Juan José Chang

Juan José Chang

Personal information
Full name	Juan José Chang Urrea
Date of birth	(1987-11-17) 17 November 1987 (age 37)
Place of birth	Heidelberg, Germany
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Forward
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2006–2010	Oral Roberts University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2009	Cascade Surge
2010	Rochester Thunder
2011–2012	Antigua
2012	→ Aurora (loan)
2013	Aurora
2015	Western Suburbs
2015–2020	Canterbury United	49	(5)
2020–2021	Coastal Spirit
Managerial career
2019–	St Albans Shirley (Director of Football)
2019	Coastal Spirit (women)
2020-2023	Coastal Spirit SAS (women)
2023–	Samoa U20 (women)
2023–	Samoa U17 (women)
2023–	Samoa (women)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Juan José Chang Urrea (born 17 November 1987) is a football manager who manages the Samoa women's national football team. Born in Germany, he was a Guatemala youth international.

Life and career

Chang was born on 17 November 1987 in Heidelberg, Germany. He was born to a Salvadoran father of Croatian descent and a Guatemalan mother of Chinese descent.[1] He has four siblings. He has been a Christian. He attended Oral Roberts University in the United States. He played for their soccer team. In 2009, he signed for American side Cascade Surge. In 2010, he signed for American side Rochester Thunder. In 2011, he signed for Guatemalan side Antigua. He helped the club achieve promotion.[2] In 2012, he signed for Guatemalan side Aurora.

In 2015, he signed for New Zealand side Western Suburbs. He was described as "seen as the 'odd one out'" upon arrival to New Zealand.[3] After that, he signed for New Zealand side Canterbury United. In 2020, he signed for New Zealand side Coastal Spirit. In 2019, he was appointed manager of New Zealand women's side Coastal Spirit. He coached the women's team win the local league and cup multiple times, as well as the South Island Championship once.[4][5][6]

In 2023, he was appointed manager of the Samoa women's national football team. He helped the Samoa women's national under-17 football team achieve qualification for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[7] And he helped the Samoa women's national under-20 football team at the 2023 OFC U-19 Women's Championship to a third place finish.

Honours

Managerial

Coastal Spirit[6]

• Mainland Women's Premier League: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022
• Reta Fitzpatrick Cup: 2020, 2021, 2022
• Hawkey Shields: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023
• Women's McFarlane Cups: 2019, 2020, 2021, 2023
• South Island Championship: 2022
• South Island Qualifying League (North): 2023
• Kate Sheppard Cup: 2019 Runners-up

Individual

• IFFHS World's Best Club Coach OFC: 2021[8]

References

1. "Football coach switched men's locker rooms for women's and reached new heights". thepress.co.nz.
2. "Chang arranca la pretemporada". dca.gob.bt.
3. "Juan José Chang y cómo triunfa un guatemalteco en el fútbol femenino de Nueva Zelanda". espn.com.
4. "Juan José Chang, el DT guatemalteco que brilla en Nueva Zelanda". as.com.
5. "Women's Football Coastal Spirit Women's Legacy". Coastal Spirit. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
6. "Coastal Spirit confirm loss of title-winning women's coach Juan Chang". friendsoffootballnz.com. Retrieved 5 November 2024.
7. "Juan José Chang, el primer técnico guatemalteco en clasificar a un Mundial de fútbol de la FIFA". marprensatv.com.
8. "IFFHS WOMEN'S CONTINENTAL AWARDS 2021 - OFC". IFFHS. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.