Hector Marinaro
Encyclopedia
Hector Luis Marinaro is the all-time leader in points and goals in professional indoor soccer. He is currently the men's soccer coach at John Carroll University
.
saw Marinaro playing for the Italia. He convinced Marinaro to travel to Cleveland for a trial with the Cleveland Force of Major Indoor Soccer League
(MISL). The trial was successful enough for the Force to offer Marinaro a contract. While the team played him sparingly as a defender
, it offered him a three-year contract extension at the end of the year. Marinaro declined the offer, stating he’d rather play out his option. The Force promptly cut him and Marinaro found that no MISL team was interested in signing him.
. That season, the Strikers suffered from numerous injuries and head coach Alan Merrick
moved Marinaro to forward. The move paid off for both the Strikers and Marinaro who led the league in scoring with 58 goals the next season. Despite Marinaro’s scoring, the Strikers folded at the end of the season, and Marinaro moved to the Los Angeles Lazers
for the 1988-1989 season. The Lazers folded at the end of the season and Marinaro became a free agent.
. Marinaro worked a move to Cleveland because of the excellent memories he had of playing his rookie year there.http://www.misl.net/insider/index2.php?cat=35&id=3573 Marinaro would remain in Cleveland for the rest of his career. In 1992, the MISL folded and the Crunch moved to the National Professional Soccer League. They promptly went to the NPSL championship series, losing to the Kansas City Attack
in five games. They returned to the championship the next season, this time winning it three games to one over the St. Louis Ambush
. Marinaro scored the winning goal in double overtime of the deciding game to give the city of Cleveland its first professional sports championship in 30 years. The Crunch again won the championship in 1996 and 1999. In 2001, MISL was reconstituted and the Crunch was back where it started. The franchise changed its name to the Force in 2002.
On June 23, 2004, the Chicago Storm
drafted Marinaro with the 16th pick in the MISL expansion draft. However, he made his intentions to retire known to the Storm and on October 11, 2004, the team traded Marinaro to the Cleveland Force
in exchange for cash. The Storm did this in order to allow him to retire with the Force, the team with which he began his career.http://www.chicagostorm.net/news/?cat=16&id=355 He announced his retirement from playing professional soccer the next day.
During his 19-year indoor career, Marinaro scored 1,222 goals and added 701 assists for 1,923 points in just 685 games. In the playoffs, he scored another 224 goals and added 96 assists for 320 points in 104 games. He scored his 1,000th point against his brother Rob
, a goalkeeper for the Chicago Power
. Hector was a seven-time league MVP the most in any professional sport in the USA. In May 2005, the MISL announced that it would name its annual MVP award the Marinaro Award.
of the National Soccer League
while his father was an assistant coach with the team. Marinaro was team captain, but when his father was elevated to head coach of the Blizzard, he stripped his son of the captaincy. Marinaro remained with the Blizzard for the 1987 Canadian Soccer League season then returned to the Blizzard for the 1993 American Professional Soccer League
season.http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1993/stats93.htm#Toronto He also had one season with Rochester Raging Rhinos
of the A-League in 1996. Marinaro only played four games, but scored seven goals, as the Rhinos fell to the Seattle Sounders
in the championship game.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1996.html#aleague
. He played three games in the 1986 Merlion Cup in Singapore, but was accused, along with three of his teammates of taking bribes to throw the Canadian games. The criminal charges against Marinaro and his teammates were dropped after a judge declared that Canadian courts had no jurisdiction over gambling in Singapore.http://www.canadian-soccer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9813 The Canadian Soccer Association
suspended Marinaro for a year, but he did not again appear with the national team until 1995. Marinaro's first game with the national team was a 4-0 win over Indonesia
on August 30, 1986 and his last was a 2-0 loss to Chile
on October 11, 1995.http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/nationals/_profile.asp?playerid=1025&sub=3
elevated Marinaro to the position of assistant coach in addition to his playing duties. He continued in that role until retiring in 2004. On January 31, 2006, John Carroll University
hired Marinaro as the head coach of the men's soccer team. and since 2007 the H-Youth of Mississauga Falcons.
Points Leader
Goals Leader
NPSL First Team All Star
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
.
Youth
Marinaro is the son of Hector Marinaro, Sr., a native of Argentina who both played and coached extensively in Canada.http://www.canadiansoccerleague.ca/news.asp?c=4&id=2810&archive=true Marinaro grew up playing soccer, football, basketball and baseball. He attended Thomas L. Kennedy High School and developed his soccer skills under the eye of his father, beginning his career with the Toronto Italia, coached by Marinaro, Sr. In 1982, the team won the National Soccer Championship and in 1983, it won the Ontario Soccer Championship.Cleveland
In 1983, Timo LiekoskiTimo Liekoski
Timo Liekoski is a Finnish soccer coach who managed teams in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Indoor Soccer Association and Major League Soccer...
saw Marinaro playing for the Italia. He convinced Marinaro to travel to Cleveland for a trial with the Cleveland Force of Major Indoor Soccer League
Major Soccer League
The Major Indoor Soccer League, known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the USA from 1978 to 1992. After the folding of the North American Soccer League in 1984, the MISL was the Division I soccer league for the United States...
(MISL). The trial was successful enough for the Force to offer Marinaro a contract. While the team played him sparingly as a defender
Defender (football)
Within the sport of association football, a defender is an outfield player whose primary role is to prevent the opposition from attacking....
, it offered him a three-year contract extension at the end of the year. Marinaro declined the offer, stating he’d rather play out his option. The Force promptly cut him and Marinaro found that no MISL team was interested in signing him.
Minnesota and Los Angeles
He did not return to the MISL until 1986 when he signed with the Minnesota StrikersMinnesota Strikers
The Minnesota Strikers was an American professional soccer team located in the Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area. The team played one season in the North American Soccer League and 4 seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League....
. That season, the Strikers suffered from numerous injuries and head coach Alan Merrick
Alan Merrick
Alan Ronald Merrick is a retired English-American Association football defender who played professionally in England, the North American Soccer League and the Major Indoor Soccer League...
moved Marinaro to forward. The move paid off for both the Strikers and Marinaro who led the league in scoring with 58 goals the next season. Despite Marinaro’s scoring, the Strikers folded at the end of the season, and Marinaro moved to the Los Angeles Lazers
Los Angeles Lazers
Los Angeles Lazers were a soccer team based out of Los Angeles that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1982 to 1989.-History:Major Indoor Soccer League awarded a Los Angeles franchise to Jerry Buss on June 24, 1982. Buss had purchased the Philadelphia Fever and wanted to move it to...
for the 1988-1989 season. The Lazers folded at the end of the season and Marinaro became a free agent.
Back in Cleveland
That summer, Cleveland gained a new MISL franchise, the Cleveland CrunchCleveland Crunch
The Cleveland Crunch was formed in 1989 as an expansion team in the Major Soccer League to replace the Cleveland Force, which had folded on July 22, 1988. Akron businessmen George S. Hoffman and Stuart Lichter formed an ownership group, named Al Miller general manager and former Force star Kai...
. Marinaro worked a move to Cleveland because of the excellent memories he had of playing his rookie year there.http://www.misl.net/insider/index2.php?cat=35&id=3573 Marinaro would remain in Cleveland for the rest of his career. In 1992, the MISL folded and the Crunch moved to the National Professional Soccer League. They promptly went to the NPSL championship series, losing to the Kansas City Attack
Kansas City Attack
The Kansas City Attack, previously the Atlanta Attack and later known as the Kansas City Comets, were an indoor soccer team based for most of its existence in Kansas City, Missouri. In its various incarnations the franchise played in the National Professional Soccer League from 1989–2001 and the...
in five games. They returned to the championship the next season, this time winning it three games to one over the St. Louis Ambush
St. Louis Ambush
The St. Louis Ambush was a professional indoor soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. Originally located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, the team played one season at the Tulsas Pavilion Expo Square. Vernon Riggs was the General Manager. Keith Dial was the Managing General Partner. Former Tulsa Roughneck...
. Marinaro scored the winning goal in double overtime of the deciding game to give the city of Cleveland its first professional sports championship in 30 years. The Crunch again won the championship in 1996 and 1999. In 2001, MISL was reconstituted and the Crunch was back where it started. The franchise changed its name to the Force in 2002.
On June 23, 2004, the Chicago Storm
Chicago Storm
The Chicago Storm is a team in the Ultimate Soccer League that began play in the 2004-2005 season as a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League.-History:The Storm played home games during its first two seasons at the UIC Pavilion on the west side of Chicago...
drafted Marinaro with the 16th pick in the MISL expansion draft. However, he made his intentions to retire known to the Storm and on October 11, 2004, the team traded Marinaro to the Cleveland Force
Cleveland Crunch
The Cleveland Crunch was formed in 1989 as an expansion team in the Major Soccer League to replace the Cleveland Force, which had folded on July 22, 1988. Akron businessmen George S. Hoffman and Stuart Lichter formed an ownership group, named Al Miller general manager and former Force star Kai...
in exchange for cash. The Storm did this in order to allow him to retire with the Force, the team with which he began his career.http://www.chicagostorm.net/news/?cat=16&id=355 He announced his retirement from playing professional soccer the next day.
During his 19-year indoor career, Marinaro scored 1,222 goals and added 701 assists for 1,923 points in just 685 games. In the playoffs, he scored another 224 goals and added 96 assists for 320 points in 104 games. He scored his 1,000th point against his brother Rob
Rob Marinaro
Rob Marinaro is a retired Canadian soccer goalkeeper who currently coaches the Kent State University women’s soccer team. He spent five seasons in the National Professional Soccer League-Player:...
, a goalkeeper for the Chicago Power
Chicago Power
The Chicago Power were an indoor soccer club based in Chicago, Illinois that competed in the American Indoor Soccer Association and National Professional Soccer League.After the 1995/96 season, the team became the Edmonton Drillers.-Year-by-year:...
. Hector was a seven-time league MVP the most in any professional sport in the USA. In May 2005, the MISL announced that it would name its annual MVP award the Marinaro Award.
Outdoor career
In addition to his extensive indoor career, Marinaro spent several seasons playing outdoor soccer. In 1986, he played for the Toronto BlizzardToronto Blizzard (1986-1993)
-National Soccer League:In 1985, less than one year after the Toronto Blizzard ceased operations due to the failure of the North American Soccer League , Blizzard owners York-Hanover purchased Dynamo Latino of the semi-professional Ontario-based National Soccer League with the intention of...
of the National Soccer League
National Soccer League
The National Soccer League is the former national association football competition in Australasia, overseen by Soccer Australia and later the Australian Soccer Association. The NSL spanned 28 seasons from its inception in 1977, until its demise in 2004...
while his father was an assistant coach with the team. Marinaro was team captain, but when his father was elevated to head coach of the Blizzard, he stripped his son of the captaincy. Marinaro remained with the Blizzard for the 1987 Canadian Soccer League season then returned to the Blizzard for the 1993 American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
season.http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1993/stats93.htm#Toronto He also had one season with Rochester Raging Rhinos
Rochester Raging Rhinos
The Rochester Rhinos are an American professional soccer team based in Rochester, New York, United States. Founded in 1996, the team plays in the National Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, having self-relegated from the USSF D2 Pro League...
of the A-League in 1996. Marinaro only played four games, but scored seven goals, as the Rhinos fell to the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders (USL)
Seattle Sounders was an American professional soccer team founded in 1994 as a member of the American Professional Soccer League. In 1997, the team became a member of the USL First Division, the second tier of the United States soccer pyramid, until 2008, after which the majority of the team's...
in the championship game.http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1996.html#aleague
International career
Marinaro also earned six caps with CanadaCanada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
. He played three games in the 1986 Merlion Cup in Singapore, but was accused, along with three of his teammates of taking bribes to throw the Canadian games. The criminal charges against Marinaro and his teammates were dropped after a judge declared that Canadian courts had no jurisdiction over gambling in Singapore.http://www.canadian-soccer.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=9813 The Canadian Soccer Association
Canadian Soccer Association
The Canadian Soccer Association is the governing body of soccer in Canada. It is a national organization that oversees the Canadian men's and women's national teams for international play, as well as the respective junior sides...
suspended Marinaro for a year, but he did not again appear with the national team until 1995. Marinaro's first game with the national team was a 4-0 win over Indonesia
Indonesia national football team
The Indonesia national football team represents Indonesia in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Indonesia . Prior to independence in 1945, the team competed as the Dutch East Indies national football team. Under this name, Indonesia was the first Asian team to...
on August 30, 1986 and his last was a 2-0 loss to Chile
Chile national football team
The Chilean national football team represents Chile in all major international football competitions. The team is controlled by the Federación de Fútbol de Chile which was established in 1895. They have appeared in eight World Cup tournaments and were hosts of the 1962 FIFA World Cup finishing in...
on October 11, 1995.http://www.canadasoccer.com/eng/nationals/_profile.asp?playerid=1025&sub=3
Coaching career
In 2002, the Cleveland CrunchCleveland Crunch
The Cleveland Crunch was formed in 1989 as an expansion team in the Major Soccer League to replace the Cleveland Force, which had folded on July 22, 1988. Akron businessmen George S. Hoffman and Stuart Lichter formed an ownership group, named Al Miller general manager and former Force star Kai...
elevated Marinaro to the position of assistant coach in addition to his playing duties. He continued in that role until retiring in 2004. On January 31, 2006, John Carroll University
John Carroll University
John Carroll University is a private, co-educational Jesuit Catholic university in University Heights, Ohio, United States, a suburb of Cleveland. The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus as Saint Ignatius College.The university was founded in 1886 by the Society of Jesus, as...
hired Marinaro as the head coach of the men's soccer team. and since 2007 the H-Youth of Mississauga Falcons.
Honors
MVP- NPSL: 1993, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001
Points Leader
- NPSL: 1992-1993, 1994–1995, 1995–1996, 1996–1997, 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2000–2001
Goals Leader
- MISL: 1987-1988, 1991–1992
- NPSL: 1992-1993, 1993–1994, 1994–1995, 1995–1996, 1996–1997, 1997–1998, 1999–2000, 2000–2001
NPSL First Team All Star
- 1992-1993, 1993–1994, 1994–1995, 1995–1996, 1996–1997, 1997–1998, 1998–1999, 1999–2000, 2000–2001, 2001–2002
External links
- Player profile - CanadaSoccer
- Career stats - National Football Teams
- MISL stats