Born in Bogotá Columbia in 1953, Arbelaez moved to the United States in 1966. He attended the University of San Francisco, where the Dons won the 1975 NCAA championship. He played professionally for San Diego Jaws, Sacramento Spirits, Las Vegas Quicksilvers, San Diego Sockers, Pittsburgh Spirit, Las Vegas Seagulls and Phoenix Fire. In 1977, he scored the lone goal for the Las Vegas Quicksilvers in a North American Soccer League match against the New York Cosmos at what is now Sam Boyd Stadium, upstaging world-famous stars Pele of the Cosmos and Eusebio of the Quicksilvers. In 1980 he was contracted to play with ASL expansion team the Phoenix Fire, but the team folded in pre-season.
After retiring as a player, he worked as an assistant coach at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and as head coach of Bishop Gorman High School. In 22 seasons coaching Bishop Gorman, he was 371-31-8 and led the Gaels to 11 state championships.
His son, Nick Arbelaez, followed him into coaching and led the Gaels to a state title. Field 3 at the Kellogg-Zaher sports complex was renamed in Victor Arbelaez's honor, Nick Arbelaez said. "He was an inspiration," Nick Arbelaez said. "I just hope to get half that respect. He had such unbelievable character. He's rubbed off on so many people." His other son, Victor, Jr. nicknames Boomer attended USF for one soccer season, and transferred to University of Las Vegas.Â
Victor Arbelaez coached the Las Vegas Strikers, a club team, in 2004 and 2005. "He had such passion for the game and for people," Strikers co-owner Steve Lazarus said. "Everyone took to Victor so well, and there was nothing that he would ask you to do that he wouldn't do himself (Las Vegas Review Journal)."
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