Chris Roner (born March 4, 1980), who goes by his middle name Thor, is a former American soccer player. He played for the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. His brother, Erik Roner was a professional skier and base jumper who starred in the Nitro Circus series on MTV.[1]

Chris Roner
Personal information
Date of birth (1980-03-04) March 4, 1980 (age 44)
Place of birth San Francisco, California, United States
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Youth career
1998–2001 California Golden Bears
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2004 San Jose Earthquakes 27 (2)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals
Thor scoring the tying goal in the Western Conference semifinals

Thor Roner (pronounced "Ron-ear") played four years of college soccer at University of California, Berkeley where he was Team Captain, First Team Pac-10 and MVP his final three years.[2] He was selected 33rd overall by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft.[3] As a rookie, Thor saw limited playing time. The following year, in 2003, he was instrumental in helping the Quakes win the MLS Cup. In the Western Conference semifinals against the Los Angeles Galaxy, Roner scored the tying goal in the 90th minute, capping the “greatest comeback game” in MLS history.[4]

At MLS Cup 2003, Roner was substituted early in the second half and scored the first own goal in MLS Cup history. Minutes later, he conceded the first penalty kick in MLS Cup history, but San Jose won the match 4–2 and clinched the championship.[5]

After the 2003 championship, Roner underwent a routine arthroscopic surgery on his right ankle, but the cartilage damage was so severe that it ended his soccer career early.[6] He attempted to revive his career in 2005, being called into the San Jose pre-season camp, but was unable to play through the pain. After retiring, Roner worked at an advertising firm in San Francisco.[7]

References edit

  1. ^ "IMDb profile". IMDb. Archived from the original on 2016-03-16. Retrieved 2018-06-29.
  2. ^ Cal Official Athletic Site Archived March 21, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ “Chris Roner signs with San Jose Earthquakes” [permanent dead link]
  4. ^ "San Jose Earthquakes History". Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved 2010-04-27.
  5. ^ Goff, Steven (November 24, 2003). "Donovan Fills Up San Jose's Cup". The Washington Post. p. D4. Retrieved November 15, 2018.
  6. ^ BigSoccer.com
  7. ^ Freedman, Jonah (February 13, 2012). "What Ever Happened To ... Chris Roner". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved November 16, 2018.