Jesse Marsch is a retired
AmericanThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer midfielder who will be the head coach of the
Montreal ImpactMontreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
for their entrance in MLS in 2012, having previously been an assistant for the U.S. national team. He spent fourteen seasons in
Major League SoccerMajor 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...
, winning three league and four U.S. Open Cup titles. He was a 2001 MLS All Star and earned two caps with the
United States men's national soccer teamThe 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...
.
College
Marsch played
college soccerCollege 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
Princeton UniversityPrinceton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
, where he was an
All-AmericanThe 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:...
in 1995, after scoring 16 goals as a midfielder/forward. He was drafted by
D.C. UnitedD.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...
(their assistant coach was his coach at Princeton,
Bob BradleyRobert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
) in the third round of the
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...
.
Professional
Marsch spent the next two seasons with DC, but only played in 15 games. DC assistant coach Bob Bradley, named to lead the expansion
Chicago FireChicago Fire Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in the Chicago suburb of Bridgeview, Illinois. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top soccer league in the United States and Canada...
, acquired Marsch soon after the
Expansion DraftThe 1997 MLS Expansion Draft was held November 6, 1997. Two teams participated, the Chicago Fire and Miami Fusion F.C., both expansion Major League Soccer clubs planned for the 1998 season.-Format:...
in exchange for A.J. Wood and a second-round pick in the
1998 College DraftThe 1998 Major League Soccer College Draft was held in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on January 31 and February 1, 1998.-Format:On Saturday, January 31, 1997, Major League Soccer held the first round of its 1998 college draft during the halftime of the Umbro Select All-Star Classic at Lockhart Stadium. ...
. Marsch immediately became a regular in Chicago and remained a mainstay in their lineup through 2005. He helped the Fire to the 1998 MLS Cup, giving him three league championships in three seasons. While with Chicago, he also won the US Open Cup in 1998, 2000, and 2003. After the 2005 season Marsch was traded to Chivas USA, where Bob Bradley was then managing. He left the Fire as the club's all-time leader in regular season games played with 200.
Marsch is one of three players to have played in each of the first 14 seasons of Major League Soccer. Marsch was also the first player to win three
MLS CupThe 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...
championships. On February 5, 2010 the American midfielder retired, having played for Chivas USA from 2006-2009.
Since his retirement from competitive professional soccer, Marsch has been playing for the amateur team Coyotes FC in the Los Angeles Premier League.
International
Marsch received two caps with the
United States national teamThe 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...
. His first came in a scoreless
world cup qualifierThe 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...
tie with
Trinidad and TobagoThe 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...
on November 11, 2001. He came on for
Joe-Max MooreJoe-Max Moore is a former American soccer forward who played for the United States national team in three World Cups. He played professionally for clubs in Germany, England and the United States. He finished his career with the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer...
in the 82nd minute. He was not called up again to the national team until June 2, 2007 when he came on for
Benny FeilhaberBenny Feilhaber is Brazilian-born American soccer player currently playing for New England Revolution in Major League Soccer.-Early life:...
in a victory over
ChinaThe China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
.
Coach
Following his retirement on February 5, 2010, Marsch was hired as an assistant coach with the
United States men's national soccer teamThe 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...
. On August 10, 2011, Marsch was unveiled as the first head coach of
Major League SoccerMajor 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...
expansion franchise
Montreal ImpactMontreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
, starting play in 2012.
External links