Pablo Mastroeni

Pablo Mastroeni

Pablo Mastroeni playing with the Colorado Rapids (MLS) 2011
Personal information
Full name	Pablo Mastroeni
Date of birth	August 29, 1976 (1976-08-29)
Place of birth	Mendoza, Argentina
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Defensive Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Colorado Rapids
Number	25
Youth career
1994–1997	North Carolina State Wolfpack
1997	Tucson Amigos
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
1998–2001	Miami Fusion	100	(2)
2002–	Colorado Rapids	216	(5)
National team‡
2001–2009	United States	65	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 26, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of March 6, 2011

Pablo Mastroeni (born August 29, 1976 in Mendoza) is an Argentine-born American soccer player who currently plays for Colorado Rapids in Major League Soccer, and for the United States national soccer team.

Career

Youth

Mastroeni moved to the United States from his native Argentina with his family at the age of four, settling in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended Thunderbird High School, and played youth soccer for the Santos Futbol Clube. Mastroeni attended North Carolina State University where he played on the men's soccer team from 1994 to 1997. In 1997, he spent the collegiate off season playing for the Tucson Amigos of the USISL.

Professional

In February 1998, the Miami Fusion selected Mastroeni in the second round (thirteenth overall) of the 1998 MLS College Draft. He played four seasons with the Fusion, becoming an automatic starter in his second year with the team in either central defense or defensive midfield, and was named to the MLS Best XI in 2001. He earned his first US cap against Ecuador on June 7 of that year. The Fusion was contracted after the 2001 season and Mastroeni was the first overall choice of the 2002 MLS Allocation Draft, going to the Colorado Rapids, with whom he has been since. Mastroeni scored his first MLS playoff goal against the Columbus Crew October 28, 2010.

International

Pablo Mastroeni

When Chris Armas went out with an injury just weeks prior to the 2002 World Cup, Mastroeni found himself a starter in the opening game as the US defeated Portugal 3–2.

On January 10, 2005, it was reported that he tore the quadriceps in his left leg and would be out for six to eight weeks. The injury happened while training with the national team.

On May 2, 2006, Mastroeni was named to the US World Cup squad for the second time in his career. In a FIFA World Cup 2006 match against Italy on June 17, Mastroeni was given a red card for an aggressive tackle in the first half. Mastroeni was fined CHF 7,500 and received a three-game suspension, thus missing the last US match of the World Cup and the first two matches of the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup.

On February 7, 2007, during a friendly between the United States and Mexico, Mastroeni was the team captain.

Mastroeni was called up for the United States' first World Cup qualifying match of 2010 and two third-round matches, and started three of the first five final round matches for the United States. However, he was not named to the Confederations Cup roster nor any of the squads for the final five qualifiers for the United States.

Honors

United States

• CONCACAF Gold Cup Champions (2): 2005, 2007

Miami Fusion

• Major League Soccer Supporters Shield (1): 2001

Colorado Rapids

• Major League Soccer Eastern Conference Championship (1): 2010
• Major League Soccer MLS Cup (1): 2010

Individual

• MLS Best XI: 2001

See also

• List of current MLS players

External links

• MLS player profile
• Pablo Mastroeni articles on Yanks Abroad
• How to pronounce Pablo Mastroeni
• Video of Pablo Mastroeni's red card tackle in the U.S. vs. Italy match in 2006 World Cup
• Pablo Mastroeni at National-Football-Teams.com