Gonzalo Segares
{{Short description|Costa Rican footballer (born 1982)}}
{{family name hatnote|Segares|González|lang=Spanish}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Gonzalo Segares
| image = Gonzalo Segares, April 2012.png
| image_size = 250px
| caption = Segares with Chicago Fire in 2012
| fullname = Gonzalo Segares González
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1982|10|13}}
| birth_place = San José, Costa Rica
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=10}}
| position = Defender
| currentclub = United States U17 (head coach)
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 = 2000–2001
| youthclubs1 = Saprissa
| collegeyears1 = 2001–2004
| college1 = VCU Rams
| collegecaps1 = 84
| collegegoals1 = 16
| years1 = 2003
| clubs1 = Williamsburg Legacy
| caps1 = 5
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2005–2009
| clubs2 = Chicago Fire
| caps2 = 108
| goals2 = 8
| years3 = 2010
| clubs3 = Apollon Limassol
| caps3 = 12
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2010–2014
| clubs4 = Chicago Fire
| caps4 = 123
| goals4 = 3
| totalcaps = 248
| totalgoals = 11
| nationalyears1 = 2007–2011
| nationalteam1 = Costa Rica
| nationalcaps1 = 19
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| medaltemplates =
| manageryears1 = 2015–2016
| managerclubs1 = Chicago Fire (academy)
| manageryears2 = 2016–2019
| managerclubs2 = Chicago FC United (academy)
| manageryears3 = 2020–2021
| managerclubs3 = United States U15
| manageryears4 = 2021–
| managerclubs4 = United States U17
}}
Gonzalo Segares González (born October 13, 1982) is a Costa Rican former professional footballer who spent most of his career with Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire. He currently serves as head coach for the United States U17 national team.
Playing career
=Youth and college=
Segares started his career playing in Saprissa's minor league system, before being awarded with a scholarship to play college soccer at Virginia Commonwealth University from 2001 to 2004. Segares was a strong player from his debut, starting all 83 games he played in his four seasons. He registered 16 goals and 10 assists from the back in his four years with the team, was a first-team All-CAA selection his final three years, and was a first team All-American and Hermann Trophy finalist as a senior. During this time he also played with the Williamsburg Legacy in the USL Premier Development League.
=Professional=
Segares began his professional career with the Chicago Fire as a 2005 SuperDraft third round selection, and quickly proved himself during his rookie campaign. Segares was in the Fire's starting eleven for the first three games of the 2006 campaign until an ankle injury sidelined the young defender for a month of action. Upon his return, Segares came back with a vengeance, starting 19 of Chicago's last 24 games. Segares also helped the "Men in Red" earn an MLS club-record fourth Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title in 2006, playing every minute in the tournament's Final. He held down the left side of defense in Chicago's starting XI in 2008 and 2009, while balancing his burgeoning duties for both club and country.{{cite web |url=http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/players/bio.jsp?team=t100&player=segares_g&playerId=seg059326&statType=current |title=Chicago Fire: Roster: Player Bio |access-date=2009-08-05 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090427213658/http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/players/bio.jsp?team=t100&player=segares_g&playerId=seg059326&statType=current |archive-date=2009-04-27 }}
After the 2009 season, Segares left the Fire for Greek Cypriot club Apollon Limassol on a free transfer.[http://wvw.nacion.com/ln_ee/2010/enero/20/deportes2232967.html Segares jugará en Chipre] - Nación {{in lang|es}} In August 2010 Segares returned to the Fire.{{cite news|url=http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/2010/08/welcome-back-gonzalo|title=Welcome back Gonzalo|date=August 6, 2010|publisher=chicago-fire.com}} On December 6, 2012 Chicago Fire re-signed Segares to a multi-year deal.{{cite news|url=http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/2012/12/chicago-fire-re-sign-defender-gonzalo-segares|title=Chicago Fire Re-sign Defender Gonzalo Segares|publisher=chicago-fire.com|date=December 6, 2012}} At the end of the 2014 season, the club declined his contract option.{{cite web|url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/11/18/chicago-fire-re-sign-long-time-winger-patrick-nyarko-new-deal|title=Chicago Fire re-sign Patrick Nyarko and announce option decisions for 17 other players|publisher=mlssoccer.com|date=November 18, 2014|access-date=February 4, 2015|archive-date=July 26, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150726044612/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/11/18/chicago-fire-re-sign-long-time-winger-patrick-nyarko-new-deal|url-status=dead}}
On February 4, 2015, Segares announced his retirement.{{cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/longtime-chicago-fire-defender-gonzalo-segares-retires-joins-clubs-academy-staff|title=Longtime Chicago Fire defender Gonzalo Segares retires, joins club's academy staff|publisher=mlssoccer.com|date=February 4, 2015}}
=International=
Earning his first call up in 2007, Segares participated in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying and the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup, where Costa Rica made it to the semifinals.{{Cite web |url=http://www.goldcup.org/page/GoldCup/TeamRelatedLink/0,,12802~477~1,00.html |title=Concacaf | Teams | Team Profiles | Team Related Link |access-date=2009-08-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090901203447/http://www.goldcup.org/page/GoldCup/TeamRelatedLink/0,,12802~477~1,00.html |archive-date=2009-09-01 |url-status=dead }}
Coaching career
After his retirement, Segares remained on staff with Chicago Fire as an academy coach and a club ambassador. In January 2020, he joined the United States Soccer Federation becoming United States U15 head coach. On October 18, 2021, Segares was announced as the United States U17 new head coach.{{cite web |title=Tracey Kevins Named Head Coach of U.S. Under-20 Women's National Team; Gonzalo Segares Named Head Coach of U.S. Under-17 Men's National Team |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2021/10/tracey-kevins-named-head-coach-of-us-u20-wnt-gonzalo-segares-named-head-coach-of-us-u17-mnt |website=USSoccer.com |access-date=18 October 2021}}
Coaching statistics
{{updated|matches played on June 3, 2024.}}
| class=wikitable style=text-align:center
|+ Coaching record by team and tenure | ||||
| rowspan="2"|Team
!rowspan="2"|From !rowspan="2"|To !colspan="5"|Record | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| {{abbr|P|Matches played}} | {{abbr|W|Matches won}} | {{abbr|D|Matches drawn}} | {{abbr|L|Matches lost}} | {{abbr|Win %|Win percentage}} |
| align=left|United States U-17 MNT
|align=left|Oct 2021 |align=left|Present {{WDL|19|10|2|7|decimals=1}} | ||||
| colspan="3"|Total
{{WDLtot|19|10|2|7|decimals=1}} |
Personal
Segares holds a U.S. green card which qualified him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.{{Cite web|url=https://www.chicagofirefc.com/news/chicago-fire-re-sign-defender-gonzalo-segares|title=Chicago Fire Re-sign Defender Gonzalo Segares | Chicago Fire FC|website=chicagofirefc}}
Honours
=Chicago Fire=
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
- Winners (1): 2006
=Individual=
- Chicago Fire Defender of the Year:
- Winner: (1): 2007
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{MLS player|gonzalo-segares}}
- {{NFT player|23454}}
{{Costa Rica Squad 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{VaSID Award - Men's Soccer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Segares, Gonzalo}}
Category:Footballers from San José, Costa Rica
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Costa Rican men's footballers
Category:21st-century Costa Rican sportsmen
Category:Costa Rica men's international footballers
Category:2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Category:Deportivo Saprissa players
Category:VCU Rams men's soccer players
Category:Chicago Fire FC players
Category:Apollon Limassol FC players
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:USL League Two players
Category:Cypriot First Division players
Category:Costa Rican expatriate men's footballers
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Cyprus
Category:Major League Soccer All-Stars
Category:Chicago Fire FC draft picks