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) | |||||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | |||||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1997 | North Carolina State | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 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) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| International career‡ | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2001–2009 | United States | 65 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2014–2017 | Colorado Rapids | |||||||||||||||||||||
| 2021– | Real Salt Lake | |||||||||||||||||||||
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Medal record
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of December 10, 2013 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of March 6, 2011 |
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Pablo Mastroeni, born on 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. As a player, he was a defensive midfielder. Although born in Argentina, he played for the United States national team.
Contents
Early Life and Soccer Start
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. During his youth, he played soccer for the Santos Futbol Clube.
Mastroeni then attended North Carolina State University. He played on their men's soccer team from 1994 to 1997. In the off-season from college, between 1995 and 1997, he played for the Tucson Amigos in the USISL league.
Playing Career Highlights
Pablo Mastroeni had a successful career as a professional soccer player. He played for several teams and even represented his country.
Professional Club Teams
In February 1998, the Miami Fusion picked 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 player, often playing as a central defender or 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. Mastroeni was the 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. He scored his first MLS playoff goal on October 28, 2010.
In June 2013, Mastroeni was traded to the Los Angeles Galaxy. He retired from playing soccer at the end of that season. In 2021, the Colorado Rapids honored him by retiring his jersey number, #25. This was the first time the Rapids had ever retired a player's number.
Playing for the United States National Team
Mastroeni played his first game for the U.S. national team on June 7, 2001, against Ecuador. He became a starter in the 2002 World Cup when another player, Chris Armas, got injured. Mastroeni played in the opening game where the U.S. team beat Portugal 3–2.
He was also chosen for the 2006 U.S. World Cup team. In a game against Italy on June 17, Mastroeni received a red card for a strong tackle. This meant 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, Mastroeni was the team captain during a friendly match between the United States and Mexico. He continued to play in World Cup qualifying matches for the 2010 World Cup.
Coaching Career
After retiring as a player, Pablo Mastroeni began his career as a soccer coach.
Coaching the Colorado Rapids
In January 2014, Mastroeni became the interim head coach for the Colorado Rapids. He was officially named the head coach on March 8, 2014, just one week before the 2014 season started.
2014 and 2015 Seasons
The 2014 season was tough for Mastroeni and the Rapids. They finished second to last in their conference. The team allowed the most goals in the MLS that year. The 2015 season was also challenging, with the Rapids finishing near the bottom of the standings again.
2016 Season Success
Before the 2016 season, Mastroeni visited London to learn from top coaches like Mauricio Pochettino and Arsène Wenger. He helped the Rapids create a strong team identity. They became known as a defensive team, playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation. This strategy led to their best regular season ever. The team had a record low of only 6 losses and earned a franchise high of 58 points. They 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 the successful 2016 season, Mastroeni signed a new contract to coach the Rapids until 2019. However, on August 15, 2017, he was no longer the head coach. Steve Cooke took over his position.
Coaching Other Teams
In 2020, Mastroeni joined the Houston Dynamo as an assistant coach. In 2021, he became an assistant coach for Real Salt Lake. On August 27, 2021, he was named the interim head coach for Real Salt Lake. Then, on December 13, 2021, he was officially named the permanent head coach for the club. He continues to lead Real Salt Lake today.
Coaching Statistics
Here is a summary of Pablo Mastroeni's coaching record:
| Team | Nat | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
| Colorado Rapids |  |
January 4, 2014 | August 15, 2017 | 136 | 43 | 35 | 58 | 155 | 185 | −30 | 31.62 | |
| Real Salt Lake | |
August 27, 2021 | present | 164 | 66 | 41 | 57 | 238 | 242 | −4 | 40.24 | |
| Total | 300 | 109 | 76 | 115 | 393 | 427 | −34 | 36.33 | ||||
Awards and Honors
Pablo Mastroeni has received several awards and honors throughout his career as a player and coach.
As a Player:
- Miami Fusion
- Supporters' Shield: 2001 (This award goes to the MLS team with the best regular season record.)
- Colorado Rapids
- MLS Cup: 2010 (The championship trophy for Major League Soccer.)
- Western Conference (MLS): 2010 (Won the Western Conference playoffs to reach the MLS Cup.)
- United States National Team
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2002, 2005, 2007 (A major international soccer tournament for teams in North and Central America and the Caribbean.)
Individual Awards:
- MLS All-Star: 2000 (Chosen as one of the best players in the league.)
- MLS Best XI: 2001 (Named one of the top eleven players in the MLS.)
- CONCACAF Gold Cup All-Tournament team: 2007 (Recognized as one of the best players in the Gold Cup tournament.)
See also
In Spanish: Pablo Mastroeni para niños
