.
Club Atletico Boca Juniors of Buenos Aires, Argentina is the most successful soccer team in Argentina and one of the most popular clubs in the country, next to River Plate. Founded in 1905, the 114-year-old club is ranked third in the world in terms of international titles with 22, only behind Egyptian Premier League side Al Ahly (24) and Real Madrid (26). Boca has 68 titles to date, including 33 Superliga championships and 13 domestic cups.
MNUFC returns to the pitch for its fifth season in MLS. Follow Minnesota United’s social channels and check our website at mnufc.com for regular updates on the club.
Transaction: Minnesota United signs Ramón Ábila on a season-long loan using Targeted Allocation Money (TAM).
VITALS
Ramón Ábila
Position: Forward
Date of birth: 10.14.1989 (31 years old)
Height: 5’9”
Last club: Club Atlético Boca Juniors
Birthplace: Córdoba, Argentina
Hometown: Córdoba, Argentina
Citizenship: Argentina
