Manuel "Manny" Lagos (born June 11, 1971) is an American former professional

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who played as a

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

. He and is the former head coach of Minnesota United FC.

Club career

Early career

Born in

St. Paul Paul; grc, Παῦλος, translit=Paulos; cop, ⲡⲁⲩⲗⲟⲥ; hbo, פאולוס השליח (previously called Saul of Tarsus;; ar, بولس الطرسوسي; grc, Σαῦλος Ταρσεύς, Saũlos Tarseús; tr, Tarsuslu Pavlus; ...

Minnesota Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...

"Columbus sends draft pick to San Jose"
''ESPN'', January 13, 2004, retrieved December 30, 2007. Lagos played

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...

for the NCAA Division-I

Milwaukee Panthers The Milwaukee Panthers are the athletic teams of the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee. A total of 13 Panthers athletic teams compete in NCAA Division I. The Panthers have won the James J. McCafferty Trophy as the Horizon League's all-sports ch ...

from 1990 to 1992,"Crew Acquires Midfielder Manny Lagos from San Jose for Draft Pick"
''Our Sports Central'', January 13, 2004, retrieved December 30, 2007. and was named an NSCAA First-Team All-American in 1991. During and after college, from 1990 to 1996, Manny played for his father with the

Minnesota Thunder Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division (USL-1), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its hom ...

, first as an amateur and a founding member of the club, and later as a professional. Amidst his Thunder days, he also had short stints with

Clermont Foot Clermont Foot 63 (Occitan language, Occitan: ''Clarmont d'Auvèrnhe''; commonly referred to as Clermont Foot or simply Clermont) is a Football in France, French association football club based in Clermont-Ferrand. The first incarnation of the c ...

in the French Third Division, and in Spain's lower divisions with

Lleida Lleida (, ; Spanish: Lérida ) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. It is the capital city of the province of Lleida. Geographically, it is located in the Catalan Central Depression. It is also the capital city of the Segrià comarca, as ...

. In 1994, the Thunder's last year as an all-amateur side, Lagos led the team through a near-perfect season and was awarded the

USL The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...

MVP award, having scored 18 goals and 9 assists."2006 USL Hall of Fame Inductees Announced"
, ''USLsoccer.com'', October 25, 2006, retrieved December 30, 2007. Upon leaving the club for MLS in 1996, he was inducted into the Thunder Hall of Fame with career totals of 29 goals and 12 assists; his brother and teammate,

Gerard Lagos Gerard Lagos (born 25 August 1968) is an American former professional soccer player who played for the Minnesota Thunder. His father is Buzz Lagos and his brother is Manny Lagos. Professional Lagos spent his entire career with the Minnesota Th ...

(who played for the team from 1990 through 2001) is also an inductee."Thunder Hall of Fame"
, ''MNThunder.com'', 2002, retrieved December 30, 2007. In 2006, Manny was elected to the USL Hall of Fame.

MLS

In 1996, midway through the inaugural MLS season, Lagos was signed by the MetroStars. He impressed right away,MetroFanatic
"Obscure Metro Files: Manny Lagos and Ezra Hendrickson"
''Metrofanatic.com'', June 2, 2006, retrieved December 30, 2007. but his season was cut short after he tore his left-knee's ACL,

MCL The litre (international spelling) or liter (American English spelling) (SI symbols L and l, other symbol used: ℓ) is a metric unit of volume. It is equal to 1 cubic decimetre (dm3), 1000 cubic centimetres (cm3) or 0.001 cubic metre (m3) ...

, and LCL in a single horrific injury just six games in. Lagos made a comeback in the next season, playing in 15 league matches, but still impaired and less effective than before. Frustrated with his injuries, the Metros exposed Manny in the

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, in ...

, where he was taken by the Chicago Fire. Nowhere near fully recovered and considering retirement, he only played one game for the

MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conference ...

champions in 1998, and went on to make only 9 appearances in 1999, always as a substitute, excluded from the first eleven due to his unreliable health and the Fire's surplus of attacking players."Manny Lagos"
, ''MLSnet.com'', retrieved December 30, 2007. Lagos' vagabond MLS career took him to the

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 ...

with

Ritchie Kotschau Richard Scott Kotschau (born November 22, 1975) is an American former soccer player who last played as a defender for the Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. Club career Kotschau was born in Levittown, New York. After playing college soccer a ...

on August 2, 1999, part of a trade for Sam George and

Paul Dougherty Paul Dougherty (born 12 May 1966) is an English former professional soccer player and soccer coach who began his career with Wolverhampton Wanderers in England. He then moved to the United States where he became a journeyman player, bouncing ...

. He came back swinging, scoring 4 goals in 10 games and earning Player of the Week honors."Manny Lagos" (bio)
, ''MLSnet.com'', retrieved December 30, 2007. Lagos continued his momentum in 2000, when he scored 8 goals and added 7 assists in 1500 minutes, making him the league's tenth-place leader in points per game,"2000 MLS Regular Season Statistics"
, ''MLSnet.com'', 2000, retrieved December 30, 2007. but he would eventually request a trade for personal reasons, as his wife disliked Tampa and wished to pursue her law career elsewhere. He was dealt to the

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchise ...

in January 2001 on a draft-day trade for second-round and third-round picks,Page, Rodney
"Mutiny get help in front, back"
''St. Petersburg Times'', February 6, 2001, retrieved December 30, 2007. and played for the Earthquakes from 2001 through 2003, starting regularly in every season and winning MLS Cups in the bookend years. He enjoyed what was likely his best season in 2001, playing a key role in the Earthquakes' playoff run by adding 3 goals and 2 assists to regular season totals of 8 and 8.
''USA Today'', June 23, 2005, retrieved December 30, 2007. After his tenure with the 'Quakes, Lagos was traded to the

Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one ...

for a third-round draft pick, and was reunited there with long-time friend and youth soccer, college soccer, and Thunder teammate

Tony Sanneh Anthony Sanneh (born June 1, 1971) is an American retired professional soccer player who played as a defender or midfielder. Club career Youth and college Tony Sanneh was born in Saint Paul, Minnesota to an African father from Gambia and an ...

after Sanneh signed with the Crew late in 2004."Sanneh, Tony, Defender"
, ''Ussoccerplayers.com'', retrieved December 30, 2007. Manny played 18 games and scored 1 goal for the Crew that year, but never really recovered from the last of his many knee surgeries,Quarstad, Brian
"An interview with Manny Lagos"
''Blue Sky Soccer'', April 24, 2007, retrieved December 30, 2007. seeing his playing time dwindle to 5 appearances in 2005. He was waived by Columbus that May to make room for

Chris Henderson Christopher Henderson (born December 11, 1970) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a midfielder. He earned 79 caps with the U.S. national team and part of the U.S. team at the 1992 Summer Olympics. At the time of his ...

"Columbus acquires veteran Henderson"
''ESPN'', May 26, 2005, retrieved December 30, 2007. and retired in June. In his nine years in MLS, Lagos scored 27 goals and added 36 assists, plus 4 goals and 4 assists in the postseason. Though right-footed, he spent much of his career on the left side of midfield. Noted for his gangly legs and long, awkward strides,Hipps, Jay

, ''Soccer Silicon Valley'', October 25, 2006, retrieved December 30, 2007. Lagos possessed an unusual style on the ball where his technical skill"MLS Notebook"
''CNNSI.com'', July 24, 2001, retrieved December 30, 2007. and knack for dribbling past opponents
''ESPN'', 2001, retrieved December 30, 2007. belied his superficially clumsy appearance.Ford, Dan

''Mathling.com'', 2002, retrieved December 30, 2007. He is remembered as a talented player who was dogged by knee injuries throughout his career.

International career

Lagos began his international career in the

1992 Summer Olympics The 1992 Summer Olympics ( es, Juegos Olímpicos de Verano de 1992, ca, Jocs Olímpics d'estiu de 1992), officially known as the Games of the XXV Olympiad ( es, Juegos de la XXV Olimpiada, ca, Jocs de la XXV Olimpíada) and commonly known as ...

, when he scored the second goal in a 3-1 win over Kuwait, the team's only victory.Riding, Alan
"Kuwait Proves Friendly Despite Loss to Americans"
''New York Times'', July 28, 1992, retrieved December 30, 2007. His first full cap for the senior national team did not come until over nine years later, on December 9, 2001 against

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. He earned three caps for the US from 2001 to 2003, scoring no goals."U.S. Men's National Team Player Registry"
, ''National Soccer Hall of Fame'', retrieved December 30, 2007.

Managerial career

In January 2006, Lagos was named the Director of Soccer Operations for the Minnesota Thunder.
, ''USLsoccer.com'', January 12, 2006, retrieved December 30, 2007. In this role, he has placed particular emphasis on youth development, community relations, and the team's stadium search. Manny has also done some sporadic work in broadcasting, serving as a color commentator for

XM Radio XM Satellite Radio (XM) was one of the three satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM, Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable televisi ...

during the

2006 World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the ...

. On February 10, 2010 Lagos was appointed as the head coach of newly expansion

NSC Minnesota Stars NSC may refer to: Sport and competition * NSC United, an American soccer team * National Scholastics Championship, an American quiz bowl competition * National Scrabble Championship, now known as the Scrabble Players Championship * National Shoot ...

following the implosion of the Thunder. Lagos led the Stars to victory in the 2011 NASL Soccer Bowl, and to a runner up finish in the 2012 Soccer Bowl. After a disappointing 2013 season at the helm of the rebranded

Minnesota United FC Minnesota United FC is an American professional soccer club based in Saint Paul, Minnesota that plays in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer. The club began play in 2017 as the league's 22nd club, and replaced the North American Socc ...

, Lagos led the Loons to the spring and regular season titles in 2014. He was named the NASL Coach of the Year in 2011 and in 2014, the only coach to have won the award twice. At the conclusion of the 2014 season and the firing of

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Champions ...

coach

Ricky Hill Ricky Hill (born 5 March 1959) is an English former footballer, spending most of his playing career at Luton Town FC for 14 years, while representing England at Senior, U21 and U18 International levels. Hill was the fourth Black player to play ...

, Lagos became the longest tenured coach in the NASL. In five seasons with Minnesota, Lagos has a coaching record of 54-47-38 (W-L-D). Upon the move of

to MLS, he transitioned to a role as Sporting Director of the club.

Personal life

He is the son of Buzz Lagos, an American soccer coach at both the college and professional levels, and the youngest of eight children.Mahoney, Ridge
"Back on the right foot"
PDF), ''Soccer America'', October 1, 2001, retrieved December 30, 2007.

Notes

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lagos, Manny 1971 births Living people American soccer players American expatriate soccer players United States men's international soccer players New York Red Bulls players Chicago Fire FC players Tampa Bay Mutiny players San Jose Earthquakes players Columbus Crew players Olympic soccer players of the United States Footballers at the 1992 Summer Olympics 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup players CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players Sportspeople from Saint Paul, Minnesota UE Lleida players Clermont Foot players USISL players Minnesota Thunder players Milwaukee Panthers men's soccer players Expatriate footballers in Spain Expatriate footballers in France Soccer players from Minnesota Major League Soccer players Major League Soccer All-Stars United States men's under-23 international soccer players North American Soccer League coaches Association football midfielders Minnesota United FC Minnesota United FC non-playing staff Pan American Games gold medalists for the United States Pan American Games medalists in football All-American men's college soccer players Footballers at the 1991 Pan American Games American soccer coaches Medalists at the 1991 Pan American Games