JORDAN OLDER
Jordan Older became the first American to join a team in Brazil’s oldest professional soccer league, the Campeonato
Paulista Serie A1 in 1994 with União São João Esporte Clube in Araras, Brazil. Jordan Older was also the first American
born player to join a team in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie B (2nd division) with Paulista FC in 1994. União São João
Esporte Clube also competed in the Brazilian Serie A (1st Division/Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A) during the same time
period.
Jordan Older was the first American to participate in Brazilian professional soccer teams in both the Brazilian 1st
Division (Serie A) and Brazilian Paulista Championship 1st Division (Serie A1). Jordan Older was also one of the first
Americans to sign professionally with a 1st team squad of a European soccer team in 1993, shortly after his 19th birthday
with FC Waengi of Switzerland. While in Switzerland Jordan Older also trained with top professional coach and former
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. head coach of the English Premiere League (EPL), Christian Gross, at 1st division (top tier) Swiss
club FC Wil also in 1993.
In 1988 at age 15 Jordan Older was selected to a club team in Irvine, California coached by former USA Olympic Team and
former US National Team head coach Derek Lawther to unofficially represent the USA in competitive youth soccer tournaments
in Europe, playing against many youth teams of 1st division professional European clubs at the U15 and U19 level. Derek
Lawther was one of the top professional coaches in the country at the time and recognized Jordan Older’s talent at a young
age and selected him for his club’s tour of Europe. Derek Lawther was also the head coach at UC Irvine (NCAA Division 1),
the California Surf in the NASL (North American Soccer League), and the California Sunshine in the ASL (American Soccer
League), the last two were both 1st division professional soccer teams playing at the highest level of professional soccer
in North American and the United States. Jordan Older immediately joined the U-15 and U-19 squads for the USA team,
despite being only 15 years old. On this European tour in 1988, desptie his young age, Jordan Older was selected to play
on the U-19 squad for the USA team in the opening game of Sweden’s Dalecarlia Cup in front of over 20,000 in attendance at
the IK Brage stadium in Borlänge, Sweden. Jordan Older also played against numerous U-15 and U-19 professional teams from
Europe and South America in the Dana Cup, Dalecarlia Cup, and London Cup in the same trip representing Southern California
and the USA.
Jordan Older is the 1st American soccer player to join a team in both the Brazilian 1st Division (Serie A) and Brazilian
Paulista Championship 1st Division (Serie A1). Jordan Older has been part of the US National Soccer Team training camp
(soccer’s Dream Team/Team USA) and played professional soccer on 3 continents and in 7 countries including the Brazilian
1st Division (Campeonato Brasileiro Série A), Brazilian Paulista Championship 1st Division (O Paulistão/Campeonato
Paulista Série A1) and professional teams in Germany and Switzerland. Jordan has starred in a number of national and
worldwide television commercials for Snickers, Intel, and Phillips and has appeared in popular television shows Power
Rangers and Sweet Valley High and in major feature films such as Clueless and Strange Days. Jordan has been a SAG member
since 1996.
In Germany Jordan Older has trained and played professionally with Arminia Bielefeld of the 1st German Bundesliga, FC
Rathenow, respectively, and other professional German clubs. As an agent he has negotiated deals with Bundesliga clubs as
well as lower division professional soccer clubs in Germany.
Jordan Older was the first player ever to have his likeness scanned in 3D for the popular EA Sports video game FIFA World
Cup Soccer.
Ventura County FC - Camarillo, Fillmore, Moorpark, Ojai, Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks,
Ventura, California, USA
Jordan Older at União São João Esporte Clube in Araras, Brazil in the Brazilian 1st Division (Campeonato Brasiliero Serie
A and Campeonato Paulista Serie A1) in 1994.
Jordan Older at União São João Esporte Clube in Araras, Brazil in the Brazilian 1st Division (Campeonato Brasileiro Serie
A and Campeonato Paulista Serie A1) in 1994.
Jordan Older became the first American to join a team in Brazil’s oldest professional soccer league, the Campeonato
Paulista Serie A1 in 1994 with União São João Esporte Clube in Araras, Brazil. Jordan Older was also the first American
born player to join a team in the Campeonato Brasileiro Serie B (2nd division) with Paulista FC in 1994. União São João
Esporte Clube also competed in the Brazilian Serie A (1st Division/Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A) during the same time
period.
Jordan Older was the first American to participate in Brazilian professional soccer teams in both the Brazilian 1st
Division (Serie A) and Brazilian Paulista Championship 1st Division (Serie A1). Jordan Older was also one of the first
Americans to sign professionally with a 1st team squad of a European soccer team in 1993, shortly after his 19th birthday
with FC Waengi of Switzerland. While in Switzerland Jordan Older also trained with top professional coach and former
Tottenham Hotspur F.C. head coach of the English Premiere League (EPL), Christian Gross, at 1st division (top tier) Swiss
club FC Wil also in 1993.
In 1988 at age 15 Jordan Older was selected to a club team in Irvine, California coached by former USA Olympic Team and
former US National Team head coach Derek Lawther to unofficially represent the USA in competitive youth soccer tournaments
in Europe, playing against many youth teams of 1st division professional European clubs at the U15 and U19 level. Derek
Lawther was one of the top professional coaches in the country at the time and recognized Jordan Older’s talent at a young
age and selected him for his club’s tour of Europe. Derek Lawther was also the head coach at UC Irvine (NCAA Division 1),
the California Surf in the NASL (North American Soccer League), and the California Sunshine in the ASL (American Soccer
League), the last two were both 1st division professional soccer teams playing at the highest level of professional soccer
in North American and the United States. Jordan Older immediately joined the U-15 and U-19 squads for the USA team,
despite being only 15 years old. On this European tour in 1988, desptie his young age, Jordan Older was selected to play
on the U-19 squad for the USA team in the opening game of Sweden’s Dalecarlia Cup in front of over 20,000 in attendance at
the IK Brage stadium in Borlänge, Sweden. Jordan Older also played against numerous U-15 and U-19 professional teams from
Europe and South America in the Dana Cup, Dalecarlia Cup, and London Cup in the same trip representing Southern California
and the USA.
Jordan Older is the 1st American soccer player to join a team in both the Brazilian 1st Division (Serie A) and Brazilian
Paulista Championship 1st Division (Serie A1). Jordan Older has been part of the US National Soccer Team training camp
(soccer’s Dream Team/Team USA) and played professional soccer on 3 continents and in 7 countries including the Brazilian
1st Division (Campeonato Brasileiro Série A), Brazilian Paulista Championship 1st Division (O Paulistão/Campeonato
Paulista Série A1) and professional teams in Germany and Switzerland. Jordan has starred in a number of national and
worldwide television commercials for Snickers, Intel, and Phillips and has appeared in popular television shows Power
Rangers and Sweet Valley High and in major feature films such as Clueless and Strange Days. Jordan has been a SAG member
since 1996.
In Germany Jordan Older has trained and played professionally with Arminia Bielefeld of the 1st German Bundesliga, FC
Rathenow, respectively, and other professional German clubs. As an agent he has negotiated deals with Bundesliga clubs as
well as lower division professional soccer clubs in Germany.
Jordan Older was the first player ever to have his likeness scanned in 3D for the popular EA Sports video game FIFA World
Cup Soccer.
Jordan Older, American Soccer Player, União São João Esporte Clube, AA Portuguesa, News Article in Futebol Interior on
November 16, 2000.
Jordan Older, American Soccer Player, União São João Esporte Clube, AA Portuguesa, News Article in Futebol Interior on
November 16, 2000.
Jordan Older is an American soccer player, and one of the first American-born players to play professional soccer in
Europe and Brazil – Campeonato Brasileiro & Campeonato Paulista. He started his profession career with FC Wängi of
Switzerland and has played with Paulista Futebol Clube, União São João EC, and AA Portuguesa Santista. He has also trained
with the United States National Soccer Team, played professionall in Germany, Slovakia, and in the USL Professional League
with the Valley Golden Eagles and San Diego Gauchos. Jordan Older speaks and writes 6 languages English, Portuguese,
German, Italian, Spanish, and Latin. Jordan Older founded and directed the largest film festival in the history of Ventura
County, the Ventura Film Festival and studied Physics at UCLA. Jordan Older was the team captain and MVP at Ventura High
School where he also was named to the Southern California All-Star Team and played baseball and was an honors student.
Jordan Older was named by fans to the April, 1998 Poll: Pick the U.S. roster for France ’98 that asked the fans to name
the 22 man roster for the 1998 FIFA World Cup in France.
While in Brazil Jordan Older was well respected by the top players and coaches in the country and was invited to play for
Brazilian World Cup star, Careca’s expansion team, Campinas FC. Jordan Older did not opt to join the Brazilian expansion
team but did train with Careca and the club, including other famous players such as former Brazilian National Team player
and well known Flamengo player, Edmar (Edmar Bernardes dos Santos), for several weeks in Campinas, Brazil.
In 2012 Jordan Older setup a trial for American/Honduran player Herbert Cojulun in Spain’s top professional league, also
known as La Liga or La Primeira Division with Getafe CF.
At the Ventura Film Festival Jordan Older has been responsible for bringing in Academy Award winning celebrities and
films, and world premieres including Academy read more Award winner George Chakiris, Academy Award winner TJ Martin, Academy Award
winner Shirley Jones, sold out screenings of Academy Award winning films The Cove, Inside Job, and Undefeated, Home Alone,
and the 50th Anniversary of West Side Story.
Jordan Older, the Ventura Film Festival founder and executive director, was selected to appear, along with many of
Hollywood’s top stars, at the 50th Anniversary of West Side Story and Hollywood’s footprint/handprint ceremony for Academy
Award winners Rita Moreno, George Chakiris, and Academy Award nominee/Golden Globe winner Russ Tamblyn at the world famous
Chinese Theater in Hollywood. This event also doubled as the official BluRay release by Fox and MGM of West Side Story,
which is widely considered by critics and fans to be the best musical of all time.
Jordan Older played one friendly game for Major League Soccer (MLS) club Los Angeles Galaxy in 1998, in the Rose Bowl in
Pasadena, California, under head coach Octavio Zambrano and along side players including Clint Mathis, Cobi Jones, Carlos
Hermosillo, and Mauricio Cienfuegos.
Jordan Older is the founder and owner of several professional development soccer clubs in the USA such as Ventura County
FC, Santa Barbara FC, Sacramento FC, Prairie Stars FC, and others. Jordan Older uses the clubs to scout up and coming
talented players around the country. Jordan Older also founded King Sports Management to help young players realize their
dreams of playing professional soccer in Europe.
Jordan Older has been features in major international media publications including as Soccer America, Marca (Spain),
Lance! (Brazil), Futebol Interior (Brazil), various European publications, and Surfer Magazine.
In 1999 São Paulo FC came on a pre-season tour of Los Angeles and was visited by Jordan Older at the Oxnard College
training grounds. The training camp was located at the same fields used by Cameroon during the 1994 World Cup as their
official World Cup training camp. São Paulo FC brought a squad full of FIFA World Cup champions including Rai, Márcio
Santos, Wilson, Rogério Ceni, and Jorginho, some who were long-time friends and former teammates of Jordan Older. Jordan
Older’s arrival and attendance in the training camp was covered by major media publications in Brazil such as Lance
Esportes and the teams official news portals and blogs.
In 1991 Jordan Older was recruited to play soccer for UCLA but was later cut from the team for unknown reasons, prompting
Jordan Older to become a professional soccer player in Europe without ever having played college soccer.
Overall, Jordan Older has trained, trialed, and played professionally with more clubs and in more countries than any other
American born player, on 3 continents (North America, Europe, and South America) and with professional clubs in 9
countries (USA, Brazil, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, Sweden, Slovakia, England, and Denmark) and setup tryouts as an agent
for players in 4 countries (Germany, Spain, Brazil, and USA.) Jordan Older is one of the most well-traveled and
experienced Americans in world football.
In 1998 Jordan Older was invited to tryout for Santos FC by Pelé’s personal coach and mentor and former NASL NY Cosmos
head coach Júlio Mazzei. Jordan Older has also been coached by Brazilian legends Manoel Maria and Rildo who starred
alongside Pelé for Santos FC and the Brazilian National Team and victorious Brazilian World Cup Teams.
In December of 1994 Jordan Older took part in the US National Team (TEAM USA) training camp on the invitation of US World
Cup Team head coach Bora Milutinovich in Mission Viejo, California. Also joining Jordan Older at the US National Team
training camp were USA Hall of Fame players such as Marcelo Balboa and Paul Caligiuri. While in Brazil Jordan Older was
teammates with some of the top players in the world and was teammate of Neymar Sr, father of the most valuable player in
the world, Neymar Jr.