Richard Chinapoo (born January 18, 1957) was a Trinidad
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 ...
defender who had an extensive career, primarily in the United States. Chinapoo spent two seasons in the
North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to:
*North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league
*North American Soccer League (2011–2017)
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...
, eight in the
National Professional Soccer League and at least eight in the
Major Indoor Soccer League. He also played with the
Trinidad and Tobago national team.
College
Chinapoo first attended college at
Trinity College Trinity College may refer to:
Australia
* Trinity Anglican College, an Anglican coeducational primary and secondary school in , New South Wales
* Trinity Catholic College, Auburn, a coeducational school in the inner-western suburbs of Sydney, New ...
in Trinidad. In 1978, he entered
Long Island University
Long Island University (LIU) is a private university with two main campuses, LIU Post and LIU Brooklyn, in the U.S. state of New York. It offers more than 500 academic programs at its main campuses, online, and at multiple non-residential. LIU ...
in the United States. In addition to his studies, he played on the men’s soccer team from 1978 to 1981, earning second team
All-America
The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...
n recognition in 1978, 1979 and 1980. In 1981, he was selected as a
first team All-American. He finished his four seasons with the Blackbirds with fifty-five career goals and was inducted into the Long Island, University Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.
Professional
On 16 March 1982 Chinapoo signed a one year contract with the
New York Cosmos New York Cosmos may refer to
* New York Cosmos (1970–1985), a team in the North American Soccer League (then the top-tier soccer league in the United States and Canada)
* New York Cosmos (2010), a team playing since 2020 in the National Independe ...
of the
North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to:
*North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league
*North American Soccer League (2011–2017)
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...
. He ultimately spent two seasons with New York. Some sources show Chinapoo as playing for two Trinidad clubs, Malvern and
San Juan Jabloteh
San Juan Jabloteh Football Club is a football club located in San Juan, Trinidad and Tobago that plays in the country's TT Pro League. The team plays its home games in Hasely Crawford Stadium in Mucurapo, Trinidad.
History
The club was founded ...
, but the dates are unknown. At some point, he joined the
Baltimore Blast
The Baltimore Blast is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States. The team is a part of the Major Arena Soccer League.
The team has won 10 championships since it was founded in 1980. Beginning with t ...
of
Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). On 8 September 1988, Chinapoo signed as a free agent with the
Dallas Sidekicks. He spent two season with the Sidekicks before returning to Baltimore on 6 August 1990. On 15 October 1991, Chinapoo signed as a free agent with the Sidekicks. This time, he played only a year. In 1992, MISL collapsed and several teams and most of the players jumped to the
National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). Chinapoo left Dallas and signed with the
Harrisburg Heat of NPSL. He would remain in Harrisburg for the remainder of his professional career, retiring from playing in 2000. He was inducted into the Heat Hall of Fame on 3 November 2001.
National team
Chinapoo played numerous games with the
Trinidad and Tobago national team, but the numbers and dates are unknown. His name first appears on current records during a 17 August 1980 World Cup qualification victory over
Haiti
Haiti (; ht, Ayiti ; French: ), officially the Republic of Haiti (); ) and formerly known as Hayti, is a country located on the island of Hispaniola in the Greater Antilles archipelago of the Caribbean Sea, east of Cuba and Jamaica, and ...
. He played with the national team until at least 11 June 1989 when he played another World Cup qualification game, this time a 0–1 loss to
Costa Rica
Costa Rica (, ; ; literally "Rich Coast"), officially the Republic of Costa Rica ( es, República de Costa Rica), is a country in the Central American region of North America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the no ...
.
Coach
In 1998, Chinapoo became a player-coach with the
Harrisburg Heat. After he retired from playing in 2001, Chinapoo become a full-time head coach. In 2001, he was named the NPSL Coach of the Year.
MISL Coach of the Year
/ref> On August 11, 2002, after posting a 10-34 record during the 2001-2002 season, the Heat management released Chinapoo. He is currently the Technical Director of the Capital Area Soccer Association in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Harrisburg is the capital city of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, United States, and the county seat of Dauphin County. With a population of 50,135 as of the 2021 census, Harrisburg is the 9th largest city and 15th largest municipality in Pe ...
.
In the summer of 2012, Richard was named the head coach of the new Professional Arena Soccer League
A professional is a member of a profession or any person who works in a specified professional activity. The term also describes the standards of education and training that prepare members of the profession with the particular knowledge and skil ...
team, the Harrisburg Heat. He retired from coaching and moved to Florida after the 2013–14 Harrisburg Heat season.
References
Richard Chinapoo, "I took pride in punishing a goalkeeper" https://www.hail-caribbean-sport.com/richard-chinapoo-trinidad-football
External links
Dallas Sidekicks profile
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chinapoo, Richard
1957 births
Living people
All-American men's college soccer players
Baltimore Blast (1980–1992) players
Dallas Sidekicks (original MISL) players
Expatriate soccer players in the United States
Harrisburg Heat players
LIU Brooklyn Blackbirds men's soccer players
Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players
National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) coaches
National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players
New York Cosmos players
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
Professional Arena Soccer League coaches
San Juan Jabloteh F.C. players
Trinidad and Tobago football managers
Trinidad and Tobago footballers
Trinidad and Tobago expatriate footballers
Trinidad and Tobago international footballers
Trinidad and Tobago expatriate sportspeople in the United States
Association football defenders