Efrain Chacurian

Infobox Football biography
playername= Efrain Chacurian
fullname = Efrain Chacurian
nickname = Chico


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1924|2|22
cityofbirth = Córdoba
countryofbirth = Argentina
height =
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Forward
youthyears =
youthclubs =
years = 1939-1947
1947
1947-1949
1950-1958
1958-1965
clubs = Racing Club
New York Armenians
Brooklyn Hispano
New York Swiss
Bridgeport Vasco da Gama
caps(goals) =
nationalyears = 1953-1954
nationalteam = United States
nationalcaps(goals) = 4 (1)
manageryears = 1974-1980
1965-1975
1976-1979
1978-1980
1983-1988
1989-
managerclubs = Bridgeport City
Southern Connecticut State University
Yale University "(men)"
Yale University "(women)"
Bridgeport College "(assistant)"
Bridgeport College
pcupdate = 31 May 2006
ntupdate = 22 June 2006

Efrain or Yeprem “Chico” Chacurian (born February 22, 1924 in Córdoba, Argentina) is a former U.S.-Argentine soccer forward. He was earned four caps, scoring one goal, as a member of the U.S. national team in 1953 and 1954. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1992

Professional career

Chacurian was born in Argentina to Armenian immigrant parents. In 1939, he.signed with Racing Club of the Argentine First Division. He was fifteen years old at the time. In 1947 at the age of twenty-three, he moved to the United States to live with relatives of his mother to find work when a players strike in Argentina left him penniless. When he arrived in New York, he joined the semi-pro New York Armenians of the New York Eastern District League. In the six months he spent with the Armenians, he was named the league MVP as his team took the league title. This brought him to the attention of Brooklyn Hispano of the American Soccer League (ASL). He signed with Hispano in 1947. When not playing Chacurian held several side jobs including time as a printer and as a watchmaker. He also played with several All Star teams against visiting European national and professional clubs. This included games in 1949 against Scotland, Inter-Milan and Celtic. However, in the fall of 1949, Chacurian considered returning to Argentina. As he related it, “I bought a ticket to go home and visit. It took 18 days sailing one-way to Argentina. I saw my mother, and I played professional soccer down there again. Everything was successful, but I realized, I can’t live here anymore. America is pulling me back.” ^{[http://www.soccerhall.org/RNO%20-%20WATN/ChicoChacurian_WATN.htm]} He was back in the U.S. by the end of February 1950. When he returned to the U.S., he joined the New York Swiss of the German American Soccer League (GASL). He spent the next eight seasons with the Swiss. In 1958, he moved to Bridgeport City in Connecticut.

National team

In 1949, the U.S. began preparations for the 1950 FIFA World Cup. While the team had considered adding Chacurian to the roster, his return to Argentina to visit his family in 1949 led to his not being selected for the team. ^{[http://www.soccerhall.org/news/2005/Chico_GoTL_462005.htm]} Chacurian was not called up to the U.S. until June 8, 1953 when the team lost 6-3 to England. He played the first three games in 1954 as the U.S. attempted to qualify for the 1954 FIFA World Cup. After two losses to Mexico, the U.S. was out of the cup. However, the team had two more qualification games against Haiti yet to play. Chacurian played in both losses to Mexico and the first game against Haiti. In that game, a 3-2 win in Port-au-Prince, Cachurian scored. It was his last game with the national team.

Coaching

After he retired from playing, Chacurian entered the coaching ranks as an assistant at Southern Connecticut State University. He spent ten years with Southern Connecticut. While there, he also coached the freshman boy’s soccer team beginning in 1972. In 1976, Yale University hired Chacurian as the school’s men’s and women’s soccer coach. In May 1989, he became the head coach at Bridgeport College after serving as an assistant coach for six years. ^{[http://web1.ncaa.org/web_video/NCAANewsArchive/1989/19890510.pdf]} He also won five league titles as the coach of Bridgeport Vasco da Gama between 1974 and 1980

Chacurian lives in Stratford, Connecticut and has a soccer field in Short Beach named after him. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

External links

* [http://www.aarpsegundajuventud.org/english/sports/2005-FM/05FM_chacurian.html AARP profile]
* [http://www.soccerhall.org/news/2005/Chico_GoTL_462005.htm Chacurian and the 1950 World Cup team]
* [http://publish.netitor.com/photos/schools/yale/sports/w-soccer/auto_pdf/gamebygame.pdf Yale women’s soccer results]