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1997 MLS Expansion Draft
The 1997 MLS Expansion Draft was held November 6, 1997. Two teams participated, the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion F.C., both expansion Major League Soccer clubs starting play in the 1998 season. Format Each team in the league made ten players, including at least one foreign player, available for the Fire and Fusion to select. From this pool of available players, the two teams then selected twelve players. Although Paul Caligiuri of the Los Angeles Galaxy was listed as exposed, he had recently won a lawsuit against the league which forced the league to place him with the Galaxy as his original contract with the league had stipulated. Consequently, he was not available for selection. The Fire won the first selection through a coin toss. The draft was held via conference call. Expansion Draft Team-by Team breakdown Colorado Rapids *Withdrew Sean Henderson upon selection of Matt Kmosko(18) *Withdrew Paul Grafer upon selection of Brian Bates (19) *Reached maximum upon select ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Chicago Fire S
(''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1 = State , subdivision_type2 = Counties , subdivision_name1 = Illinois , subdivision_name2 = Cook and DuPage , established_title = Settled , established_date = , established_title2 = Incorporated (city) , established_date2 = , founder = Jean Baptiste Point du Sable , government_type = Mayor–council , governing_body = Chicago City Council , leader_title = Mayor , leader_name = Lori Lightfoot ( D) , leader_title1 = City Clerk , leader_name1 = Anna Valencia ( D) , unit_pref = Imperial , area_footnotes = , area_to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Joey Martinez
Joey Martinez is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the USL A-League, Major League Soccer and National Professional Soccer League. Martinez grew up playing for the La Jolla Nomads soccer club. In 1995, Martinez began his professional career with the Milwaukee Rampage of the USISL. He was seventeen at the time. He played both the 1995 and 1996 outdoor seasons with the Rampage. He also played the 1995-1996 indoor season with the Detroit Rockers of the National Professional Soccer League. On February 2, 1997, the Dallas Burn selected Martinez in the second round (twentieth overall) of the 1997 MLS Supplemental Draft. He appeared in nineteen games for the Burn in 1997, going on loan to the El Paso Patriots for one game. On November 6, 1997, the Miami Fusion selected Martinez with the eighth selection of the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft. He had several injuries limiting him to six games for the Fusion during the 1998 season and on November 1, 1998, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Ramiro Corrales
Ramiro Corrales (born March 12, 1977) is an American former professional soccer player who is currently a technical advisor and assistant coach for USL Championship expansion side Monterey Bay FC. He spent most of his professional career with the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer. Known as a "reliable contributor who sstrong in defense, composed and responsible with the ball and who works hard to make his teammates better", Corrales was the last remaining active MLS player from its inaugural season in 1996 upon his 2013 retirement. Club career San Jose Clash (1996–1997) Born in Salinas, California, Corrales did not play college soccer; instead he signed with the California Jaguars of USISL. He then became a professional and entered the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. This was before the advent of Project-40, so Corrales forfeited any opportunity to guarantee a college scholarship. Corrales was drafted 81st by the Columbus Crew but was then immediately traded to t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and the team clubhouse and practice facilities are located in Kansas City, Kansas, near Children's Mercy Park. The club competes as a member of the Western Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS), having returned in 2015 after spending ten seasons in the Eastern Conference. Sporting KC began play in 1996 as a charter team in the league, then known as the Kansas City Wiz. The team was founded by Lamar Hunt in 1995. Since moving across the state line, they have been the only major professional sports league franchise to play their home games in Kansas. Starting in 1997, the franchise was known as the Kansas City Wizards. The team rebranded in November 2010, coinciding with its move to its new home stadium, Children's Mercy Park. The franchise has won the MLS ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Diego Gutiérrez (soccer, Born 1972)
Diego Gutiérrez (born November 3, 1972 in Bogotá, Colombia) is an American retired professional soccer player, who spent his career between Chicago Fire and Kansas City Wizards, both of Major League Soccer, and is currently a radio commentator for ESPN Deportes Kansas City. Born in Colombia, he played for the United States national team. Early life and education Born in Colombia, Gutiérrez was part of that country's youth teams. He came to the United States to attend the University of Evansville and Rockhurst University. He was a 1994 First Team NAIA All American at Rockhurst. Club career The then- Kansas City Wiz selected Gutiérrez in the second round of the 1996 MLS College Draft. Gutiérrez spent two seasons in Kansas City, but missed all of 1997 with an ACL injury. Gutiérrez was one of the pioneer players in MLS, playing over 400 professional games. Gutiérrez's career took off after he was taken by the Chicago Fire in the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft. He helped ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Cle Kooiman
Christopher Clemence "Cle" Kooiman (born July 3, 1963) is an American former soccer defender. He played professionally in both Mexico and the United States including the first Major Indoor Soccer League, Western Soccer Alliance, American Professional Soccer League and Major League Soccer. He earned twelve caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national soccer team in 1993 and 1994. He was a member of the U.S. team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup. Club career College Cle Kooiman was born in Ontario, California, and attended San Diego State University. In 1982, he was named to the All Far West team. MISL In 1982, Kooiman began his professional career playing for the Los Angeles Lazers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He would remain with the Lazers until 1987. WSL/APSL In 1989, he began his outdoor professional career with the California Kickers of the Western Soccer League (WSL). That year, he was named as a league First Team All Star. He moved to the San Diego Nomads for ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inaugural season. The club is owned by Robert Kraft, who also owns the New England Patriots along with his son, Jonathan Kraft. The name "Revolution" refers to the New England region's significant involvement in the American Revolution that took place from 1775 to 1783. New England plays their home matches at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, located 21 miles (34 km) southwest of downtown Boston. The club played their home games at the adjacent and now-demolished Foxboro Stadium, from 1996 until 2001. The Revs are the only original MLS team to have every league game in their history televised. The Revolution won their first major trophy in the 2007 U.S. Open Cup. The following year, the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Francis Okaroh
Francis Okaroh (born August 25, 1963 in Enugu, Nigeria) is a retired Nigerian football (soccer) Defender (association football), defender. Playing professionally in the United States, he began his career indoors with the Cleveland Force (1978–1988), Cleveland Force in 1987–88 before spending five seasons in Major League Soccer, Major League Soccer (MLS) with the New England Revolution (1996–1997), Chicago Fire Soccer Club, Chicago Fire (1998–1999) and Miami Fusion (2000). He was a starting defender in the inaugural campaigns for both the Revolution and Fire, winning MLS Cup '98 with the latter. He has been an assistant coach with the men's soccer program at his alma mater Boston University Terriers, Boston University since 2007. Player College Okaroh played college soccer in the United States at Boston University (BU) from 1982 to 1986. He was a 1986 Second Team All American. He was inducted into the BU Athletic Hall of Fame in 2006. Professional In November 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Tampa Bay Mutiny
Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. They were a charter member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and played from 1996 to 2001. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium and then at Raymond James Stadium. The Mutiny were established in 1994 and were owned and operated by MLS throughout their existence. They were successful in their first years of play, winning the first MLS Supporters' Shield behind MLS MVP Carlos Valderrama and high-scoring forward Roy Lassiter, whose 27 goals in 1996 remained the MLS single-season record until 2018. However, in subsequent years, dropping attendance and revenues became problems, especially as their on-field success declined and the lease at their second home pitch of Raymond James Stadium removed sources of gameday revenues. Owing to these issues, MLS attempted without success to find a local ownership group to take over operations from the league, and both the Mutiny and the league's other Florida-based tea ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Nelson Vargas
Nelson Vargas (born August 6, 1974) is an American former soccer player and coach. Vargas spent five seasons in Major League Soccer and earned four caps with the United States men's national soccer team. He was also a member of the U.S. soccer team at the 1996 Summer Olympics. Soccer Youth Vargas attended Miami Coral Park High School and played youth soccer with Inter Juventus in Miami. After high school, he chose to forgo college and moved to Europe to train with Valencienne in France and Sporting Club of Portugal. He signed his first professional contract at the age of 16 to play for Standard Liège in Belgium. Professional The Tampa Bay Mutiny selected Vargas in the twelfth round (117th overall) in the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. He spent two seasons with the Mutiny before the Miami Fusion selected Vargas in the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft. On July 25, 2000, while playing in an Open Cup game in Saginaw, Michigan, Vargas sustained a right ankle sprain that turned out ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Zach Thornton
Zach Thornton (born October 10, 1973) is an American former goalkeeper who spent 16 seasons in Major League Soccer with the New York/New Jersey MetroStars (1996–97), Chicago Fire (1998–2006), Colorado Rapids (2007), New York Red Bulls (2008) and Chivas USA (2008–11). He was the starting goalkeeper for the Fire when it won MLS Cup '98 in its inaugural year. He, Chris Armas,. and C. J. Brown are the only three Fire players to be a part of all six of the club's domestic championships from 1998 through 2006. Thornton is currently the goalkeeping coach for Houston Dynamo. Youth and college The youngest of four siblings, Thornton began playing soccer at age five and lacrosse a year later. His father Ernest, who had endured his share of injuries while playing football at Kentucky State College, had gently steered him away from the gridiron sport. Thornton was a three-sport star in soccer, lacrosse and basketball at The John Carroll School. He attended Essex Community Colleg ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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