Aaran Lines
Aaran Franklyn Lines is a retired New Zealand association football player and former head coach of the Western New York Flash. He has represented New Zealand at international level.
Professional career
Born in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, Lines moved to Germany at the age of 16 to join SV Werder Bremen's youth team of the German Bundesliga, following his appearance in the U-17 World Cup in Japan. Lines played 80 games with the Werder Bremen youth team and 60 games with the reserve team.In 1997, Lines moved to VfL Osnabrück where he appeared in over 80 matches in the first and second Bundesliga. At the start of the new century, the New Zealand native headed back home to play in the newly launched A-League for the Auckland Football Kingz. Following his stint in the A-League, Lines returned to Europe where he played for Dresdner SC of the 2. Bundesliga, and Ruch Chorzów and Arka Gdynia of the Polish first division.
Lines then headed to America to play for the Portland Timbers of the USL, and in 2006 made the move to Rochester, NY to play for the Rochester Rhinos. Lines appeared in over 40 matches for the Rhinos in the last two years of his career, including the 2006 USL Championship match.
International career
Lines played representative age group football for New Zealand, making ten New Zealand U17, eight New Zealand U20 and nine New Zealand U23 appearances before making his full New Zealand debut in a 1–0 win over Tahiti on 25 September 1998.He was included in the New Zealand side for the 1999 Confederations Cup finals tournament in Mexico where he featured in all three group games, and again for the 2003 Confederations Cup finals tournament in France where he made a single appearance against Japan.
Lines ended his international playing career with 31 official full international caps and four goals to his credit, his final cap an appearance in a 2–0 win over Fiji on 6 June 2004.
Coaching career
After his two seasons with the Rochester Rhinos, Lines retired and accepted a coaching position with the semi-professional expansion W-League franchise Buffalo Flash. Lines led the Buffalo Flash to an impressive 10–3–3 record in their inaugural season and a trip to the second round of the playoffs. In only his second year of coaching, he led the squad to an undefeated season and a W-League Championship defeating the Vancouver Whitecaps 3–1 in Santa Clarita, CA. Lines was named the Fieldturf 2010 Coach of the Year.The WNY Flash joined Women's Professional Soccer as an expansion club in September 2010. Lines led a squad featuring five-time FIFA World Player of the Year Marta, Christine Sinclair and Alex Morgan to the 2011 WPS title. In 2013 the WNY Flash was announced as one of eight franchises selected by US Soccer to compete in the NWSL. Lines led the Flash, with a roster including Abby Wambach and Carli Lloyd to the regular-season title with a record of 9-4-8. In the semi-final playoff game, the Flash beat Sky Blue 2–0 at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, NY. The Flash lost the championship 2–0 to the Portland Thorns in front of over 8,000 fans. At the conclusion of the 2015 NWSL season and after a tumultuous public spat with former player Carli Lloyd, Lines was forced to resign and eventually retire as head coach at the professional level due to many on- and off-field issues with former players, former employees and the National Women's Soccer League. Lines has been out of soccer since and now focuses on the development of the WNY Flash Youth Academy. He continues to manage Sahlen's Sports Park indoor facility and oversee the direction of the Euros and Champions Soccer series based in Elma, NY.
Career statistics
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
| 1. | 6 June 2001 | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand | 5–0 | Win | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 2. | 13 June 2001 | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand | 7–0 | Win | 2002 World Cup qualification | |
| 3. | 12 October 2002 | A. Le Coq Arena, Tallinn, Estonia | 3–2 | Loss | Friendly | |
| 4. | 31 May 2004 | North Harbour Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand | 3–0 | Win | 2004 OFC Nations Cup |