Carlos Bocanegra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Carlos Bocanegra
Personal information
Full name Carlos Bocanegra
Date of birth May 25, 1979 (1979-05-25) (age 29)
Place of birth    Upland, United States
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position Center back, Left back
Club information
Current club Unattached
Number NA
Youth clubs
1996–1999 UCLA Bruins
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
2000–2004
2004–2008		 Chicago Fire
Fulham		 087 0(5)
116 0(8)   
National team2
2001– United States 057 (8)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 20:22, 15 May 2008 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 16:59, 6 June 2008 (UTC).
* Appearances (Goals)

Carlos Bocanegra (born May 25, 1979 in Upland, California) is an American soccer player who most recently played for Fulham of the English Premier League and the United States national team, of which he is the current captain. Although he is primarily a center back, he has also seen time at left back with Fulham and USA.

Contents

[edit] Personal life

Bocanegra, who is of Mexican heritage, was born in Upland, California to Kelly and Manuel Bocanegra. He was raised in Alta Loma, California, and attended Alta Loma High School.[1]

During the offseason, he resides in Fontana, California.

He is distantly related to singer Antony Hegarty, lead singer of Antony and the Johnsons.

[edit] Club career

[edit] Chicago Fire

After playing college soccer at UCLA, Bocanegra signed a Project-40 contract with Major League Soccer and was drafted by the Chicago Fire with the fourth overall pick in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. He proceeded to win the Rookie of the Year award for a team that made it to the MLS Championship match and won the U.S. Open Cup. Bocanegra went on to become one of the best defenders in MLS; he was the first player to be named MLS Defender of the Year twice, in 2002 and 2003. Carlos scored five goals and had eight assists in his four years in MLS.

[edit] Fulham F.C.

Bocanegra was signed by Fulham in January 2004.[2] With Fulham, Bocanegra has played primarily as a center back, but also as a left back and briefly as a holding midfielder.[3] During the 2006-2007 Premier League season, he was Fulham's second leading scorer with five goals, behind fellow American Brian McBride.[4] On September 1, 2007, Bocanegra captained Fulham for the first time in a Premier League match, a come from behind 3–3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.[5] On September 15, 2007, he made his 100th appearance in the Premier League, all for Fulham, against Wigan Athletic.[6] He was released by Fulham on 23rd May 2008.

[edit] International career

Bocanegra played for the United States at the 1999 World Youth Championship and earned his first senior cap for the U.S. on December 9, 2001, against Korea Republic. He became a stalwart for the team in 2003, solidifying his position during the 2003 Gold Cup and leading all defenders with 13 appearances during that year. During World Cup qualification in 2005, his role with the national team became less clear, as he bounced between roles at center back and left back. On May 2, 2006, Bocanegra was named to the United States World Cup roster for the tournament in Germany. He started two of the United States' three games at left back during the 2006 World Cup. Bocanegra captained the national team for the first time in a 4–1 U.S. victory in a June 2, 2007, friendly against China and reprised the role throughout the 2007 Gold Cup.

On September 9, 2007, Bocanegra scored his eighth goal for the United States and his second goal against Brazil.

[edit] References

  1. ^ US Soccer Interview (Accessed September 20, 2007)
  2. ^ Bocanegra Joins Fulham (Accessed September 20, 2007)
  3. ^ Football-Lineups.com (Accessed September 20, 2007)
  4. ^ Bocanegra talks Fulham, Gold Cup, and more (Accessed September 20, 2007)
  5. ^ Bocanegra proud to lead (Accessed September 20, 2007)
  6. ^ Americans in England: Deuce on the loose (Accessed September 20, 2007)

[edit] External links

v • d • e
United States squad - 2006 FIFA World Cup
1 Howard • 2 Albright • 3 Bocanegra • 4 Mastroeni • 5 O'Brien • 6 Cherundolo • 7 Lewis • 8 Dempsey • 9 Johnson • 10 Reyna • 11 Ching • 12 Berhalter • 13 Conrad • 14 Olsen • 15 Convey • 16 Wolff • 17 Beasley • 18 Keller • 19 Hahnemann • 20 McBride • 21 Donovan • 22 Onyewu • 23 Pope • Coach: Arena
 Flag of the United States