Juan José Chang

Juan José Chang
Personal information
Full name Juan José Chang Urrea
Date of birth (1987-11-17) 17 November 1987
Place of birth Heidelberg, Germany
Height 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position 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)
Managerial career
2019 – 2023 St Albans Shirley (Director of Football)
2019 - 2023 Coastal Spirit (women)
2023 – 2024 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, and in 2024 he became the first ever head coach to lead Samoa — men or women — to a FIFA World Cup.

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 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] During his tenure, he was named Mainland Football Coach of the Year four consecutive times — a record in the region. He was also recognized internationally, winning the IFFHS World's Best Club Coach OFC award in 2021.

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 and the 2026 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.[7] He also guided the Samoa women's national under-20 football team to a bronze medal at the 2023 OFC U-19 Women's Championship. Lastly, he helped the Samoa women's senior national team secure their first-ever medal at the Women's Nations Cup in 2025.

Honours

Managerial

Coastal Spirit[6]

Individual

References

  1. ^ Gibbs, Tatiana (16 October 2024). "Football coach switched men's locker rooms for women's and reached new heights". The Press.
  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. ^ a b "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. ^ "ANNUAL REPORT 2019". Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  9. ^ "ANNUAL REPORT 2020". Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  10. ^ "ANNUAL REPORT 2021". Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  11. ^ "ANNUAL REPORT 2022". Retrieved 14 March 2025.
  12. ^ "IFFHS WOMEN'S CONTINENTAL AWARDS 2021 - OFC". IFFHS. 20 December 2021. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 20 December 2021.
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