Chris Antonopoulos (goalkeeper)

Last updated
Chris Antonopoulos
Chris Antonopoulos 2011.jpg
Personal information
Date of birth 1968
Place of birth Louisiana
Height 5'9
Position(s) Goalkeeper | Head Coach
Youth career
1986-1990 Florida International University
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1990-1991 Hollywood Kickers
1993-1994 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
International career
2002-2006 United States Men's National Beach Soccer Team
Managerial career
2009-2014 Florida Beach Soccer FC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Chris Antonopoulos (born 1968) is a retired American goalkeeper and coach known for his impact on beach soccer. He was the goalkeeper for Florida International University and the Fort Lauderdale Strikers, and represented the U.S. Men's National Beach Soccer Team in the 2005 CONCACAF and CONMEBOL Beach Soccer Championship, qualifying for the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup as well as the 2006 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, helping secure a spot in the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. As head coach of Florida Beach Soccer FC, he led the team to back-to-back North American Sand Soccer Championships in 2011 and 2012 [1] and the Caribbean Championship in the 2011 Bago Sports Beach Football title in Trinidad and Tobago.

Contents

Early career

Antonopoulos attended Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School, where he was named Miami News High School Player of the Year during his senior year. In his senior year, he recorded 14 shutouts in 19 games.

Chris Antonopoulos pictured (bottom right) with the 1988 FIU Men's Soccer Team. Chris Antonopoulos FIU.jpg
Chris Antonopoulos pictured (bottom right) with the 1988 FIU Men's Soccer Team.

Antonopoulos was offered to play for Florida International University (FIU) men's soccer team on a full-ride scholarship. He was the goalkeeper on the team from 1986 to 1990, but redshirted his freshman year due to a knee inury. During his second year, Antonopoulos started 5 games, recorded a shutout victory over Barry University On October 24, 1988, he achieved a 4-0 shutout against Florida Atlantic University (FAU), saving all seven of FAU’s attempts on goal. [2] Later in the same season, Antonopoulos contributed to a 1-0 win over the University of Tampa. [3] He recorded a 1.09 goals-against average that season. He recorded a 1.26 goals-against average in his sophmore year. In his senior year, he made a key save in a 1-1 tie with Western Kentucky in 1990. [4]

Antonopoulos graduated from FIU with a Bachelor of Science degree in Hospitality Management in 1990.

Amateur career

In 1990, Chris Antonopoulos played as a second-string goalkeeper for the Hollywood Kickers, a semi-professional soccer team in South Florida. [5]

Professional soccer career

Antonopoulos signed a pro contract with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers. [6] where he played as a goalkeeper in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). He was one of three players who went pro out of FIU at this time in 1993. [7]

During the 1993 season the Strikers finished in sixth place and failed to qualify for the playoffs with 9 wins and 15 losses. [8] The 1994 season was the fifth and final season in the APSL, this season they did not qualify for the playoffs, with 8 wins and 12 losses, finishing 5th in the league. [9] After the 1994 season, the Strikers dissolved their APSL team for rebranding with other divisions.

Professional beach soccer career

Chris Antonopoulos represented the U.S. Men's National Beach Soccer Team from 2002 to 2006, competing in several major international tournaments. The team participated in the Beach Soccer World Championship in 2003 and 2004, finishing last and 10th, respectively. In 2005, they reached third place in the CONCACAF and CONMEBOL Beach Soccer Championship, securing qualification for the 2005 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Brazil, where they placed 10th overall.

In 2006, Antonopoulos was part of the squad that claimed victory in the inaugural CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, earning the U.S. its first title and qualification for the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup. The team finished 12th in the tournament, recording a win against Poland but suffering defeats to Japan and Brazil.

Chris Antonopoulos retired from professional play in 2006.

Goalkeeper and Coaching

Chris Antonopoulos pictured (second to right, in yellow) with Florida Beach Soccer FC at the 2011 North American Sand Soccer Championship, in Virginia Beach. NASSC Championship.jpg
Chris Antonopoulos pictured (second to right, in yellow) with Florida Beach Soccer FC at the 2011 North American Sand Soccer Championship, in Virginia Beach.

Chris Antonopoulos was the general manager and head coach of the Florida Beach Soccer FC founded in 2009. [10] He originally was the goalkeeper on the team, but switched to coaching the squad due to injuries.

Under his leadership, the team came in third place nationally in their first appearance at the 2010 COOP U.S. Open North American Sand Soccer Championship after only a few months of preparation.

Chris Antonopoulos (top left) pictured with the Florida Beach Soccer FC team at the 2011 North American San Soccer Championship game, in Virginia Beach, VA. NASSC CHAMPIONSHIP GROUP.jpg
Chris Antonopoulos (top left) pictured with the Florida Beach Soccer FC team at the 2011 North American San Soccer Championship game, in Virginia Beach, VA.

Florida Beach Soccer FC won the 2011 COOP U.S. Open North American Sand Soccer Championship (NASSC).

Later that year, they captured the second annual Bago Sports Beach Football title [11] winning the Caribbean Championship in Trinidad and Tobago with a 5-3 victory over Stokely Vale FC. [11] The team remained undefeated (5-0-1) in the tournament.

Chris Antonopoulos in an aggressive save as goalkeeper for Florida Beach Soccer FC at the Clearwater Beach tournament. Chris Antonopoulos goalie pic.jpg
Chris Antonopoulos in an aggressive save as goalkeeper for Florida Beach Soccer FC at the Clearwater Beach tournament.

Florida Beach Soccer FC also participated in the Clearwater Beach Soccer Tournament [12] sponsored by the United Soccer League, which took place in 2011 as part of the Major Beach Soccer Tour. [13] This event promoted beach soccer on the national stage.

The team achieved continued success by securing another national title at the 2012 COOP U.S. Open North American Sand Soccer Championship (NASSC), demonstrating their dominance in U.S. beach soccer. [14]

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References

  1. ↑ "5. From the North American Soccer League to Major League Soccer", Offside, Princeton University Press, pp. 162–200, 2001-12-31, retrieved 2024-12-03
  2. ↑ By (1988-10-24). "FIRST-HALF GOALS DOOM FAU'S SOCCER TEAM 4-0". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  3. ↑ By (1988-09-07). "FIU TOPS TAMPA 1-0 IN SOCCER". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  4. ↑ By (1990-10-31). "FIU, WESTERN KENTUCKY BATTLE TO 1-1 SOCCER TIE". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-11-29.
  5. ↑ By (1990-03-16). "KICKERS' WIN, GET A STEP CLOSER". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-11-30.
  6. ↑ "2007 FIU Men's Soccer Media Guide by Ivan Irizarry - Issuu". issuu.com. 2008-05-21.
  7. ↑ "2007 FIU Men's Soccer Media Guide by Ivan Irizarry - Issuu". issuu.com. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  8. ↑ "1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Roster". 1993.
  9. ↑ "1994 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Roster". 1994.
  10. ↑ "PressReader.com - Digital Newspaper & Magazine Subscriptions". www.pressreader.com.
  11. 1 2 News, Stabroek (November 23, 2011). "Beach football team places third in T/dad Invitational tourney". Stabroek News.{{cite web}}: |last= has generic name (help)
  12. ↑ "Soccer Invades Clearwater Beach". Clearwater, FL Patch. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  13. ↑ By (2011-11-06). "Getting their kicks in the sand". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  14. ↑ "US Open at NASSC: Celebrating 20 Years of Beach Soccer". North American Sand Soccer Championships | NASSC. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
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