Eddie Pope
Encyclopedia
George Edward Pope (December 24, 1973) is a retired American soccer player who last played for Real Salt Lake
of Major League Soccer
and spent eleven years as a defender for the United States national team
. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
.
, he attended Southwest Guilford High School. Pope had a very successful career playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels
where he also kicked for Mack Brown's football team. In 1994, he was a first team All-American
, and also earned All-ACC and All-South Region honors.
selected Pope in the first round (second overall) in the MLS College Draft
. His first season in Washington, D.C.
was split between United and the men's Olympic team, which was preparing for the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta, Georgia
. However, he still played 18 games for United and won a league title with the team, scoring a golden goal
in the MLS Cup
against the Los Angeles Galaxy
. He also played his first game with the national team, helping the team beat Trinidad and Tobago
2-0 on November 10. In 1997, Pope made quite a splash on the MLS scene. He was named MLS Defender of the Year
and earned a place in the MLS Best XI
, as well as winning a second MLS title. In 1998, Pope helped United win both the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the InterAmerican Cup
, the first continental honors earned by an MLS team. He scored the winning goal in United's victory in the Interamerican Cup.
Pope's 1999 season was beset by injuries, and his playing time was limited, which continued to pester him into 2000, although he would play 19 and 21 games, respectively, in those seasons, and he earned his third and fourth consecutive trips to the MLS All-Star Game. Injuries continued to dog Pope in 2001, but he again played in the All-Star Game and also played an important role in the national team's World Cup qualification. His injuries continued into the 2002 MLS season, and he only appeared in seventeen matches.
On December 23, 2002, Pope was traded to the MetroStars
, along with Jaime Moreno
and Richie Williams
, in return for Mike Petke
, a first-round draft pick, and an allocation
. Pope continued his quality play with the MetroStars, captaining the team to an excellent defensive record. He was named to the MLS Best XI for the third time for his efforts. In 2004, he had a down year with the Metros, but was still voted to the MLS Best XI for a second consecutive season. After the year, Pope was traded to expansion Salt Lake for an allocation. He played three seasons with Real Salt Lake
, providing veteran leadership for the expansion franchise. In 2007, he retired from professional soccer. In ten years in MLS, he scored nine goals and ten assists, plus added that MLS Cup goal and an assist in the playoffs. In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI
.
. At the time, he was in his rookie season with D.C. United. He quickly became a fixture for the national team, which surprised the world when it defeated Brazil
1-0 and made its way to the finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup
. Pope also played in two games for the US's disappointing campaign at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
. In 2002, he started all five U.S. matches in the World Cup
, and played a big part in the surprising success of the United States in that tournament. In 2006, Pope was part of the US team that participated to the 2006 FIFA World Cup
. In the second match against Italy
, he received a red card which caused him to miss the third match against Ghana
, the last of his team at the tournament.
Pope started every game he played with the national team. On August 3, 2006, Pope announced his retirement from international soccer. His international career included 82 caps and 8 goals over an eleven-year period. On June 14, 2007, Pope announced his plans to retire from all competitive soccer at the end of the 2007 season, saying: "It's just time...You get up in the morning and you're in pain. Before practice, you are in pain. And after practice you are still in pain."http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6924530
Pope currently serves as the director of player relations for the MLS Players Union.. On March 11, 2011, he was selected for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
.
|-
|1996||rowspan="7"|D.C. United
||rowspan="12"|Major League Soccer
||18||2||1||1||6||1||0||0||25||5
|-
|1997||29||3||0||0||5||0||0||0||34||3
|-
|1998||20||1||0||0||6||0||0||0||26||1
|-
|1999||19||1||0||0||6||0||0||0||25||1
|-
|2000||21||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||22||0
|-
|2001||19||0||3||1||0||0||0||0||22||1
|-
|2002||17||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||17||0
|-
|2003||rowspan="2"|MetroStars
|||20||0||4||2||2||0||0||0||26||2
|-
|2004||22||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||25||0
|-
|2005||rowspan="3"|Real Salt Lake
|||20||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||20||1
|-
|2006||22||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||22||0
|-
|2007
||27||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||27||1
254||10||10||4||27||1||0||0||291||15
254||10||10||4||27||1||0||0||291||15
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
of Major League Soccer
Major 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...
and spent eleven years as a defender for the United States national team
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.
Youth
Born in GreensboroGreensboro, North Carolina
Greensboro is a city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third-largest city by population in North Carolina and the largest city in Guilford County and the surrounding Piedmont Triad metropolitan region. According to the 2010 U.S...
, he attended Southwest Guilford High School. Pope had a very successful career playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels
North Carolina Tar Heels
The North Carolina Tar Heels are the athletic teams for the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The name Tar Heel is a nickname used to refer to individuals from the state of North Carolina, the Tar Heel State...
where he also kicked for Mack Brown's football team. In 1994, he was a first team All-American
Division I First-Team All-American (soccer)
The Division I First-Team All-Americans are the best eleven U.S. college soccer players as selected by the NCAA.-1970–1983:From 1970 to 1983 the NCAA only named defenders and forwards in addition to one goalkeeper.-1983–present:...
, and also earned All-ACC and All-South Region honors.
Professional
In 1996, D.C. UnitedD.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
selected Pope in the first round (second overall) in the MLS College Draft
1996 MLS College Draft
-History:As Major League Soccer prepared for its first season, the league began stocking teams with players. As the teams were being created at the same time, the league adopted a measured approach to building rosters. First, the league allocated four "big name" players to each team. Then on...
. His first season in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
was split between United and the men's Olympic team, which was preparing for the 1996 Summer Olympics
1996 Summer Olympics
The 1996 Summer Olympics of Atlanta, officially known as the Games of the XXVI Olympiad and unofficially known as the Centennial Olympics, was an international multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1996 in Atlanta, Georgia, United States....
in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
. However, he still played 18 games for United and won a league title with the team, scoring a golden goal
Golden goal
The golden goal is a method used in association football, field hockey, ice hockey and korfball to decide the winner of games in elimination matches which end in a draw after the end of regulation time. It is a type of sudden death. Golden goal rules allow the team that scores the first goal during...
in the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
against the Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. He also played his first game with the national team, helping the team beat Trinidad and Tobago
Trinidad and Tobago national football team
The Trinidad and Tobago national football team, nicknamed The Soca Warriors, is the national team of Trinidad and Tobago and is run by the Trinidad and Tobago Football Federation. It reached the first round of the 2006 FIFA World Cup Finals...
2-0 on November 10. In 1997, Pope made quite a splash on the MLS scene. He was named MLS Defender of the Year
MLS Defender of the Year Award
In the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Defender of the Year award since its inception in 1996. Here is a list of the past winners:Past winners:...
and earned a place in the MLS Best XI
MLS Best XI
The MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
, as well as winning a second MLS title. In 1998, Pope helped United win both the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the InterAmerican Cup
Copa Interamericana
Copa Interamericana was a football trophy contested between the champions of CONMEBOL's Copa Libertadores de América and the winners of CONCACAF's Champions' Cup...
, the first continental honors earned by an MLS team. He scored the winning goal in United's victory in the Interamerican Cup.
Pope's 1999 season was beset by injuries, and his playing time was limited, which continued to pester him into 2000, although he would play 19 and 21 games, respectively, in those seasons, and he earned his third and fourth consecutive trips to the MLS All-Star Game. Injuries continued to dog Pope in 2001, but he again played in the All-Star Game and also played an important role in the national team's World Cup qualification. His injuries continued into the 2002 MLS season, and he only appeared in seventeen matches.
On December 23, 2002, Pope was traded to the MetroStars
Metrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
, along with Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno
Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side....
and Richie Williams
Richie Williams
Richie Williams is an American former professional soccer player and coach.Known for his diminutive height and his dogged tackling, Williams spent the vast majority of his playing career in the United States, playing one season in the National Professional Soccer League, two in USISL, two in the...
, in return for Mike Petke
Mike Petke
Mike Petke is a former American soccer player who is now an assistant coach with New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer.-College:...
, a first-round draft pick, and an allocation
Allocation (MLS)
In Major League Soccer, an allocation represents an amount of money teams can use to sign players and/or allocate to their salaries to get under the salary cap. Allocations are given to teams that have missed the playoffs the previous seasons, given to expansion teams, or awarded as compensation...
. Pope continued his quality play with the MetroStars, captaining the team to an excellent defensive record. He was named to the MLS Best XI for the third time for his efforts. In 2004, he had a down year with the Metros, but was still voted to the MLS Best XI for a second consecutive season. After the year, Pope was traded to expansion Salt Lake for an allocation. He played three seasons with Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
, providing veteran leadership for the expansion franchise. In 2007, he retired from professional soccer. In ten years in MLS, he scored nine goals and ten assists, plus added that MLS Cup goal and an assist in the playoffs. In 2005, he was named to the MLS All-Time Best XI
MLS All-Time Best XI
In 2005, as part of its tenth anniversary celebrations, Major League Soccer, the United States' top soccer league, named its All-Time Best XI, a selection of the best eleven players in the history of the league...
.
International
In 1996, Pope began his international career with the United States men's national soccer teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. At the time, he was in his rookie season with D.C. United. He quickly became a fixture for the national team, which surprised the world when it defeated Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
1-0 and made its way to the finals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
. Pope also played in two games for the US's disappointing campaign at the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
. In 2002, he started all five U.S. matches in the World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, and played a big part in the surprising success of the United States in that tournament. In 2006, Pope was part of the US team that participated to the 2006 FIFA World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
. In the second match against Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, he received a red card which caused him to miss the third match against Ghana
Ghana national football team
The Ghana national football team, popularly known as the Black Stars, is the national association football team of Ghana and is controlled by the Ghana Football Association...
, the last of his team at the tournament.
Pope started every game he played with the national team. On August 3, 2006, Pope announced his retirement from international soccer. His international career included 82 caps and 8 goals over an eleven-year period. On June 14, 2007, Pope announced his plans to retire from all competitive soccer at the end of the 2007 season, saying: "It's just time...You get up in the morning and you're in pain. Before practice, you are in pain. And after practice you are still in pain."http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6924530
Pope currently serves as the director of player relations for the MLS Players Union.. On March 11, 2011, he was selected for induction into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.
Career statistics
http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/eddie-pope|-
|1996||rowspan="7"|D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
||rowspan="12"|Major League Soccer
Major 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...
||18||2||1||1||6||1||0||0||25||5
|-
|1997||29||3||0||0||5||0||0||0||34||3
|-
|1998||20||1||0||0||6||0||0||0||26||1
|-
|1999||19||1||0||0||6||0||0||0||25||1
|-
|2000||21||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||22||0
|-
|2001||19||0||3||1||0||0||0||0||22||1
|-
|2002||17||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||17||0
|-
|2003||rowspan="2"|MetroStars
Red Bull New York
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer team based in Harrison, New Jersey, representing the New York City metropolitan area. The team competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
|||20||0||4||2||2||0||0||0||26||2
|-
|2004||22||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||25||0
|-
|2005||rowspan="3"|Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
|||20||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||20||1
|-
|2006||22||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||22||0
|-
|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
||27||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||27||1
254||10||10||4||27||1||0||0||291||15
254||10||10||4||27||1||0||0||291||15
Individual
- MLS Best XIMLS Best XIThe MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
(4): 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004 - MLS Defender of the YearMLS Defender of the Year AwardIn the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Defender of the Year award since its inception in 1996. Here is a list of the past winners:Past winners:...
: 1997