1. Early life
Erickson Gallardo began his football journey at the young age of four, playing at Fundarleo Raúl Leoni where he was coached by his own father. He continued his youth development with local clubs such as Santa Bárbara and Potros de Barinas FC. At the age of 17, Gallardo joined Zamora FC, a club based in his hometown of Barinas.
2. Club career
Gallardo's professional club career began with Zamora FC, leading to a move to Major League Soccer with Toronto FC, a loan spell with Toronto FC II, another return to Zamora, a stint with Phoenix Rising FC in the USL Championship, and most recently, joining Carabobo F.C..
2.1. Zamora FC (first stint)
Gallardo made his first-team debut for Zamora FC on 16 February 2014, in a match against Atlético El Vigía. After two years with limited appearances, he established himself as a regular player during the 2016 season at nineteen years old. His impact grew, particularly in the 2017 season where he played 31 matches, and in the 2018 season, he recorded a career-high of 38 appearances and 6 goals, contributing significantly to the club's success. In the second leg of the 2018 Apertura Final, Gallardo scored the decisive goal in a 1-0 victory, which secured Zamora FC the title with a 2-1 aggregate win. During his initial tenure with the club, he contributed to Zamora winning four league titles in 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2018. He also made appearances in continental competitions for Zamora FC, including the Copa Sudamericana and Copa Libertadores.
2.2. Toronto FC
In July 2019, Gallardo signed with Toronto FC in Major League Soccer. Toronto FC acquired his MLS rights from Orlando City SC, who held him on their Discovery List, in exchange for 50.00 K USD of General Allocation Money. Shortly after joining the club, Gallardo suffered a quad strain. He made his debut for Toronto on 7 August 2019 in a Canadian Championship match against Ottawa Fury FC. On 15 September, he recorded his first MLS assist against the Colorado Rapids. In his debut season, having joined mid-season, Gallardo made only five appearances. Coach Greg Vanney attributed this to his late arrival, opting to utilize players who had been with the team all season due to their familiarity with the system. He did not feature in the playoffs, although Toronto FC advanced to the MLS Cup finals, finishing as runner-ups.
On 7 April 2021, in a CONCACAF Champions League match against Mexican club León, Gallardo came on as a substitute and contributed to the tying goal in the first leg by intercepting the ball and making a pass that was deflected by a defender for an own goal. However, he later had to leave the match due to an injury, which required him to undergo right groin surgery. At the conclusion of the 2021 season, Gallardo's contract with Toronto FC expired, and he departed the club.
2.3. Toronto FC II (loan)
In 2021, after recovering from his injury, Erickson Gallardo was loaned to Toronto FC II, the reserve team for Toronto FC, for a period of matches. During this loan spell, he made three appearances in the USL League One competition.
2.4. Zamora FC (second stint)
In 2022, Gallardo returned to Zamora FC, joining them for their preseason preparations. This move came despite interest from several other clubs, including the MLS club Inter Miami CF. In his debut match during this second stint, he scored a goal in a 2-0 victory against Estudiantes de Mérida. Overall in the 2022 season, he made 31 appearances and scored 10 goals for Zamora.
2.5. Phoenix Rising FC
On 9 November 2022, Gallardo signed with Phoenix Rising FC of the USL Championship for the 2023 season. During his time with the club, he made 17 league appearances, scoring 1 goal. He also played in 4 playoff matches and 2 cup matches.
2.6. Carabobo FC
In July 2024, Gallardo returned to the Venezuelan Primera División, transferring to Carabobo.
3. International career
Erickson Gallardo's international career includes appearances for the Venezuela national football team and call-ups for significant matches.
In May 2019, he received his first call-up to the Venezuela national football team. He made his senior international debut on 1 June 2019, in a 1-1 friendly draw against Ecuador, coming on as a substitute and playing for seven minutes. Although he was considered a potential candidate for the Copa América 2019 squad, he was ultimately not selected. In June 2022, after a three-year absence from the national team, he was called up again for matches against Malta and Saudi Arabia, but remained an unused substitute in both games.
4. Personal life
Erickson Gallardo is widely known in Venezuelan football by his nickname MeteoroMeteorSpanish. This moniker was given to him due to his exceptional speed on the field. He stands at 65 in (165 cm) tall and weighs 141 lb (64 kg), and is right-footed. In 2019, Gallardo and his wife welcomed their daughter, who was born in Canada during his time playing for Toronto FC.
5. Career statistics
Statistics are accurate as of match played 13 November 2023 for clubs and 22 September 2022 for international matches.
5.1. Club
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Cup | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Zamora | 2013-14 | Venezuelan Primera División | 1 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2014-15 | 3 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | |||
| 2015 | 5 | 0 | - | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2016 | 23 | 3 | - | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 30 | 3 | |||
| 2017 | 32 | 1 | - | 7 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 45 | 2 | |||
| 2018 | 38 | 6 | - | 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 46 | 10 | |||
| 2019 | 15 | 1 | - | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 21 | 2 | |||
| Total | 117 | 11 | - | 18 | 4 | 17 | 2 | 152 | 17 | |||
| Toronto FC | 2019 | Major League Soccer | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| 2020 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | - | 7 | 0 | |||
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | - | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||
| Toronto FC II (loan) | 2021 | USL League One | 3 | 0 | - | - | - | 3 | 0 | |||
| Zamora | 2022 | Venezuelan Primera División | 31 | 10 | - | 0 | 0 | - | 31 | 10 | ||
| Phoenix Rising | 2023 | USL Championship | 17 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | - | 23 | 1 | |
| Career total | 179 | 32 | 3 | 0 | 23 | 4 | 18 | 2 | 226 | 28 | ||
5.2. International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Venezuela | 2019 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2021 | 0 | 0 | |
| 2022 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 3 | 0 | |