Fabrice Noël

Fabrice Noël

Personal information
Full name	Fabrice Noël
Date of birth	July 21, 1985 (1985-07-21) (age 24)
Place of birth	Gressier, Haiti
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Puerto Rico Islanders
Number	13
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2001–2002	Racing Club Haïtien
2005–2006	Colorado Rapids	16	(6)
2007–	Puerto Rico Islanders	55	(11)
National team‡
2006–	Haiti	10	(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 20 October 2009. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 16 February 2008

Fabrice Noël (born July 21, 1985 in Gressier) is a Haitian soccer player who currently plays for Puerto Rico Islanders in the USL First Division.

Career

Early life and career in Haiti

Noël grew up poor in the village of Gressier, 12 miles west of Port-au-Prince. He began playing soccer at a very young age, taught by his mother and brothers. By the time he was 12 years old he was playing for the national team for 15 year olds, and at the age of 16 he was one of the star players of Racing Club Haïtien, one of the country's most successful club teams.

However, his skills and success ultimately brought tragedy. In November 2002, while Noël was in South Carolina taking part in an international tournament, he received a phone call from his mother, telling him that his two older brothers Luckner and Kenson had been shot to death. Their murders are thought to have been carried out by supporters of a rival club that he had refused to join. Noël was granted political asylum in the United States, but his parents and youngest brother were forced to go into hiding.

After the ordeal, in late 2002, he went to live with a former coach in Palm Beach, Florida, and enrolled in Palm Beach Lakes High School. He joined the soccer team and quickly became the star, scoring 58 goals his senior season.

Professional

Noël received many offers from colleges, but turned them all down, instead choosing to turn professional in order to raise the money to bring his family to the United States. While playing in a local tournament in February 2005, he caught the eye of Colorado Rapids head coach Fernando Clavijo, who offered him a contract after he graduated high school. On June 24, 2005, Noël signed with the Rapids; he made his debut less than a month later on July 20, against the San Jose Earthquakes, and scored his first goal in the season finale against Real Salt Lake.

During the 2007 MLS pre-season, the Rapids waived Noël, who subsequently signed with the Puerto Rico Islanders in the USL First Division. Noël scored the only goal in the two-legged 3rd place match in the CFU Club Championship 2007, enabling the Islanders to advance to the CONCACAF Champions League 2008–09.

International

Noël made his debut for the Haiti national football team in an August 2006 friendly match against Guatemala. He was a Haiti squad member at the 2007 & 2009 Gold Cup Finals^[1]

Personal

With the help of the Colorado Rapids organization, Noël set up a fund, known as the Fabrice Noël Fund in order to raise money for his parents and brothers transport to the United States.

Honors

Puerto Rico Islanders

• USL First Division Commissioner's Cup (1): 2008

References

External links

• Puerto Rico Islanders bio
• MLS player profile
• Fabrice's story in St. Petersburg Times
• Fabrice Noël Fund
• National Football Teams career stats

v • d • e Haiti squad – 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Fénélon • 2 Alcenat • 3 Gilles • 4 Germain • 6 Guillaume • 7 Fucien • 8 Romulus • 9 Éliphene • 10 Boucicaut • 11 Noël • 12 Marcelin • 13 Bruny • 14 Chery • 15 Raymond • 17 Saint Jean • 18 Saurel • 19 Pierre-Louis • 20 Occenat • 21 Pierre • 22 Noncent • 23 Bertin • 25 Simeon • Coach: García

v • d • e Haiti squad – 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup 1 Occenat • 2 Prophéte • 3 Gilles • 4 Jean • 5 Fellinga • 6 Bertin • 7 Fucien • 8 Aveska • 9 L.Saint-Preux • 10 Jerome • 11 Noël • 12 Joseph • 13 Bruny • 14 Chery • 15 Raymond • 16 Sampeur • 17 Exumé • 18 D.Jean-Zérphirin • 19 Sirin • 20 Alexandre • 21 W.Pierre-Louis • 22 Mercéus • 23 Thermeus • Coach: Ríos