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Chris Antonopoulos (soccer)

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Chris Antonopoulos
Personal information
Full name Chris Charles Antonopoulos
Date of birth December 17th, 1968
Place of birth Alexandria, Louisiana
Date of death January 27th, 2025 (aged 56)
Place of death Miami, Florida
Height 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper | Head Coach
Youth career
1982-1986 Archbishop Curley-Notre Dame High School
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1987-1990 Florida International University
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990-1992 Hollywood Kickers
1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers
1994-2001 Socker Locker
2009-2010 Florida Beach Soccer FC
International career
2002-2006 United States men's national beach soccer team
Managerial career
2006 Assistant Coach — United States men's national beach soccer team
2011-2014 Head Coach — Florida Beach Soccer FC
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Chris C. Antonopoulos (1968–2025) was an American soccer goalkeeper and coach. He played for Florida International University,[1] the Fort Lauderdale Strikers,[2] and the U.S. Men's National Beach Soccer Team.[3] He later coached Florida Beach Soccer FC, leading them to multiple national championships.[4]

Youth and collegiate career

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Chris Antonopoulos was born in Alexandria, Louisiana and raised in Miami, Florida.

He attended Miami Curley High School, where he was the goalkeeper.[5] In 1986, his senior year, he recorded 14 shutouts in 19 games, was named the Miami News High School Player of the Year, led Curley to the Florida Class 3A semi-finals in the playoffs, and played in the Dade-Broward All-Star Game.[6][7][8]

Chris Antonopoulos continued at Florida International University (FIU) as the goalkeeper from 1987 to 1990, appearing in 44 matches with 36 starts in goal.[9] He recorded 134 career saves, ranking 5th on FIU's all-time career saves leaderboard. His season-high of 79 saves came in 1990. Antonopoulos' career total remains among the top 10 in program history.[10][11] He received a B.A. in Hospitality Management in 1990.

Club career

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After college, Antonopoulos played soccer with the Hollywood Kickers in the Gold Coast Soccer League during the early 1990s. In 1992, he served as goalkeeper for the Kickers during their playoff run, reaching the semifinals before losing 3-1 to a Miami-based team.[12]

Professional soccer career

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In 1993, he turned professional with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in the American Professional Soccer League (APSL), signing as a backup goalkeeper to starter Jorge Valenzuela.[13] Antonopoulos made his professional debut on June 5, 1993, against the Colorado Foxes at Lockhart Stadium, playing 51 minutes in relief and conceding one goal in a 2-1 loss.[14] He earned his only start on August 29, 1993, against the Tampa Bay Rowdies, allowing six goals in a 6-2 defeat. Across these two appearances, he played a total of 141 minutes and conceded seven goals.[15][16][17][18]

International soccer career

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From 2002 to 2006, Antonopoulos represented the United States Men's National Beach Soccer Team as the backup goalkeeper and later an assistant coach. In 2006, Antonopoulos was part of the U.S. team that won the inaugural CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship, earning their first title and qualification for the 2006 FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup.[19]

Coaching career

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Antonopoulos was the founder, general manager, and head coach of Florida Beach Soccer FC, a professional beach soccer team established in 2009.[20] The team featured U.S. Beach Soccer National Team players, including Benyam Astorga, Oscar Gil, and Francis Farberoff. Antonopoulos initially served as the team’s goalkeeper in its first year before shifting primarily to coaching after a knee and shoulder injury.[21]

Under Antonopoulos’ leadership, Florida Beach Soccer FC competed in national and international tournaments. The team placed third at the 2010 U.S. Open Beach Soccer Championship at the North American Sand Soccer Championship (NASSC) before winning national championships in 2011 and 2012, and finishing as runners-up in 2013.[22][23][24] In 2011, the team also won the BagoSports Beach Football Invitational in Trinidad and Tobago, securing the Caribbean Championship with an undefeated record.[25][26]

IIn 2010, he played in the Clearwater Beach Soccer Tournament, where the team won the championship as part of the Major Beach Soccer National Championship Series sponsored by the United Soccer League.[27] In 2011, he coached the team to another championship victory in the same tournament.[28] In 2013, he coached the team at the Beach Soccer Championships in Oceanside, California, where they competed against the U.S. National team.[29] That same year, Antonopoulos played one period as a guest goalkeeper for a U.S. alumni team in a pro-am exhibition match against the Brazilian Legends at the NASSC in Virginia Beach, which ended in a 4-4 tie.[30]

Personal life and legacy

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After retiring from professional beach soccer, Antonopoulos returned to his passion for the sport by coaching youth soccer through various organizations.

The NASSC referred to him as one of beach soccer's “OGs,” acknowledging his early contributions to its growth in the United States.[31]

Chris Antonopoulos was married to Michele Antonopoulos in November 1998 and together they had four children. Brandon, Jacob, Ryan, and Tiffany. He passed away in Miami in January 2025.[32]

References

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  1. ^ "2007 FIU Men's Soccer Media Guide by Ivan Irizarry - Issuu". issuu.com. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2024-12-28.
  2. ^ "APSL 1993 Season". a-leaguearchive.tripod.com. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  3. ^ "CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship 2006 by Concacaf - Issuu". issuu.com. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  4. ^ "Beach football team places third in T/dad Invitational tourney". Stabroek News. November 23, 2011.
  5. ^ By (1987-08-24). "Hurricanes' Andre Brown Breaks Finger on Right Hand". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  6. ^ "High School Soccer Retrospective". Miami Herald. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  7. ^ "High School Soccer Roundup". Miami Herald. 1985 – via NewsBank archive.
  8. ^ "Home - Florida International University (FIU) Library Digital Collection Repository System (dPanther)". dpanther.fiu.edu. Retrieved 2025-02-06.
  9. ^ "2007 FIU Men's Soccer Media Guide by Ivan Irizarry - Issuu". issuu.com. 2008-05-21. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  10. ^ "FIU Athletics Mourns the Loss of Chris Antonopoulos". FIU Athletics. 2024-12-20. Retrieved 2025-01-29.
  11. ^ "M-Soccer All-Time Records". FIU Athletics. 2007-01-31. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  12. ^ "Callback". Sun Sentinel. 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2025-01-07.
  13. ^ "APSL 1993 Season". a-leaguearchive.tripod.com. Retrieved 2025-01-02.
  14. ^ "May 14 1993 - 2-2 Montreal Impact" (PDF). Historical Lineups. June 19, 2023.
  15. ^ "Today's game". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  16. ^ "Fort Lauderdale Strikers 1993 Roster". SoccerStats.us. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  17. ^ "Callback". Sun Sentinel. 2023-04-14. Retrieved 2024-12-31.
  18. ^ "1993 Fort Lauderdale Strikers Division II and III soccer Roster on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com. Archived from the original on 2024-12-27. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  19. ^ "CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship 2006 by Concacaf - Issuu". issuu.com. 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2025-02-23.
  20. ^ Sun Sentinel https://www.pressreader.com/usa/sun-sentinel-broward-edition/20111211/286474320210938?srsltid=AfmBOoozhrvXoIoSh0YQSh6mb0usEcjqjIh9hIzr2okILZNSZL3cX4Zp – via PressReader. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)[permanent dead link‍]
  21. ^ By (2011-11-06). "Getting their kicks in the sand". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2025-02-25.
  22. ^ By (2011-11-06). "Getting their kicks in the sand". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
  23. ^ "US Open at NASSC: Celebrating 20 Years of Beach Soccer". North American Sand Soccer Championships | NASSC. Retrieved 2024-12-03.
  24. ^ "North American Sand Soccer Championships in Virginia Beach". News 3 WTKR Norfolk. 2013-06-13. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  25. ^ "Beach football team places third in T/dad Invitational tourney". Stabroek News. November 23, 2011.
  26. ^ "Top players for BagoSports beach tourney". Trinidad Express Newspapers. 2011-11-08. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  27. ^ "Soccer Invades Clearwater Beach". Clearwater, FL Patch. 19 July 2011. Retrieved 2024-11-26.
  28. ^ By (2011-11-06). "Getting their kicks in the sand". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2024-12-02.
  29. ^ "Florida Beach Soccer competes in annual Beach Soccer tournament in Oceanside, CA | Soccer tournament, Soccer, Florida beaches". Pinterest. Retrieved 2025-01-03.
  30. ^ "2013 NASSC Event Program". North American Sand Soccer Championships. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
  31. ^ "Instagram". www.instagram.com. Retrieved 2025-02-04.
  32. ^ "Chris Antonopoulos Obituary (1968 - 2025) - Boynton Beach, FL - the Miami Herald". Legacy.com. Retrieved 2025-02-05.
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