Todd Saldana is a retired American
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 ...
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 played four 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 ...
, two in the
United Soccer League
United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...
and two in the
Western Soccer Alliance
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alli ...
. He was a member of the
United States U-20 men's national soccer team
The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years.
The United States' b ...
at the
1981 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, the third edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in Australia from 3 to 18 October 1981. The tournament took place in six venues—where a total of 32 matches were played. Adelaide, Brisban ...
and has coached at the collegiate level including three seasons as the head coach of the
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). ...
men's soccer team.
Player
Club career
Saldana graduated from
South Torrance High School where he was a 1978 Third Team High School All American soccer player. In 1980, the
Los Angeles Aztecs
The Los Angeles Aztecs was an American professional soccer team based in Los Angeles, California that existed from 1974 to 1981. The Aztecs competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1974 to 1981 as well as the 1975 NASL Indoor tour ...
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 ...
drafted Saldana out of high school. He played five games for the Aztecs over two seasons before being sent 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 ...
for the 1982 season. In May 1982, the Earthquakes traded Saldana, two draft choices and cash to the
Tulsa Roughnecks Tulsa Roughnecks may refer to any of four distinct professional soccer teams:
*Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–1984), the original top-flight team that played in the North American Soccer League from 1978 to 1984.
*Tulsa Roughnecks (1993–2000), the team ...
in exchange for
Joe Morrone, Jr.
Joseph M. Morrone (sometimes called Joe Jr. in error) (March 19, 1959–) is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who is the son of soccer coach Joe Morrone, Joseph J. Morrone Jr. While playing for the UConn Huskies, he won the 1980 Hermann Trophy as ...
He played two outdoor seasons and one indoor season with Tulsa. In 1984, he signed with the
Fort Lauderdale Sun
Fort Lauderdale Sun was a U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League. In 1984, the team was known as the Fort Lauderdale Sun. Before the 1985 season they changed their name to the South Florida Sun.
Origins
The United S ...
of the
United Soccer League
United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a Association football, soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues curren ...
. He played twenty-one games and scored three goals as the Sun won the league championship. In 1985, he returned to the team, now known as the South Florida Sun, but the league collapsed after six games. In 1987, he played for the
Los Angeles Heat
Los Angeles Heat joined the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986. They joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the WSL merged with the American Soccer League, then folded in 1990. The club played in Torrance, California at West Hi ...
of the
Western Soccer Alliance
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alli ...
. In 1989, he played for the
California Kickers
California Kickers were a soccer club based in Hollywood, California. They joined the Western Soccer Alliance in 1986. They initially played as Hollywood Kickers before changing their name for the following season. In 1990 the team name was changed ...
, also of the WSA.
National team
In 1981, Saldana played two games for
United States U-20 men's national soccer team
The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years.
The United States' b ...
at the
1981 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 1981 FIFA World Youth Championship, the third edition of the FIFA World Youth Championship, was held in Australia from 3 to 18 October 1981. The tournament took place in six venues—where a total of 32 matches were played. Adelaide, Brisban ...
.
Coach
From 1989 to 1994, Saldana served as an assistant coach with the
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the athletic teams that represent the University of California, Los Angeles. The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pac-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF). ...
. In 1995, he was hired as head coach of
Cal Poly Pomona
California State Polytechnic University, Pomona (Cal Poly Pomona, CPP, or Cal Poly"Cal Poly" may also refer to California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in San Luis Obispo. See the ''name'' section of this article for more infor ...
before moving to the
Loyola Marymount Lions
The Loyola Marymount Lions are the athletic teams that represent Loyola Marymount University, a Jesuit institution in Los Angeles, California. The school competes in NCAA Division I and the West Coast Conference.
Sports sponsored
Baseball
...
in 1997 where he had a 6–9–1 season. In 1998, he was hired as the UCLA women's soccer coach and took the team to a 17–4–1 record. In May 1999, he moved over to become the head coach of the men's program.
Todd Saldana Named UCLA Head Men's Soccer Coach
/ref> Over three seasons, he compiled a 43–17–4
/ref>
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Saldana, Todd
1962 births
Living people
American soccer coaches
American men's soccer players
California Kickers players
Fort Lauderdale Sun players
Los Angeles Aztecs players
Los Angeles Heat players
College women's soccer coaches in the United States
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
Parade High School All-Americans (boys' soccer)
San Jose Earthquakes (1974–1988) players
Tulsa Roughnecks (1978–1984) players
UCLA Bruins men's soccer coaches
United Soccer League (1984–85) players
Western Soccer Alliance players
Sportspeople from Redondo Beach, California
United States men's under-20 international soccer players
Soccer players from California
UCLA Bruins women's soccer coaches
Loyola Marymount Lions men's soccer coaches
Men's association football midfielders