Heath Pearce
Personal information
Full name Heath Gregory Pearce
Date of birth (1984-08-13) August 13, 1984
Place of birth Modesto, California, United States
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position(s) Center back, full back
Youth career
0000–2001 IMG Soccer Academy
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2002–2004 Portland Pilots
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2005–2007 FC Nordsjælland 75 (2)
2007–2009 Hansa Rostock 31 (0)
2009–2010 FC Dallas 34 (0)
2011–2012 Chivas USA 40 (0)
2012–2013 New York Red Bulls 32 (2)
2014 Montreal Impact 23 (0)
2015 IFK Göteborg 0 (0)
Total 235 (4)
International career
2000–2001 United States U17 4 (2)
2003 United States U18 1 (0)
2003 United States U20 3 (0)
2005–2012 United States 35 (0)
Medal record
Representing  United States
FIFA Confederations Cup
Runner-up2009 South AfricaTeam
CONCACAF Gold Cup
Runner-upCONCACAF Gold Cup2009
Men's Soccer
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Heath Pearce (born August 13, 1984) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender for teams in Europe and North America. He represented his national team on 35 occasions. Pearce is the host of "The Mixer", "KPR" (Kick Power Rankings) and "WTF" (Walk Talk Football), all programs on the YouTube channel COPA90 US (formerly known as KICKTV).[1]

Club career

College and amateur

Pearce played his high school soccer at Peter Johansen High School in Modesto, California[2] before playing his college soccer at the University of Portland, where he was an All-West Coast Conference honorable mention selection. In his final year at Portland, he started all 20 games, scoring two goals and racking up five assists.

During his college years he also played for the Bradenton Academics in the USL Premier Development League.[3]

FC Nordsjælland

Pearce signed with FC Nordsjælland and began his professional career in the 2004–05 Danish Superliga season. He made 75 league appearances and scored two goals for club in his two and a half seasons there.

Hansa Rostock

After stating that he would leave Nordsjælland after the 2007 season with a goal to be signed by a team in Germany, Scotland, or the Netherlands, Pearce signed a two-year contract with Hansa Rostock on July 16, 2007.[4] In January 2008, Pearce was briefly suspended for being late to return to the club from international duty,[5][6] but was eventually allowed back on the team. On April 13, 2009, Pearce was permanently suspended from Hansa Rostock's first team and demoted to the reserve squad.[7] At the end of the season, Pearce was released from his contract.

FC Dallas

On September 2, 2009, Pearce reportedly signed a two-year contract with Turkish team Bursaspor,[8][9] but the next day it had emerged that a deal was not reached until after the transfer window had closed.[10] After his failed move to Turkey, he signed with Major League Soccer side FC Dallas on September 11, 2009.[11] In his first full season in Dallas Pearce helped the club to the 2010 MLS Cup final.

Chivas USA

On February 15, 2011, after two seasons with Dallas, Pearce was traded to Chivas USA in return for allocation money.[12] Pearce was traded to New York Red Bulls on May 17, 2012 with allocation money and future considerations in exchange for forward Juan Agudelo.[13] Pearce scored his first MLS goal on June 20 versus the Vancouver Whitecaps helping New York to earn a 1–1 draw with his late equalizer.

New York Red Bulls

Midway through the 2013 season, Pearce elected to have hip surgery that ruled him out for the remainder of the season. New York and Pearce mutually parted ways at the end of the 2013 MLS season.[14] He entered the 2013 MLS Re-Entry Draft but was not selected.

Montreal Impact

On March 6, 2014, Pearce signed with Montreal Impact.[15] Pearce appeared in 29 matches in his lone season in Montreal. After one season in Montreal, in December 2014 Pearce was selected by Orlando City SC in the 2014 MLS Expansion Draft.

IFK Göteborg

On January 29, 2015 Pearce signed a five-month-long contract with Allsvenskan club IFK Göteborg.[16]

International career

Pearce made his international debut in November 2005 against Scotland. Pearce was included by Bruce Arena in United States training camps and friendly matches prior to the 2006 FIFA World Cup but did not make the team.

Under Bob Bradley, Pearce became a regular starter for the national team. With relatively little competition in the U.S. player pool at left back, Pearce played the most minutes of any American field player in 2008. But as his club situation deteriorated, Pearce has seen less time with national team. Though a member of the squad at the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup, he did not make an appearance in the tournament as Jonathan Bornstein and Carlos Bocanegra were the preferred choices. Pearce was a member of the second-tier U.S. team for the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup. Lately he has not seen much action due to the return of Bornstein and also Bocanegra and Jonathan Spector both being versatile enough to play in that position.

Pearce was included on the 30-man preliminary roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but did not make the final 23 man squad.[17]

Personal life

Pearce has one younger adopted sister and two brothers. His sister Lindsay has starred in the TV series The Glee Project where she won a role on the Fox hit show Glee.[18]

Pearce is an avid car and racing enthusiast. He has partnered with Matt Young as a co-owner in a professional sports car racing venture, Matt Young Motorsports with Heath Pearce.[19]

Pearce now works in the field of media and broadcast. He has replaced his former Chivas USA teammate Jimmy Conrad as host of the YouTube channel KICK, now known as COPA90 US. Since 2023, Pearce has been a match analyst for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

Career statistics

Club

As of March 14, 2015[20]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Portland Pilots 2002 202——202
2003 201——201
2004 225——225
Total 6280000628
Bradenton Academics 2003 11110—121
FC Nordsjælland 2004–05 Danish Superliga 15000—150
2005–06 Danish Superliga 31100—311
2006–07 Danish Superliga 29100—291
Total 7520000752
Hansa Rostock 2007–08 Bundesliga 19020—210
2008–09 2. Bundesliga 12010—130
2009–10 2. Bundesliga 0000—00
Total 3103000340
FC Dallas 2009 Major League Soccer 60——60
2010 Major League Soccer 28010—290
Total 3401000350
Chivas USA 2011 Major League Soccer 30010—310
2012 Major League Soccer 100——100
Total 4001000410
New York Red Bulls 2012 Major League Soccer 18221—203
2013 Major League Soccer 14020—160
Total 3224100363
Montreal Impact 2014 Major League Soccer 2304020290
IFK Göteborg 2015 Allsvenskan 0030—30
Career total 308131712032714

International

As of January 25, 2012[21]
Appearances and goals by national team and year
National teamYearAppsGoals
United States 200510
200640
200750
2008110
200970
201050
201100
201220
Total350

Honors

Portland Pilots

FC Dallas

New York Red Bulls

Montreal Impact

IFK Göteborg

References

  1. ↑ "COPA90 US". YouTube. Retrieved April 23, 2016.
  2. ↑ "Heath Pearce - Eleven New York Athletic Wear & Apparel". October 19, 2020. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  3. ↑ Demosphere International, Inc. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". Uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  4. ↑ "Rostock holt Lense und Pearce" [Rostock signs Lense and Pearce]. kicker.de (in German). July 16, 2007. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  5. ↑ "Strafe für "geschwänztes" Training?" [Fine for skipped training?]. bild.de (in German). January 5, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  6. ↑ "Pagelsdorf schmeißt Pearce raus" [Pagelsdorf kicks Pearce out]. bild.de (in German). January 16, 2008. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  7. ↑ "Pearce und Kronholm in zweite Mannschaft zurückgestuft" [Pearce and Kronholm demoted to second team]. Hansa Rostock (in German). April 13, 2009. Retrieved January 6, 2016.
  8. ↑ "U.S.' Pearce joins Turkish club Bursaspor". Sports Illustrated. September 2, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  9. ↑ "ABD'li sol bek Pearce Bursaspor'da" (in Turkish). CNN Türk. September 2, 2009. Retrieved September 2, 2009.
  10. ↑ "Pearce kommt doch nicht zu Bursaspor" (in German). Archived from the original on September 5, 2009.
  11. ↑ "Latest News". Web.mlsnet.com. September 23, 2011. Archived from the original on September 23, 2009. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  12. ↑ "Chivas USA Acquires United States National Team Defender Heath Pearce". Cdchivasusa.com. February 15, 2011. Archived from the original on October 8, 2011. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  13. ↑ Davis, Noah (May 17, 2012). "Heath Pearce is just what New York needs". prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com. Retrieved May 17, 2012.
  14. ↑ "New York Red Bulls part ways with veteran defender Heath Pearce". mlssoccer.com. November 27, 2013. Retrieved November 27, 2013.
  15. ↑ "Impact adds defender Heath Pearce to its roster". Montreal Impact. March 6, 2014. Retrieved December 12, 2014.
  16. ↑ "Försvarsspelare klar för IFK" (in Swedish). IFK Göteborg. January 29, 2015. Retrieved January 29, 2015.
  17. ↑ Townsend, Brad (May 26, 2010). "FC Dallas' Heath Pearce left off U.S. World Cup roster". Dallasnews.com. Retrieved October 20, 2011.
  18. ↑ Hoppes, Lynn. "'Glee' actress sister to Major League Soccer player". ESPN. Retrieved September 23, 2011.
  19. ↑ "Pro Soccer Star Heath Pearce & Matt Young Motorsports team up with Ranger Sports Racing for Barber". heathpearce.com. Archived from the original on September 22, 2013. Retrieved June 22, 2013.
  20. ↑ "Heath Pearce". Elite Prospects. Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved January 30, 2015.
  21. ↑ "Heath Pearce". National Football Teams. Retrieved January 29, 2014.
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