Daniel Alvarez is an American former

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

midfielder. Alvarez graduated from

Pine Forest High School Pine Forest High School is a high school in Pensacola, Florida. It was opened in 1975, with the first day of class being 10 November '75. Pine Forest High is located on Longleaf Drive in a cluster of education buildings. Athletics Pine Fores ...

. He attended

Furman University Furman University is a private university in Greenville, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1826 and named after Baptist pastor Richard Furman, the Liberal arts college, liberal arts university is the oldest private institution of higher l ...

, where he was a 1999 First-Team All-American. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in health and exercise science. He was inducted into the Furman Paladins Hall of Fame in 2005. In January 2000, the MetroStars selected Alvarez in the fourth round (thirty-seventh overall) of the

2000 MLS SuperDraft The 2000 Major League Soccer MLS SuperDraft, SuperDraft was held on February 6, 2000 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and consisted of six rounds. One of the most successful draft picks was goalkeeper Nick Rimando, a third round pick, who went on t ...

. He did not sign with the MetroStars, but played three games for the

Atlanta Silverbacks The Atlanta Silverbacks FC were an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1998 as Atlanta Ruckus, the club played in many leagues over the years before folding after the 2015 season. The team played its home game ...

at the start of the

USL A-League The USL First Division (USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It was organized by the United Soccer League as its premier league for men from 1996 to 2010, above the USL Second Di ...

season. On April 19, 2000, the MetroStars traded Alvarez's rights to the

Tampa Bay Mutiny The Tampa Bay Mutiny were an American professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The Mutiny were a charter member of MLS, playing from 1996 to 2001. Th ...

in exchange for Daniel Hernández. Alvarez chose to pursue a contract in Germany. After unsuccessful trials with Borussia Dortmund, FC Cloppenburg, and FC Nuremberg, he returned to the United States and signed with the

Charleston Battery The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are the oldest continuously operating professional socc ...

of the USL A-League. In the spring of 2001, Alvarez was training with the Mutiny when he tore his left

anterior cruciate ligament The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) is one of a pair of cruciate ligaments (the other being the posterior cruciate ligament) in the human knee. The two ligaments are called "cruciform" ligaments, as they are arranged in a crossed formation. In ...

. He returned home to Fayetteville to recuperate. While there, he coached with the Fayetteville Force Soccer Club. In February 2002, the

Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Founded in ...

selected Alvarez in the third round (twenty-ninth overall) of the

2002 MLS SuperDraft The 2002 Major League Soccer SuperDraft was held on February 10, 2002 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. One month earlier, MLS had contracted two clubs: Tampa Bay Mutiny and Miami Fusion. In conjunction with the contraction, the league conducted ...

. The Rapids did not sign him and he began the 2002 season with the

Cincinnati Riverhawks The Cincinnati Riverhawks were a professional soccer team that debuted in the USISL Premier Development League in 1997 and joined the A-League from 1998 to 2003. They played their games at Galbreath Field in Kings Mills, Ohio, and later at the ...

before finishing it with the

Virginia Beach Mariners The Virginia Beach Mariners were an American soccer club, who formerly played in the USL First Division of the United Soccer Leagues, the second division in the US Soccer hierarchy behind Major League Soccer. On March 30, 2007 the team folded due ...

of the

USL First Division The USL First Division (USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It was organized by the United Soccer League as its premier league for men from 1996 to 2010, above the USL Second ...

. He played for the Mariners through the 2004 season. In 2005, he became an assistant with the

Old Dominion University Old Dominion University (ODU) is a Public university, public research university in Norfolk, Virginia, United States. Established in 1930 as the two-year Norfolk Division of the College of William & Mary, it began by educating people with fewer ...

men's soccer team. Alvarez has four children. His oldest daughter, Aven, plays college soccer for the

North Carolina Tar Heels The North Carolina Tar Heels (also Carolina Tar Heels) are the college sports in the United States, intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to ...

References

External links

Charleston Battery: Daniel Alvarez
1978 births Living people American soccer coaches Soccer players from North Carolina Atlanta Silverbacks FC players Charleston Battery players Cincinnati Riverhawks players Furman Paladins men's soccer players Virginia Beach Mariners players Virginia Beach Piranhas players A-League (1995–2004) players USL League Two players New York Red Bulls draft picks Colorado Rapids draft picks Sportspeople from Fayetteville, North Carolina All-American college men's soccer players Men's association football midfielders American men's soccer players Pine Forest High School alumni {{US-footy-midfielder-1970s-stub