Diego Kochen
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | March 19, 2006 | ||
| Place of birth | Miami, Florida, United States[1] | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)[1] | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Barcelona | ||
| Number | 31 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Weston | |||
| West Pines United | |||
| 2016–2019 | Marcet Football Academy | ||
| 2018–2019 | TecnoFutbol CF | ||
| 2019– | Barcelona | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2024– | Barcelona B | 1 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2022– | United States U17 | 5 | (0) |
| 2024– | United States U19 | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 05:27, April 15, 2024 (UTC) | |||
Diego Kochen (born March 19, 2006) is an American professional football player who plays as a goalkeeper for Barcelona Atlètic.
Club career[edit]
Born in Miami, Florida, to a Peruvian mother and Venezuelan father, Kochen started his career with the academy of Weston, initially starting his career as an outfield player, before switching to goalkeeper at the age of eight to cover for an ill teammate.[2][3] He also played for West Pines United in Florida and, after his parents moved to Spain in 2018 for work-related reasons, he played for the Marcet Football University as well as TecnoFutbol CF.[2][3]
Having progressed through Barcelona's La Masia academy, he signed his first professional contract with the club in March 2022.[4] On October 11, 2023, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.[5] Kochen was included in the senior squad for a friendly against Club América on 22 December 2023[6]. He substituted Ander Astralaga after an hour and played 30 minutes.[7]
On 2 February 2024, FC Barcelona reached an agreement with Kochen for a new contract, which will be signed on the 18th birthday of the American goalkeeper. He officially signed a new agreement on 19 March 2024 with FC Barcelona until June 2028. The club also agreed on an official inclusion of the Barça Atlètic roster for the remainder of the 2023-2024 season, where he will debut with the number 24.[8] He made his Barcelona B debut on 14 April 2024 against Unionistas CF, which ended in a 4-1 loss.
International career[edit]
Kochen has represented the United States at youth international level.[1] He remains eligible to represent Peru or Venezuela.[9][10] In January 2022, Diego received his first US YNT call-up for a training camp at IMG in Brandenton.[11] On 15 March 2022 Kochen debuted for the United States U17 Kochen made five appearances for the U17 team and captained the squad on one occasion. He then made his debut for the United States U19 on 24 March 2024 against England U19, which resulted in a 3-2 win for the United States.
Career statistics[edit]
Club[edit]
- As of match played on April 14, 2024[12]
| Club | Season | League | Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Barcelona B | 2023–24 | Primera Federación | 1 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | |
References[edit]
- ^ a b c Diego Kochen at WorldFootball.net
- ^ a b Bona, German (April 19, 2022). "Who is Diego Kochen, the USMNT goalkeeper training with Barça B?". sport.es. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ a b "Diego Kochen: 'The best of my life'". marcetfootball.com. January 14, 2021. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Joan Laporta paga más que nadie por el nuevo Courtois y el Barça anuncia que el acuerdo está cerrado" [Joan Laporta pays more than anyone for the new Courtois and Barça announces that the deal is closed]. elnacional.cat (in Spanish). March 2, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ Christenson, Marcus; Bloor, Steven; Blight, Garry (October 11, 2023). "Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football". theguardian.com. Retrieved October 11, 2023.
- ^ "The squad for Dallas". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Five more debuts in the Dallas friendly". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Diego Kochen staying at FC Barcelona until 2028". www.fcbarcelona.com. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ "Arquero del FC Barcelona de raíces peruanas fue convocado por Estados Unidos" [FC Barcelona goalkeeper with Peruvian roots was summoned by the United States]. larepublica.pe (in Spanish). January 15, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Diego Kochen, el joven portero con ascendencia venezolana que se forma con el FC Barcelona" [Diego Kochen, the young goalkeeper with Venezuelan descent who trained with FC Barcelona]. El Nacional (in Spanish). March 1, 2022. Retrieved October 24, 2022.
- ^ "Congratulations Tyler Hall & Diego Kochen! U17 USYNT Call-Up". Weston FC. Retrieved May 18, 2024.
- ^ Diego Kochen at Soccerway
External links[edit]
- Diego Kochen at Soccerway
- 2006 births
- Living people
- Soccer players from Miami
- American sportspeople of Peruvian descent
- American sportspeople of Venezuelan descent
- American men's soccer players
- United States men's youth international soccer players
- Men's association football goalkeepers
- Weston FC players
- FC Barcelona players
- American expatriate men's soccer players
- American expatriate sportspeople in Spain
- Expatriate men's footballers in Spain