Dražen Vuković
Vuković in 2013
Personal information
Date of birth (1981-12-14) 14 December 1981
Place of birth Slavonski Brod, SFR Yugoslavia
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Hajduk Split
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 Zadar
2007–2008 Slavonac CO
2008–2009 Junak Sinj
2009–2010 Solin
2010 Brantford Galaxy
2010–2011 Junak Sinj
2011–2012 Solin 10 (2)
2012 Hrvace
2012–2015 SC Waterloo Region
2013 Junak Sinj 7 (0)
2016 Hamilton City
2017 SC Waterloo Region
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Dražen Vuković (born December 14, 1981) is a Croatian former footballer who played as a forward.

Playing career

Croatia

Vuković played at the youth level with Hajduk Split where he appeared in 11 friendly matches.[1] In 2005, he played in the Croatian Second Football League with NK Zadar and departed from the club the following season.[2] He remained in the second tier by signing with NK Slavonac CO in 2008 in his native region of Slavonia.[3] After a season in Slavonia, he signed with Junak Sinj and received the Dite Maligana award in his debut season.[3][4] He continued his journeyman career in the second division by signing with NK Solin for the 2009-10 season.[5]

Brantford

In 2010, he played abroad in the Canadian Soccer League with expansion side Brantford Galaxy.[6] He made his debut for the club on May 16, 2010, against Portugal FC where he recorded a goal.[7] Vuković also assisted the club in achieving their first victory against Toronto Croatia.[8] After an impressive start with Brantford, he was invited along with teammate Miodrag Anđelković to train with Toronto FC of the Major League Soccer.[9] His trial run with TFC resulted in an appearance in a friendly match against Bolton Wanderers F.C.[10][11][12] Unfortunately, his season was cut short as he received an injury around August 2010.[13] Brantford would go on to claim the CSL Championship after defeating Hamilton Croatia.[14]

Return to Croatia

After a short stint in North America, he returned to Croatia in late 2010 to rejoin his former club Junak Sinj.[15] In 2011, he competed once more in the second trier with his former club NK Solin.[16] In his second tenure with Solin, he appeared in 10 matches and recorded 2 goals.[17] Following a two-year stint in the Croatian second division, he played in the Croatian Third Football League in 2012 with NK Hrvace.

He would appear on the Croatian football scene one final time in the winter of 2013 after the conclusion of the 2012 CSL season to sign with former club Junak Sinj.[18] In his final season in the second tier, he appeared in 7 matches.[19]

Waterloo

He return to Canada in 2012 to sign with SC Waterloo Region in the CSL's First Division.[20] Vuković recorded his first pair of goals for Waterloo on May 30, 2012, against London City.[21] In his debut season, he finished as the league's top goal scorer with 20 goals.[22] Though Waterloo would fail to secure the final playoff berth by two points.[23]

After spending the winter months in Europe he re-signed with Waterloo for the 2013 season.[24] He finished the season with 15 goals in 25 matches.[25] He helped Waterloo secure a postseason berth and recorded a goal in the opening round of the playoffs against Brampton United which advanced the club to the next round.[26] In the semifinals, he recorded the tying goal against Toronto Croatia where Waterloo won the match in a penalty shootout.[27] He started in the championship final match against Kingston FC where Waterloo successfully secured the title.[28]

He returned for his third season in 2014.[29] The club successfully qualified for the playoffs but was eliminated in the opening round to Toronto Croatia.[30] For the 2015 season, he was named the team captain for Waterloo.[31] The team reached the championship final but was defeated by Toronto Croatia.[32] In 2016, Waterloo was relegated to the Second Division which resulted in Vuković signing with league rivals Hamilton City.[33][34] Hamilton reached the championship final but was defeated by the Serbian White Eagles.[35] In 2017, he returned for his final season with Waterloo when the club was promoted back to the first division.[36]

Honors

Brantford Galaxy

SC Waterloo Region

References

  1. ↑ "Players database • HNK Hajduk Split". hajduk.hr (in Croatian). Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  2. ↑ "Malo pojačanja i puno "pojačanja"" [A little boost and a lot of "boost"]. Zadarski list (in Croatian). 29 December 2008. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Slobodna Dalmacija - "Dite Maligana": Sinjski navijači nagradili vitezove sporta" ["Dite Maligana": Sinj fans awarded the knights of sports]. slobodnadalmacija.hr (in Croatian). 18 April 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  4. ↑ "Slobodna Dalmacija - 2. i 3. HNL: Važne pobjede Imotskog i Trogira" [2nd and 3rd HNL: Important victories of Imotski and Trogir]. slobodnadalmacija.hr (in Croatian). 28 March 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  5. ↑ "Sportske novosti - Nova blamaža Hajduka: Bijeli izgubili na gostovanju u obližnjem Solinu!" [New Embarrassment for Hajduk: The Whites Lost on the Road in nearby Solin]. sportske.jutarnji.hr (in Croatian). 3 September 2009. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  6. ↑ Smiley, Brian (6 May 2010). "Lazo is in charge". Brantford Expositor. pp. B1.
  7. ↑ Smiley, Brian (17 May 2010). "Galaxy opener is a night of firsts". Brantford Expositor. pp. B1.
  8. ↑ "Franchise notches first victory". Brantford Expositor. 25 May 2010. pp. B1.
  9. ↑ Smiley, Brian (15 July 2010). "European imports bolster Galaxy". Brantford Expositor. pp. B1.
  10. ↑ Fitz-Gerald, Sean (22 July 2010). "Toronto FC falls in penalties in friendly against touring English team Bolton". Whitehorse Star. p. 19.
  11. ↑ "Galaxy Players Face Bolton". Brantford Expositor. 23 July 2010. pp. B2.
  12. ↑ "TFC loses on penalties to EPL club Bolton - Sportsnet.ca". www.sportsnet.ca. 22 July 2010. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  13. ↑ "Galaxy Add Players". Brantford Expositor. 13 August 2010. pp. B1.
  14. ↑ Moko, Larry (1 November 2010). "Galaxy shines in CSL title victory". Hamilton Spectator. pp. SP7.
  15. ↑ "SLUŽBENO GLASILO DRUGE HNL" [Official Gazette of the Second HNL]. docplayer.si. 1 June 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2022.
  16. ↑ "Subotnji nogomet: U derbiju Nedelišće i Čakovec praznih pušaka" [Saturday football: In the derby Nedelišće and Čakovec empty guns]. eMedjimurje.hr (in Croatian). 5 November 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "Profile of D. Vuković: Info, news, matches and statistics | BeSoccer". www.besoccer.com. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  18. ↑ Balajić, Stipe. "Sinjske Novine Napadač Dražen Vuković, povratnik u redove Plavih" [Striker Dražen Vuković, returning to the ranks of the Blues] (PDF). sinjske novine. p. 38. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  19. ↑ "Croatia - D. Vuković - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". ca.soccerway.com. Retrieved 2022-08-01.
  20. ↑ McCracken, Ryan (3 May 2012). "New soccer entry to kick off season: Local team joins the Canadian Soccer League's first division". Waterloo Region Record. pp. C1.
  21. ↑ McCracken, Ryan (22 May 2012). "SC Waterloo continues to impress". Waterloo Region Record. pp. C2.
  22. ↑ "CSL Awards". Brantford Expositor. 27 November 2012. pp. B4.
  23. ↑ "SC goes out winning". Waterloo Region Record. 9 October 2012. pp. D3.
  24. ↑ "New soccer club burned in first week". Waterloo Region Record. 29 May 2013. pp. E2.
  25. ↑ Bryson, Mark (1 November 2013). "SC Waterloo seeks double championship: Local squad's 'B' team faces Toronto Croatia reserves for the CSL second division title". Waterloo Region Record. pp. C10.
  26. ↑ "SC Waterloo advance to semifinals". Waterloo Region Record. 15 October 2013. pp. D2.
  27. ↑ "SC Waterloo edges Toronto". Waterloo Region Record. 21 October 2013. pp. D2.
  28. ↑ "In Brief". Brantford Expositor. 5 November 2013. pp. B2.
  29. ↑ Faris, Nick (16 June 2014). "Kingston rallies for tie ; SOCCER: Ryan McCurdy's late goal enables local club to earn 4-4 draw against SC Waterloo". Kingston Whig Standard. pp. C1.
  30. ↑ "SC Waterloo out of playoffs". Waterloo Region Record. 15 October 2014. pp. C9.
  31. ↑ "SC Waterloo falls, 2-1, on road to Scarborough". Waterloo Region Record. 6 July 2015. pp. D2.
  32. ↑ "Toronto Croatia captures 10th CSL title". Mississauga News. 29 October 2015.
  33. ↑ Adamson, Stan (4 April 2016). "CSL Set for May Kickoff". Canadian Soccer League. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  34. ↑ "Hamilton City". 2017-01-19. Archived from the original on 2017-01-19. Retrieved 2017-09-03.
  35. ↑ "Champions". serbianwhiteeagles.ca. 31 October 2016. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
  36. ↑ Adamson, Stan (12 May 2017). "Late Stepaniuk Goal Saves Vorkuta ..... The CSL Weekend Wrap-up". Canadian Soccer League. Retrieved 1 August 2022.
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