James Paul Conrad (born February 12, 1977) is an American former soccer player who played as a defender. During his 13-year MLS career, he was four-time MLS Best XI and the 2005 MLS Defender of the Year. He also earned 27 caps with the United States men's national soccer team and went to the 2006 FIFA World Cup.
 Conrad at the 2006 MLS Cup | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | James Paul Conrad | |||||||||||||||||||
| Date of birth | February 12, 1977 | |||||||||||||||||||
| Place of birth | Arcadia, California, United States | |||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | |||||||||||||||||||
| Position(s) | Defender | |||||||||||||||||||
| Team information | ||||||||||||||||||||
Current team | San Francisco Glens (head coach) | |||||||||||||||||||
| College career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1994–1995 | San Diego State Aztecs | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1996–1997 | UCLA Bruins | |||||||||||||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1998 | San Diego Flash | 26 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1999–2002 | San Jose Earthquakes | 84 | (2) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | → San Francisco Seals (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 1999 | → MLS Pro-40 (loan) | 5 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2000 | → Lech Poznań (loan) | 8 | (0) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2003–2010 | Kansas City Wizards | 204 | (17) | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Chivas USA | 2 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| Total | 325 | (22) | ||||||||||||||||||
| International career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–2010 | United States | 27 | (1) | |||||||||||||||||
| Managerial career | ||||||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | Chivas USA (assistant) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–2019, 2022 | San Francisco Glens (associate) | |||||||||||||||||||
| 2020 | San Francisco Glens | |||||||||||||||||||
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| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | ||||||||||||||||||||
After his playing career Conrad has worked in the media industry[2] and currently stars on his YouTube channel Jimmy Conrad, he also streams on Twitch regularly. He currently serves as the technical director of USL League Two side San Francisco Glens.
Early life
editOn February 12, 1977, Conrad was born in Arcadia, California. Conrad attended Temple City High School in Temple City, California.[3][4]
Conrad attended Temple City High School in Temple City, California and was a four-year letterman in soccer. Conrad played at San Diego State University in 1994 and 1995, and then transferred to the University of California, Los Angeles. While playing for UCLA, he was a member of the 1997 NCAA Championship team.
Playing career
editProfessional
editUndrafted by MLS, Conrad had an unsuccessful trial with the Los Angeles Galaxy. However, the Galaxy coaching staff recommended he play for one of their affiliated lower division teams. Consequently, Conrad contacted the now-defunct San Diego Flash of the A-League which gave him a contract. In 1999, Brian Quinn became the head coach of the San Jose Clash. When Quinn began searching for an additional defender and goalkeeper for the Clash, Ralf Wilhelms, head coach of the Flash and a former teammate of Quinn on the San Diego Sockers, recommended Conrad and Flash goalkeeper Joe Cannon.[5] The Clash signed Conrad that year. He played with the club, later re-branded as the Earthquakes, for four seasons, helping them to the MLS Cup in 2001. In 2000, he also played for Lech Poznań in Poland.
In 2003, Conrad was traded to the Wizards for a second-round draft pick, which the 'Quakes used to select Arturo Alvarez. Conrad's stock rose while with Kansas City; never a big scorer, he tallied four goals during his first season (he has ten in his MLS career). In 2004, he helped the Wizards to the US Open Cup and the MLS Cup Final as the leader of the league's stingiest defense and was named to the league's Best XI and was a finalist for MLS Defender of the Year Award. He won the award a year later.
Despite rumors of a possible European transfer following the Wizards' disappointing 2006 season, Conrad renewed his contract with the Wizards beginning the 2007 season, and new head coach Curt Onalfo rewarded him the club captaincy.
Conrad was out of contract after the 2010 MLS season and elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft. On December 15, 2010, Conrad was selected by Chivas USA in Stage 2 of the Re-Entry draft.[6] He made his debut, and scored his first goal for his new team on March 19, 2011, in their first game of the 2011 MLS season – ironically against his old club, Sporting Kansas City.[7]
After struggling with injury during the 2011 season, and suffering from side effects of six concussions, Jimmy Conrad announced his retirement from professional soccer on August 18, 2011.[8]
International
editConrad received his first cap for the United States national team on July 7, 2005, in a Gold Cup match against Cuba. Less than one year later, Conrad made the U.S. roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In Germany, Conrad came in as a substitute against Italy in the team's 1–1 draw with the eventual champions, and played all ninety minutes against Ghana. On January 20, 2007, Conrad captained the national team for the second time, where the United States hosted an international friendly with Denmark. The U.S. won that match 3–1. On February 7, 2007, in an international friendly with Mexico, Conrad was named the Man of the Match. He scored his first-ever goal for the U.S. in the fifty-second minute of that match. On June 25, 2009, after not having played with the national team in previous qualifying, Conrad was named to the U.S. squad for the CONCACAF Gold Cup.[9]
Coaching
editIn September 2018, Conrad became technical director and head associate coach of the San Francisco Glens.[10] He was named head coach of the Glens ahead of the 2020 season.[11] In 2022, Conrad returned to his role as technical director and head associate coach for the Glens to work with new head coach Gabe Saucedo. The club made the USL League Two playoffs for the first time that season, upsetting top-seeded Capital FC before bowing out in the Western Conference semifinals.
Awards
edit- 2012 Grand Marshal at 68th Annual Camellia Festival of Temple City.[12]
- 2014 Sporting Legends. Presented by Sporting Kansas City.[13]
Personal life
editConrad's wife is Lyndsey Conrad. They have two daughters, Julia Rose Conrad, born in 2007, Jane Mirabelle Conrad, born 2011.[4] He is a correspondent for the UEFA Champions League and Europa League for CBS Sports. Conrad is an avid supporter of Premier League side Newcastle United.[14]
Honors
editCollege
editUCLA
- NCAA College Cup: 1997
Club
editSan Diego Surf
San Jose Earthquakes
- MLS Cup: 2001
Kansas City Wizards
- U.S. Open Cup: 2004
International
editUnited States
- CONCACAF Gold Cup: 2005
Individual
edit- MLS Defender of the Year: 2005
- MLS Best XI: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2008
- MLS Humanitarian of the Year: 2009
References
edit- ^ a b "About Jimmy Conrad". YouTube.
- ^ Laird, Sam (April 20, 2014). "A Soccer Star's Transition From the Pitch to YouTube". Mashable. Retrieved October 24, 2016.
- ^ "Conrad, Jimmy". national-football-teams.com. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ a b French, Scott (May 31, 2011). "New baby clears Conrad's head". espn.com. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ Often-overlooked Jimmy Conrad, now with national team, has proved doubters wrong
- ^ "Wolff goes 1st in Stage 2 Re-Entry Draft, Ángel to LA". www.mlssoccer.com. Major League Soccer. December 15, 2010. Archived from the original on December 19, 2010. Retrieved June 23, 2013.
Wolff's former Kansas City teammate Jimmy Conrad also went in the early going on Wednesday, taken second overall by Chivas USA. Conrad spent the last eight seasons in Kansas City and was a perennial All-Star during his time there, and could join a Chivas USA team largely in-flux after missing the postseason in 2010.
- ^ Bravo's debut double for Sporting sinks Chivas USA Archived 2011-03-22 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ Ratterree, Alicia (August 17, 2011). "Jimmy Conrad Retires from MLS". The Goat Parade. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ "Article from American Soccer News". Usmen.american-soccer-news.com. Archived from the original on February 24, 2012. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ^ Redd, Matt (November 19, 2018). "Jimmy Conrad Brings Creative, Professional Experience To San Francisco". USL League Two. Retrieved November 25, 2018.
- ^ "JIMMY CONRAD TO SUCCEED JAVIER AYALA-HIL AS 2020 SF GLENS COACH". sfglens.com. February 4, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
- ^ Miller, Terry (February 6, 2012). "68th Annual Temple City Camellia Festival Coronation Ceremony Held Friday". templecitytribune.com. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ Kovzan, Sam (July 29, 2014). "Sporting Legends to induct Lamar Hunt, Peter Vermes and Jimmy Conrad in Class of 2014". sportingkc.com. Retrieved July 23, 2020.
- ^ Conrad, Jimmy [@JimmyConrad] (November 4, 2012). "No chance. I'm a Newcastle supporter and I'm happy with the point. Liverpool was good today. RT @THExG0D Waaaaittttt you support Liverpool?" (Tweet). Retrieved January 7, 2021 – via Twitter.
External links
edit- Jimmy Conrad at Major League Soccer
- Articles by Jimmy Conrad on ESPN Soccernet Archived 2005-12-10 at the Wayback Machine
- Jimmy Conrad – FIFA competition record (archived)
- Jimmy Conrad's YouTube Channel
- Jimmy Conrad at National-Football-Teams.com
- Jimmy Conrad at sportingkc.com Archived 2020-07-23 at the Wayback Machine