Nick Downing
Encyclopedia
Nick Downing is a retired American
professional soccer player.
. As a teenager, Downing had stints training with German
clubs Bayern Munich
and VfB Stuttgart
. Downing made 29 appearances and scored one goal with US U-17 national soccer team
, including captaining the team at the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship
in Egypt
. Afterwards, he was named the 1998 Gatorade Player of the Year
.
and Missouri Athletic Club
award finalist. During his junior year, Downing announced his decision to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and enter the MLS SuperDraft
.
contract. Selected in the second round of the 2001 MLS SuperDraft
, Downing made only five league appearances for the New England Revolution
. The next season Downing saw the pitch twelve times. In 2003, Downing did not make any first team appearances, was loaned to Portland and was later released.
After being released from his MLS contract, Downing signed with Charleston Battery
.
|2001||rowspan="3"|New England Revolution
||rowspan="3"|MLS
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|2003
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|2004
||Charleston Battery
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional soccer player.
Early career
The son of Jim and Linda Downing, Nick played soccer locally for Eastlake High SchoolEastlake High School (Sammamish, Washington)
Eastlake High School is a public high school located in Sammamish, Washington in the United States. The school serves students in grades 10-12 as part of the Lake Washington School District...
. As a teenager, Downing had stints training with German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
clubs Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich
FC Bayern Munich , is a German sports club based in Munich, Bavaria. It is best known for its professional football team, which is the most successful football club in Germany, having won 22 national titles and 15 cups....
and VfB Stuttgart
VfB Stuttgart
Verein für Bewegungsspiele Stuttgart 1893 e. V., commonly known as VfB Stuttgart, is a German sports club based in Stuttgart, Baden-Württemberg. The club is best known for its football team, which has participated in all but two Bundesliga seasons...
. Downing made 29 appearances and scored one goal with US U-17 national soccer team
United States U-17 men's national soccer team
The United States U-17 men's national soccer team is the national under-17 association football team of the United States and is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation...
, including captaining the team at the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship
1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship
-Group B:---------------------Group C:---------------------Group D:-------------------------Knockout Stage:-Quarterfinals:-------------Semifinals:-----Playoff for 3rd place:-Final:-Top goalscorers:...
in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
. Afterwards, he was named the 1998 Gatorade Player of the Year
Gatorade Player of the Year awards
The Gatorade Player of the Year awards are given annually to male and female high-school student-athletes in the United States. They are given for boys' baseball, boys' football, girls' softball, girls' volleyball, boys' basketball, girls' basketball, boys' cross country, girls' cross country,...
.
College
As a freshman, Downing played in 23 matches and was named to Soccer America's All-Freshman team. In his second season, he was a second-team All South Atlantic Regions selection. In 1999 Downing was a Hermann TrophyHermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top male and female college soccer players.-History:...
and Missouri Athletic Club
Missouri Athletic Club
The Missouri Athletic Club , founded in 1903, is a traditional gentlemen's club and athletic club in Downtown St. Louis, Missouri, USA, with a separate athletic campus in the St. Louis County suburb of Town and Country. The MAC awards the annual Hermann Trophy, the highest award in American...
award finalist. During his junior year, Downing announced his decision to forgo his final year of NCAA eligibility and enter the MLS SuperDraft
MLS SuperDraft
The MLS SuperDraft is an annual event, taking place in January of each year, in which the Major League Soccer teams select players who have graduated from college or otherwise been signed by the league...
.
Major League Soccer
In 2001, Downing was signed to a Project-40Generation adidas
Generation adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages early entry of American players into MLS...
contract. Selected in the second round of the 2001 MLS SuperDraft
2001 MLS SuperDraft
-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:-External links:*...
, Downing made only five league appearances for the New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
. The next season Downing saw the pitch twelve times. In 2003, Downing did not make any first team appearances, was loaned to Portland and was later released.
After being released from his MLS contract, Downing signed with Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery is an American professional soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
.
Honors
New England Revolution- MLS Eastern Conference: 2002
Statistics
|-|2001||rowspan="3"|New England Revolution
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
||rowspan="3"|MLS
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
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|2003
2003 A-League
-Northeast Division:-Southeast Division:-Central Division:-Pacific Division:-Northeast Division:-----Southeast Division:-Central Division:-Pacific Division:-Eastern Conference final:-Western Conference final:-----Final:...
||Portland Timbers (loan)||rowspan="2"|A-League
A-League (1995–2004)
The A-League was a professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. The A-League emerged out of the restructured American Professional Soccer League in 1995 and operated until 2004, after which it was re-branded the USL First Division...
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|2004
2004 A-League
-Western Conference:-Eastern Conference:-Playoffs:...
||Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery
Charleston Battery is an American professional soccer team based in Charleston, South Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in the American Division of the new USL Professional Division, the third tier of the American Soccer Pyramid....
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