Pablo Mastroeni facts for kids
Mastroeni coaching the Colorado Rapids in 2017
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| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | Pablo Mastroeni | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | August 29, 1976 | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Mendoza, Argentina | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1995–1997 | Tucson Amigos | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 1998–2001 | Miami Fusion | 100 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | → MLS Pro-40 (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2002–2013 | Colorado Rapids | 225 | (5) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2013 | LA Galaxy | 9 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 334 | (7) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| National team‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2009 | United States | 65 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Colorado Rapids | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | Houston Dynamo (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Real Salt Lake (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021 | Real Salt Lake (interim) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2022– | Real Salt Lake | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Honours
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† Appearances (Goals). |
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Pablo Mastroeni (born August 29, 1976) is a well-known American soccer coach and former player. He is currently the head coach for the Major League Soccer team Real Salt Lake. Before this, he coached the Colorado Rapids and was an assistant coach for the Houston Dynamo. During his time as a player, he was a defensive midfielder. Pablo was born in Argentina but played for the U.S. national team.
Contents
Early Life and School
Pablo Mastroeni moved to the United States from Argentina when he was four years old. His family settled in Phoenix, Arizona. He went to Thunderbird High School and Mountain Sky Middle School. As a young player, he played youth soccer for the Santos Futbol Clube. Pablo then attended North Carolina State University, where he played on the men's soccer team from 1994 to 1997. During his college breaks, from 1995 to 1997, he also played for the Tucson Amigos in the USISL.
Playing Career
Professional Teams
In February 1998, the Miami Fusion picked Pablo Mastroeni in the second round of the 1998 MLS College Draft. He played for the Fusion for four seasons. By his second year, he became a regular starter, playing as a central defender or a defensive midfielder. In 2001, he was even named to the MLS Best XI, which means he was one of the best players in the league that year.
After the 2001 season, the Miami Fusion team was closed down. Pablo Mastroeni was the very first player chosen in the 2002 MLS Allocation Draft. He went to the Colorado Rapids. He became the captain of the Rapids and led them to their first championship title in 2010. Pablo scored his first goal in the MLS playoffs on October 28, 2010, against the Columbus Crew.
In June 2013, Mastroeni was traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy. He decided to retire from playing soccer at the end of that season. In 2021, the Colorado Rapids honored Pablo by retiring his jersey number, 25. This was the first time the Colorado Rapids had ever retired a player's number.
Playing for the U.S. National Team
Pablo Mastroeni played his first game for the U.S. national team on June 7, 2001, against Ecuador. Just weeks before the 2002 World Cup, a teammate named Chris Armas got injured. This meant Pablo became a starter in the first game of the World Cup, where the U.S. team surprised everyone by beating Portugal 3–2.
On January 10, 2005, Pablo tore a muscle in his left leg while training with the national team. This injury kept him from playing for about six to eight weeks.
Pablo was chosen to be part of the U.S. team for the FIFA World Cup 2006. In a match against Italy on June 17, Pablo received a red card for a strong tackle in the first half. This meant he had to leave the game. He was also fined and suspended for three games. Because of this, he missed the last U.S. match of the World Cup and the first two games of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
On February 7, 2007, Pablo was the team captain during a friendly game between the United States and Mexico. He was called up for the U.S. team's first World Cup qualifying match for the 2010 World Cup. He also started three of the first five final qualifying matches. However, he was not chosen for the 2009 Confederations Cup team or any of the last five qualifying games for the United States.
Coaching Career
Colorado Rapids Coach
2014 Season
In January 2014, Pablo Mastroeni became the temporary head coach of the Colorado Rapids. This happened after their previous coach, Oscar Pareja, left for another team. On March 8, 2014, just one week before the 2014 season began, Pablo was officially named the head coach.
In 2014, the Rapids had a tough season under Mastroeni. They allowed the most goals in the MLS, 62, and finished second to last in their conference.
2015 Season
The 2015 season was also challenging for Mastroeni and the Rapids. They finished last in the Western Conference. This meant they got the second pick in the next MLS Superdraft, which helps teams choose new players.
2016 Season
Before the 2016 season, Mastroeni traveled to London. He spent several days watching famous teams like Arsenal and Tottenham practice. He studied how their coaches, Mauricio Pochettino and Arsène Wenger, led their teams. This trip helped him learn new ideas. In 2016, Mastroeni helped the Rapids become a very strong defensive team. They played with a 4-2-3-1 formation. This new style led the Rapids to their best regular season ever! They had a franchise low of only 6 losses and a franchise high of 58 points. The team also allowed the fewest goals in the MLS that year, only 32. Mastroeni finished second in the voting for the MLS Coach of the Year award.
2017 Season
After his successful 2016 season, Mastroeni signed a new contract to coach the Rapids until 2019. However, on August 15, he was let go as Head Coach and Steve Cooke took over.
Houston Dynamo Assistant Coach
In 2020, Pablo Mastroeni joined the Houston Dynamo as an assistant coach.
Real Salt Lake Coach
2021 Season
In 2021, Mastroeni became an assistant coach for Real Salt Lake. On August 27, 2021, he was named the interim head coach after Freddy Juarez unexpectedly left the team during the season. On December 13, 2021, Pablo Mastroeni was officially named the permanent head coach for Real Salt Lake for the 2022 season and beyond.
Honors and Awards
Pablo Mastroeni has won many awards and championships during his career as a player:
Miami Fusion
- Supporters' Shield: 2001 (This award goes to the team with the best regular season record in MLS)
Colorado Rapids
- MLS Cup: 2010 (This is the championship trophy for Major League Soccer)
- Western Conference (MLS): 2010 (His team won their conference before the MLS Cup)
United States National Team
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2002, 2005, 2007 (This is a major soccer tournament for teams in North and Central America and the Caribbean)
Individual Awards
- MLS All-Star: 2000 (He was chosen as one of the best players to play in a special All-Star game)
- MLS Best XI: 2001 (He was named one of the top 11 players in the league)
- CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Tournament team: 2007 (He was chosen as one of the best players in the Gold Cup tournament)
See also
In Spanish: Pablo Mastroeni para niños
