Marcelo Balboa
Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Date of birth | August 8, 1967 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Place of birth | Chicago, Illinois, United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
College career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1986–1987 | Cerritos College | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1988–1989 | San Diego State Aztecs | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1987–1989 |
San Diego Nomads | (8) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1990–1991 | San Francisco Bay | 15 | (7) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1992 | Colorado Foxes | 15 | (4) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1994–1995 | León | 53 | (3) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1996–2001 | Colorado Rapids | 151 | (24) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2002 |
MetroStars | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Total | 235 | (46) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
International career | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
1988–2000 | United States | 127 | (13) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Marcelo Balboa (born August 8, 1967) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender in the 1990s for the United States national team, becoming its captain. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.[1]
After retiring from playing, he has worked as a commentator for
Club career
Youth
Balboa, who is of Argentine descent, was born in
Balboa attended Cerritos College, a local two-year community college from 1986 to 1987. At Cerritos, Balboa was both placekicker on the football team and a two-time 1st Team All-South Coast Conference soccer player. Cerritos College has retired Balboa's jersey number – #3.[4] In 1988, Balboa transferred to San Diego State University where he was a 1988 First Team and a 1989 Second Team All American soccer player.[5]
Professional
From 1987 to 1989, Balboa played the collegiate off-seasons on an amateur contract with the professional
In 1996, Balboa signed with
Balboa ended his MLS career with 24 goals and 23 assists in 152 games. In 2005, Balboa was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI and elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame on the first ballot along with Nick Folan. In 2012, he was inducted into the Colorado Hall of Fame.[9]
A goal by Balboa for the Rapids in 2000 against the Columbus Crew was named the MLS Goal of the Year for that season.
International career
Balboa earned his first cap with
Post-retirement
Team executive
After the 2004 MLS season, Balboa assumed a front office position with the Rapids.
Broadcaster
Balboa debuted as a sideline reporter during ABC's coverage of the 2003 MLS All-Star Game and MLS Cup. In 2004, he became a regular announcer for ABC and ESPN's television coverage of the United States national team. Most recently, Balboa has paired up with baseball announcer Dave O'Brien as networks' #1 U.S. announcing team for the 2006 FIFA World Cup.[11]
In 2007, Balboa started a soccer radio show, From The Pitch, which airs on Denver station Mile High Sports Radio.
In 2014, he was commentator of the United States team matches for Univision at the World Cup in Brazil.
Coaching
In 2012, Monarch High School hired Balboa to coach the boys' soccer team.[14]
Personal life
Balboa, who is the son of Argentine immigrants, resides in the town of Superior, Colorado.
Career statistics
National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
---|---|---|---|
United States | 1988 | 7 | 0 |
1989 | 4 | 0 | |
1990 | 15 | 1 | |
1991 | 15 | 2 | |
1992 | 21 | 3 | |
1993 | 10 | 0 | |
1994 | 24 | 4 | |
1995 | 6 | 1 | |
1996 | 8 | 1 | |
1997 | 10 | 0 | |
1998 | 4 | 1 | |
1999 | 2 | 0 | |
2000 | 1 | 0 | |
Total | 127 | 13 |
- Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Balboa goal.
No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | May 30, 1990 | Eschen, Liechtenstein | Liechtenstein | 2–1 | 4–1 | Friendly |
2 | June 29, 1991 | Pasadena, California, United States | Trinidad and Tobago | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1991 Gold Cup |
3 | August 28, 1991 | Brasov , Romania |
Romania | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
4 | February 2, 1992 | Pontiac, Michigan, United States | CIS | 1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
5 | May 30, 1992 | Washington, D.C., United States | Republic of Ireland | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1992 U.S. Cup |
6 | October 19, 1992 | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Ivory Coast | 1–0 | 5–2 | 1992 King Fahd Cup |
7 | January 15, 1994 | Tempe, Arizona, United States | Norway | 1–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
8 | February 13, 1994 | Hong Kong | Romania | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1994 Carlsberg Cup |
9 | March 12, 1994 | Fullerton, California, United States | South Korea | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
10 | May 7, 1994 | Fullerton, California, United States | Estonia | 3–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
11 | June 11, 1995 | Foxborough, Massachusetts, United States | Nigeria | 2–2 | 3–2 | 1995 U.S. Cup |
12 | January 16, 1996 | Anaheim, California, United States | Trinidad and Tobago | 2–0 | 2–0 | 1996 Gold Cup |
13 | March 14, 1997 | San Diego, California , United States |
Paraguay | 2–1 | 2–2 | Friendly |
Honors
United States
Individual
- U.S. Soccer Athlete of the Year: 1992, 1994[16]
- MLS Goal of the Year Award: 2000
- CONCACAF Team of the Century: 1998[21]
See also
References
- ^ "Marcelo Balboa - 2005 Inductee | National Soccer Hall of Fame". Marcelo Balboa - 2005 Inductee | National Soccer Hall of Fame. Retrieved December 18, 2023.
- ^ "Marcelo Balboa hired to coach Treble soccer club". The Denver Post. May 14, 2012. Retrieved May 14, 2010.
- ^ "USA Youth Soccer National Champions (1935–1998)". Archived from the original on November 19, 2011. Retrieved November 30, 2011.
- ^ Cerritos College Soccer Media Guide[permanent dead link]
- ^ "San Diego Aztecs: Marcelo Balboa". Archived from the original on May 23, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ "The Year in American Soccer – 1988". Archived from the original on July 13, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
- ^ 1990 San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
- ^ 1992 Colorado Foxes
- ^ Colorado Hall of Fame: Marcelo Balboa Archived 2013-08-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Simpson, Paul; Hesse, Uli (June 19, 2014). "Who Invented the Bicycle Kick?". Slate. Retrieved May 27, 2018.
- ^ "ESPN MediaZone – a resource for media professionals". Media.espn.com. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- ^ "From The Pitch – Soccer Radio – 42 – Man – Denver, Colorado – myspace.com/fromthepitch". MySpace. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- ^ "Medium Well: Your NBC Olympics lineup - A blog on sports media, news and networks - baltimoresun.com". Weblogs.baltimoresun.com. June 17, 2010. Archived from the original on August 3, 2008. Retrieved June 24, 2010.
- ^ Marcelo Balboa hired to coach Monarch High boys' soccer
- ^ "Marcelo Balboa – U.S. Soccer Media Guide". 2013 USMNT Media Guide. Retrieved December 22, 2013.
- ^ "Athlete of the Year Award". US Soccer. Archived from the original on November 10, 2014. Retrieved November 10, 2014.
- ^ All-Star Game flashback, 1997 at MLSsoccer.com
- ^ "1998 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. August 2, 1998. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ mlssoccer. "1999 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved July 27, 2023.
- ^ "2000 MLS All-Star Game". MLSsoccer.com. July 29, 2000. Retrieved July 28, 2023.
- ^ "Balboa, Ramos named to CONCACAF "Team of the Century"" Archived 5 October 2016 at the Wayback Machine, Soccer America, 14 May 1998.
External links
- Interview on Role Models from CaptainU
- Marcelo Balboa – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Marcelo Balboa at Major League Soccer