Joe Corona

Joe Corona

Personal information
Full name	Joe Benny Corona Crespín
Height	1.72 m (5 ft 8 in)
Position(s)	Winger/Attacking Midfielder
Team information
Current team	Tijuana
Number	15
Youth career
2008	San Diego State Aztecs
2009–2010	Tijuana
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2010–	Tijuana	64	(9)
International career‡
2011	Mexico U-22	1	(0)
2012–	United States U-23	2	(3)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of March 22, 2012 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of March 26, 2012

Joe Benny Corona Crespín (born July 9, 1990), is an American soccer player who currently plays for Club Tijuana in the Mexican Primera División de México as a winger.

High School

Joe earned four letters at local Sweetwater High School in San Diego County. He was the 2008 San Diego Union-Tribune Player of the Year, and also garnered 2008 Mesa League Player of the Year honor. He was a three-time all-league first-team selection (2006–08) and was a first-team all-CIF performer in 2008. Corona was Captain of the Red Devils and took them to a 2008 league championship.

Professional career

Corona made his first appearance in the 2010 Clausura season and was the first player coming from youth teams to score a goal with the Pro Team on September 2010. He started his career with the Nomads from San Diego, California, following the example of Marcelo Balboa, Frankie Hejduk and Steve Cherundolo, all from the United States men's national soccer team

2009/2010 Season

During the 2009/2010 season, Corona played 160 minutes in 3 appearances.

2010/2011 Season

During the 2010/2011 season, Corona played/made 39 appearances, including 34 starts, and scored six goals as Tijuana earned promotion to the Primera División. Joe Corona started his first game in Primera Division de Mexico, scoring his team's only goal in a 2-1 loss to Monarcas. On July 30, 2011, Corona scored a goal (2-0) against Rayados de Monterrey. Xolos were up by two but ended up losing that game.

International career

Corona was born in the United States to a Mexican father and a Salvadoran mother and is eligible to represent any of the three countries. He was named to the preliminary roster to represent the United States in a friendly match against Mexico in August 2011 under Bob Bradley but Bradley was fired before the official roster was announced. Corona stated that if he was named to the official roster that "I think I would have accepted." Corona accepted a call-up represent Mexico in an under-22 game for the coming Pan-American games to be played in Guadalajara. This does not mean that he is tied to play for the Mexican team as the game is not an official FIFA competition. On October 2011 Fox Soccer reported that Corona would be willing to accept a call-up to represent the United States. On November 2 it was announced that Joe Corona had accepted a call up to the US under 23 squad.

On March 22, 2012, Corona recorded a hat trick in the US U23 National Team's Olympic Qualifier against Cuba. USA won the match 6-0.On march 26, 2012, corona striked again in the gane against El salvador under 23 team, but the final result 3-3 eliminated USA of the olympics games.