Tag Archives: Club Tijuana

Andrea Rodebaugh Named New Sporting Director for Mexico’s Women’s National Teams by Mexican Football Federation

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Andrea Rodebaugh is taking the lead…

The 55-year-old Mexican professional futbol coach and former player has been hired by the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) as the new sporting director for its women’s national teams, president Yon de Luisa announced on Sunday at a press conference in Los Angeles.

Andrea Rodebaugh The former El Tri Femenil midfielder joins the FMF after previously coaching Club Tijuana in Liga MX Femenil and Mexico’s U20 women’s national team. Most recently, Rodebaugh has also done work with FIFA as a women’s football consultant.

“Andrea arrives to add and strengthen the women’s teams,” De Luisa said. “With her professionalism and dedication, Andrea has come to achieve the goal that we’ve all set for ourselves, which is to be in the top eight in the world. Andrea’s leadership will be essential.”

Rodebaugh will be tasked with reviving a women’s national team project that has gone through a turbulent 2022.

Despite a growth in domestic talent and the rise of the Liga MX Femenil (Mexico’s top flight for women’s soccer), the women’s national team failed to qualify for the 2023 World Cup and 2024 Paris Games after finishing without a win in July’s CONCACAF W Championship — ultimately leading to the firing of manager Monica Vergara in August.

Coupled with the men’s U20 squad failing to qualify for the 2023 U20 World Cup and Paris 2024, the FMF made a decision in mid-July to dismiss general sporting director Gerardo Torrado, sporting director of national teams Ignacio Hierro, and U20 coach Luis Perez. Later that month, multiple coaches from the women’s U20 squad were also fired after an internal investigation “found of a lack of leadership and inappropriate behaviors.”

Through a restructuring of the FMF, Jaime Ordiales has since stepped in as a sporting director for only the men’s national teams, and on the women’s side, Rodebaugh will now be leading the efforts.

“It is an honor to contribute to the national teams, it’s a huge challenge and I’m aware that it requires commitment and plenty of discipline,” Rodebaugh said in her introductory press conference.

“We have a generation of very talented players, willing to give their best on the field. I will focus all my energy and concentration to improve their performances so they can reach their highest level.”

Later, De Luisa revealed that coach Pablo Lopez, who recently won the U20 Women’s World Cup with Spain, is in “very advanced” talks with the FMF to become the next manager of Mexico’s senior women’s team.

Currently in the middle of a trip to southern California, the Mexico women lost 1-0 to New Zealand during a friendly on Friday at Carson’s Dignity Health Sports Park. On Monday, they’ll then face the NWSL‘s Angel City FC in a country vs. club friendly at Los Angeles’ Banc of California Stadium.

Miguel Angel Gamero and Cristian Flores are the current interim coaches for the senior women’s team.

Orbelin Pineda Joins LaLiga Side Celta Vego

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Orbelin Pineda is heading to LaLiga…

The 25-year-old Mexican professional footballer and Mexico international has joined LaLiga side Celta Vigo from Liga MX club Cruz Azul.

Orbelin Pineda 

The move comes after several months of rumors about a potential deal, with Celta confirming Pineda will have a five-year contract through June 2027.

Pineda’s career has been on the rise in the last couple of years for club and country and is expected to bolster Celta’s attack, playing on the wings or in a more interior midfield role.

With Cruz Azul, he was a key figure who helped them end their title drought through a Liga MX championship in the 2021 Clausura.

With the Mexican national team, he has recently established himself as a reliable option for manager Gerardo “Tata” Martino through six World Cup qualifying appearances in 2021.

At Celta, he’ll now be tasked with helping rejuvenate the Galician side that have made a very gradual and slow climb out of the bottom and into the mid-table of Spain’s top flight this season.

Pineda’s transfer is the first and only move so far of the winter window for a Mexican talent from Liga MX into a major European league.

Liga MX has proven to be an insular transfer market that can hold onto domestic names like Pineda, and in his case, the player had to wait until he was a free agent to make the leap to Spain.

Now at Celta, Pineda will play alongside fellow El Tri teammate, defender Nestor Araujo. Celta’s coach, Eduardo “Chacho” Coudet, also spent time in Liga MX through a short stint as manager of Club Tijuana in 2017.

https://twitter.com/RCCeltaEN/status/1479471663897100292

Austin FC Selects Joe Corona in the 2020 Expansion Draft

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Joe Corona is heading to the Lone Star State…

MLS expansion side Austin FC made five selections in the 2020 Expansion Draft, headlined by the 30-year-old Mexican American soccer player and former LA Galaxy midfielder.

Joe Corona

The acquisitions bring the total number of players on Austin’s roster to 11 ahead of its debut season in 2021.

Austin sporting director Claudio Reyna selected San Jose Earthquakes forward Danny Hoesen with the team’s first selection. In four seasons with San Jose, Hoesen scored 23 goals and added 12 assists in 104 league and playoff appearances, but saw the field just eight times in 2020 after dealing with oblique and adductor issues that eventually required surgery. Combined with the fact that he is out of contract and earned $500,000 in 2019 (the last year that salary data from the MLS Players Association was available), his selection was something of a surprise. But Reyna said that when Hoesen became available he jumped to the top of Austin’s list.

“I’m a big believer in guys, when they get a clean start, come to a new club, work under a new coach, that they get back to their levels,” Reyna said about Hoesen. “A couple years ago he scored many goals and we feel that he’s got that ability to again.”

Austin chose New York Red Bulls midfielder Jared Stroud with its second selection. Stroud, 24, made 20 appearances for the Red Bulls in 2020, 11 of them starts and recorded two assists. He had spent two seasons with New York Red Bulls II in the USL Championship.

With its third pick, Austin selected Nashville goalkeeper Brady Scott. A U.S. youth international, Scott spent three years with German side FC Koln, spending most of his time playing in the 3. Liga with the club’s reserve team. He was acquired by Nashville last August, and then immediately loaned out to Sacramento Republic in the USL Championship where he made two appearances.

Corona was chosen with the fourth pick, and is expected to provide Austin with a steady presence in the center of midfield. Corona has experience abroad having played in Mexico for Club Tijuana, Club America, Veracruz and Dorados. He spent the last two seasons with the Galaxy making 49 league and cup appearances, scoring two goals. Corona has also made 23 appearances with the U.S. national team, scoring three goals.

“He’s a calm player, an experienced player,” said Austin manager Josh Wolff about Corona. “He’ll be good in the buildup, he’s comfortable on the ball, and I think he’s a facilitator who will be able to circulate the ball side to side.”

Austin chose Orlando City defender Kamal Miller with its fifth selection, but immediately traded him to the Montreal Impact in exchange for $225,000 in General Allocation Money and the 11th overall pick in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft.