Rob Friend
Encyclopedia
Rob Friend is a Canadian
soccer player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt
in the 2nd Bundesliga
.
Friend played college soccer
at University of California, Santa Barbara
. As a senior on the UCSB soccer team, Friend scored in 12 consecutive matches which ranks fourth in NCAA history.
by the Chicago Fire. Instead of playing for the Fire, he decided to play in Norway
. Together with fellow countryman Patrice Bernier
, he was signed by Moss F.K.
In the middle of 2004, he was signed by Molde F.K.
, and after he helped Molde F.K.
win the Norwegian Men's Football Cup
, he was transferred to SC Heerenveen on a four year contract. After making 19 appearances with Heerenveen and scoring five goals, he was loaned to Heracles Almelo
to conclude the 2006–07 season. On 3 February 2007, Friend played his first Eredivisie
match for Heracles Almelo against Willem II Tilburg
. He helped the team retain their status in the Eredivisie by scoring three goals in 12 games for Heracles. Despite his contributions, Heerenveen deemed him surplus to requirements and transferred him on to Borussia Mönchengladbach
.
's top scorer and the second top scorer in Bundesliga 2. His team finished first, and were promoted to the Bundesliga.
On 17 August 2008, Friend scored in his very first game in the Bundesliga, against VfB Stuttgart. After three years in Mönchengladbach, including two in the Bundesliga
, Friend was sold from the club and was bought by the newly relegated Hertha BSC for €1.8 million.
Friend made his debut and scored his first goal for Berlin on 14 August 2010 in a DFB-Pokal
cup match versus SC Pfullendorf
, the game ended as a 2–0 victory. Six days later he made his league debut for the team in a 3–2 victory over Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
. On 12 September, Friend had a man of the match performance scoring 2 goals in a 3–1 home victory over Arminia Bielefeld
at Olympic Stadium
. Friend finished his first season with Hertha having scored 6 goals in 27 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal. He helped Hertha win the 2. Bundesliga
gaining automatic promotion back to top flight football. On the final day of the 2011 summer transfer window, Friend returned to the second division, joining the newly relegated Eintracht Frankfurt
.
at the U-20, U-23, and senior levels. He saw action in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
, as well as the 2004 CONCACAF Men Pre-Olympic Tournament.
Friend made his debut with the senior international team on 18 January 2003 in a friendly with the United States
. Since then, and as of December 2009., he has been capped 24 times by his country, scoring twice. He has represented Canada in 5 FIFA World Cup qualification
matches.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soccer player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
in the 2nd Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
.
Early years
As a teenager Friend tried many sports at a high level including volleyball, tennis, hockey, rugby. At 17, Friend decided to concentrate on soccer. He sometimes wishes he concentrated on soccer earlier on and sees his development as still ongoing. "Others reach a certain level at an early age, but for me I am still developing today", he says. "Therefore I'll often work on things after practice. Things that I missed out on as a youth, to help me improve. Since I decided on soccer, I become better and better and always work harder to improve myself further".Friend played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
. As a senior on the UCSB soccer team, Friend scored in 12 consecutive matches which ranks fourth in NCAA history.
Norway
After he graduated, Friend was drafted in the 4th Round, 35th Overall, of the 2003 MLS SuperDraft2003 MLS SuperDraft
The 2003 Major League Soccer SuperDraft was held January 17, 2003 in Kansas City, Missouri.-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:References=* USA Today MLS Draft List...
by the Chicago Fire. Instead of playing for the Fire, he decided to play in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. Together with fellow countryman Patrice Bernier
Patrice Bernier
Patrice Bernier is a Canadian soccer player who currently plays in Denmark for Lyngby Boldklub.A 177 cm central midfielder, also capable of playing on the right wing.-Club career:...
, he was signed by Moss F.K.
Moss F.K.
Moss Fotballklubb is a Norwegian football club, founded on August 28, 1906. They currently play in the Fair Play ligaen, the third highest division in the Norwegian football league system. They played in the Norwegian Premier League between 1937-1939, 1953-1954, 1977-1985 , 1987-1990 , 1996 and...
In the middle of 2004, he was signed by Molde F.K.
Molde F.K.
Molde Fotballklubb is a football club from Molde, Norway. It was founded on 19 June 1911.They currently play in Tippeligaen, the Norwegian top division. Molde's home matches are played at Aker Stadion , which holds a record attendance of 13,308 . Aker Stadion's maximum capacity now is 11,800...
The Netherlands
Before the expiration of his contract with Molde F.K.Molde F.K.
Molde Fotballklubb is a football club from Molde, Norway. It was founded on 19 June 1911.They currently play in Tippeligaen, the Norwegian top division. Molde's home matches are played at Aker Stadion , which holds a record attendance of 13,308 . Aker Stadion's maximum capacity now is 11,800...
, and after he helped Molde F.K.
Molde F.K.
Molde Fotballklubb is a football club from Molde, Norway. It was founded on 19 June 1911.They currently play in Tippeligaen, the Norwegian top division. Molde's home matches are played at Aker Stadion , which holds a record attendance of 13,308 . Aker Stadion's maximum capacity now is 11,800...
win the Norwegian Men's Football Cup
Norwegian football cup
The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed...
, he was transferred to SC Heerenveen on a four year contract. After making 19 appearances with Heerenveen and scoring five goals, he was loaned to Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo
Heracles Almelo is a football club from Almelo, Netherlands.Heracles Almelo were founded on May 3, 1903 as Heracles, after the demigod son of Zeus. They changed their name on July 1, 1974 to SC Heracles '74 and finally settled on the current name in 1998. The club has won the Dutch national title...
to conclude the 2006–07 season. On 3 February 2007, Friend played his first Eredivisie
Eredivisie
The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA....
match for Heracles Almelo against Willem II Tilburg
Willem II Tilburg
Willem II , also known as Willem II Tilburg, is a football club based in Tilburg, North Brabant, Netherlands. The team was founded on 12 August 1896 as Tilburgia...
. He helped the team retain their status in the Eredivisie by scoring three goals in 12 games for Heracles. Despite his contributions, Heerenveen deemed him surplus to requirements and transferred him on to Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
.
Germany
During the 2007–08 season Friend scored 18 goals in 33 matches, making him Borussia MönchengladbachBorussia Mönchengladbach
Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth...
's top scorer and the second top scorer in Bundesliga 2. His team finished first, and were promoted to the Bundesliga.
On 17 August 2008, Friend scored in his very first game in the Bundesliga, against VfB Stuttgart. After three years in Mönchengladbach, including two in the Bundesliga
Fußball-Bundesliga
The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
, Friend was sold from the club and was bought by the newly relegated Hertha BSC for €1.8 million.
Friend made his debut and scored his first goal for Berlin on 14 August 2010 in a DFB-Pokal
DFB-Pokal
The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga...
cup match versus SC Pfullendorf
SC Pfullendorf
SC Pfullendorf is a German sports club based in Pfullendorf, Baden-Württemberg. The 700-member club is best known for its football department, but also has departments for chess, table tennis and ice stock sport, a winter sport similar to curling.-History:...
, the game ended as a 2–0 victory. Six days later he made his league debut for the team in a 3–2 victory over Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen
Rot-Weiß Oberhausen is a German association football club in Oberhausen, North Rhine-Westphalia. The club was formed as Oberhausener SV in December 1904 out of the merger of Emschertaler SV and the football enthusiasts of Oberhausener TV 1873...
. On 12 September, Friend had a man of the match performance scoring 2 goals in a 3–1 home victory over Arminia Bielefeld
Arminia Bielefeld
DSC Arminia Bielefeld is a German sports club from Bielefeld, North Rhine-Westphalia. Arminia offers the sports of football, field hockey, figure skating and cue sports. The club has 11,394 members and the club colours are black, white and blue...
at Olympic Stadium
Olympic Stadium (Berlin)
The Olympiastadion is a sports stadium in Berlin, Germany. There have been two stadiums on the site: the present facility, and one that is called the Deutsches Stadion which was built for the aborted 1916 Summer Olympics. Both were designed by members of the same family, the first by Otto March...
. Friend finished his first season with Hertha having scored 6 goals in 27 appearances in the 2. Bundesliga and DFB-Pokal. He helped Hertha win the 2. Bundesliga
2. Fußball-Bundesliga
- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
gaining automatic promotion back to top flight football. On the final day of the 2011 summer transfer window, Friend returned to the second division, joining the newly relegated Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt
Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :...
.
International career
Friend has represented CanadaCanada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
at the U-20, U-23, and senior levels. He saw action in the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
2001 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in Argentina between June 17 and July 8, 2001. The 2001 championship was the 13th contested. The tournament took part in six cities, Buenos Aires, Córdoba, Mendoza, Rosario, Salta, and Mar del Plata...
, as well as the 2004 CONCACAF Men Pre-Olympic Tournament.
Friend made his debut with the senior international team on 18 January 2003 in a friendly with the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. Since then, and as of December 2009., he has been capped 24 times by his country, scoring twice. He has represented Canada in 5 FIFA World Cup qualification
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
matches.
Club
| Club performance | |Cup | |Continental | Norway | |Norwegian Football Cup Norwegian football cup The Norwegian Football Cup is the main knockout cup competition in Norwegian football. It is run by the Football Association of Norway and has been contested since 1902, making it the oldest football tournament in the country. The tournament is commonly known as Cupen or NM, an acronym formed... | |Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... | First Division Adeccoligaen The Norwegian First Division is the second highest division of the Norwegian football league system. Since 2005, the official name of the league has been Adeccoligaen.... | Moss FK | 2003 | — | — | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 2004 Norwegian First Division The 2004 Norwegian First Division season kicked off on 12 April 2004, and the final round was played on 31 October 2004.Start were promoted to the 2005 Norwegian Premier League as First Division winners, along with Aalesund who finished second. Start will be playing in the top division for the... |
— | |||||||||||||||||||
| Premier League Tippeligaen Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official... |
Molde FK | 2004 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||
| 2005 | 25 | 10 | 6 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||
| 2006 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | |KNVB Cup KNVB Cup The KNVB Cup is a competition in the Netherlands organized by the Royal Dutch Football Association since 1899. It was based on the format of the English FA Cup. Outside of the Netherlands, it is often referred to as the Dutch Cup... | |Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... | Eredivisie Eredivisie The Eredivisie is the highest football league in the Netherlands. The league was founded in 1956 two years after the start of professional football in the Netherlands. It is currently ranked the ninth best league in Europe by UEFA.... | SC Heerenveen | 2006–07 | 19 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| Heracles Almelo Heracles Almelo Heracles Almelo is a football club from Almelo, Netherlands.Heracles Almelo were founded on May 3, 1903 as Heracles, after the demigod son of Zeus. They changed their name on July 1, 1974 to SC Heracles '74 and finally settled on the current name in 1998. The club has won the Dutch national title... |
12 | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | |DFB-Pokal DFB-Pokal The DFB-Pokal or DFB Cup is a German knockout football cup competition held annually. 64 teams participate in the competition, including all clubs from the Bundesliga and the 2nd Bundesliga. It is considered the second most important national title in German football after the Bundesliga... | DFB-Ligapokal DFB-Ligapokal The DFB-Ligapokal, or German League Cup, was a German football competition that took place before the start of the Bundesliga season, featuring the top five teams of the previous Fußball-Bundesliga season and the winners of the DFB-Pokal in Germany... | Europe UEFA The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer.... | 2. Bundesliga 2. Fußball-Bundesliga - Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20... | Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Mönchengladbach Borussia Mönchengladbach is a German association football club based in Mönchengladbach, North Rhine-Westphalia. The team plays in the Bundesliga and is one of the country's most well-known, well-supported, and successful teams. Borussia Mönchengladbach has over 40,000 members and is the sixth... |
2007–08 | 33 | 18 | 1 | 0 | — | — | 34 | 18 | ||||||
| Bundesliga Fußball-Bundesliga The Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga... |
2008–09 | 24 | 7 | 1 | 1 | — | — | 25 | 8 | |||||||||||
| 2009–10 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga The 2009–10 Fußball-Bundesliga was the 47th season of the Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's premier football league. The season commenced on 7 August 2009 with the traditional season opening match involving the defending champions VfL Wolfsburg and VfB Stuttgart. The last games were played on 8 May 2010... |
26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | — | 26 | 3 | |||||||||||||
| 2. Bundesliga 2. Fußball-Bundesliga - Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20... |
Hertha BSC | 2010–11 2010–11 2. Fußball-Bundesliga The 2010–11 2. Fußball-Bundesliga was the 37th season of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's second tier of its football league system. The season started on the weekend of 21 August 2010 and ended with the last games on 15 May 2011... |
25 | 5 | 2 | 1 | — | 27 | 6 | |||||||||||
| Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt Eintracht Frankfurt is a German sports club, based in Frankfurt, Hesse that is best known for its association football club.- Club origins :... |
2011–12 2011–12 2. Fußball-Bundesliga The 2011–12 2. Fußball-Bundesliga is the 38th season of the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga, Germany's second tier of its football league system. The season commenced on 15 July 2011, three weeks earlier than the 2011–12 Fußball-Bundesliga season, and will end with the last games on 6 May 2012... |
4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | 5 | 1 | ||||||||||||
| Career totals | |— | |||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 31 | 8 | Germany | 112 | 34 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 117 | 36 | |||||||
| Career statistics | 224 | 71 | ||||||||||||||||||
International Goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 September 2006 | Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard The Complexe sportif Claude-Robillard is a multi-purpose sport facility, located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville.-Overview:... , Montreal Montreal Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America... , Canada Canada Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean... |
1–0 | Friendly | |
| 2 | 3 May 2008 | Qwest Field Qwest Field CenturyLink Field is a multi-purpose stadium in Seattle, Washington, United States. It serves as the home field for the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League and Seattle Sounders FC of Major League Soccer... , Seattle, United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
2–3 | Friendly |
Hertha BSC
- 2. Bundesliga2. Fußball-Bundesliga- Changes in division set-up :* Number of clubs: currently 18. From 1974 to 1981 there were two conferences, each of 20 teams. In 1981–91 it had 20...
Winner (Promotion to the BundesligaFußball-BundesligaThe Fußball-Bundesliga is a professional association football league in Germany. At the top of Germany's football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 18 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. Bundesliga...
) (1): 2010–11