Chris Antonopoulos (soccer)
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 1968 | ||
| Place of birth | Louisiana | ||
| Height | 5'9 | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | Head Coach | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1986-1990 | Florida International University | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990-1991 | Hollywood Kickers | ||
| 1993-1994 | Fort Lauderdale Strikers | ||
| International career | |||
| 2002-2006 | United States Men's National Beach Soccer Team | ||
| Managerial career | |||
| 2009-2014 | Florida Beach Soccer FC | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Chris Antonopoulos (born 1968) is a retired American goalkeeper and coach known for his impact on beach soccer. He was the goalkeeper for Florida International University and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and represented the U.S. Men's National Beach Soccer Team in the 2005 CONCACAF and CONMEBOL Beach Soccer Championship, qualifying for the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup as well as the 2006 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, helping secure a spot in the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. As head coach of Florida Beach Soccer FC, he led the team to back-to-back North American Sand Soccer Championships in 2011 and 2012[1] and the Caribbean Championship in the 2011 Bago Sports Beach Football title in Trinidad and Tobago.
Amateur career
[edit]In 1990, Chris Antonopoulos played as a second-string goalkeeper for the Hollywood Kickers, a semi-professional soccer team in South Florida.[2]
Professional soccer career
[edit]Antonopoulos signed a pro contract with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers.[3] where he played as a goalkeeper in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). He was one of three players who went pro out of FIU at this time in 1993.[4]
During the 1993 season the Strikers finished in sixth place and failed to qualify for the playoffs with 9 wins and 15 losses.[5] The 1994 season was the fifth and final season in the APSL, this season they did not qualify for the playoffs, with 8 wins and 12 losses, finishing 5th in the league.[6]
Goalkeeper and Coaching
[edit]
Chris Antonopoulos was the general manager and head coach of the Florida Beach Soccer FC founded in 2009.[7]
Later that year, they captured the second annual Bago Sports Beach Football title[8] winning the Caribbean Championship in Trinidad and Tobago with a 5–3 victory over Stokely Vale FC.[8]
Florida Beach Soccer FC also participated in the Clearwater Beach Soccer Tournament[9] sponsored by the United Soccer League, which took place in 2011 as part of the Major Beach Soccer Tour.[10]
The team achieved continued success by securing another national title at the 2012 COOP U.S. Open North American Sand Soccer Championship (NASSC), demonstrating their dominance in U.S. beach soccer.[11]
References
[edit]- ^ "5. From the North American Soccer League to Major League Soccer", Offside, Princeton University Press, pp. 162–200, 2001-12-31, retrieved 2024-12-03
- ^ By (1990-03-16). "KICKERS' WIN, GET A STEP CLOSER". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
- ^ "2007 FIU Men's Soccer Media Guide by Ivan Irizarry - Issuu". issuu.com. 2008-05-21.
- ^ "2007 FIU Men's Soccer Media Guide by Ivan Irizarry - Issuu". issuu.com. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
- ^ "1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Roster". 1993.
- ^ "1994 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Roster". 1994.
- ^ "PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions". www.pressreader.com.
- ^ a b News, Stabroek (November 23, 2011). "Beach football team places third in T/dad Invitational tourney". Stabroek News.
{{cite web}}:|last=has generic name (help) - ^ "Soccer Invades Clearwater Beach". Clearwater, FL Patch. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
- ^ By (2011-11-06). "Getting their kicks in the sand". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
- ^ "US Open at NASSC: Celebrating 20 Years of Beach Soccer". North American Sand Soccer Championships | NASSC. Retrieved 2024-12-03.