Chris Zoricich facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Christopher Vincent Zoricich | ||
| Date of birth | 3 May 1969 | ||
| Place of birth | Auckland, New Zealand | ||
| Height | 1.79 m (5 ft 10+1⁄2 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1988 | Papatoetoe | 0 | (0) |
| 1989–1994 | Leyton Orient | 62 | (1) |
| 1994 | Central United | ||
| 1994–1996 | Brisbane Strikers | 51 | (6) |
| 1996 | Welling United | 1 | (0) |
| 1996–1997 | Chelsea | 0 | (0) |
| 1997–1999 | Brisbane Strikers | 42 | (2) |
| 1999–2000 | Sydney Olympic | 25 | (0) |
| 2000–2003 | Newcastle Jets | 50 | (0) |
| 2003–2004 | Margate | 11 | (0) |
| 2004–2005 | St Albans City | 39 | (2) |
| 2005 | Harlow Town | ||
| 2005 | Boreham Wood | ||
| 2005 | Heybridge Swifts | ||
| 2005–2006 | Wealdstone | ||
| 2010 | Central United | ||
| National team | |||
| 1988–2003 | New Zealand | 57 | (1) |
| Teams managed | |||
| 2018–2022 | Western Springs | ||
| 2023– | Cooks Hill United | ||
|
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Chris "Zorro" Zoricich was a talented New Zealand soccer player. He was born on May 3, 1969, in Auckland, New Zealand. His parents were from Croatia. Chris started playing soccer when he was very young, at age seven. He went on to play more than 50 games for his country.
Contents
Playing for Soccer Clubs
Chris Zoricich, often called "Zorro," started his professional soccer journey with Papatoetoe in Auckland.
Early Days and England
From 1990 to 1993, Chris moved to England to play for Leyton Orient. He played in 59 main games and came on as a substitute 12 times. However, rules about working in England meant he had to go back home. Fans even protested to try and keep him playing in England!
In 1994, Zoricich returned to New Zealand. He joined Central United, a team with strong ties to the Croatian community. His brother, Michael, who played Davis Cup tennis for New Zealand, also played for Central.
Back to Australia and More English Clubs
Soon after, Chris moved to Australia to play for Brisbane Strikers in the National Soccer League. He played there for two seasons. Then, he went back to England to try his luck again. He played one game for Welling United and also tried out for Chelsea. At that time, the famous player Ruud Gullit was Chelsea's manager. Chris didn't play for the main Chelsea team but was a key player for their reserve team.
In 1997, Zoricich returned to Australia and joined the Brisbane Strikers again. The team had just won the NSL championship. He finished his time in Australia's top league playing for Newcastle Jets. After that, he moved back to England because his wife missed her home. He played for teams like Margate and St Albans City in different English leagues. He also had short times playing for Harlow Town, Boreham Wood, Heybridge Swifts, and Wealdstone.
Playing for New Zealand
Chris Zoricich played his first international game for New Zealand on March 27, 1988, against Israel. He played in 57 official international games for the All Whites. He even got to be the captain of the team at the Confederations Cup in Mexico and the Confederations Cup in France.
His Only International Goal
Chris scored only one goal for New Zealand in an international game. It happened in June 1999 during the Confederations Cup. New Zealand lost that game 2–1 to the USA.
| No | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 24 July 1999 | Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico |  United States |
1–2 | 1–2 | 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup |
What He Did After Playing
As of 2014, Chris Zoricich was working as the main soccer coach at Saint Kentigern College in Auckland. Later, he became a coach for other clubs.
