Ben Astorga
{{Short description|American former beach soccer player and coach}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ben Astorga
| full_name = Benyam Astorga
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1972|5|14}}
| birth_place = United States {{where|date=May 2025}}
| position = Defender, Attacker
| years1 = 1998
| clubs1 = Miami Breakers
| nationalyears1 = 2005–2008; 2012
| nationalteam1 = United States (Beach)
| nationalcaps1 = 27
| nationalgoals1 = 11
| manageryears1 = 2013–2015
| managerclubs1 = Trinidad and Tobago (Beach) (AC)
| manageryears2 = 2016
| managerclubs2 = United States (Footvolley) (HC)
| manageryears3 = 2015–2017
| managerclubs3 = Trinidad and Tobago (Beach) (HC)
| clubs2 = Florida Beach Soccer FC
| caps1 = 1
| goals1 = 4
| years2 = 2010–2013
| manageryears4 = 2020–2024
| managerclubs4 = Gulliver Prep (AC)
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's Beach Soccer}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship}}
{{MedalBronze | 2005 | 3rd}}
{{MedalGold | 2006 | 1st}}
{{MedalGold | 2007 | 1st}}
{{MedalBronze | 2008 | 3rd}}
| managerclubs5 = United States (Beach) (AC)
| manageryears5 = 2021–2024
| caps2 = 34
}}
Benyam "Ben" Astorga (born May 14, 1972) is an American former beach soccer player and former assistant coach for the U.S. Men's National Beach Soccer Team. He played in three FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups and was named to the 2025 National Soccer Hall of Fame Veteran Eligibility List.
Early life
Benyam Astorga was born on May 14, 1972, in the United States.{{where|date=May 2025}}
Playing career
= Professional =
In the 1998 season, Astorga played for the Miami Breakers in the USL D-3 Pro League. On July 19, he scored a goal in a victory against Orlando.{{Cite web |date=July 19, 1998 |title=Scoreboard (Local Roundup): Miami tops Orlando |url=https://miamiherald.newspapers.com/image/642239725/ |url-access=subscription |website=The Miami Herald}}{{Cite web |title=Benyam Astorga {{!}} SoccerStats.us |url=http://soccerstats.us/bios/benyam-astorga/ |access-date=2025-06-06 |website=soccerstats.us}}
= International =
Ben Astorga represented the United States Men’s National Beach Soccer Team from 2005 to 2012, earning 27 caps and scoring 11 goals during the modern era (2005–present).{{Cite web |date=August 5, 2024 |title=National Soccer Hall of Fame - 2025 Veteran Eligibility List |url=https://soccerhof.imgix.net/hall-of-fame/2025/EligibleVeteranList_2025a.pdf}} He was one of three players to appear in the first three FIFA Beach Soccer World Cups (2005, 2006, 2007), scoring seven goals in eight World Cup matches.{{Cite web |last=Hill |first=Michael |date=May 10, 2005 |title=Kicking up a Sandstorm |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/248957556/ |url-access=subscription |website=The Baltimore Sun}} His goals include the match-winner in the United States’ first-ever World Cup victory against Poland in 2006 and another in the team's second World Cup win against Iran in 2007.{{Cite web |date=2013-12-18 |title=CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship 2006 |url=https://issuu.com/concacaf2013/docs/concacaf-beach-soccer-tournament-20 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Issuu |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2013-12-18 |title=CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship 2007 |url=https://issuu.com/concacaf2013/docs/concacaf_beach_soccer_tournament_20/13 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=Issuu |language=en}} During the 2006 World Cup, he scored twice in a 10–6 group stage loss to host nation Brazil, a match in which the U.S. recorded its highest-ever goal total against Brazil in official competition.{{Cite web |date=January 1, 2025 |title=Highest-scoring games in FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup history |url=https://www.fifa.com/en/tournaments/mens/beachsoccerworldcup/seychelles-2025/articles/highest-scoring-games-matches-history-all-time}}{{Cite web |last=FIFA.com |title=FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Rio de Janeiro 2006 - Statistics - Players - Top goals - FIFA.com |url=https://www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/archive/riodejaneiro2006/statistics/players/goal-scored.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181109024822/https://www.fifa.com/beachsoccerworldcup/archive/riodejaneiro2006/statistics/players/goal-scored.html |archive-date=2018-11-09 |access-date=2025-05-30 |website=FIFA.com |language=en-GB}} His seven World Cup goals tie him with Anthony Chimienti for second-most among U.S. players, behind Nick Perera and Alessandro Canale (nine each).
Ben Astorga also competed in four CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championships (2005–2008), recording 16 caps and three goals. He helped the United States win its first regional title in 2006.{{Cite web |date=2013-12-18 |title=CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship 2008 |url=https://issuu.com/concacaf2013/docs/concacaf-beach-soccer-tournament-20_9280026f55e127 |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Issuu |language=en}} At the same tournament, he scored four seconds into a match against Canada, setting a record for the fastest goal in CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship history. After a four-year hiatus, he returned to the national team for the 2012 Copa América in Brazil, where he scored his final international goal against the host nation.
== FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup performances <ref name="USSOCCER2024">{{Cite web |title=U.S. Men's Beach Soccer National Team Head Coach Francis Farberoff Names Final 12-Player Roster for 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in United Arab Emirates |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2024/01/us-mens-beach-national-team-coach-francis-farberoff-names-roster-2024-fifa-beach-soccer-world-cup |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=U.S. Soccer |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /> ==
= Club =
Ben Astorga played for Florida Beach Soccer FC from 2010 to 2013, co-founding the team with teammates Francis Farberoff and Chris Antonopoulos. The team won the U.S. Open Beach Soccer Championship at the North American Sand Soccer Championships in 2011 and 2012, placed second in 2013, and third in 2010.{{Cite news |title=US Open at NASSC: Celebrating 20 Years of Beach Soccer |url=https://www.sandsoccer.com/us-open-history/ |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250114182217/https://www.sandsoccer.com/us-open-history/ |archive-date=2025-01-14 |access-date=2025-05-17 |work=North American Sand Soccer Championships |language=en-US}} They also won the BagoSports Beach Football Invitational (Caribbean Cup) in 2011 with an undefeated record and the Clearwater Beach Tournament, part of the Major Beach Soccer National Championship Series.{{Cite web |date=2011-11-06 |title=Getting their kicks in the sand |url=https://www.sun-sentinel.com/2011/11/06/getting-their-kicks-in-the-sand/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Sun Sentinel |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2011-11-23 |title=Beach football team places third in T/dad Invitational tourney |url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2011/11/23/sports/beach-football-team-places-third-in-tdad-invitational-tourney/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Stabroek News |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2011-07-19 |title=Soccer Invades Clearwater Beach |url=https://patch.com/florida/clearwater/soccer-invades-clearwater-beach |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Clearwater, FL Patch |language=en}}
Coaching career
=Trinidad and Tobago=
Ben Astorga began coaching as an assistant for the Trinidad and Tobago national beach soccer team at the 2013 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship in Nassau, Bahamas, where the team finished seventh.{{Cite web |title=Men's Beach Soccer |url=https://thettfa.com/national-teams/beach-soccer/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=TTFA |language=en-US}} Appointed head coach in March 2015, succeeding Alexandre Soares, he led the team to fifth place at the 2015 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship in El Salvador and won the 2015 Lucayan Cup, defeating the Bahamas (5–3) and Mexico (5–4).{{Cite web |last=Newsday |first=Jonathan Ramnanansingh |date=2025-02-20 |title=Beach Soccer Warriors capture Lucayan Cup |url=https://www.socawarriors.net/120-news/beach-soccer/16076-beach-soccer-warriors-capture-lucayan-cup.html |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Soca Warriors Online - Trinidad and Tobago Football |language=en-gb}} Under his tenure, Trinidad and Tobago placed seventh at the 2017 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship.{{Cite web |date=March 7, 2015 |title=Ex-US player to coach TT beach soccer |url=https://www.socawarriors.net/mens-senior-team/120-news/beach-soccer/15146-ex-us-player-to-coach-tt-beach-soccer.html |website=Socawarriors.net}}
= United States (Footvolley) =
Ben Astorga served as the head coach of the USA national footvolley team during the 2016 Olympic demonstration event in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.{{Cite web |date=2016-07-30 |title=Volleyball Plus Soccer Makes Footvolley |url=https://www.kcur.org/2016-07-30/volleyball-plus-soccer-makes-footvolley |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=KCUR - Kansas City news and NPR |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2025-02-19 |title=FROM BOBCAT TO OLYMPIAN: MELONY POVIONES TO COMPETE IN RIO |url=https://stubobcats.com/news/2016/8/22/womens-soccer-from-bobcat-to-olympian-melony-poviones-to-compete-in-rio.aspx?path=wvball |access-date=2025-05-29 |website=St. Thomas University Athletics |language=en}}
=United States (Beach)=
Ben Astorga joined the U.S. Beach Soccer National Team as assistant coach in 2021 under Francis Farberoff, contributing to qualifications for the 2019 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Paraguay and the 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Russia.{{Cite web |title=U.S. Beach Soccer MNT Head Coach Francis Farberoff Names Roster for 2021 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2021/08/us-beach-soccer-mnt-head-coach-francis-farberoff--names-roster-for-2021-fifa-beach-soccer-world-cup |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=U.S. Soccer |language=en}} He coached at the 2024 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Dubai, where the U.S. lost 3–2 in extra time to the UAE. He remains assistant coach as of 2025.
Other
- In August 2024, Astorga was included on the Veteran Eligibility List for the National Soccer Hall of Fame’s 2025 election cycle.{{Cite web |date=2024-08-07 |title=National Soccer Hall of Fame Announces All Eligible Candidates for 2025 Election |url=https://www.nationalsoccerhof.com/news/2024/8/2025-soccer-hof-eligibility.html |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=National Soccer Hall of Fame |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Five new members inducted into National Soccer Hall of Fame |url=https://www.soccerwire.com/news/five-new-members-inducted-into-national-soccer-hall-of-fame/ |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=SoccerWire |language=en}}
- Astorga served as a CONCACAF Beach Soccer Instructor.{{Cite web |last=Newsday |first=Jonathan Ramnanansingh |date=2025-02-20 |title=Ex-US player to coach TT beach soccer |url=https://www.socawarriors.net/mens-senior-team/120-news/beach-soccer/15146-ex-us-player-to-coach-tt-beach-soccer.html |access-date=2025-05-17 |website=Soca Warriors Online - Trinidad and Tobago Football |language=en-gb}}