Ramiro Corrales

Ramiro Corrales (born March 12, 1977) is an American soccer player who is currently a player-coach for Premier Development League team Santa Cruz Breakers FC. He spent most of his professional career with the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.

Ramiro Corrales
Personal information
Date of birth (1977-03-12) March 12, 1977[1]
Place of birth Salinas, California, United States
Height 6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Position(s) Defender
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1995 California Jaguars
1996–1997 San Jose Clash 25 (1)
1998 Miami Fusion 1 (0)
1998 → MLS Pro-40 (loan) 15 (0)
1998–2000 MetroStars 56 (0)
2001–2004 San Jose Earthquakes 96 (8)
2005–2006 HamKam 46 (2)
2007 Brann 11 (1)
2008–2013 San Jose Earthquakes 129 (7)
2018– Santa Cruz Breakers FC
Total 379 (19)
National team‡
United States U20 19 (0)
1996–2008 United States 6 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of May 18, 2018
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of October 26, 2013

Known as a "reliable contributor who [is] strong in defense, composed and responsible with the ball and who works hard to make his teammates better",[2] Corrales was the last remaining active MLS player from its inaugural season in 1996 upon his 2013 retirement.[3]

Club career

San Jose Clash (1996–1997)

Born in Salinas, California, Corrales did not play college soccer; instead he signed with the California Jaguars of USISL. He then became a professional and entered the 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. This was before the advent of Project-40, so Corrales forfeited any opportunity to guarantee a college scholarship. Corrales was drafted 81st by the Columbus Crew but was then immediately traded to the San Jose Clash (later to be renamed "Earthquakes") for a second-round selection in the MLS Supplemental draft.[4]

Ramiro made his MLS debut on April 28, 1996 as a substitute in a match against the LA Galaxy. His first assist came a couple months later on June 8 against the Dallas Burn and his first goal came off a free kick against the Tampa Bay Mutiny on September 9. In his rookie season for the San Jose Clash, he garnered a goal and an assist playing 11 matches. He started in 11 games the following season.[5]

MetroStars (1998–2000)

In November 1997, Corrales was drafted 16th by the Miami Fusion in the 1997 Expansion Draft. He was traded again in June 1998, this time to the MetroStars in exchange for Carlos Parra. In 1998 Corrales played in 3 matches for the Metros, getting one assist. The 1999 season saw Corrales take a large amount of playing time with the club in a total 31 appearances. He was second on the team in minutes with 1,460. The 2000 season saw Corrales split his time between the Metrostars and the US Olympicsquad who were going through Olympic qualification and the 2000 Summer Olympics soccer tournament. Corrales ended the season with two assists in twenty two games played.

San Jose Earthquakes (2001–2004)

In 2001, Corrales was traded back to San Jose for the rights to goalkeeper Paul Grafer. There, he was integral part of coach Frank Yallop's team that would win the 2001 and 2003 MLS Cups. The 2002 season was one of the best for Corrales, who has a career high for goals and assists, with three goals and nine assists in 28 matches played. In nine years in MLS, Corrales scored nine goals and 19 assists.

HamKam (2005–2006)

Seeking to leave MLS, Corrales eventually signed with Norwegian club Hamarkameratene on a three-year contract. He was part of a wave of American MLS players who went to Scandinavia to seek better wages and European play.[6] He was signed to play as a central midfielder at the club but he mainly played as left back while sometimes being used as a left midfielder.[7] In the 2006 season he scored his first goal in Norway, a free kick goal against IK Start.[8] He was selected the club player of the year in the 2006 season by both local newspaper Hamar Arbeiderblad and as voted by the fans on the club's official homepage.[9] Due to the fact that HamKam was relegated at the end of the season, rumors swirled about where Corrales would leave to. He was rumored to be heading for Spain or Belgium, though IK Start in Norway seemed to be the front runner to sign him.[10]

Brann (2007)

On January 5, 2007, Hamarkameratene and Brann agreed on a transfer,[11] but Corrales was expelled from Norway on February 9 by the Norwegian Directorate of Immigration, leaving it uncertain if he could play for Brann. Corrales was expelled because he had played the whole 2006 season without a work-permit.[12] The case was solved on March 14 when the Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board (UNE) gave Corrales a new work-permit.[13] Corrales dealt with injuries and made only 17 appearances overall for the club, but scored a goal and helped lead Brann to their first title since 1963.

After a US versus Sweden training match in January 2008, Ramiro refused to return to Bergen[14] and expressed that he would rather give up soccer than return. He claimed he did not like the Bergen weather,[15] although he later said he would accept a move to Oslo[16] which has a more dry climate than Bergen. He also modified his statement to he did not like being benched. Corrales was rumored to return to MLS with Toronto FC and former club New York Red Bulls showing interest. The Houston Dynamo still held his rights, which were kept by the team since their move from San Jose in 2006, and so any return to MLS would have to go through Houston.[17]

Return to San Jose Earthquakes (2008–2013)

Corrales eventually returned to the United States in 2008, re-signing for the San Jose Earthquakes, who bought his rights from the Houston Dynamo.[18] He made his first appearance for the Quakes since 2004 on April 3, in a match against the LA Galaxy. He scored his first goal in his new stint on May 10 against the Columbus Crew.

After the departure of Quakes captain Nick Garcia in a trade, Corrales was selected by Frank Yallop to be the next player to lead the team. Yallop cited Corrales' experience, calm but stern leadership, and being bilingual as reasons for selecting him as captain.[19] In 2009, he became the team's all-time leader in appearances with his 164th, in their match against FC Dallas on October 7 passing Richard Mulrooney to grab the record.

In 2010, he led the Quakes to the Eastern Conference Final of the MLS Cup playoffs, the club reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2005. They passed the New York Red Bulls in the semi-finals, after the Quakes were down a goal in the first leg.[20]

Entering into 2011, Corrales was dealing with more frequent injuries, and so he started to adapt to becoming more of a mentor than just a player. At the start of the season he was one of three players to have remained since the inaugural MLS season, the other two being Zach Thornton and Frankie Hejduk.[21] In 2011, he played in his 200th career match for San Jose against the New York Red Bulls on July 2, becoming the first player to reach 200 games played with San Jose.

In 2012, he had a career year, captaining the Quakes in their Supporters Shield-winning season. He was selected by MLS commissioner Don Garber to participate in the 2012 MLS All Star game, his first ever.[22] He played for 35 minutes in the match against Chelsea after being subbed in during the 56th minute for San Jose teammate Justin Morrow.[23] He finished the season with two goals and seven assists, the assists tally the second highest in his career. When off-season came, Corrales saw his option declined by San Jose on November 28, 2012.[24] He subsequently entered the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft and became a free agent after going undrafted in both rounds of the draft. He was re-signed by the Earthquakes for the 2013 season in both a playing and coaching capacity in February 2013.[3]

He reached the 300th MLS appearance mark in a match against the Houston Dynamo in 2013, becoming the 21st player in MLS history to hit that mark.[25] Corrales played his last game on October 26, 2013, against FC Dallas at Buck Shaw Stadium; he played as a starter and was subbed out in the 69th minute treated with a standing ovation and teammates carrying him off the pitch. He passed on his captain's armband to Chris Wondolowski, which served to not only serve a practical purpose but symbolize the transition of leadership for the next season, with Wondolowski serving as captain in 2014.[26]

In 2018, he came out of retirement to become a player-coach for Premier Development League team Santa Cruz Breakers FC in their debut season.[27]

Career statistics
As of match played October 26, 2013[28][29]
Club Season League National Cup League Cup Continental Total
Division AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals AppsGoals
San Jose Clash 1996 Major League Soccer 111001000 121
1997 Major League Soccer 140200000 160
Total 25 1 2 0 1 0 0 0 28 1
Miami Fusion 1998 Major League Soccer 10000000 10
Total 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0
MLS Pro-40 1998 A-League 150000000 150
Total 15 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 15 0
MetroStars 1998 Major League Soccer 30001000 40
1999 Major League Soccer 3101[30]00000 320
2000 Major League Soccer 2202[31][32]00000 240
Total 56 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 60 0
San Jose Earthquakes 2001 Major League Soccer 141006000 201
2002 Major League Soccer 283202041 364
2003 Major League Soccer 251101000 271
2004 Major League Soccer 293212020 364
Total 96 8 5 1 11 0 6 1 119 10
HamKam 2005 Tippeligaen 200500000 250
2006 Tippeligaen 252400000 292
Total 45 2 9 0 0 0 0 0 54 2
SK Brann 2007 Tippeligaen 111300030 171
Total 11 1 3 0 0 0 3 0 17 1
San Jose Earthquakes 2008 Major League Soccer 222100000 232
2009 Major League Soccer 240000000 240
2010 Major League Soccer 201102000 231
2011 Major League Soccer 292200000 312
2012 Major League Soccer 222101000 242
2013 Major League Soccer 120000010 130
Total 129 7 4 0 3 0 1 0 138 7
Career total 26119261160101 43221

International

Corrales was born in the United States and is of Mexican descent.[33] Ramiro has earned appearances for the United States national team, playing for the U-20 and U-23 teams along with four caps for the senior team in the 90's (his first coming October 16, 1996 against Peru). He also appeared in two games at the 2000 Sydney Olympics, helping the United States reach the semifinals. He was finally recalled in 2008 after an eight-year absence.

International Appearances
#DateVenueOpponentScoreResultCompetition
1.October 16, 1996Estadio Nacional, Lima, Peru Peru4–1LossFriendly
2.January 29, 1997Kunming Tuodong Sports Center, Kunming, China China PR2–1LossFriendly
3.February 2, 1997Tianhe Stadium, Guangzhou, China China PR1–1DrawFriendly
4.November 17, 2004Columbus Crew Stadium, Columbus, United States Jamaica1–1Draw2006 FIFA World Cup Qualification
5.January 19, 2008Home Depot Center, Carson, United States Sweden2–0WinFriendly
6.February 6, 2008Reliant Stadium, Houston, United States Mexico2–2DrawFriendly
Last updated November 1, 2014

Honors

San Jose Earthquakes

Brann

References
  1. "USA - R. Corrales - Profile with news, career statistics and history - Soccerway". uk.soccerway.com. Retrieved 29 December 2019.
  2. Straus, Brian. "San Jose Earthquakes defender Ramiro Corrales finally gets his due". Sporting News. Retrieved 25 July 2012.
  3. Straus, Brian. "San Jose Earthquakes contracts: Corrales back as player-coach; Fucito signs". Sporting News. Retrieved 23 March 2013.
  4. Jonas, Robert (April 13, 2012). "CenterLine Report: There's no stopping Captain Corrales". SJEarthquakes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  5. "2011 San Jose Earthquakes Media Guide" (PDF). SJEarthquakes.com. Retrieved November 8, 2014.
  6. Mahoney, Ridge (February 29, 2008). "Northern Exposure: Yanks in Scandinavia". Yanks Abroad. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  7. "Corrales in Shock Norwegian Signing". Yanks Abroad. November 26, 2004. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  8. "Norway 2006". ESPN FC. May 16, 2006. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  9. "Ramiro årets spiller" (in Norwegian). hamkam.no. April 22, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  10. "BRANN NEARING CORRALES CAPTURE". Yanks Abroad. January 8, 2007. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  11. "Brann kaprer Corrales" (in Norwegian). brann.no. April 22, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  12. "Ramiro Corrales kan glippe for Brann" (in Norwegian). bt.no. April 22, 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007.
  13. "Corrales blir spilleklar" (in Norwegian). bt.no. April 22, 2007. Archived from the original on March 17, 2007.
  14. Nettavisen – Visste ikke om ny lagkamerat
  17. Fidler, Rich (December 17, 2007). "CORRALES IN MLS RETURN DISCUSSIONS". Yanks Abroad. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  18. Murphy, George (February 15, 2014). "CORRALES RETURNS TO BAY AREA". Yanks Abroad. Retrieved November 1, 2014.
  19. Lepper, Geoff (April 7, 2010). "Captain Ramiro Leads by Example". San Jose Earthquakes. Retrieved November 2, 2010.
  20. Henn, George (November 4, 2010). "San Jose Earthquakes eliminate Red Bulls from MLS playoffs with 3-1 upset victory at Red Bull Arena". New York Daily News. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  21. Almond, Elliott. "San Jose Earthquakes' Ramiro Corrales shows his young teammates the way". Contra Costa Times. Retrieved November 11, 2014.
  22. "Trio of Quakes selected to MLS All-Star gameday roster". SJEarthquakes.com. July 15, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2014.
  23. "2012 MLS All Star Game Commentary". MLSSoccer.com. July 25, 2012. Retrieved October 31, 2012.
  24. http://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/2012/11/quakes-decline-options-five-players
  25. Lepper, Geoff (April 4, 2013). "After 300th appearance, San Jose Earthquakes' Ramiro Corrales proving "age is just a number"". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved November 2, 2014.
  26. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/10/26/ramiro-corrales-gets-heros-send-emotional-finale-san-jose-earthquakes
  27. https://www.uslpdl.com/news_article/show/881748
  28. "Spillerprofil: Ramiro Corrales". brann.no. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  29. "Ramiro Corrales". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved 19 January 2015.
  30. "U.S. Open Cup: Third-round results (July 13)". SoccerAmerica. July 14, 1999. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  31. "MetroStars Beat Tampa Bay, 3-0, in Third Round of U.S. Open Cup". US Soccer. July 25, 2000. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  32. "Crew Falls to NY/NJ MetroStars on Penalty Kicks in U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinal Marathon at Crew Stadium". US Soccer. August 9, 2000. Retrieved January 18, 2015.
  33. "Mexicanos que optaron por Estados Unidos". unotv.com.
Sporting positions
Preceded by
Nick Garcia		 San Jose Earthquakes captain
2009–2013		 Succeeded by
Chris Wondolowski
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