Brad Knighton
Encyclopedia
Brad Knighton is an American
soccer player who currently plays for Carolina RailHawks
in the North American Soccer League.
at UNC-Wilmington
as well as for Indiana Invaders
in the USL Premier Development League
.
, he attended a New England Revolution
tryout in early 2007 and was good enough to be invited on trial for the preseason. He impressed during the trial in Bermuda
, winning a spot as the Revolution's third-choice keeper and a developmental contract
with the club. The signing made him the first soccer player from UNC-Wilmington to be on a MLS roster.
After spending his first year and a half with the Revs behind Matt Reis
and Doug Warren
, he was loaned to the Portland Timbers
on July 2, 2008 for the remainder of the 2008 Major League Soccer season
. The move was aimed at getting Knighton some valuable playing time as he had seen no first team action while with New England.
Knighton was selected by Philadelphia Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft
on November 25, 2009. His first action with the team was a start in a friendly against Manchester United in which he allowed no goals before being replaced at halftime. He made his league debut for Philadelphia on 8 August 2010 against FC Dallas away, but was sent off for denying of an obvious goalscoring opportunity in 22nd minute. In his next start, he shut out the Chicago Fire at PPL Park on 11 September 2010, earning his first professional cleansheet, and also Philadelphia's first in franchise history. He has been given a second consecutive start of the season vs. San Jose and it is presumed that he will remain first choice goalkeeper for the rest of the season.
On January 25, 2011, Knighton was waived by Philadelphia. He later signed with Carolina RailHawks FC
of the North American Soccer League
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who currently plays for Carolina RailHawks
Carolina RailHawks FC
Carolina RailHawks FC is an American professional soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
in the North American Soccer League.
College and Amateur
Knighton played four years of college soccerCollege soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at UNC-Wilmington
University of North Carolina at Wilmington
The University of North Carolina at Wilmington, sometimes referred to as UNC Wilmington, is a public, co-educational university located in Wilmington, North Carolina...
as well as for Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders
Indiana Invaders is an American soccer team based in South Bend, Indiana, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at the...
in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
.
Professional
Undrafted by Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
, he attended a New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
tryout in early 2007 and was good enough to be invited on trial for the preseason. He impressed during the trial in Bermuda
Bermuda
Bermuda is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. Located off the east coast of the United States, its nearest landmass is Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, about to the west-northwest. It is about south of Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, and northeast of Miami, Florida...
, winning a spot as the Revolution's third-choice keeper and a developmental contract
Developmental roster
In Major League Soccer, in addition to the senior roster, each team can carry a developmental roster of a certain number of young players whose contracts do not count against the salary cap...
with the club. The signing made him the first soccer player from UNC-Wilmington to be on a MLS roster.
After spending his first year and a half with the Revs behind Matt Reis
Matt Reis
Matt Reis is an American soccer player who currently plays for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-College:Reis played college soccer at UCLA...
and Doug Warren
Doug Warren
Douglas Patrick "Doug" Warren is an American soccer goalkeeper, who last played for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. He was a member of the U.S. team at the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship....
, he was loaned to the Portland Timbers
Portland Timbers (USL)
Portland Timbers was an American professional soccer team based in Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 2001, the team played in various leagues at the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, including the USL First Division and the USSF Division 2 Professional League, until the end of...
on July 2, 2008 for the remainder of the 2008 Major League Soccer season
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
. The move was aimed at getting Knighton some valuable playing time as he had seen no first team action while with New England.
Knighton was selected by Philadelphia Union in the 2009 MLS Expansion Draft
2009 MLS Expansion Draft
The 2009 MLS Expansion Draft took place on November 25, 2009, and was a special draft for the Major League Soccer expansion team Philadelphia Union.-Format:...
on November 25, 2009. His first action with the team was a start in a friendly against Manchester United in which he allowed no goals before being replaced at halftime. He made his league debut for Philadelphia on 8 August 2010 against FC Dallas away, but was sent off for denying of an obvious goalscoring opportunity in 22nd minute. In his next start, he shut out the Chicago Fire at PPL Park on 11 September 2010, earning his first professional cleansheet, and also Philadelphia's first in franchise history. He has been given a second consecutive start of the season vs. San Jose and it is presumed that he will remain first choice goalkeeper for the rest of the season.
On January 25, 2011, Knighton was waived by Philadelphia. He later signed with Carolina RailHawks FC
Carolina RailHawks FC
Carolina RailHawks FC is an American professional soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
of the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League (2010)
The North American Soccer League is a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico which began league play on April 9, 2011. It has been provisionally sanctioned as the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer pyramid, behind Major League Soccer in the...
.