Alan Green (soccer)

Infobox Football biography


playername= Alan Green
fullname = Alan Green
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1954|1|1
cityofbirth = Worcester
countryofbirth = England
height = height|ft=6|in=0
currentclub = Retired
clubnumber =
position = Forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1970-1979
1977
1979-1980
1981-1982
1983
1983
1983-1984
clubs = Coventry City
→ Washington Diplomats (loan)
Washington Diplomats
Jacksonville Tea Men
San Jose Earthquakes "(indoor)"
→ Team America (loan)
New York Cosmos
caps(goals) = 98 (30)
16 0(9)
56 (42)
48 (27)
0X 0(7)
20 0(5)
14 0(5)
nationalyears = 1984
nationalteam = United States
nationalcaps(goals) = 01 0(0)
pcupdate =
ntupdate =

Alan Green is a retired English-U.S. soccer forward. He began his career with Coventry City before moving to the United States in 1979. He played a total of seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned one cap with the U.S. national team.

England

Green, a native of Worcester, England, began his professional career with Coventry City. He joined the club as a striker in 1970, but did not make his first team debut until April 22, 1972. That was his only appearance during the 1971-1972 season. He peaked with the club during the 1975-1976 season when he played 31 games and scored 9 goals. After that his appearances and goals slowly began to taper off.

Move to NASL

In 1977, Coventry loaned Green to the Washington Diplomats of the North American Soccer League (NASL). The NASL’s season ran during the summer months allowing British players to join the teams during the English off season. Green played 16 games, scoring 9 goals and assisting on 5 others. At the end of the 1978-1979 English season, Green left Coventry to move permanently to the North American Soccer League. He rejoined the Washington Diplomats where he remained for the next two years. Green became a prolific scorer with the Dips, finding the net 41 times in 54 games. His scoring feats led to his selection as an NASL All Star Honorable Mention for 1980. At the end of the 1980 season, the Dips traded Green to the Jacksonville Tea Men. He spent two seasons with the Tea Men. In his first season, Green again gained NASL All Star Honorable Mention. However, his scoring pace began to fade in 1982 when he bagged only six goals on 18 games. At the end of the season, the Tea Men traded Green to the San Jose Earthquakes. He played the 1982-1983 NASL indoor season with the Earthquakes, scoring seven goals.

Team America

In 1983, the U.S. Soccer Federation, in coordination with the NASL, entered the U.S. national team, known as Team America, into the NASL as a league franchise. The team drew on U.S. citizens playing in the NASL, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Soccer League. However, both USSF and NASL discovered that many top U.S. players preferred to remain with the professional clubs. In order to fill the roster, USSF was forced to draw on foreign imports and it negotiated with the Earthquakes to loan Green to Team America. ^{[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E06E1D61738F930A15757C0A965948260]} When Team America finished the 1983 season with a 10-20 record, the worst in the NASL, USSF withdrew the team from the league. At the end of the 1983 outdoor NASL season, Green became a free agent and signed with the New York Cosmos as the team prepared for the 1983-1984 NASL indoor season. ^{[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9B01EEDF1539F93AA35752C1A965948260&n=Top%2fReference%2fTimes%20Topics%2fSubjects%2fS%2fSoccer]} When Green moved to the Cosmos, he still had not yet become a U.S. citizen, but received it in November, 1983. ^{[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9A04E0DA1239F935A25752C1A965948260]} Green played with the Cosmos through the indoor season and the subsequent 1984 outdoor season, but the league at the end of the 1984 season.

Green retired as the twelfth on the NASL points list.

U.S. National Team

Once Green gained his U.S. citizenship, he earned a single cap with the U.S. national team in a May 30, 1984 scoreless tie with Italy. He started the game, but Perry Van der Beck came on for him.

External links

* [http://www.sporting-heroes.net/football-heroes/displayhero_club.asp?HeroID=906 Coventry Bio]