| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Aleksey Korol | ||
| Date of birth | October 14, 1977 | ||
| Place of birth | Kiev, Ukraine | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Forward | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Dynamo Kiev | |||
| 1996-1999 | Indiana University | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 1997 | Kalamazoo Kingdom | ||
| 2000-2001 | Dallas Burn | 39 | (7) |
| 2002 | Chicago Fire | 1 | (0) |
| 2002 | Rochester Raging Rhinos | 2 | (0) |
| 2002 | Indiana Blast | 1 | (0) |
| 2003-2004 | Pittsburgh Riverhounds | 23 | (4) |
| 2003-2004 | Kansas City Comets | 9 | (0) |
| 2004 | Charleston Battery | 12 | (0) |
| 2004 | Harrisburg City Islanders | ||
| 2007 | Rockford Thunder (indoor) | ||
| Teams managed | |||
| 2006-2008 | University of Illinois at Chicago (assistant) | ||
| 2009- | Indiana University (assistant) | ||
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Aleksey Korol is a Ukrainian soccer forward and coach who has spent most of his career in the United States.
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Korol played both hockey and soccer growing up in Ukraine. However, he signed with Dynamo Kiev as a youth player. His family sent him to the United States when he was 14 where he settled in Livonia, New York. While playing for Livonia Central High School Korol scored 132 goals, the all-time record for a player in Section V (greater Rochester area) of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association. Ironically Korol's record was later tied by Jordan Chirico of Livonia Central High. Korol lived with the Chirico family in Livonia.
In 1996, he enrolled at Indiana University. While at Indiana, he spent four seasons on the men's soccer team. He scored 57 goals and assisted on 35 during his career with the Hoosiers. In 1998 and 1999, he was part of the Indiana teams which took the NCAA championship titles. Both years he led the tournament in scoring (6 goals in 1998 and 4 in 1999). In 1999, Korol as selected as a first team All American and the SoccerAmerica Player of the Year.[1] While with Indiana, Korol spent the 1997 collegiate off season with the Kalamazoo Kingdom of the USL Premier Development League.
The Dallas Burn of Major League Soccer selected Korol with the fifth pick in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. In his first year with the Burn, he scored five goals and assisted on three others. While with Dallas, he appeared in one game with the Atlanta Silverbacks.
On January 15, 2002, the Chicago Fire acquired Korol and Miguel Saavedra from the Burn for the Fire’s 2002 sixth round draft pick. However injuries to his left knee which resulted in bursitis led to his playing in only one game. When the Fire waived him, Korol signed with the Rochester Raging Rhinos on July 26, 2002. He appeared in two games with them before moving to the Indiana Blast for one game. In 2003, he moved to the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of USL-2. On September 19, 2003, the Kansas City Comets of Major Indoor Soccer League signed Korol to a one year contract, with an option for one for one more.[2] Korol played in nine games for the Comets as he was again hampered with injuries. The Comets waived him on January 27, 2004. On February 12, 2004, Korol signed with the Charleston Battery of USL-1.[3] In June, the Battery released Korol and he signed with the Harrisburg City Islanders of USL-2 on July 12, 2004 in time for the playoffs.[4]
The Rockford Thunder of the American Indoor Soccer League signed Korol in January 2007 and he spent the 2006-2007 AISL season with the Thunder.
In April 2006, Korol became an assistant coach at University of Illinois at Chicago.[5] Korol has also coached youth soccer with Chicago Lakefront SC.
In February 2009, Korol was named an assistant coach at his alma mater.[6] His hiring came lass than two months after former assistant coach Todd Yeagley left Indiana University to take over head coaching duties at University of Wisconsin.