Introduction
Jovan Kirovski (Macedonian: Јован Кировски) (born March 18, 1976 in Escondido, California) is a former American soccer player who is currently the Technical Director for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.
Club career
Kirovski, the son of Macedonian immigrants, joined Manchester United's youth team in 1992, becoming the first American to sign with the club. He led the reserve team in scoring in 1996, but was not able to break into the first team because of work permit regulations. After that season, he signed with Borussia Dortmund in the German Bundesliga. Kirovski spent the next four seasons in Germany. He played in Dortmund's 1996–97 UEFA Champions League campaign, becoming the first (and currently only) American to win the competition. He earned significant playing time during the 1998–99 season, when Borussia loaned him out to second division club Fortuna Köln.
In 2000, Kirovski signed with Portuguese club Sporting CP After a season there, he went back to England, signing with Football League First Division club Crystal Palace. In 2002, Kirovski signed with Birmingham City, but after one and a half seasons, he signed with the Los Angeles Galaxy.
In his first season in MLS, Kirovski scored eight goals. In 2005, the Galaxy traded him to the Colorado Rapids for a first round pick in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. After spending the 2008 season with the San Jose Earthquakes, he rejoined the Galaxy in a November 2008 trade. Kirovski enjoyed a successful stint with the Galaxy, winning an MLS Cup in 2011 with the club. On January 23, 2012, Kirovski retired from soccer but remained on the coaching staff for the LA Galaxy as an assistant coach. A member of Bruce Arena's coaching staff, Kirovski helped the team repeat as MLS Cup champions in 2012.
Kirovski was appointed by the LA Galaxy as the club's Technical Director on January 10, 2013. As Technical Director, Kirovski was instrumental in the creation of the club's USL affiliate LA Galaxy IIwhich was established in January 2014. Kirovski served as the point man in the Galaxy's pursuit and eventual signing of Mexican forward Giovani dos Santos in August 2015. He also aided the Galaxy in their signing of Jelle Van Damme a year later
International career
Kirovski made his debut for the United States national team at the age of 18 on October 19, 1994, against Saudi Arabia, and played at the 1996 Olympics and the 1999 and 2003 editions of the FIFA Confederations Cup. Kirovski earned 62 caps in total with the US.
International goals
| Goal | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | November 22, 1994 | National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica |  Jamaica |
0–1 | 0–3 | Friendly |
| 2 | December 11, 1994 | Titan Stadium, Fullerton, United States |  Honduras |
1–1 | 1–1 | Friendly |
| 3 | January 21, 1996 | Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, Los Angeles, United States |  Guatemala |
3–0 | 3–0 | 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 4 | June 17, 1997 | Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, United States |  Israel |
2–0 | 2–1 | Friendly |
| 5 | February 6, 1999 | Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville, United States |  Germany |
1–0 | 3–0 | Friendly |
| 6 | July 24, 1999 | Estadio Jalisco, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico |  New Zealand |
0–2 | 1–2 | 1999 FIFA Confederations Cup |
| 7 | February 12, 2000 | Orange Bowl, Miami, United States |  Haiti |
1–0 | 3–0 | 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 8 | March 29, 2003 | Seattle Seahawks Stadium, Seattle, United States |  Venezuela |
1–0 | 2–0 | Friendly |
| 9 | June 8, 2003 | University of Richmond Stadium, Richmond, United States | New Zealand |
2–1 | 2–1 | Friendly |
Coaching career
Kirovski joined Los Angeles Galaxy as assistant coach immediately upon his retirement in January 2012. In January 2013, the Galaxy appointed him as the club's technical director.
Honors
Club
- UEFA Champions League: 1996–97
- Intercontinental Cup: 1997
- MLS Cup (2): 2005, 2011
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2005
- Western Conference: 2005, 2009, 2010, 2011