Manuel Rojas (footballer)
Manuel Antonio "Manny" Rojas Zúñiga is a retired football midfielder from Chile who played for its football team|national team] at the 1982 [FIFA World Cup] in Spain. Afterwards, he spent two seasons in the American Soccer League (1968–84)|North American Soccer League], four in the Major Indoor Soccer League, three in the American Indoor Soccer Association and one in the American Soccer League.
Playing
Rojas began his professional club with Chilean First Division club Palestino. He then moved to Mexican Club América for the 1975 season. At some point, he signed with Universidad Católica of Chile and was on their roster for the 1981–82 season.In 1983, he moved to the United States where he signed with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League. He scored eight goals in twenty-nine games that season to lead the team in scoring. On 23 March 1984, the Rowdies released Rojas and he signed a few days later with the Golden Bay Earthquakes. However, on 10 July 1984, the Earthquakes sent Rojas and Hayden Knight to the Chicago Sting in exchange for Ricardo Alonso and Charlie Fajkus. Rojas found himself with a team on the rise as the Sting won the 1984 NASL championship. While he scored only one goal during the regular season, he added two more in the post-season, including one in a 2–1 victory over the Toronto Blizzard in the first game of the championship series.
When the NASL folded at the end of the 1984 NASL season, the Sting moved to the Major Indoor Soccer League. Rojas remained with the Sting until it folded at the end of the 1987–1988 MISL season. That summer, he rejoined the Rowdies, who were then playing in the American Soccer League then signed with the expansion Chicago Power of the American Indoor Soccer Association. Rojas remained with the Power through the 1990–91 season, scoring seven goals in twenty-one games as the Power won the AISA championship.