Jimmy Conrad

James P. Conrad (born February 12, 1977) is an American retired 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. After his playing career Conrad has worked in the media industry  and currently stars on his YouTube channel Jimmy Conrad. He currently serves as the head coach of USL League Two side San Francisco Glens.

Career

High school and college
Born in Arcadia, California, 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.

Professional
Undrafted 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.  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. 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.

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.

International
Conrad 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 upcoming CONCACAF Gold Cup.

Coaching
In September 2018, Conrad became technical director and head associate coach of the San Francisco Glens. He was named head coach of the Glens ahead of the 2020 season.

References

External links
 
 Articles by Jimmy Conrad on ESPN Soccernet
 
 Jimmy Conrad's YouTube Channel
 

Category:1977 births
Category:Living people
Category:People from Arcadia, California
Category:People from Temple City, California
Category:American soccer players
Category:American expatriate soccer players
Category:Soccer players from California
Category:San Diego Flash players
Category:San Jose Earthquakes players
Category:San Francisco Seals (soccer) players
Category:MLS Pro-40 players
Category:Sporting Kansas City players
Category:Chivas USA players
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:Major League Soccer All-Stars
Category:Lech Poznań players
Category:UCLA Bruins men's soccer players
Category:San Diego State Aztecs men's soccer players
Category:CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
Category:2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players
Category:2007 Copa América players
Category:2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
Category:United States men's international soccer players
Category:USISL A-League players
Category:USL A-League players
Category:Expatriate footballers in Poland
Category:American expatriate sportspeople in Poland
Category:Chivas USA non-playing staff
Category:Association football defenders
Category:American YouTubers