Ragnvald Soma

Ragnvald Soma
Personal information
Full name	Ragnvald Soma
Date of birth	10 November 1979 (age 45)
Place of birth	Kvernaland, Norway
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Frøyland Idrettslag
Youth career
	Frøyland
Senior career*
Years	Team
1997–2000	Bryne
2001–2002	West Ham United
2002–2003	Bryne
2004–2005	Brann
2006–2009	Viking
2009–2012	Rapid Vienna
2012–2013	Nordsjælland
2013	Lyngby
2013	Førde
International career
1998–2001	Norway U21
2004–2005	Norway
	*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 31 July 2013

Ragnvald Soma (born 10 November 1979) is a Norwegian former footballer who played as a defender for his childhood club Frøyland Idrettslag. He signed for them 02.02.2014 effectively retiring from professional football.

Position

He was primarily a central defender, although he had been both a left back and a defensive midfielder earlier in his career.^[3]

Club career

Early career

Soma started his professional career in Bryne FK, amassing 99 league games.

West Ham United

In January 2001 he moved to English Premier League club West Ham United for £800,000. His stay there lasted just over one and a half years, during which Soma made only seven league appearances before returning to Bryne on a free transfer. Whilst at West Ham he played in their 1–0 victory over Manchester United at Old Trafford in the 2000–01 FA Cup,^[4] coming on as a late substitute for his debut.

Norwegian football

With Bryne relegated at the end of the 2003 season, Soma moved to SK Brann. He became an instant hit, being voted player of the year by several newspapers^{[citation needed]} and becoming a regular in the Norway national team. In March 2006 he transferred to Viking for an undisclosed fee believed to be around £500,000, with Brann also getting right back Bjørn Dahl as a part-exchange.

Austria and Denmark

After over three years at Viking, Soma signed for Rapid Vienna on 14 August 2009.^[5]

After a spell with the Danish Superliga side Nordsjælland, Soma joined the Danish 1st Division side Lyngby. After his contract with Lyngby expired, he was training with his old club Viking.^[6] He played the second half of 2013 for Førde IL.^[7]

International career

Soma played 22 matches for the Norwegian under-21 team before he was capped five times while playing for Norway between 2004 and 2005.^[8]

Career statistics

Season	Club	Division	League		Cup		Total
Season	Club	Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
1997	Bryne	Adeccoligaen	25	0	0	0	25	0
1998			24	0	0	0	24	0
1999			25	0	3	3	28	3
2000			25	5	1	0	26	5
2000–01	West Ham	Premier League	4	0	1	0	5	0
2001–02	West Ham	Premier League	3	0	2	0	5	0
2002	Bryne	Tippeligaen	11	1	1	0	12	1
2003	Bryne		25	1	3	0	28	1
2004	Brann		26	0	7	0	33	0
2005	Brann		26	1	4	0	30	1
2006	Viking		24	0	4	0	28	0
2007			26	1	5	0	31	1
2008			18	0	3	0	21	0
2009			20	3	3	1	23	4
2009–10	Rapid Wien	Bundesliga	33	1	0	0	33	1
2010–11			32	1	0	0	32	1
2011–12			14	0	0	0	14	0
2012–13	Nordsjælland	Danish Superliga	1	0	0	0	1	0
2012–13	Lyngby	Danish 1st Division	8	1	0	0	8	1
Career Total			370	15	37	4	407	19

References

^ "Sportsklubben Brann – Ekte lidenskap har et navn". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2009.
^ "NIFS – Norsk & Internasjonal Fotballstatistikk". Nifs.no. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
^ Soma-Zeit in Hütteldorf Archived 28 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Manchester United 0 West Ham 1". Sporting Life. 28 January 2001. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
^ "Soma signerte toårskontrakt med Rapid | Aftenbladet.no". Fotball.aftenbladet.no. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.
^ Fornes, Fredrik (12 August 2013). "Ragnvald Soma trener med Viking" (in Norwegian). Stavanger Aftenblad. Retrieved 30 August 2013.
^ Iversen, Espen (11 October 2013). "Ingen planer om å gi seg". Rogalands Avis (in Norwegian). p. 21.
^ "Ragnvald Soma's profil". fotball.no (in Norwegian). Football Association of Norway. Retrieved 30 August 2013.

External links

Profile at Viking official webpage at the Wayback Machine (archived 2011-06-10)
Ragnvald Soma at Soccerbase
Ragnvald Soma at National-Football-Teams.com
rogalandsavis.no

[1] "Sportsklubben Brann – Ekte lidenskap har et navn". Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 3 June 2009.

[2] "NIFS – Norsk & Internasjonal Fotballstatistikk". Nifs.no. Retrieved 12 June 2013.

[3] Soma-Zeit in Hütteldorf Archived 28 September 2009 at the Wayback Machine

[4] "Manchester United 0 West Ham 1". Sporting Life. 28 January 2001. Retrieved 14 August 2009.

[5] "Soma signerte toårskontrakt med Rapid | Aftenbladet.no". Fotball.aftenbladet.no. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2013.

[6] Fornes, Fredrik (12 August 2013). "Ragnvald Soma trener med Viking" (in Norwegian). Stavanger Aftenblad. Retrieved 30 August 2013.

[7] Iversen, Espen (11 October 2013). "Ingen planer om å gi seg". Rogalands Avis (in Norwegian). p. 21.

[8] "Ragnvald Soma's profil". fotball.no (in Norwegian). Football Association of Norway. Retrieved 30 August 2013.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]