{{Short description|American soccer player}} {{Use American English|date=May 2022}} {{Use mdy dates|date=May 2022}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jerry Laterza | fullname = Gerardo Laterza | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1974|7|1|mf=y}} | birth_place = Los Angeles, California, United States | height = {{height|ft=6|in=0}} | position = Midfielder | youthyears1 = 1992 | youthclubs1 = SMU Mustangs | years1 = 1993 | clubs1 = Veracruz | years2 = 1993 | clubs2 = Los Angeles Salsa | caps2 = 4 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 1994–1995 | clubs3 = Cerro Porteño | years4 = 1997 | clubs4 = Orange County Zodiac | years5 = 1997 | clubs5 = LA Galaxy | caps5 = 4 | goals5 = 0 | years6 = 1997 | clubs6 = → Carolina Dynamo (loan) | caps6 = 1 | goals6 = 0 | years7 = 1998 | clubs7 = Seattle Sounders | caps7 = 2 | goals7 = 0 | years8 = 1998 | clubs8 = Qianwei Huandao | years9 = 1999 | clubs9 = Shenyang Haishi | years10 = 1999 | clubs10 = Kitchee | years11 = 1999 | clubs11 = → South China (loan) | years12 = 1999–2000 | clubs12 = South China | years13 = 2002 | clubs13 = Guangzhou Xiangxue | years14 = 2003 | clubs14 = Ningbo Yaoma | years15 = 2003–2004 | clubs15 = Buler Rangers }}
'''Gerardo "Jerry" Laterza''' (born July 1, 1974) is an American former soccer player. He is the technical director of Newport Mesa Soccer Club.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newportmesasoccer.com/page/show/980930-coaches |title=Coaches {{!}} Newport Mesa Soccer Club |website=www.newportmesasoccer.com |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140126011501/http://www.newportmesasoccer.com/page/show/980930-coaches |archive-date=2014-01-26}}</ref> He was the first Paraguayan American to play football in Paraguay.
==Career== Laterza graduated from Walnut High School where he was the 1990 and 1992 California Interscholastic Federation 1-A Player of the Year.<ref>[http://socalfit4u.com/socalfit4u/id447.html CIF Soccer Awards]</ref> Laterza attended Southern Methodist University, playing on the men's soccer team in 1992.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/smu/sports/m-soccer/auto_pdf/smu-m-soccer-history.pdf |title=SMU Letterwinners |access-date=August 20, 2011 |archive-date=March 4, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304085956/http://grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/smu/sports/m-soccer/auto_pdf/smu-m-soccer-history.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> On April 3, 1993, Laterza signed with the Los Angeles Salsa of the American Professional Soccer League.<ref>[https://www.nytimes.com/1993/04/03/sports/transactions-948893.html?pagewanted=2 April 3, 1993 Transactions]</ref><ref>[http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1993/stats93.htm 1993 Los Angeles Salsa]</ref> In 1997, Laterza began the season with the Orange County Zodiac. In July 1997, the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer signed Laterza.<ref>[https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-jul-03-sp-9151-story.html Vasquez, Laterza of the Zodiac to Sign Contracts With Galaxy]</ref> He played four games for the Galaxy in 1997, plus one game on loan to the Carolina Dynamo.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.carolinadynamo.com/06_Alltime_player_stats.doc |title=All Time Carolina Dynamo Player Stats |access-date=2014-01-07 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120710175602/http://www.carolinadynamo.com/06_Alltime_player_stats.doc |archive-date=2012-07-10 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The Galaxy released him on April 1, 1998, during a pre-season roster reduction. On April 10, 1998, Laterza signed with the Seattle Sounders of the USL A-League.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120707014553/http://articles.courant.com/1998-04-15/features/9804150241_1_disabled-usa-hockey-equipment-manager April 15, 1998 Transactions]</ref> He played two games, then was released on April 22.<ref>[http://seattlepitch.tripod.com/matches/98/98stats.html 1998 Seattle Sounders stats]</ref> He then played for several clubs, including South China AA, and various teams in Hong Kong, China<ref>{{cite web|publisher=Der Spiegel|title=Im Reich der Mittel|author=Von Lorenz, Andreas|url=http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/print/d-27286904.html|language=German|date=2 June 2003}}</ref> and Paraguay. While in Hong Kong, he was selected to play for Hong Kong League XI, featuring in one of the matches against Paraguay.
==References== {{reflist}}
==External links== * {{MLS player|gerardo-laterza}} * [https://web.archive.org/web/20111003213716/http://www.legendsfc.net/Club/DOCs/227010.html Legends FC: Jerry Laterzo] * [http://www.newportmesasoccer.com/page/show/980930-coaches Newport Mesa Profile] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170815054435/http://www.newportmesasoccer.com/page/show/980930-coaches |date=August 15, 2017 }}
{{1999–2000 Hong Kong Top Footballer}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laterza, Jerry}} Category:1974 births Category:Living people Category:American men's soccer players Category:American expatriate men's soccer players Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Hong Kong Category:American expatriate sportspeople in China Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Paraguay Category:American Professional Soccer League players Category:North Carolina Fusion U23 players Category:Hong Kong First Division League players Category:Kitchee SC players Category:LA Galaxy players Category:Los Angeles Salsa players Category:Major League Soccer players Category:Orange County Blue Star players Category:Seattle Sounders (1994–2008) players Category:SMU Mustangs men's soccer players Category:South China AA players Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Hong Kong Category:Expatriate men's footballers in China Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Mexico Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Paraguay Category:American people of Paraguayan descent Category:Sportspeople of Paraguayan descent Category:C.D. Veracruz footballers Category:Cerro Porteño players Category:A-League (1995–2004) players Category:Soccer players from Los Angeles Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Hong Kong League XI representative players Category:20th-century American sportsmen