Ignacio Baez (born August 12, 1959 in Mexico) is a former Mexican-American soccer midfielder who played professionally in Mexico and the United States first divisions. He has coached in the U.S. lower divisions and currently coaches at the Blanchet Catholic School.

[edit] Playing

Baez signed his first professional contract with Mexican powerhouse Club Américaat 15. Two years later, he moved to the United States and signed with the Portland Timbers of the North American Soccer League as a seventeen year old midfielder. Baez never broke into the first team and he returned to Mexico to play for Cruz Azul and Club Irapuato. In 1988, he signed with F.C. Portland of the Western Soccer Alliance. He remained with the team in 1989, now renamed the Portland Timbers. In 1990, he moved to the New Mexico Chiles of the American Professional Soccer League.

[edit] Coaching

In 1995, Baez became the head coach of the Oregon Surge, an expansion team in the USISL. He also spent time as the head coach of the Yakima Reds. In 2006, Baez was hired as the head coach of Blanchet Catholic School soccer team. At some point in his career, he was also the Director of Coaching for Leon. He also coaches two local club teams in Salem, Oregon. He coaches the U-13 CFC Boca Juniors and U-15 CFC Atlas. He made these teams State Champions in 2008 and 2009.

[edit] External links

• Portland Timber (NASL) statistics
• F.C. Portland photo and stats