Manuel Rojas (footballer)

{{Infobox football biography

| name= Manny Rojas

| fullname = Manuel Antonio Rojas Zúñiga

| image = Manny Rojas, MISL 1984-85 media guide page 014.tif

| caption = Rojas circa 1984

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1954|6|13}}

| birth_place = Santiago, Chile

| height =

| position = Midfielder

| youthyears1 =

| youthclubs1 =

| years1 = 1971–1975

| years2 = 1975–1976

| years3 = 1981–1982

| years4 = 1983

| years5 = 1983–1984

| years6 = 1984

| years7 = 1984

| years8 = 1984–1988

| years9 = 1985

| years10 = 1988

| years11 = 1988–1991

| clubs1 = Palestino

| clubs2 = América

| clubs3 = Universidad Católica

| clubs4 = Tampa Bay Rowdies

| clubs5 = Tampa Bay Rowdies (indoor)

| clubs6 = Golden Bay Earthquakes

| clubs7 = Chicago Sting

| clubs8 = Chicago Sting (indoor)

| clubs9 = El Paso/Juarez Gamecocks

| clubs10 = Tampa Bay Rowdies

| clubs11 = Chicago Power (indoor)

| caps1 =

| caps2 = 20

| caps3 =

| caps4 = 29

| caps5 = 25

| caps6 = 10

| caps7 = 11

| caps8 = 163

| goals1 =

| goals2 = 2

| goals3 =

| goals4 = 8

| goals5 = 13

| goals6 = 3

| goals7 = 1

| goals8 = 70

| nationalyears1 = 1976–1982

| nationalteam1 = Chile

| nationalcaps1 = 29

| nationalgoals1 = 2

| manageryears1 =

| managerclubs1 = Chicago Power (assistant)

| manageryears2 = 2012

| managerclubs2 = Chicago Soul

}}

Manuel Antonio "Manny" Rojas Zúñiga (born 13 June 1954) is a retired football midfielder from Chile, who represented his native country at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. His professional career took him from his native Chile to Mexico and ultimately the United States. He spent two seasons in the North American Soccer League, four in the Major Indoor Soccer League, three in the American Indoor Soccer Association and one in the American Soccer League.

Rojas also coached the now-defunct Chicago Soul soccer team for the 2012 year before being fired midseason after a 2–7 start.

Playing

Rojas began his professional club with Chilean First Division club Palestino. He then moved to Mexican Club América for the 1975 season. At some point, he signed with Universidad Católica of Chile and was on their roster for the 1981–82 season. In 1983, he moved to the United States where he signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League (NASL). He scored eight goals in twenty-nine games that season to lead the team in scoring.{{Cite web |url=http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1983.html |title=The Year in American Soccer – 1983 |access-date=2007-12-14 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090617064458/http://www.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1983.html |archive-date=2009-06-17 |url-status=dead }} On 23 March 1984, the Rowdies released Rojas and he signed a few days later with the Golden Bay Earthquakes. However, on 10 July 1984, the Earthquakes sent Rojas and Hayden Knight to the Chicago Sting in exchange for Ricardo Alonso and Charlie Fajkus.[https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9C02EFDA1339F933A25754C0A962948260 July 10, 1984 Transactions] Rojas found himself with a team on the rise as the Sting won the 1984 NASL championship. While he scored only one goal during the regular season, he added two more in the post-season, including one in a 2–1 victory over the Toronto Blizzard in the first game of the championship series.[http://home.att.net/~nasl/teams/sting.txt Chicago Sting records] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050225171158/http://home.att.net/~nasl/teams/sting.txt |date=2005-02-25 }} When the NASL folded at the end of the 1984 NASL season, the Sting moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Rojas remained with the Sting until it folded at the end of the 1987–1988 MISL season. That summer, he rejoined the Rowdies, who were then playing in the American Soccer League[http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1988/statsasl88.htm#TB 1988 Tampa Bay Rowdies] then signed with the expansion Chicago Power of the American Indoor Soccer Association. Rojas remained with the Power through the 1990–91 season, scoring seven goals in twenty-one games^{[https://web.archive.org/web/20110709163213/http://members.toast.net/pudgym30a/stats91.html]} as the Power won the AISA championship.

National team

Rojas' career with the Chilean national team spanned from 1976 to 1982. He capped his national team career when he was selected to play for Chile, which competed at the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain.[https://web.archive.org/web/20080513234435/http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/statisticsandrecords/players/player=57061/index.html FIFA player profile] He was awarded the Chilean National Sportsmanship Award 1978 and 1981

Coaching

Rojas has extensive coaching experience, most of it at the youth level. He acted as an assistant coach while with the Chicago Power. He has also been an assistant coach for both the Libertyville and Vernon Hills high school soccer teams.^{[http://www.vhhscougars.org/index.php?module=pagemaster&PAGE_user_op=view_page&PAGE_id=742&MMN_position=421:41:419]} On September 25, 2012, he was named the head coach of the Chicago Soul in the MISL,{{cite web|url=http://soccersceneusa.blogspot.com/2012/09/soul-names-new-inaugural-head-coach-in.html |title=Soul Names New Inaugural Head Coach In Rojas |publisher=Soccer Scene USA |date=September 25, 2012 |accessdate=September 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141228154721/http://soccersceneusa.blogspot.com/2012/09/soul-names-new-inaugural-head-coach-in.html |archivedate=December 28, 2014 }}{{cite web|url=http://misl.uslsoccer.com/home/666315.html |title=Rojas Named Soul's Coach |publisher=MISL |date=September 25, 2012 |accessdate=September 25, 2012 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121024104358/http://misl.uslsoccer.com/home/666315.html |archivedate=October 24, 2012 }} but was fired on December 2, 2012 after the team went 2–7. He is now coaching at FC 1974 in Libertyville with U10-U14 teams.

Personal life

Rojas is the brother-in-law of the Chilean former footballer {{ill|Guido Coppa|es|vertical-align=sup}}.{{cite web |last1=Escobillana |first1=Felipe |title=Campeón con Palestino, puso una pizzería en Chicago y pide un 10 para la Roja: "Como Matías y..." |url=https://redgol.cl/chile/fue-campeon-con-palestino-puso-una-pizzeria-en-chicago-y-pide-de-vuelta-un-10-en-la-seleccion-chilena |website=RedGol |access-date=8 July 2025 |language=es |date=8 July 2025}}

References

External links

[https://web.archive.org/web/20071219182651/http://www.treviansoccerclub.com/bios/manny.asp Youth club bio]
{{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070929152815/http://www.weltfussball.de/spieler_profil.php?id=13556 |title=Weltfussball profile}} {{in lang|de}}
[http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/R/Rojas.Manny.htm NASL/MISL stats]
{{MedioTiempo|manuel-rojas|Manuel Rojas}}

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Category:1954 births

Category:Living people

Category:Footballers from Santiago, Chile

Category:Chilean men's footballers

Category:Chilean expatriate men's footballers

Category:Chile men's international footballers

Category:1982 FIFA World Cup players

Category:1979 Copa América players