Carlos Bocanegra

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. His father is of Mexican descent. 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. 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. 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''. With Fulham, Bocanegra played primarily as a center back, but also as a left back and briefly as a holding midfielder. During the 2006–07 Premier League season, he was Fulham's second leading scorer with five goals, behind fellow American Brian McBride. 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. On September 15, 2007, he made his 100th appearance in the Premier League, all for Fulham, against Wigan Athletic. He was released by Fulham on May 23, 2008.

Rennes

Bocanegra was signed by Rennes in June 2008. 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. 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. He wore the number three shirt, as he did captaining the U.S. during the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Bocanegra made his debut for the club, on the opening game of the season, in a 3–1 loss against PSG. 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