Gregg Berhalter (born August 1, 1973, in Englewood, New Jersey) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer.
Career
Youth and College
Berhalter grew up in Tenafly, New Jersey,[1] and was a high school teammate of Claudio Reyna at Saint Benedict's Preparatory School in Newark, New Jersey.[2] He played college soccer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he was a teammate of Eddie Pope for two years.[2]
Professional
Berhalter left UNC after his junior year, signing with Dutch club Zwolle in 1994. He later played for Sparta Rotterdam and Cambuur Leeuwarden in the Netherlands, and with Crystal Palace in England (where he briefly played alongside Jovan Kirovski).
In 2002 Berhalter signed with Energie Cottbus of the German Fußball-Bundesliga, and went on to make 111 league appearances with the team. In 2006, Berhalter signed with 1860 Munich of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, and stayed there for a further two and a half years, making 73 league appearances for Die Löwen.
In April 2009, Berhalter moved back to the United States after a 15-year career in Europe, and signed a contract with Major League Soccer, his first club contract in his home country. He was revealed as a Los Angeles Galaxy player on April 3, 2009.[3]
On November 14, 2009, he scored in the 103rd minute of the scoreless Western Conference final, propelling the Galaxy to a 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo and into the 2009 MLS Cup. It was his first goal in 28 appearances with the club. [4]
International
Berhalter earned his first cap for the U.S. national team on October 15, 1994, against Saudi Arabia. Berhalter played a significant role for the U.S. at the 2002 World Cup, stepping in for the injured Jeff Agoos and starting the last two games, and in doing so became the first Crystal Palace player to play in a World Cup match.
On May 25, 2006, Berhalter was added to the U.S. national team's roster for the 2006 World Cup, replacing the injured Cory Gibbs. Berhalter expressed confidence in the ability of the team in the run up to the tournament,[5] but was an unused substitute in all three group games. The U.S. was eliminated after finishing at the bottom of Group E in the first round with one draw and two defeats.
Honors
Los Angeles Galaxy
See also
References
- ^ Bell, Jack. "SOCCER: NOTEBOOK; An American Defender Gets His Ticket Home", The New York Times, May 31, 2000. Accessed November 26, 2007
- ^ a b Gregg Berhalter, U.S. Soccer. Accessed November 26, 2007
- ^ Galaxy sign veteran defender Berhalter
- ^ Galaxy reaches the MLS Cup final
- ^ Czechs and balances: US foe able, aching, The Boston Globe, June 12, 2006
External links
