Fernando Clavijo (born January 23, 1956 in Maldonado, Uruguay) is a retired American soccer defender and former head coach of the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer. He played three seasons in the American Soccer League, two in the North American Soccer League and ten in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He earned 61 caps with the United States men's national soccer team and eight with the U.S. National Futsal Team. He later coached both indoor and outdoor teams as well as at the national team level with Nigeria and Haiti. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

[edit] Playing

[edit] Outdoor

Clavijo began his professional playing career at the age of 16 with Uruguayan club Atenas De San Carlos. In 1979, Clavijo and his wife moved to the United States in order for him to play for the New York Apollo of the American Soccer League (ASL). The Apollo changed its name to the New York United between the 1979 and 1980 season. Clavijo then spent two seasons with the United. In 1983, he moved to the San Jose Earthquakes of the North American Soccer League (NASL). In 1984, he was an NASL All Star with the Earthquakes.

[edit] Indoor

Clavijo began his indoor soccer career, which rapidly eclipsed his outdoor career, in 1981 with the New York Arrows of Major Indoor Soccer League. In 1984, he moved to the San Diego Sockers where he contributed to the Sockers winning three championships in his four years with the team.

[edit] Futsal

In 1992, he had earned 8 caps, scoring two goals, for the U.S. Futsal Team.^[1]

[edit] Coaching

Clavijo's coaching career began in 1991 with the St. Louis Storm where he was player-coach. In 1994, he became the head coach of the Seattle SeaDogs of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL). In 1997, he was the CISL Coach of the Year. He then moved to the Florida ThunderCats of the National Professional Soccer League. He then assisted ex-US coach Bora Milutinovic with the Nigerian national team at the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He followed Bora to Major League Soccer as well, assisting him with the MetroStars in 1999, the worst season for any team in league history. He left the club after the year, assuming head coaching duties with the New England Revolution, but was fired midway through the 2002 season after not much success.

In 1998, he also served as the head coach of the U.S. Futsal Team.

On October 16, 2003, Clavijo became the head coach of the Haitian national team. He led them through World Cup Qualifying, resigning his position after Haiti lost to Jamaica.^[2] On December 22, 2004, the Colorado Rapids hired Clavijo as the team's head coach.

Clavijo was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005.

Coach Clavijo resigned from the Colorado Rapids on August 20, 2008 after a record in all competitions of 43 wins - 55 losses - 26 draws.

[edit] Playing stats

[edit] MISL stats

[edit] NASL

v • d • e United States squad – 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup Winners (1st Title) 1 Meola • 2 Trittschuh • 3 Michallik • 4 Murray • 5 Eck • 6 Harkes • 7 Pérez • 8 Kinnear • 9 – • 10 Vermes • 11 Wynalda • 14 Quinn • 15 Armstrong • 16 Doyle • 17 Balboa • 18 Keller • 19 Henderson • 20 Caligiuri • 21 Clavijo • 22 Savage • Coach: Milutinović

v • d • e United States squad – 1992 King Fahd Cup 1 Meola • 2 Michallik • 3 Lapper • 4 Murray • 5 – • 6 Harkes • 7 Pérez • 8 Kinnear • 9 Ramos • 10 Vermes • 11 Wynalda • 12 Harbor • 13 Jones • 14 Quinn • 15 DeBrito • 17 Balboa • 18 Dodd • 19 Henderson • 20 Caligiuri • 21 Clavijo • 22 Wegerle • Coach: Milutinović

v • d • e United States squad – 1994 FIFA World Cup 1 Meola • 2 Lapper • 3 Burns • 4 Kooiman • 5 Dooley • 6 Harkes • 7 Pérez • 8 Stewart • 9 Ramos • 10 Wegerle • 11 Wynalda • 12 Sommer • 13 Jones • 14 Klopas • 15 Moore • 16 Sorber • 17 Balboa • 18 Friedel • 19 Reyna • 20 Caligiuri • 21 Clavijo • 22 Lalas • Coach: Milutinović