Mark Simpson (soccer)

Mark Simpson (born March 18, 1966) is a retired American soccer goalkeeper and former coach who spent six seasons with D.C. United in Major League Soccer. He backstopped the team to the MLS Cup 1996. He also spent one season in the American Professional Soccer League, two in the USISL and six in the National Professional Soccer League. He earned one cap with the U.S. National Futsal Team in 1999. He was the Director of Soccer Operations for the planned North American Soccer League team Virginia Cavalry FC.[1]

Mark Simpson
Personal information
Date of birth (1966-03-18) March 18, 1966
Place of birth Schaumburg, Illinois, United States
Height 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
Eastern Illinois Panthers
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1990 Orlando Lions
1988–1995 Chicago Power (indoor)
1994 Rockford Raptors
1995 Dayton Dynamo (indoor) 12 (1)
1995–1996 Cincinnati Silverbacks (indoor) 15 (0)
1996–2001 D.C. United 53 (0)
1996–1997 Buffalo Blizzard (indoor) 13 (0)
1998 → MLS Pro-40 (loan) 2 (0)
National team
1999 U.S. Futsal 1 (0)
Teams managed
2002 D.C. United (goalkeeper)
2003 Virginia Beach Mariners (assistant)
2004–2010 D.C. United (assistant)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Player

Youth

Simpson attended Eastern Illinois University where he played on the men's soccer team until 1988.

Professional

On June 17, 1988, the Chicago Sting selected Simpson in the third round (25th overall) of the Major Indoor Soccer League draft.[2] The Sting folded a month later and the San Diego Sockers picked up Simpson in the July 1988 dispersal draft.[3] The Sockers did not sign him and Simpson joined the Chicago Power of the American Indoor Soccer Association in October 1988.[4] He played each winter indoor season with the Power until February 1995 when he was traded to the Dayton Dynamo for Jim Adams and future considerations.[5] He finished the 1994-1995 season with Dayton.[6] In 1990, Simpson spent a season outdoors with the Orlando Lions of the American Professional Soccer League.[7] He had also spent the summer of 1994 with the expansion Rockford Raptors of the USISL. In the fall of 1995, Simpson joined the Cincinnati Silverbacks of NPSL.[8]

He had attended the MLS Supplemental Combine, but went undrafted in 1996. Intending to play the summer with the Richmond Kickers, he received a call from D.C. head coach Bruce Arena asking if he wanted to join United. On April 19, 1996, the Silverbacks sent Simpson on loan to D.C. United of Major League Soccer. Although he began the season as a backup, he made fifteen regular season appearances at the end of the season and was Arena's keeper of choice for the playoffs. On October 20, 1996, he backstopped United to the MLS Championship.[9]

Simpson returned to the indoor game for the 1996-1997 indoor season with the Buffalo Blizzard.[10] Upon returning to DC United for the 1997 season, he tore his lateral meniscus thirteen games into the season.[11] He had surgery to repair the damage, but his knee then became infected. This kept him from playing for nearly a year and a half. In 1998, he began his comeback, going on loan to the MLS Pro-40 team and playing two games with D.C. United waived him on October 30, 1998. He returned to playing full-time in 1999 with DC United. He remained with D.C. until his retirement on January 8, 2002.

Futsal

In 1999, he earned one cap with the U.S. National Futsal team.[12]

Coaching and administration

In 2002, Simpson was the goalkeeper coach for D.C. United and spent some time in the same role with the club's Super Y-League team.[13] At the end of the 2002 season, he left the team for the Virginia Beach Mariners of the USL A-League. On January 19, 2004, Simpson returned to United as an assistant coach for goalkeeping, eventually becoming a full assistant coach with the club until 2010.

In November 2012, Simpson was announced as the Director of Soccer Operations for the new North American Soccer League expansion team, Virginia Cavalry FC.[1]

References
  1. "NASL Announces Virginia Team to Begin Play in 2014". North American Soccer League. 2012-11-05. Retrieved 2012-11-07.
  2. ECK, MOSER 2ND-ROUND CHOICES IN MISL DRAFT State Journal-Register, The (Springfield, IL) - Saturday, June 18, 1988
  3. MISL USA TODAY - Thursday, July 21, 1988
  4. EX-STING AMONG 6 SIGNED BY POWER Chicago Tribune - Friday, October 21, 1988
  5. Knowles on top of the game
  6. NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 1994-1995 Archived 2013-09-03 at the Wayback Machine
  7. 1990 APSL
  8. NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 1995-1996 Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  9. 1996 MLS Cup Archived 2009-08-30 at the Wayback Machine
  10. NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 1996-1997
  11. D.C. United Goalkeeper Mark Simpson Undergoes Knee Surgery Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
  12. Futsal: All Time Player Register Archived 2007-09-27 at the Wayback Machine
  13. D.C. names Hudson head coach Archived 2012-02-16 at the Wayback Machine
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