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Rob Valentino

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Rob Valentino
Valentino (right) playing for Orlando City in March 2014
Personal information
Date of birth (1985-12-21) December 21, 1985 (age 38)
Place of birth Hoffman Estates, Illinois, United States
Height 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Position(s) Defender
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004–2007 San Francisco Dons 57 (5)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007 San Jose Frogs 5 (0)
2008–2009 New England Revolution 0 (0)
2009–2010 Colorado Rapids 0 (0)
2010 FC Tampa Bay 27 (0)
2011–2014 Orlando City 77 (9)
2015 Arizona United 15 (0)
2017 Orlando City B 0 (0)
Total 124 (9)
International career
2008 United States U23 1 (0)
Managerial career
2016–2017 Orlando City B (assistant)
2018 Atlanta United 2 (assistant)
2019– Atlanta United (assistant)
2021 Atlanta United (interim)
2024– Atlanta United (interim)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 18, 2014

Rob Valentino (born December 21, 1985) is a former American soccer player who is currently the interim head coach at Major League Soccer side Atlanta United FC.

Career

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College and amateur

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Valentino grew up in Danville, California, and began his soccer career playing youth soccer for the local Mustang Club. In 1999, his family moved to Arizona, where he played for the 1986 Sereno Golden Eagles with coach Harry Demos. Valentino was recruited out of high school, and chose to attend the University of San Francisco. Valentino was captain all four years at USF, where he was the WCC Defensive Player of the Year his sophomore season. He also earned WCC Player of the Year honors his junior season.

In addition to playing collegiate soccer, Valentino spent the 2007 season with the San Jose Frogs of the USL Premier Development League. However, he injured his left knee and was set to red-shirt the season, but ultimately decided to sign a generation Adidas contract.

Professional

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Valentino was drafted in the first round, 13th overall, of the 2008 MLS SuperDraft by New England Revolution. He made his full professional debut for Revolution on July 1, 2008, in a US Open Cup third-round game against Richmond Kickers,[1] and was traded to Colorado Rapids in exchange for Nico Colaluca on May 6, 2009.[2] Valentino asked for and was released before the 2010 season to play for Tampa without ever making an MLS appearance.[3]

He signed with FC Tampa Bay of the USSF Division 2 League in 2010, but chose not to re-sign with the club at the end of the season.

He later signed with new USL Pro franchise Orlando City on March 31, 2011;[4] he scored his first career goal on April 16, 2011, in a 1–0 victory over the Charlotte Eagles. In addition Valentino was voted Defensive Player of the year for the 2011 USL season. He also became the captain for Orlando City following his debut season.[5] Valentino played for Orlando City for 5 years, but was not among the Orlando City players to make the move to MLS.[6]

Following Orlando City's move to MLS Valentino signed with Arizona United and was named captain for the team. He started in all 15 games for which he was fit. He missed a month of the season due to injury. Arizona announced that Valentino would retire from playing on August 11, 2015.[6]

Coaching

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On August 11, 2015, Valentino was announced as an assistant coach for Orlando City B who began play in 2016. The USL club is owned by Orlando City SC and reunited Valentino with his former teammate Anthony Pulis who was the team's head coach. He was also named to the club's technical staff.[7]

In 2019 he was added to Frank De Boer's technical staff as an assistant manager to the 2018 MLS Cup-winning team Atlanta United FC.

On July 18, 2021, Valentino was named Atlanta United's interim head coach following the firing of previous head coach Gabriel Heinze. Valentino led Atlanta United to a 4-2-2 record as the caretaker manager.[8] When Gonzalo Pineda was hired as the new head coach on August 12,[9] Valentino was retained as an assistant.

Valentino was again named interim head coach on June 3, 2024, after Atlanta parted ways with Pineda.[10]

Honors

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Orlando City

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References

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  1. ^ "Match Tracker - Richmond Kickers vs. New England Revolution". Archived from the original on July 31, 2008. Retrieved February 27, 2009.
  2. ^ "Revolution acquires R.I.'s Nico Colaluca from Colorado – OurSports Central". www.oursportscentral.com. May 6, 2009.
  3. ^ Jones, J. Sam (July 30, 2021). "Meet Rob Valentino, Atlanta United's Ted Lasso-esque interim manager". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved August 3, 2021.
  4. ^ "Generation Adidas vet Rob Valentino joins City". March 31, 2011. Archived from the original on September 6, 2012.
  5. ^ "Official Match Information: Orlando City at Charlotte Eagles". April 16, 2011. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.
  6. ^ a b Rob Valentino To Retire and Coach With Orlando City SC USL Club, August 11, 2015, archived from the original on December 22, 2015.
  7. ^ Tenorio, Paul (August 11, 2015), Former Orlando City defender Rob Valentino named assistant coach of USL team, Orlando Sentinel.
  8. ^ Roberson, Doug. "Atlanta United, Gabriel Heinze part ways after 13 MLS games". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved June 19, 2021.
  9. ^ Roberson, Doug (August 12, 2021). "Atlanta United hires Gonzalo Pineda as manager". The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Retrieved August 12, 2021.
  10. ^ "Atlanta United Part Ways with Head Coach". ATLUtd.com. Atlanta United. Retrieved June 3, 2024.
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