Chris Torres

Director of Goalkeeping

Chris grew up playing soccer in Northern Virginia and currently plays professionally in Sweden for six months per year. Previously, he played professionally for the DMV FC Evergreen Diplomats (Bowie, MD), formerly of the American Soccer League. He's in the process of obtaining his USSF "D" license.

Since joining Total Futbol in 2012, his work includes both goalkeeper and team training. In addition to serving as an Assistant Coach with our high-school aged teams, he leads our goalkeeping training program. Chris oversees the entire program while focusing his training primarily on the older keepers. Our teams boast numerous strong keepers and he is crucial to their development and growth.

Chris had a brief stint with Club Bolivar of the Bolivan Professional League after college. Prior to this, he starred at Duquesne University, a Division 1 program in Pittsburgh. He was a 4-year starter for the Dukes and finished his career ranked 3rd in Shutouts, Goals Against Average, and Minutes Played and 4th in Saves and Save Percentage in Duquesne Men’s Soccer history. Chris was also in charge of the goalkeeper training for three years of Duquesne soccer camps.

He had an illustrious youth soccer career in the area. He was the goalkeeper of a champion NCSL Division 1 club team where he played for TF Assistant Director Todd Hamlin. His quality was also recognized at the high school level where he was team captain for 2 years, named Liberty District Player of the Year, 2nd team All-State, and All-Met Honorable Mention by the Washington Post during his senior year.

Q&A with Chris Torres - April 2016

What team do you play for professionally in Sweden?

Robertsfors IK, Division 3

How many months of the year do you spend there?

Six months per year, April to October

Did you have to learn the language to play soccer there? Do you like living there?

Fortunately, they all speak English. I do, however, have ambitions of learning Swedish. Living in Sweden is great. The climate is beautiful and the sun is up from 20-24 hours a day depending on the month. The culture is very warm, open and relaxed.

What motivates you to play professionally?

The first thought that went through my head upon first kicking a ball at the age of 6 was "I'm going to do this for as long as I possibly can."

What kind of physical and mental commitment is required of professional players?

The physical commitment is great of course -- doing everything you can to not only be the best player you can be, but to stay healthy as well. Mentally you need to be emotionally attached to the game and your teammates. The only way to push yourself to continue to improve, and to find success, is to be emotionally invested in your craft.

What’s the main difference between soccer in the U.S. and in Sweden?

Athletically the players in the US have the edge on most countries, but in Sweden I'd say they have an advantage when it comes to understanding of the game.

What do you enjoy about coaching versus playing?

Coaching taught me how to really enjoy the game. To relax at times, sit back and enjoy the atmosphere. As a player, prior to getting into coaching, it was serious. It still is, but I feel that since I began coaching and relating to younger players who want to excel and still have fun, I've learned to smile a bit more while on the field.