Carlos Bocanegra

At 45 years old, Carlos Bocanegra has this physical status:

Club career

Bocanegra played college soccer at UCLA and was signed by the Chicago Fire with a Project-40 contract and was drafted by the Chicago Fire with the fourth overall pick in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. He spent the majority of the year with the Fire, playing two games on loan with Project 40. He was named Rookie of the Year for a team that made it to the MLS Championship match and claimed the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. He was one of the top defenders in MLS, winning the MLS Defender of the Year Award twice in 2002 and 2003. In his four years in MLS, Bocanegra scored five goals and had eight assists.

Bocanegra was signed by Fulham in January 2004, quickly becoming a fan favorite, gaining the nicknames Jackal and the Black Snake. Bocanegra, with Fulham, served principally as a center back but also as a left back and briefly as a holding midfielder. He was Fulham's second top scorer with five goals in the 2006–07 Premier League season, behind fellow American Brian McBride. Bocanegra captained Fulham for the first time in a Premier League match on September 1, 2007, a far cry from behind 3–3 draw with Tottenham Hotspur. He made his 100th appearance in the Premier League on September 15, 2007, for Fulham against Wigan Athletic. Fulham released him on May 23, 2008.

In June 2008, Bocanegra was signed by Rennes. He was awarded the number three shirt, which is his number for the United States. Bocanegra's first season in France was a success, with him appearing in all 38 league games. In Stade Rennais' 2–0 win over Auxerre on March 8, 2009, he scored his first league goal, a goal that was not in the league. He also scored a goal in a UEFA Cup match and began all of the club's Coupe de France matches. These included the 2009 Coupe de France Final at the Stade de France on May 9, 2009, where he scored Stade Rennais' first goal against Guingamp in the 69th minute.

Bocanegra was purchased by fellow Ligue 1 team Saint-Étienne for a reported £400,000. He wore the number three shirt while he was in charge of the United States' World Cup in 2010. In a 3–1 loss to PSG, Bocanegra made his club debut in the club's first game of the season. In a 2–2 draw against Bordeaux on December 5, 2010, he scored his first goal for the club; he added his second goal in the Derby du Rhône; but Saint-Étienne failed 4–1. In his first season, Bocanegra will be used in both in and out. In a match against Nice on October 17, 2010, Bocanegra sustained a whiplash injury that kept him out for three weeks.

Bocanegra took over the captaincy for a short time after Loc Perrin's absence on the first game of the season as Saint-Étienne beat Bordeaux 2–1. This was his first appearance. He was tagged with a transfer to Rangers, but Saint-Étienne told him that they did not sell him.

Bocanegra joined Rangers in Scotland on August 17, 2011, agreeing to a three-year contract for an undisclosed fee. In a UEFA Europa League qualifier, Bocanegra made his Rangers debut against NK Maribor on August 18, 2011. Bocanegra's appearance caused controversies when Maribor filed a lawsuit alleging that he had the required authorization and paperwork later. The demonstration was rescheduled by UEFA on August 24, as Maribor did not submit it within twenty-four hours of the match. The club's chief later described Maribor's allegation regarding Bocanegra's eligibility as "pathetic mischief making." Rangers lost out 3–2 on aggregate, with Aaron scoring his first goal for Rangers in the second leg of the Maribor tie.

In a 4–0 victory over Dunfermline Athletic on September 24, Bocanegra scored his first league goal for the club. His second goal came three months later, during a 2–1 victory over Inverness Caledonian Thistle on December 17, 2011. After a string of solid and spectacular performances with his center-back partner, Dorin Goian, Bocanegra quickly became a fan favorite. During a 4–0 victory over Arbroath in the Scottish Cup, he was named Captain America by the Rangers fans and captained Rangers for the first time on January 8, 2012.

Rangers went into administration over financial issues and a dispute with HMRC that resulted in a 10-point deduction. Bocanegra talked about the festival, describing it as a "worrible experience" and urging players to cheer the dissatisfied supporters. He also stated his intention to remain at the club, despite the fact that he was content there. Bocanegra was given a straight red card after fouling Georgios Samaras, who conceded a penalty, during a 3–2 win on March 25, 2012.

Rangers FC's assets, as well as the players' employment, were purchased by Charles Green's consortium after the club went bankrupt in June 2012. Despite the fact that many players have departed as a result of this, Bocanegra's future was uncertain after not attending training as he wanted to leave in order to play at a higher level. McCoist was named captain of Bocanegra in the first round of the Challenge Cup just a few weeks later, defeating Brechin City 21-0. Following the game, Bocanegra announced that he would keep his place and promised not to walk away from the club. He made six appearances at the start of the season. After being kicked out of the national team, Bocanegra joined Racing de Santander on a season-long loan in an attempt to keep his international career alive.

Bocanegra joined Racing Santander on a season-long loan on August 31, 2012. If his loan agreement had come to an end, Bocanegra expressed the desire to return to Rangers. In a 1–0 victory over CD Mirande on September 22, 2012, he made his club debut. However, his time at Santander was deemed "disastrous" because he missed the remainder of the games but was active as a replacement. The club was relegated to the next division.

Carlos announced on Twitter on April 9, 2013 that he will return to Rangers for the 2013–14 season. Despite announcing his return, Jürgen Klinsmann, the head of the United States National Team, warned Carlos not to play for Rangers next season.

Bocanegra left Rangers in the summer of 2013 and joined Chivas USA. Chivas USA activated the allocation order with Toronto FC to land his name, guaranteeing him a first-round pick and a foreign seat to the Canadian club in 2015.

At the conclusion of the 2014 MLS season, Bocanegra retired.

International career

At the 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship, Bocanegra earned his first senior cap for the United States against South Korea against South Korea on December 9, 2001. In 2003, he became a stalwart for the team, solidifying his position during the 2003 Gold Cup and leading all defenders with thirteen appearances during the year. As he bounced between roles at center back and left back in World Cup qualifying in 2005, his position with the national team became less definite. Bocanegra was added to the United States World Cup roster for the tournament in Germany on May 2, 2006. During the 2006 World Cup, he appeared in two of three games at left back.

Under new head coach Bob Bradley, Bocanegra was the first-choice captain of the US squad. For the first time in a 4–1 victory over China on June 2, 2007, Bocanegra captained the national team. Bocanegra captained the United States national team, which beat No. 7 at No. 2 in the United States. On June 24, 2009, 1 ranked Spain to win one of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final games. He continued his leadership duties throughout the 2010 FIFA World Cup, beginning at left back against England and Slovenia, then left back against Algeria and Ghana, then left back against Algeria and Ghana.

Bocanegra earned his 100th international cap in a friendly against Slovenia on November 15, 2011. Bocanegra was initially on the preliminary team for the first stage of World Cup qualifying in March 2013. However, he did not make the final team. Clint Dempsey's later suspension from qualifying, partially due to his unstable club situation, resulted in his selection of Bocanegra as the USMNT's captain. Bocanegra did not remain a member of the 2013 Gold Cup or the 2014 World Cup in 2013.

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