Derek Van Rheenen
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Date of birth | 3 January 1964 | ||
Place of birth | Ibadan, Nigeria | ||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1983–1986 | California Golden Bears | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1986–1990 | San Francisco Greek-Americans | ||
1990–1992 | San Francisco Bay Blackhawks | ||
1993 |
San Jose Hawks | ||
1994–1998 | San Francisco Greek-Americans | ||
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Derek Van Rheenen (born 3 January 1964) is a Nigerian retired footballer who played as a defender. He played his entire career with three San Francisco-based clubs.
Youth and college
Born in Nigeria, Van Rheenen grew up in California, where he attended
In 2008, Van Rheenen was inducted into the Cal Athletics Hall of Fame.[2]
Playing career
San Francisco Greek-Americans
In 1986, Van Rheenen joined the powerhouse amateur club, San Francisco Greek-Americans. In 1988, the team went to the
San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
In 1990, Van Rheenen he signed with the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks of the American Professional Soccer League (APSL).[3] That season the Blackhawks went to the title match, only to fall to the Maryland Bays in penalty kicks. The next year the Blackhawks took the league title, defeating the Albany Capitals. Van Rheenen earned individual honors as a first team All Star. In 1993, the team saw a drop off in its league performance as it concentrated on making a run through the CONCACAF Champions Cup in which it went to the semifinals only to fall to the Hugo Sánchez-led Club América, 4–3 on aggregate. At the end of the 1992 season, the Blackhawks owner pulled the team from the APSL and relocated it to the lower division U.S. Interregional Soccer League (USISL). He also renamed the team the San Jose Hawks. Even under the new name, the Hawks continued to dominate, taking first place in the Pacific Division and winning a spot in the Sizzling Six championship. Despite winning both of its games, the team found itself shut out of the title game based on goal differential. However, Van Rheenen was named a first team All Star again. Despite its success, the Hawks folded at the end of the season. Van Rheenen was team captain during his four seasons with the Blackhawks/Hawks.
San Francisco Greek-Americans
Following the demise of the Hawks, Van Rheenen rejoined the Greek-Americans and spent five years with the club. In 1994, the Greek-Americans went to the
Other clubs
In 2000, Van Rheenen was a member, and the leading scorer, for the Olympic Club in the San Francisco Soccer Football League's Major Division. Fellow Berkeley graduate, and Blackhawks teammate, Peter Woodring, also played on the team.[4]
Van Rheenen continues to play for the Over-40 club Real Marin Spurs of the Marin Soccer League, finishing in third place in the Summer 2018 season.[5]
University career
After leaving professional soccer, Van Rheenen returned to Berkeley, where he attained a
References
- ^ "CCS Boys Soccer Complete History of CCS Championship 1970". www.cifccs.org. Archived from the original on 17 July 2006.
- ^ "Cal Athletic Hall of Fame Adds 7 New Members - the University of California Official Athletic Site". Archived from the original on 7 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 6 March 2016. Retrieved 6 May 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "San Francisco Soccer Football League, Inc". Archived from the original on 17 March 2007. Retrieved 6 May 2007.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 6 August 2007.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ "Derek van Rheenen | UC Berkeley - Graduate School of Education". Archived from the original on 6 February 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Derek van Rheenen, PhD | Athletic Study Center".