Aleksey Korol

Infobox Football biography


playername= Aleksey Korol
fullname = Aleksey Korol
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1977|10|14
cityofbirth = Kiev
countryofbirth = Ukraine
height = height|ft=5|in=10
currentclub = Rockford Thunder
clubnumber = 14
position = Forward
youthyears =
1996-1999
youthclubs = Dynamo Kiev
Indiana University
years = 1997
2000-2001
2002
2002
2002
2003-2004
2003-2004
2004
2004
2007
clubs =Kalamazoo Kingdom
Dallas Burn
Chicago Fire
Rochester Raging Rhinos
Indiana Blast
Pittsburgh Riverhounds
Kansas City Comets
Charleston Battery
Harrisburg City Islanders
Rockford Thunder "(indoor)"
caps(goals) =
39 (7)
01 (0)
02 (0)
01 (0)
23 (4)
09 (0)
12 (0)
nationalyears =
nationalteam =
nationalcaps(goals) =
manageryears = 2006-
managerclubs = University of Illinois at Chicago "(assistant)"
pcupdate = 17:47, 24 February 2007 (UTC)
ntupdate = 7 December 2006

Aleksey Korol is a Ukrainian soccer forward who has spent most of his career playing in the United States.

Korol played both hockey and soccer growing up in Ukraine. However, he signed with Dynamo Kiev as a youth player. His family sent him to the United States when he was 14 where he settled in Livonia, New York. While playing for Livonia Central High School Korol scored 132 goals, the all-time record for a player in Section V (greater Rochester area) of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. Ironically Korol's record was later tied by Jordan Chirico of Livonia Central High. Korol lived with the Chirico family in Livonia. In 1996 entered Indiana University. While at Indiana, he spent four seasons on the men's soccer team. He scored 57 goals and assisted on 35 during his career with the Hoosiers. In 1998 and 1999, he was part of the Indiana teams which took the NCAA championship titles. Both years he led the tournament in scoring (6 goals in 1998 and 4 in 1999). In 1999, Korol as selected as a first team All American and the "SoccerAmerica" Player of the Year. While with Indiana, Korol spent the 1997 collegiate off season with the Kalamazoo Kingdom of the USL Premier Development League.

The Dallas Burn of Major League Soccer selected Korol with the fifth pick in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. In his first year with the Burn, he scored five goals and assisted on three others. While with Dallas, he appeared in one game with the Atlanta Silverbacks.

On January 15, 2002, the Chicago Fire acquired Korol and Miguel Saavedra from the Burn for the Fire’s 2002 sixth round draft pick. However injuries to his left knee which resulted in bursitis led to his playing in only one game. When the Fire waived him, Korol signed with the Rochester Raging Rhinos on July 26, 2002. He appeared in two games with them before moving to the Indiana Blast for one game. In 2003, he moved to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of USL-2. On September 19, 2003, the Kansas City Comets of Major Indoor Soccer League signed Korol to a one year contract, with an option for one for one more. ^{[http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=2342912]} Korol played in nine games for the Comets as he was again hampered with injuries. The Comets waived him on January 27, 2004. On February 12, 2004, Korol signed with the Charleston Battery of USL-1. ^{[http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3002046]} In June, the Battery released Korol and he signed with the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL-2 on July 12, 2004 in time for the playoffs. ^{[http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3060660]}

In April 2006, Korol became an assistant coach at University of Illinois at Chicago. ^{[http://uicflames.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/041706aaa.html]} Korol has also coached youth soccer with Chicago Lakefront SC.

The Rockford Thunder of the American Indoor Soccer League signed Korol in January 2007 and he spent the 2006-2007 AISL season with the Thunder.

External links

* [http://www.charlestonbattery.com/history_pregister.asp?pid=976 Charleston Battery bio]
* [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/multimedia/photo_gallery/2000_mls_allstar/news/2000/07/25/mls_allstar/7.html Picture of Korol (in red)]