Diego Serna

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Diego Alonso Serna Lopera, better known as Diego Serna (born October 2[1] (or November 3[2]), 1973 in Medellín, Colombia) is a soccer striker, the all-time leading scorer for the now-defunct Miami Fusion of Major League Soccer.

Serna began his career in his native Colombia with Deportiva Tulua and Independiente Medellín, before moving to MLS with the expansion Fusion in 1998. He became the one constant in Miami's lineup for the four years of the team's existence, leading them in goals in points his first three seasons with the club. Overall, he ended up with team records of 100 games, 52 goals, 36 assists, and 140 points in the regular season, and added a goal and an assist in six playoff games. In 2001, he was named to the MLS Best XI.

The Fusion was contracted before the 2002 MLS season, so Serna was picked 4th overall in the 2002 MLS Allocation Draft by the MetroStars, who traded Mark Chung to obtain that pick. Diego only played eight games for the Metros, scoring one goal, spending more time on unannounced sojourns to Colombia than on the practice field. He was traded to the New England Revolution in a six-player deal midway through the season, the other principal of which was Mamadou Diallo. Serna only scored one goal for the Revs in five games before his season was ended by an injury. He went back to Colombia to Atlético Nacional and Independiente Medellín, before returning to MLS in the middle of the 2003 season for a stint with the Los Angeles Galaxy, scoring three goals in ten games.

After spending some time playing in his native Colombia with Once Caldas and Deportes Quindio, Serna returned to MLS with the Colorado Rapids in August 2005. He was released in November after playing only two matches for the Denver based club. He then played for Macará before joining Fast on June 14, 2007.[3][1]

Although Serna was an excellent goal-scorer in MLS, he has frequently made himself unwelcome with persistent diving and other unsportsmanlike and selfish behavior.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b (Portuguese) Player profile at the Brazilian FA database
  2. ^ Major League Soccer: Roster: Player Bio
  3. ^ (Portuguese) Fast regulariza meia colombiano - Futebol do Norte (retrieved on October 10, 2007)