Óscar Pareja

This name uses Spanish naming customs: the first or paternal family name is Pareja and the second or maternal family name is Gómez.
Óscar Pareja

Pareja while coaching FC Dallas.
Personal information
Full name Óscar Alexander Pareja Gómez
Date of birth (1968-08-10) 10 August 1968
Place of birth Medellin, Colombia
Height 1.73 m (5 ft 8 in)
Playing position Midfielder
Club information
Current team
FC Dallas (head coach)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987–1995 Independiente Medellín 263 (18)
1995–1998 Deportivo Cali 122 (11)
1998 New England Revolution 13 (0)
1998–2005 FC Dallas 170 (13)
Total 568 (42)
National team
1991–1996 Colombia 11 (3)
Teams managed
20052011 FC Dallas (assistant)
20122013 Colorado Rapids
2014 FC Dallas

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

† Appearances (goals)

Óscar Alexander Pareja Gómez (born 10 August 1968) is a Colombian former football midfielder. He is currently the head coach of FC Dallas of Major League Soccer.

Playing career

Pareja came up through the youth system of Atlético Nacional; however, he began his professional career in 1987, debuting for renowned club Independiente Medellín, and assisted on the winning goal in a 1-0 victory on his debut. He played eight years with Independiente Medellín, from 1987 to 1995, helping them to be runners-up in 1993, and leading them to a respectable performance in the 1994 Copa Libertadores. In 1995, Deportivo Cali purchased Pareja from Independiente Medellín; Pareja paid immediate dividends, helping Cali to a championship in the 1995-1996 season, their first in 22 years. He would stay with them four years, before signing with Major League Soccer of the United States.

He was allocated to New England Revolution on 26 May 1998, but was soon traded to Dallas Burn for Mexican forward Damian Alvarez. This proved to be one of several poor trades that the Revolution would make at this time, as Pareja would go on to become a fixture in Dallas' midfield for years to come, and Damian would only play two games with the Revs before leaving the league. Although Pareja played little for Dallas in 1998, he earned himself a place at the center of Dallas's midfield for the 1999 season, playing 27 games and scoring four goals and six assists, while coordinating the Burn attack.[1] Pareja remained in this position for eight years, playing in 189 regular season games for Dallas, while scoring 13 goals and 52 assists, and was named to the MLS Best XI in 2002. Pareja announced he would retire following the 2005 MLS season and took a job as an assistant coach with FC Dallas.

International

Pareja also played for the Colombia national football team, playing 11 games and scoring three goals, and playing in the 1991 Copa América. Pareja is nicknamed El Generalito, the Little General, but is now called Papi.

Coaching career

Pareja served as an assistant coach with the United States U-17 men's national soccer team at the IMG Soccer Academy in 2007-08.[2] He then moved on to the coaching staff at FC Dallas for five seasons in a variety of roles.

On 5 January 2012, Colorado Rapids signed Pareja as head coach.[3] He stepped down on 4 January 2014.[4] On 10 January 2014 Pareja was announced as the head coach of his former club, FC Dallas, after Dallas traded a first-round 2015 MLS SuperDraft pick and allocation money to Colorado.[5]

Coaching record

As of 11 November 2015
Team From To Record1
GWDLWin %
Colorado Rapids 5 January 2012 4 January 2014 68 24 12 32 35.29
FC Dallas 10 January 2014 present 68 34 12 22 50.00
Total 136 58 24 54 42.65

References

  1. , MLSNET.com official player stats
  2. , USsoccer.com 26 November 2007
  3. Andrew Wiebe (5 January 2012). "Rapids hire FC Dallas assistant Pareja as head coach". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  4. "Report: Oscar Pareja steps down as Colorado Rapids head coach". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 5 January 2014.
  5. "Oscar Pareja joins FC Dallas". Colorado Rapids. Retrieved 24 November 2014.

External links


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