Special Guests

Special Guests at Soccer Nation Expo 2012:

Scheduled to Appear

Paul Caligiuri
Caliguiri's professional career spanned 16 years, during which he played for numerous teams in the United States and Germany, and for the U.S. national team. During his 14 years as a defender and defensive midfielder with the national team, he earned 110 caps and scored five goals. He also scored eight goals in 136 games as a member of the LA Galaxy from 1997-2001. Caligiuri is best remembered for his game-winning goal, widely dubbed as the "shot heard round the world," which he scored in a 1-0 World Cup qualifier victory over Trinidad and Tobago on November 19, 1989. The victory qualified the United States for the 1990 FIFA World Cup in Italy, its first World Cup berth since 1950. There, Caligiuri notched the first World Cup goal for the U.S. National Team in 40 years, scoring in a 5-1 defeat against Czechoslovakia. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Omar Gonzalez
After winning the 2009 MLS Rookie of the Year award, Omar Gonzalez broke out in 2010 to become one of the best young central defenders in the league. Gonzalez was named to the MLS All-Star Team and the MLS Best XI, becoming the first Galaxy defender to earn that honor since Chris Albright in 2005. He continued his fine form in the 2011 MLS season, forming the heart of the Galaxy's league-best defense, along with goalkeeper Josh Saunders, and Gonzalez won the MLS Defender of the Year.

Leslie Osborne
A player with 61 appearances for the Women's National Team and former Santa Clara University standout, Osborne was the former captain of the Boston Breakers team of Women's Professional Soccer, played one season with FC Gold Pride of the Bay area and earned a bronze medal at the FIFA 2007 Women's World Cup. Osborne progressed through the U.S. youth national teams, playing with the U-16, U-18, U-19 and U-21 teams and winning a U-19 World Cup Championship in 2002. She enjoyed an impressive college career at Santa Clara University, where she was an NCAA Division I All American in 2002-2004, and she was awarded the prestigious Honda Award as the nation's best athlete in her sport as a senior. Osborne ended her college career with 44 goals and 34 assists as a forward. In 2006, Osborne was chosen as a finalist for the U.S. Soccer Player of the Year. Osborne has coached at the collegiate level with Santa Clara University and at the youth level with Chicago Eclipse.

Osborne is the official athlete and spokesperson of T4 Soccer. Osborne will be available to sign autographs and take pictures at the T4 Soccer exhibitor booth #260 throughout Soccer Nation Expo.

Tisha Venturini-Hoch
Tisha Venturini-Hoch is one of the most successful players in the history of women's soccer. Her high school and collegiate teams tallied a combined record of 151-1-3. She is a four-time NCAA Champion, four-time ACC champion and four-time NCAA Division I All-American with the University of North Carolina. She won the Hermann Trophy Award in 1994 as the NCAA's top soccer player in Division I. As a nine-year member of the U.S. Women's National Team, Tisha played in two FIFA World Cups, helping the team capture third place in 1995 and then their storied World Cup championship in 1999. Tisha scored the first-ever goral in Women's Olympic soccer history in 1996, the same year that the U.S. team won the gold medal. She was a founding member and player of WUSA in 2001 through 2003 with the Bay Area (later San Diego) CyberRays, and led them in capturing the inaugural Founders Cup championship in 2001.

Coaching Clinics on "VIP Coach Pitch" & Special Access VIP Classroom Sessions

Soccer Nation Expo presents world-class coaches in special coaching clinics and numerous breakout classroom sessions throughout the show.

Remember: Only VIP Coaches received special VIP seating to these clinics and exclusive access to the breakout sessions.

For more information on getting your own VIP Coach Pass, click here

Scheduled to Appear at Soccer Nation Expo 2012

Dan Ashworth
Ashworth is the Sporting and Technical Director of West Bromwich Albion Football Club. His playing career included stints with Norwich City, St. Leonard's, Wisbech and Diss Town. Before his current role, he previously served as West Brom's Academy Director, and is also the former Academy Director at Peterborough.

Ian Barker
Barker was recently appointed as the Director of Coaching for the NSCAA (National Soccer Coaches Association of America). To take the position with NSCAA, he recently resigned as the head coach for the men's program at Macalester College. Barker's head coaching record during his nine years at Macalester was 97-59-15 and during his 13 years with the program, the Scots posted a 152-74-21 record with six conference championships, one MIAC playoff title, and six appearances in the NCAA Division III playoffs. Barker served as the Director of Coaching for the Minnesota Youth Soccer Association from 1997-2007. He was also a men's assistant coach at the University of Wisconsin from 1989-97, where he helped the Badgers to four NCAA tournament appearances in a five-year span. The 1995 team won the Big 10 title and claimed the NCAA national championship.

Dave Chesler
Chesler is the current Director of Coaching Education for the U.S. Soccer Federation. He has also served previously as the head coach of the U.S. U-18 Women's National Team, and as an assistant coach for the U-20 women. He was Idaho Youth Soccer Association Director of Coaching and Player Development from 2004-2006. He has also served as an assistant for the U.S. Paralympic Team. Chesler holds a U.S. Soccer "A" Coaching License and has been a U.S. Soccer National Staff Instructor since 1996, helping run courses at the National Coaching Schools for A, B and C licenses. From 1997-2004, he was the head men's soccer coach at Fresno State University. and was an assistant men's soccer coach at the University of Washington from 1991-1997. For 17 years, from 1981-1998, he coached in the Region IV Olympic Development Program.

Tony DiCicco
DiCicco is the former U.S. Women's National Team head coach who led the team to their historic 1999 FIFA World Cup championship. He guided the U.S. women from 1994 through 1999, collecting a 1996 Olympic gold medal in that run as well. He is the all-time wins leader and most successful coach in U.S. National Team history, with an overall record of 103-8-8. DiCicco served in a variety of positions such as COO, Commissioner and Re-launch Chairman for WUSA from 2000-2004, and since 2009 has served as the head coach for the Boston Breakers of the WPS. In 2008, he coached the US Women's U20 squad to the FIFA U20 World Cup Championship in Chile. DiCicco has also worked for as a soccer match and studio analyst for ESPN's women's soccer coverage since 2000, and has also served in that aspect for NBC during the Olympics.

Marco Garcés
Garces is the current Director of Performance Analysis for Pachuca Club de Fútbol. His successful career as a midfielder saw him playing not only with the Mexican National Team, but also stints at Cruz Azul (1991-1997, 2003-2005), UAG Tecos (1998), Guadalajara (1998-1999) and Pachuca (1999-2003). During his playing days, his teams won four league championships, two CONCACAF championships and one Copa México title. In his current role with Pachuca, he is responsible for providing information about the performance of the first team and its opponent, as well as the performances of the team's U-20 and U-17 squad, along with important recruitment information.

Craig Harrington
A former youth player at Swindon Town and Oxford United, Craig Harrington is in his first year with the Galaxy Academy after being hired in January 2011 as an Academy Coach and Administrator. In this role, Harrington will assist Galaxy Academy Senior Director Chris Klein in the development and growth of all of the Galaxy Academy programs. Prior to joining the Galaxy, Harrington spent the previous six years helping to develop some of the top young players in Southern California as the Director of Coaching at the Newport Mesa Soccer Club and the Technical Director at the Tustin Premier Soccer Club. Additionally, Harrington spent the past two years as an assistant coach with the Santiago Community College men's soccer team. A graduate of the University of Kent in England where he played three years for the school's soccer team, Harrington holds a USSF "A" coaching license.

Steve Hoffman
Cal South's Director of Coaching Education, ODP and Player Development, Steve Hoffman is a National Staff Coach and a US Youth Soccer staff coach, where he coaches in the Region IV Olympic Development Program each summer. He is the head coach of the Ventura College women's soccer program, where he has led them to Western State Conference Championship titles 13 times in the last 15 years. Coach Hoffman currently possesses a USSF 'A' license and a USSF National Youth Coaching License. Hoffman is a member of the NSCAA and USSF Coaches Association of America.

Les Howie
Howie is the Head of Grassroots Coaching for the Football Association (FA). He started coaching at the age of 16, is a UEFA licensed coach and coaching educator, and joined the FA in 1998. During his time with the FA, Howie has led the introduction of Mini Soccer, Charter Standard program and developed the FA Level 1 Coaching Course. He has produced four coaching DVDs and published two books. As head of the FA's Grassroots Coaching, he manages over 130 coaching staff members, including the award-winning FA Tesco Skills Program. He is also a qualified Referee and refereed at the 1992 Paralympics, and has recently been appointed head referee for the 2012 Paralympics. As a tutor/speaker, he has delivered for UEFA, OFC, AFC, CONCACAF and Rwandan FA.

Tony McCallum
McCallum is the Regional Coach Development Manager for the Football Association (FA), and has worked in coaching education and development for the FA for over fifteen years. His work involves supporting coaches at all levels of the game from grassroots to elite player development opportunities with professional clubs in England.

Klaus Pabst
Pabst is the U8-U15 director of coaching for FC Cologne, as well as the U16-U19 assistant coaching director. He is also the owner and director of coaching of the "taxofit" First Junior Soccer School and director of coaching and vice-president of the Soccer Boarding School in Cologne, Germany. Author of the innovative book, 'Coordination: A New Approach to Soccer Coaching' and of numerous articles for the German Football Federation magazine, "Fussball Training" and their affiliated U.S. based magazine, "Success in Soccer." He is a professor with the German Sports University Cologne in the Science of Sports Games (Soccer). Former FC Cologne Youth Coach, 1993-1998.

James Parry
A VIP clinician at the last two Soccer Nation Expos, Parry was recently installed as the Cal South ODP Boys 1999 head coach for 2012. Prior to arriving in Southern California, James was a full-time U16 and U18 Coach with the Liverpool Football Club Academy. In his last season with the "Reds," James helped guide the club's U18 team to the final of the prestigious FA Youth Cup. Six members of this squad have since progressed to play professional EPL soccer. James' journey with Liverpool Football Club began as a player where he represented the club from U14 to U16 level. He is also currently employed by Fulham FC as a Talent Identification/Recruitment Scout in North America.

Rick Parry
Instrumental in the formation of the English F.A. Premier League in 1992, Parry served as the league's first chief executive. He helped oversee the development of the league into one of the major soccer organizations in the world, and was involved in the creation of the Premier League academy system. In 1998, he began his twelve-year tenure with the Liverpool Football Club, serving as chief executive of the club for nine of those years. In that span, he not only saw the club complete their UEFA, F.A. Cup and League Cup treble in 2001, but also their UEFA Champions League "Miracle in Istanbul" win in 2005, which gave them an English-best fifth European Cup title. Parry is currently a member of the board of the New York Cosmos club.

Ralph Perez
The men's soccer head coach at the University of the Redlands since 2006, Perez guided them to an NCAA Elite 8 finish in 2007. He began working as a U.S. National Staff Coach in 1978, helped the U.S. qualify for the World Cup in 1990, and led the U-20 World Cup team to a fourth-place finish in 1989. From 1996-2003, he worked as an assistant coach for the LA Galaxy and the MetroStars. Perez has coached at Santa Clara, Cal State Fullerton, and Old Dominion, whom he led to the CAA Championship in 1991 and won South Atlantic Region Coach of the Year honors. He was named Far West Coach of the Year in 1983 at Santa Clara. Perez is a US Soccer National Staff and ODP coach.

Sam Snow
Snow was named as Director of Coaching for US Youth Soccer in 2004, after joining the organization as the Assistant Director of Coaching Education in 2003. Prior to joining the US Youth Soccer Technical Department, Snow held positions as a U.S. Soccer National Staff Instructor and as a Director of Coaching for Louisiana Soccer Association. He has also coached at the high school (Norfolk Catholic High School), collegiate (Florida Southern College, University of South Florida, Virginia Wesleyan College), state (Florida Youth Soccer Association) and regional (US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program Region III) levels. In 1977, Snow received his bachelor's degree from Virginia Wesleyan College and his Master of Arts - Physical Education from the University of South Florida in 1979. Snow holds a USSF "A" License and National Youth License, a Premier Diploma and National Goalkeeping Coaching License.

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Keep checking back on this page for even more great names to be added to our 2012 Soccer Nation Expo roster of clinicians!

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