Thomas Rongen
Dutch-American football coach (born 1956)
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Key Takeaways
- Thomas Eddy Rongen (born 31 October 1956) is a Dutch-American football coach who has spent the majority of his playing and coaching career in the United States.
- His stint managing the American Samoa national team was covered in the 2014 documentary Next Goal Wins , and the 2023 biographical comedy-drama film of the same name, starring Michael Fassbender as Rongen.
- In 1979, Rongen moved to the United States, joining the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League.
- He then began the 1980 season in Los Angeles.
- The team folded at the end of the season and Rongen moved to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers where he would remain for the next three seasons.
Thomas Eddy Rongen (born 31 October 1956) is a Dutch-American football coach who has spent the majority of his playing and coaching career in the United States.
Rongen won the MLS Coach of the Year award in MLS's inaugural season in 1996, leading the Tampa Bay Mutiny to the best regular-season record.
His stint managing the American Samoa national team was covered in the 2014 documentary Next Goal Wins, and the 2023 biographical comedy-drama film of the same name, starring Michael Fassbender as Rongen.
Playing career
Rongen began his playing career with Amsterdamsche FC, with whom he played as defensive midfielder and defender from 1973 to 1979.
In 1979, Rongen moved to the United States, joining the Los Angeles Aztecs of the North American Soccer League. Rongen spent the entire 1979 season with the Aztecs. He then began the 1980 season in Los Angeles. On 12 July 1980, the Aztecs sold his contract to the Washington Diplomats. The team folded at the end of the season and Rongen moved to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers where he would remain for the next three seasons. In 1984, Joe Robbie, owner of the Strikers, moved the team to Minneapolis, Minnesota where it was renamed the Minnesota Strikers. Rongen moved with the team and spent the 1984 outdoor season there. The league collapsed at the end of the season.
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