Carlos Bocanegra
Template:Short description Template:Use mdy dates Template:Use American English Template:Infobox football biography Carlos Manuel Bocanegra (born May 25, 1979) is an American sports executive and former professional soccer player. A two-time MLS Defender of the Year, Bocanegra also played professionally in England, Scotland, France, and Spain. He earned over 100 caps with the United States, serving as captain for six years. He most recently served as technical director and vice president for Atlanta United.
Early life and education
Bocanegra was born in Upland, CA on May 25, 1979, to Manuel and Kelly Bocanegra. He was raised in Alta Loma, Rancho Cucamonga, California, where he attended Alta Loma High School. He has one brother, Diego, who played soccer at Grand Canyon University, UCLA and Fresno State. Diego is currently the head coach of the University of Houston women's soccer team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His father is of Mexican descent.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> While attending UCLA, Bocanegra studied history and geography. Prior to attending UCLA, Bocanegra was offered scholarships for American football but opted for soccer, which he thought of choosing as his career.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was inducted into the UCLA Athletics Hall of Fame in 2013.
Club career
Chicago Fire
After playing college soccer at UCLA, Bocanegra signed a Project-40 contract with Major League Soccer and was drafted by the Chicago Fire with the fourth overall pick in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. He spent most of the year with the Fire, playing two games on loan with Project 40.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He won the MLS Rookie of the Year Award for a team that made it to the MLS Championship match and won the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He became one of the top defenders in MLS, becoming the first player to win the MLS Defender of the Year Award twice, in 2002 and 2003. Bocanegra scored five goals and had eight assists in his four years in MLS.
Fulham
Bocanegra was signed by Fulham in January 2004, quickly becoming a fan favorite, garnering the nicknames the Jackal and the Black Snake.<ref>Bocanegra Joins Fulham (Accessed November 27, 2013)</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With Fulham, Bocanegra played primarily as a center back, but also as a left back and briefly as a holding midfielder.<ref>[1] (Accessed November 27, 2013)</ref> During the 2006–07 Premier League season, he was Fulham's second leading scorer with five goals, behind fellow American Brian McBride.<ref>Bocanegra talks Fulham, Gold Cup, and more Template:Webarchive (Accessed September 20, 2007)</ref> On September 1, 2007, Bocanegra captained Fulham for the first time in a Premier League match, a come from behind 3–3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur.<ref>Boca's Pride (Accessed November 27, 2013)</ref><ref>Bocanegra proud to lead Template:Webarchive (Accessed November 27, 2013)</ref> On September 15, 2007, he made his 100th appearance in the Premier League, all for Fulham, against Wigan Athletic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was released by Fulham on May 23, 2008.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Rennes
Bocanegra was signed by Rennes in June 2008.<ref>Bocanegra happy with Rennes move (Assessed November 27, 2013)</ref> He received the number 3 shirt, which is his number for the United States. Bocanegra performed well in his first season in France, appearing in all 38 league matches. He scored his first league goal on March 8, 2009, in Stade Rennais's 2–0 victory over Auxerre.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also scored a goal in a UEFA Cup match and started all the club's Coupe de France matches. These included the 2009 Coupe de France Final at the Stade de France on May 9, 2009, where he scored Stade Rennais' first goal against Guingamp, in the 70th -1 minute.
Saint-Étienne
On July 16, 2010, Bocanegra was purchased by fellow Ligue 1 club Saint-Étienne for a reported fee of £400,000.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He wore the number three shirt, as he did captaining the U.S. during the 2010 FIFA World Cup.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bocanegra made his debut for the club, on the opening game of the season, in a 3–1 loss against PSG.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> On December 5, 2010, he scored his first goal for the club, in a 2–2 draw against Bordeaux; followed up his second goal in the Derby du Rhône, but couldn't help Saint-Étienne win, as they lost 4–1. Bocanegra would be often used in first-team ins and outs in his first season. In a match against Nice, on October 17, 2010, Bocanegra suffered whiplash injury, that kept him out for three weeks.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
In the 2011–12 season, Bocanegra took the captaincy temporarily following Loïc Perrin's absence, on the opening game of the season, as Saint-Étienne win 2–1 against Bordeaux.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This turned out to be his only appearance. He was linked with a move to Rangers, but was warned by Saint-Étienne that they would not sell him.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Rangers
On August 17, 2011, Bocanegra joined Scottish Premier League side Rangers, signing a three-year deal for an undisclosed fee.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bocanegra made his debut for Rangers against NK Maribor on August 18, 2011, in a UEFA Europa League qualifier. His involvement in this match later caused controversy when Maribor filed a complaint to UEFA regarding the eligibility of Bocanegra's appearance, questioning whether he had the required clearance and paperwork. The protest was rejected by UEFA on August 24 as Maribor did not submit it within twenty-four hours of the match.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The club's chief later described the complaint by Maribor regarding Bocanegra's eligibility as 'pathetic mischief making'.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He scored his first goal for Rangers in the second leg of the Maribor tie as Rangers crashed out 3–2 on aggregate.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bocanegra scored his first league goal for the club on September 24 against Dunfermline Athletic in a 4–0 win.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> His second goal came three months later, on December 17, 2011, during a 2–1 win over Inverness Caledonian Thistle.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bocanegra quickly became a fan favorite after a series of solid and impressive performances alongside his center-back partner, Dorin Goian.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He was nicknamed Captain America by the Rangers fans and captained Rangers for the first time on January 8, 2012, during a 4–0 win over Arbroath in the Scottish Cup.
During the season, Rangers went into administration over financial problems and a dispute with HMRC, leading to a 10-point deduction. Bocanegra spoke about the event, describing it as a "horrible experience"<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and encouraging players to light up the dejected fans.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He also stated his desire to stay at the club, insisting he was happy there.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> During an Old Firm 3–2 victory, on March 25, 2012, Bocanegra received a straight red card after fouling Georgios Samaras, conceding a penalty.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
After Rangers FC went into administration, in June 2012 the company's assets, including the players' contracts, were purchased by Charles Green's consortium. Although many players departed because of this, Bocanegra's future was uncertain after not attending training,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> as he wanted to leave in order to play at a higher level.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A few weeks later, on July 29, 2012, McCoist appointed Bocanegra captain for the first round of the Challenge Cup- a 2–1 win over Brechin City.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> After the game Bocanegra announced his intention to stay, vowing not to walk away from the club.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He then made six appearances at the start of the season. After being dropped by the national team,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bocanegra joined Racing de Santander on a season-long loan in an attempt to keep his international career alive.<ref name="Rangers: Carlos Bocanegra joins Racing Santander on loan">Template:Cite news</ref>
Racing Santander
On August 31, 2012, Bocanegra joined Spanish Segunda División side Racing Santander on a season-long loan. Bocanegra expressed a desire to return to Rangers once his loan deal has expired.<ref name="Rangers: Carlos Bocanegra joins Racing Santander on loan"/><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He made his debut for the club, on September 22, 2012, in a 1–0 win over CD Mirandés.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> However, his time at Santander was considered "disastrous",Template:Citation needed as he failed to start the remainder of the matches, though still played regularly, coming on as a substitute. The club was relegated to next division.
On April 9, 2013, Carlos announced on his Twitter page that he would return to Rangers for the 2013–14 season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Though announcing his return, U.S. National Team Coach Jürgen Klinsmann warned Carlos not to play for Rangers next season.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Chivas USA
In the summer of 2013, Bocanegra left Rangers<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and signed with Chivas USA. Chivas USA traded up the allocation order with Toronto FC to land his signature, sending a first-round 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick and an international slot to the Canadian club.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Bocanegra retired at the end of the 2014 MLS season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
International career
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Bocanegra played for the United States at the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and earned his first senior cap for the U.S. on December 9, 2001, against South Korea. He became a stalwart for the team in 2003, solidifying his position during the 2003 Gold Cup and leading all defenders with thirteen appearances during that year. During World Cup qualification in 2005, his role with the national team became less clear, as he bounced between roles at center back and left back. On May 2, 2006, Bocanegra was named to the United States World Cup roster for the tournament in Germany. He started two of three games at left back during the 2006 World Cup.
Bocanegra was first-choice captain of the U.S. squad under manager Bob Bradley. Bocanegra captained the national team for the first time in a 4–1 U.S. victory in a June 2, 2007, friendly against China.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Bocanegra captained the United States national team that defeated No. 1 ranked Spain to win one of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final games on June 24, 2009.<ref>U.S. National Team Upsets Top-Ranked Spain, 2–0, June 24, 2009</ref> He then continued his leadership duties throughout the 2010 FIFA World Cup, starting at left back against England and Slovenia and then as the left-center back against Algeria and Ghana.
On November 15, 2011, Bocanegra joined the 100 cap club achieving his 100th international cap in a friendly against Slovenia. In March 2013, Bocanegra was initially included on the preliminary team for the start of the final stage of World Cup qualification; however, he did not make the final team. Bocanegra's further exclusion from qualification, in part due to his unstable club situation, led to the appointment of Clint Dempsey as captain of the USMNT. Bocanegra was subsequently not a part of the team at the 2013 Gold Cup or the 2014 World Cup.
Post-playing career
Bocanegra was appointed technical director of Atlanta United in March 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In October 2017, he signed a new four-year contract with the club, which also added the title of vice president to his role.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The club announced he was leaving on September 4, 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He was appointed to co-chair the Technical Development Committee at U.S. Soccer in April 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In September 2020, Bocanegra was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Career statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cupTemplate:Efn | League cupTemplate:Efn | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chicago Fire | 2000 | Major League Soccer | 27 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 6 | 0 | – | 37 | 1 | |
| 2001 | 15 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6 | 1 | – | 23 | 2 | |||
| 2002 | 26 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3Template:Efn | 1 | 33 | 3 | ||
| 2003 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 0 | – | 27 | 1 | |||
| Total | 87 | 5 | 11 | 0 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 120 | 7 | ||
| Fulham | Template:Nowrap | Premier League | 15 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 19 | 0 | |
| 2004–05 | 28 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 35 | 1 | |||
| 2005–06 | 20 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 21 | 1 | |||
| 2006–07 | 30 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 34 | 5 | |||
| 2007–08 | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 24 | 1 | |||
| Total | 115 | 8 | 13 | 0 | 5 | 0 | – | 133 | 8 | |||
| Rennes | 2008–09 | Ligue 1 | 38 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2Template:Efn | 1 | 45 | 3 |
| 2009–10 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 29 | 1 | |||
| Total | 64 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 74 | 4 | ||
| Saint-Étienne | 2010–11 | Ligue 1 | 34 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 36 | 2 | |
| 2011–12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | |||
| Total | 35 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 37 | 2 | ||
| Rangers | 2011–12 | Scottish Premier League | 29 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2Template:Efn | 1 | 34 | 3 |
| 2012–13 | Scottish Third Division | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | |
| Total | 32 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 41 | 3 | ||
| Racing de Santander | 2012–13 | Segunda División | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 21 | 0 | ||
| Chivas USA | 2013 | Major League Soccer | 12 | 0 | – | – | – | 12 | 0 | |||
| 2014 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 18 | 0 | ||||
| Total | 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 30 | 0 | ||||
| Career total | 383 | 19 | 34 | 1 | 29 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 446 | 24 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2001 | 1 | 0 |
| 2002 | 6 | 0 | |
| 2003 | 13 | 4 | |
| 2004 | 10 | 1 | |
| 2005 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2006 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2007 | 11 | 2 | |
| 2008 | 9 | 2 | |
| 2009 | 14 | 1 | |
| 2010 | 9 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 15 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 10 | 2 | |
| Total | 110 | 14 | |
- Scores and results list the United States' goal tally first, score column indicates score after each Bocanegra goal
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 18, 2003 | Lockhart Stadium, Ft. Lauderdale, United States | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 4–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | February 13, 2003 | National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | July 23, 2003 | Orange Bowl, Miami, United States | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 4 | July 26, 2003 | Orange Bowl, Miami, United States | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 3–2 | 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 5 | July 11, 2004 | Soldier Field, Chicago, United States | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 6 | June 8, 2005 | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–0 | 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 7 | June 16, 2007 | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, United States | Template:Fb | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 8 | September 9, 2007 | Soldier Field, Chicago, United States | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 2–4 | Friendly |
| 9 | March 26, 2008 | Wisla Stadium, Kraków, Poland | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 10 | August 20, 2008 | Estadio Mateo Flores, Guatemala City, Guatemala | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 11 | June 6, 2009 | Soldier Field, Chicago, United States | Template:Fb | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2010 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 12 | March 3, 2010 | Amsterdam Arena, Amsterdam, Netherlands | Template:Fb | 1–2 | 1–2 | Friendly |
| 13 | June 8, 2012 | Raymond James Stadium, Tampa, United States | Template:Fb | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
| 14 | October 16, 2012 | Livestrong Sporting Park, Kansas City, United States | Template:Fb | 1–1 | 3–1 | 2014 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Honors
Chicago Fire
United States
Individual
- MLS Rookie of the Year: 2000
- MLS Defender of the Year: 2002, 2003<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- MLS Best XI: 2002, 2003
See also
References
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- 1979 births
- Living people
- 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- 2003 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- 2006 FIFA World Cup players
- 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
- CONCACAF Gold Cup–winning players
- Expatriate men's footballers in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in France
- Alta Loma High School alumni
- American expatriate men's soccer players
- American expatriate sportspeople in England
- Expatriate men's footballers in Scotland
- American Youth Soccer Organization players
- Chicago Fire FC players
- MLS Pro-40 players
- Fulham F.C. players
- Ligue 1 players
- Scottish Premier League players
- Sportspeople from Upland, California
- Premier League players
- Stade Rennais FC players
- AS Saint-Étienne players
- Rangers F.C. players
- Racing de Santander players
- Chivas USA players
- UCLA Bruins men's soccer players
- United States men's under-20 international soccer players
- United States men's under-23 international soccer players
- United States men's international soccer players
- American people of Mexican descent
- Sportspeople of Mexican descent
- FIFA Men's Century Club
- A-League (1995–2004) players
- Major League Soccer players
- Major League Soccer All-Stars
- Scottish Football League players
- Segunda División players
- Chicago Fire FC draft picks
- American expatriate sportspeople in Scotland
- American expatriate sportspeople in France
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain
- American expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Men's association football defenders
- National Soccer Hall of Fame members
- American men's soccer players
- Soccer players from Rancho Cucamonga, California
- Footballers at the 1999 Pan American Games
- Medalists at the 1999 Pan American Games
- Pan American Games bronze medalists for the United States in football
- 20th-century American sportsmen