Mike Gentile (born May 24, 1974) is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who, while drafted twice by teams in Major League Soccer, spent his seven-season career in the second division USISL. He was a member of the United States U-20 men's national soccer team at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | May 24, 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1992–1995 | Wisconsin Badgers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1996–1999 | Milwaukee Rampage | (4) | |
| 1999–2002 | Minnesota Thunder | 82 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 1993 | U.S. U-20 | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Early years
editGentile attended Livonia Churchill High School along with Scott Lamphear and Jeff Cassar where they were finalist in the Class A State Championship in 1990 as a Junior.[1]
College
editGentile attended college at the University of Wisconsin–Madison where he played on the soccer team from 1992 to 1995. In 1995, the Badgers won the NCAA Men's Soccer Championship while Gentile was selected a third team All-American. In 1993, he was part of the United States U-20 men's national soccer team at the 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship, but he never entered a game in the tournament.[2] In 2015, Gentile was added to the UW Athletic Hall of Fame.[3]
Professional
editIn March 1996, the Colorado Rapids selected Gentile in the first round (9th overall) of the 1996 College Draft.[4] The Rapids released Gentile during the preseason and he signed with the Milwaukee Rampage of the USISL.
In 1997, the Rampage won the league championship. On July 13, 1999, the Rampage unexpectedly released Gentile along with four other players. Gentile had started five games before being benched in June. He immediately signed with the Minnesota Thunder, going on to win the 1999 league championship with his new team.
In February 2000, Gentile was again drafted by an MLS team when the Tampa Bay Mutiny selected him in the sixth round (66th overall) in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft. However, on February 22, 2000, the Mutiny released Gentile and he returned to the Thunder.[5] In 2001, he signed a one-year contract, with a one-year option.[6] He played through at least the 2002 season.
References
edit- ^ "Yearly Champions | Boys Soccer | MHSAA Sports". www.mhsaa.com. Archived from the original on 2019-07-01. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
- ^ "FIFA Tournaments - Players & Coaches - Mike GENTILE". FIFA.com. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
- ^ "UW Athletic Hall of Fame Class of 2015: Mike Gentile". University of Wisconsin. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
- ^ "MLS soccer - Colorado Rapids Pick Four Players in Supplemental, College Draft". 2016-08-28. Archived from the original on 2016-08-28. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "CNNSI.com - Transactions - Latest - Tuesday February 22, 2000 09:18 PM". 2011-07-08. Archived from the original on July 8, 2011. Retrieved 2017-05-23.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Buchholz, Djorn (January 30, 2001). "Thunder Re-Signs Mike Gentile". Dan's Soccer Zone. Archived from the original on 2011-07-08.