Desmond Armstrong facts for kids
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Desmond Kevin Armstrong | |||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | November 2, 1964 | |||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Washington, D.C., United States | |||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | |||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defender, right-back | |||||||||||||||
| Youth career | ||||||||||||||||
| 1982–1985 | Maryland Terrapins | |||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||
| 1986–1988 | Cleveland Force (indoor) | 93 | (14) | |||||||||||||
| 1988–1989 | Baltimore Blast (indoor) | 19 | (5) | |||||||||||||
| 1991 | Santos | |||||||||||||||
| 1991 | Maryland Bays | 4 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1995 | Washington Warthogs (indoor) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| 1996 | Charlotte Eagles | |||||||||||||||
| Total | 117 | (19) | ||||||||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||||||||
| 1987–1994 | United States | 81 | (0) | |||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2006 | Montreat College | |||||||||||||||
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Honours
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Desmond Kevin Armstrong (born November 2, 1964) is an American former professional soccer player. He was a talented defender and midfielder. Desmond played for the U.S. national team from 1987 to 1994. He also played in several professional leagues, including indoor soccer and even in Brazil! Today, he helps FC Columbus as their technical director. His son, Ezra, also played soccer professionally.
Contents
Playing Career
Youth Soccer Journey
Desmond Armstrong was born in Washington, D.C. Until he was 11, basketball was his favorite sport. He had not played soccer at all. After an argument on the basketball court, a boy's father, who coached youth soccer, invited Desmond to try out for his team. This was the start of his amazing soccer journey.
He went to Howard High School in Maryland. Then, he played college soccer at the University of Maryland. He was a top player there from 1983 to 1985. He played 78 games, scoring 24 goals and making 18 assists. In 1986, his club team, the Fairfax Spartans, won the National Amateur Cup.
Professional Soccer
Desmond played two seasons for the Cleveland Force. This was an indoor soccer team in the Major Soccer League. In 1988, he joined the Baltimore Blast. However, he broke his leg in 1989.
In 1991, Desmond made history. He signed with Santos in Brazil. This made him the first American to play professional soccer in Brazil! After that, he returned to the U.S. and played for the Maryland Bays. In 1995, he joined the Washington Warthogs indoor team. He later played for the Charlotte Eagles in 1996. He retired from playing soccer at age 31.
Playing for the U.S. National Team
Desmond first played for the U.S. national team in 1987. He played in the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea. His great performance helped him become a key player for the national team.
He played in all three of the team's games at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. This was a huge achievement for him. He played 81 games for the national team in total. Desmond was also the first U.S.-born African American player to play in the World Cup.
Coaching and Community Work
After retiring from playing, Desmond became a soccer coach. He also worked on community projects. He helped organize programs like Soccer Beats, which is now called Heroes FA. He even owns a team called Legacy Heros FC in Tennessee.
In the mid-1990s, he coached the USA Hurricanes youth team. From 1999 to 2006, he was the head coach at Montreat College in North Carolina. He also coached the '85 HFC Vipers youth team. Later, he joined the Bethesda Roadrunners as head coach. He also started another part of Heroes FA in Maryland. He is currently their head coach and technical director.
In 2012, he started the Heroes Soccer Club in Nashville, Tennessee. As of 2022, this youth soccer club has 550 players!
Soccer Commentator
Desmond has also worked as a soccer commentator. He worked for ABC Sports. During the 1994 FIFA World Cup, he was an analyst for ESPN. He also provided commentary for the Cleveland City Stars home games.
Awards and Recognition
Desmond Armstrong has received several honors for his soccer career:
- On May 11, 2007, he was inducted into the Maryland Soccer Hall of Fame.
- On February 29, 2012, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
See also
In Spanish: Desmond Armstrong para niños
