|
Former Cerritos College soccer player
Marcello
Balboa, who played for the Falcons
from 1985-86, went on to become one of the first
three players in the history of the U.S. Men’s
National Team to play in three consecutive World
Cups (1990, 1994 and 1998). Since his retirement
from international competition, he is now serving as
a color commentator for this year's World Cup, which
is being held in Germany.
Balboa, a defender who was nicknamed
"The Ironman", was inducted into the United States
Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005, and will be calling the
action in the first U.S. game of the world Cup on
Monday at 8:55 a.m. on ESPN2 against the Czech
Republic. He also served as the color commentator
during the England-Paraguay game on Saturday in
Frankfurt.
After finishing his career with
Cerritos, where he was a 1st Team All-South Coast
Conference selection, Balboa moved on to San Diego
Stare University and was a two-time All-American. He
earned his way onto the international team and
during his storied career, he earned an amazing 128
caps (games played) and scored a remarkable 13
goals, while being named the U.S. Soccer Athlete of
the Year twice during his 13-year national team
career (1992, 1994).
Balboa was also a Major League Soccer
founding player for the Colorado Rapids in 1996 and
during his six seasons he was a five-time All-Star
from 1997-2001. He became the first defender in the
history of the MLS to score 20 goals and register 20
assists in his career. In 2000, he scored the MLS
Goal of the Year, which was noted as Soccer
America's Best Goal in the first 10 years of the
MLS. Balboa was traded to the MetroStars in 2002,
where he suffered a career-ending injury in the
first five minutes of his first game.
He also played six years in the
American Professional Soccer league (APSL) with the
San Francisco Blackhawks, San Diego Nomads and
Colorado Foxes. In 2003, Balboa was honored with a
star at the U.S. Soccer Star Plaza at the Home Depot
Center in Carson. |
