| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1961-10-29)October 29, 1961 (age 64) | ||
| Place of birth | San Francisco, California, U.S. | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1979–1983 | Cal State Hayward | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1983–1985 | Cleveland Force(indoor) | 6 | (0) |
| 1985–1987 | Los Angeles Lazers(indoor) | 64 | (8) |
| 1987–1990 | San Diego Sockers(indoor) | 145 | (13) |
| 1990–1994 | Cleveland Crunch(indoor) | 154 | (38) |
| 1995–1998 | Cincinnati Silverbacks(indoor) | 91 | (13) |
| Total | 460 | (72) | |
| International career | |||
| US U-20 | |||
| US Futsal | |||
| Managerial career | |||
| 1994–1995 | Anaheim Splash | ||
| 1996–1998 | Cincinnati Silverbacks | ||
| 1998–2000 | Buffalo Blizzard | ||
| 2000–2001 | Cleveland Crunch(assistant) | ||
| 2001 | Cleveland Crunch(interim) | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
George Fernandez is an American retiredsoccer defender who played professionally in theMajor Indoor Soccer League andNational Professional Soccer League. He coached in both theContinental Indoor Soccer League and NPSL and was the 1994 CISL Coach of the Year.
Born in San Francisco, Fernandez spent much of his youth in Hawaii. He played both soccer and football in high school and was offered a football scholarship by theUniversity of the Pacific but chose to attendCal State Hayward instead.[1] Fernandez played soccer at Hayward from 1979 to 1983.[2] He was a 1982 and 1983NCAA Division II First Team All American and has been inducted into the CSU East Bay Athletic Hall of Fame.[3][4][5]
In 1983, theChicago Sting of theNorth American Soccer League drafted Fernandez but he did not sign with them. In October 1983, theTacoma Stars had the first selection in theMajor Indoor Soccer League Draft but swapped their pick with theCleveland Force. The Force used the pick to select Fernandez.[6] Fernandez played only six games over two seasons with the Force before being released in October 1985.[7] On December 27, 1985, theLos Angeles Lazers for the remainder of the season. He ended up playing two seasons in Los Angeles. In 1987, Fernandez joined theSan Diego Sockers as a free agent. On July 30, 1990, he moved to theCleveland Crunch as a free agent.[8] In 1992, the Crunch moved to theNational Professional Soccer League. In 1994, he became the head coach of theAnaheim Splash in theContinental Indoor Soccer League. NPSL rules prohibited players and coaches from the CISL to compete in the NPSL. Therefore, the Crunch released Fernandez.[9] In 1995, he returned to the NPSL when he signed with theCincinnati Silverbacks.[10][11][12][13]
In 1981, he played two games with theUnited States U-20 men's national soccer team at the1981 FIFA World Youth Championship. He was a member of theUnited States national futsal team at both the1992 and1996 FIFA Futsal World Championship.
In 1994, Fernandez became the head coach of theAnaheim Splash of theContinental Indoor Soccer League. He took the team, to the second best record in the league and was named the 1994 CISL Coach of the Year.[14] In September 1996, Fernandez became a player-coach with theCincinnati Silverbacks.[15] He coached the Silverbacks for two seasons. In September 1998, theBuffalo Blizzard hired Fernandez.[16] The team fired him on March 1, 2000.[17] He then moved to theCleveland Crunch as an assistant coach. When the Crunch fired head coachBruce Miller in March 2001, Fernandez served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season.[18]