Johnny Torres
Encyclopedia
Johnny Torres is a Colombian-American soccer midfielder
and coach who is currently the interim head coach of his alma mater
, Creighton University
. Torres has played in Major League Soccer
, USL-1, and currently also plays for the Omaha Vipers
of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He has also earned caps with the U.S. Futsal
team.
, Colombia
, where his father and several uncles played semi-professional soccer. In 1981, when Torres was five years old, his family moved to Houston, Texas
where Torres played for the local club team Houston Texans. In 1986, his family decided to return to Colombia, but Torres' youth soccer coach, Carlos Clarke, a native of Chile, offered to adopt Torres. His family agreed, and Torres was adopted by the Clarkes who lived in Dickinson, Texas
. Torres would play soccer at Dickinson High School where he was a three time USA Today
High School soccer All American.
. The Bluejays
had an excellent four year run during Torres' time with the team. The school racked up a 62-18-5 record and made four consecutive appearances in the NCAA post-season tournament. He was the 1996 Soccer America Player of the Year (for his junior season). In 1996, Torres' senior year, Creighton reached the NCAA College Cup for the first time in school history. Torres was showered with honors during his time at Creighton. He was selected as a Second Team All Missouri Valley Conference
(MVC) player as a freshman. The next three years, he made the All-MVC first team. He was also a first team All American his junior and senior years. In 1997 he was the MCV Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the MCV tournament and the Hermann Trophy
winner. He is third on Creighton's career scoring list with 46 goals and is tied for second on the career assists list with 36.
In 1996, during his time at Creighton, Torres became a U.S. citizen.
In 1997, Torres was a member of the third place team at the 1997 World University Games
. Torres ended the tournament as the U.S. team's leading scorer with 5 goals.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Creighton University athletic Hall of Fame.
of the Major League Soccer
(MLS) selected Torres as its top draft pick (fifth overall). The Revolution had high hopes for the talented midfielder. Torres spent four years with the team, never entirely playing up to expectations. He played 88 games, starting 55, scoring only 8 goals and assisting on 14 others. On August 16, 2001, the Revolution traded Torres, along with Shaker Asad
, to the Miami Fusion
for Leo Cullen and a 2003 first round draft choice. Torres would only play a single season for the Fusion. Miami was one of the 2 teams contracted after the 2001 season. After the Fusion folded in January 2002, Torres moved to the Milwaukee Wave
of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) for the 2001-2002 indoor season, which was already in play. Torres' move to MISL came about from his having played for the U.S. Futsal
team in 1999 when Keith Tozer
, coach of the Wave, coached the futsal team. When Tozer heard about the Fusion's collapse, he contacted Torres about moving to the MISL.
At the end of the MISL season, Torres briefly returned to the MLS, playing four games with the Chicago Fire when the team was decimated with injuries in 2002.http://www.soccertimes.com/mls/2002/jun26.htm However, he left the Fire and moved to the Minnesota Thunder
of the A-League
, now known as the United Soccer League
(USL) First Division. Torres played both the 2002 and 2003 outdoor seasons with the Thunder.
While playing outdoor soccer with the Thunder, Torres also played indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave
of the MISL. However, in May 2004, he signed with the Wave's parent organization, also known as the Milwaukee Wave. This organization fields two teams, the indoor Milwaukee Wave of the MISL and outdoor Milwaukee Wave United of the USL. This would allow Torres to play both indoor and outdoor soccer with the same organization rather than bouncing between Milwaukee and Minnesota from summer to winter. To sign Torres, the Wave United traded forward Dan Antoniuk
to the San Diego Sockers for a 2005 fourth round draft pick.
In 2004 Torres was named to USL All-League First Team, having scored 11 goals in 28 games with the Wave United. Torres was a member of the 2005 MISL championship Milwaukee Wave which swept the Cleveland Force in two games. He tore the MCL in his right knee during the 2005-2006 season. Torres has played for the U.S. Futsal team from 1999 to 2006, earning 13 caps
and scoring 9 goals. He was the team leader with five goals at the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Championship
.
In 2010, he made his return to indoor soccer, with the Omaha Vipers of the MISL.
. Torres finished his studies at Creighton that he started during his playing career, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology in May 2008. Torres was promoted to full-time assistant in 2008, and was named interim head coach on January 26, 2011 after Jamie Clark
resigned as head coach of Creighton to take the same position at the University of Washington
.
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
and coach who is currently the interim head coach of his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Creighton University
Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...
. Torres has played in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, USL-1, and currently also plays for the Omaha Vipers
Omaha Vipers
The Omaha Vipers are a PASL-Pro team that began play in the MISL in the 2010-11 season. Based in Omaha, Nebraska, the Vipers play their home games at the Omaha Civic Auditorium. The move from the MISL to the PASL-Pro was announced on May 5, 2011....
of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He has also earned caps with the U.S. Futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team.
Youth
Torres was born in MedellínMedellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
, Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, where his father and several uncles played semi-professional soccer. In 1981, when Torres was five years old, his family moved to Houston, Texas
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
where Torres played for the local club team Houston Texans. In 1986, his family decided to return to Colombia, but Torres' youth soccer coach, Carlos Clarke, a native of Chile, offered to adopt Torres. His family agreed, and Torres was adopted by the Clarkes who lived in Dickinson, Texas
Dickinson, Texas
Dickinson is a city in Galveston County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area. The population was 17,093 at the 2000 census.-History:...
. Torres would play soccer at Dickinson High School where he was a three time USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
High School soccer All American.
College
After graduating from high school in 1994, Torres attended Creighton UniversityCreighton University
Creighton University is a private, coeducational, Jesuit, Roman Catholic university located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Founded by the Society of Jesus in 1878, the school is one of 28 member institutions of the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities. The university is accredited by...
. The Bluejays
Creighton Bluejays
The Creighton Bluejays, or Jays, are the athletic teams of Creighton University, a Jesuit/Catholic University located in Omaha, Nebraska, United States. Creighton competes in NCAA Division I athletics, competing in the Missouri Valley Conference...
had an excellent four year run during Torres' time with the team. The school racked up a 62-18-5 record and made four consecutive appearances in the NCAA post-season tournament. He was the 1996 Soccer America Player of the Year (for his junior season). In 1996, Torres' senior year, Creighton reached the NCAA College Cup for the first time in school history. Torres was showered with honors during his time at Creighton. He was selected as a Second Team All Missouri Valley Conference
Missouri Valley Conference
The Missouri Valley Conference is a college athletic conference whose members are located in the midwestern United States...
(MVC) player as a freshman. The next three years, he made the All-MVC first team. He was also a first team All American his junior and senior years. In 1997 he was the MCV Player of the Year, Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the MCV tournament and the Hermann Trophy
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
winner. He is third on Creighton's career scoring list with 46 goals and is tied for second on the career assists list with 36.
In 1996, during his time at Creighton, Torres became a U.S. citizen.
In 1997, Torres was a member of the third place team at the 1997 World University Games
Universiade
The Universiade is an International multi-sport event, organized for university athletes by the International University Sports Federation . The name is a combination of the words "University" and "olympiad"...
. Torres ended the tournament as the U.S. team's leading scorer with 5 goals.
In 2004, he was inducted into the Creighton University athletic Hall of Fame.
Professional
In January 1998, the New England RevolutionNew England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
of the Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
(MLS) selected Torres as its top draft pick (fifth overall). The Revolution had high hopes for the talented midfielder. Torres spent four years with the team, never entirely playing up to expectations. He played 88 games, starting 55, scoring only 8 goals and assisting on 14 others. On August 16, 2001, the Revolution traded Torres, along with Shaker Asad
Shaker Asad
Shaker Asad was a Palestinian soccer midfielder who spent three seasons in Major League Soccer and one in the USL First Division. He also played for the Palestinian national team.-Youth:...
, to the Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion
Miami Fusion F.C. was a professional soccer club located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that participated in Major League Soccer from 1998 to 2001. The club played in Lockhart Stadium, which was a former high school stadium converted into a soccer-specific stadium...
for Leo Cullen and a 2003 first round draft choice. Torres would only play a single season for the Fusion. Miami was one of the 2 teams contracted after the 2001 season. After the Fusion folded in January 2002, Torres moved to the Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) for the 2001-2002 indoor season, which was already in play. Torres' move to MISL came about from his having played for the U.S. Futsal
Futsal
Futsal is a variant of association football that is played on a smaller pitch and mainly played indoors. Its name is a portmanteau of the Portuguese futebol de salão and the Spanish fútbol de salón , which can be translated as "hall football" or "indoor football"...
team in 1999 when Keith Tozer
Keith Tozer
Keith Tozer is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and American Indoor Soccer Association. He currently coaches the Milwaukee Wave of Major Indoor Soccer League.-College:...
, coach of the Wave, coached the futsal team. When Tozer heard about the Fusion's collapse, he contacted Torres about moving to the MISL.
At the end of the MISL season, Torres briefly returned to the MLS, playing four games with the Chicago Fire when the team was decimated with injuries in 2002.http://www.soccertimes.com/mls/2002/jun26.htm However, he left the Fire and moved to the Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its home games at the National Sports Center in nearby...
of the A-League
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
, now known as the United Soccer League
United Soccer League
The United Soccer League was a professional soccer league in the United States in the mid-1980s.After the demise of the second incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1983, four ASL teams founded the USL...
(USL) First Division. Torres played both the 2002 and 2003 outdoor seasons with the Thunder.
While playing outdoor soccer with the Thunder, Torres also played indoor soccer with the Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
of the MISL. However, in May 2004, he signed with the Wave's parent organization, also known as the Milwaukee Wave. This organization fields two teams, the indoor Milwaukee Wave of the MISL and outdoor Milwaukee Wave United of the USL. This would allow Torres to play both indoor and outdoor soccer with the same organization rather than bouncing between Milwaukee and Minnesota from summer to winter. To sign Torres, the Wave United traded forward Dan Antoniuk
Dan Antoniuk
Dan Antoniuk is an American soccer player.-College:Antoniuk attended Wheaton College, playing on the men’s soccer team from 1999 to 2002...
to the San Diego Sockers for a 2005 fourth round draft pick.
In 2004 Torres was named to USL All-League First Team, having scored 11 goals in 28 games with the Wave United. Torres was a member of the 2005 MISL championship Milwaukee Wave which swept the Cleveland Force in two games. He tore the MCL in his right knee during the 2005-2006 season. Torres has played for the U.S. Futsal team from 1999 to 2006, earning 13 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
and scoring 9 goals. He was the team leader with five goals at the 2004 FIFA Futsal World Championship
FIFA Futsal World Championship
The FIFA Futsal World Cup is the international championship for futsal, an indoor version of association football.The world championship tournament is held every four years, on the even year between two FIFA World Cups. The first event was held in 1989, the year FIFA became the world governing body...
.
In 2010, he made his return to indoor soccer, with the Omaha Vipers of the MISL.
Coaching
Torres returned to Creighton in 2007 as a graduate assistant under then head coach Bob WarmingBob Warming
Bob Warming is the head men's soccer coach at Penn State University, a job he's occupied since May 24, 2010. He was most recently the head soccer coach at Creighton University, where he coached from 2001 to 2010. From 1997 to 2001, he coached at St.Louis University. He also coached Creighton from...
. Torres finished his studies at Creighton that he started during his playing career, graduating with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology in May 2008. Torres was promoted to full-time assistant in 2008, and was named interim head coach on January 26, 2011 after Jamie Clark
Jamie Clark
James "Jamie" Clark is a Scottish soccer coach and former professional player who is currently the head coach of the University of Washington.-Early life:James "Jamie" Clark was born on 13 December 1976 in Aberdeen, Scotland...
resigned as head coach of Creighton to take the same position at the University of Washington
University of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
.