| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1968-06-17)June 17, 1968 (age 56) | ||
| Place of birth | Inglewood, California,United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1988–1990 | Los Angeles Heat | ||
| 1990–1992 | Wichita Wings(indoor) | 95 | (40) |
| 1991–1992 | San Francisco Bay Blackhawks | 23 | (2) |
| 1993 | San Jose Hawks[1] | ||
| 1993–1994 | Los Angeles Salsa | ||
| 1994–1995 | Dayton Dynamo(indoor) | 16 | (4) |
| 1995–1996 | Sacramento Knights(indoor) | 48 | (34) |
| 1996–1997 | →Cincinnati Silverbacks(indoor)(loan) | 22 | (17) |
| 1997–2001 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 115 | (9) |
| 2001 | Tampa Bay Mutiny | 6 | (1) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Danny Pena (born June 17, 1968, inInglewood, California) is a retired U.S.soccer defensivemidfielder. He spent most of his career, both indoors and outdoors, with teams in the western U.S.
Pena grew up in Southern California, playing for the Fram-Culver soccer club. In 1986, he, and teammateMarcelo Balboa, took Fram-Culver all the way to the U-19 McGuire Cup title. The next year, he played all three games at the1987 FIFA World Youth Championship.[2]
After high school, he chose to forgo college and signed with theLos Angeles Heat of theWestern Soccer Alliance (WSA) in 1988. He remained with the Heat through the 1990 season which the Heat played in theAmerican Professional Soccer League (APSL). In 1991, the Blackhawks won the league title, defeating theAlbany Capitals as Pena was selected as a first team All Star. The next season, the Blackhawks lost to theTampa Bay Rowdies in the semifinals. However, Pena again was selected as a first team All Star. When the Blackhawks owner withdrew the team from the APSL and moved them down a division to the USISL, Pena left the team and joined theLos Angeles Salsa of the APSL. He remained with the Salsa for two seasons, 1993 and 1994. In both seasons, he continued his streak of being selected to the All Star team. In 1993, the Salsa lost the title game to theColorado Foxes. He began his indoor career with theWichita Wings ofMajor Indoor Soccer League (MISL) with the 1991–1992 season. In 1994, he joined theDayton Dynamo of the 1994-1995National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) season. His brother, Carlos, was the goalkeeper for Dayton. In 1995, he moved to theSacramento Knights of theContinental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). That season he was a CISL first team All Star and the CISL Defender of the Year as the Knights lost to theMonterrey La Raza.Major League Soccer (MLS) signed Pena to a contract in 1996, but then loaned him to theCincinnati Silverbacks of theNational Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in November 1996.[3] TheLos Angeles Galaxy of MLS selected Pena in the1997 MLS Supplemental Draft. He spent the 1997 season in Los Angeles, but the Galaxy failed to protect him in the1997 MLS Expansion Draft and theChicago Fire selected him with their first pick. However, he expressed his dissatisfaction with this development and on January 27, 1998, the Galaxy tradedChris Armas andJorge Campos to the Fire for Pena andKevin Hartman. Pena suffered a season ending knee injury in June 2000. While he returned for the 2001 season, the Galaxy sent Pena to theTampa Bay Mutiny on July 30, 2001, for a conditional pick in the 2002 draft. He saw time in six games, then was released at the end of the season.
In 1997, theUSMNT called up Pena, but he declined the invitation.[4]
Pena now coaches boys' soccer inTorrance, California. He is also on staff with the Beach Soccer Club. He won nationals with his boys' team. He has a silver elite girls' team at Beach Soccer Club. He also has a boys' team who won Cal South State Cup and was invited to Dallas Cup.