Taylor Twellman
Encyclopedia
Taylor Twellman is a retired American
soccer player who currently works as a television analyst for the Philadelphia Union and ESPN
soccer.
, and attended Saint Louis University High School
, where he lettered in American football
, basketball
, soccer
, and baseball
, and maintained a 3.5 grade point average. Playing shortstop
, he batted .450 as a junior and .517 as a senior; although he was not drafted, he was offered a contract by the Kansas City Royals
. After graduating from SLUH in 1998, Twellman rejected the offer, electing to play soccer at Maryland
on an athletic scholarship.
At Maryland, Twellman played soccer in 1998 and 1999; in 1998 Twellman was named a second-team All American for the squad, and in his sophomore 1999 season he finished as a runner-up for both the Hermann Trophy
and the MAC Player of the Year Award. After only two seasons with the Terrapins, Twellman left college to turn professional.
club 1860 Munich. However, after an unsuccessful two years with the team, for whom he never played above the reserve level, Twellman returned to the U.S. when he was drafted second overall by the New England Revolution
in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft
.
In Twellman's first season in MLS, he established himself as one of the most dangerous players in the league, finishing second in the league in goals scored (23), first in overall points (52), and was runner-up to Carlos Ruiz for MLS MVP
, despite starting the season as a backup for Mamadou Diallo
and Wolde Harris
. In the 2003 season, despite being beset by a number of injuries, Twellman finished tied for first in the league in goals scored with 15, again with Ruiz. His production went down in 2004, as he ended up with just nine goals. But 2005 saw Twellman back to his old form, as he won both the Major League Soccer MVP Award
and MLS Golden Boot
, finishing the regular season with 17 goals. He was also named to the MLS Best XI
, as he was in 2002.
Twellman was the target of transfer talk when Odd Grenland of Norway reportedly made a $1.2 million bid for him, which MLS rejected. In February 2007, New England announced they had signed Twellman to a four year contract, reportedly worth $300,000 per year.
In 2007, Twellman won his first title with the Revolution: the US Open Cup, a season in which he finished third in MLS in goals scored. The Revolution also won the Eastern Conference title, with Twellman scoring a spectacular bicycle kick against the Chicago Fire to secure the Revs' spot in the 2007 MLS Cup. Twellman scored the opening goal of the 2007 MLS Cup against Houston Dynamo. However, this would be New England's only goal as they would go on to lose their third straight MLS Cup by a score of 2-1.
In January 2008, English Championship
team Preston North End had a bid totalling $2.5 million rejected for the striker, against the player's wishes.
Twellman missed the majority of the 2008 and 2009 MLS seasons after suffering a neck injury and a subsequent serious concussion in a game against Los Angeles Galaxy
on August 30, 2008. Twellman planned to make his return during the 2010 season but on June 24, it was announced that Twellman would not play in the 2010 season and was placed on the season-ending injury list. After struggling to find any playing time over the past three seasons in MLS, due to his head injury, Twellman announced his retirement from the game at the end of the 2010 MLS season. Twellman has agreed to donate his brain to science after death. It is believed his brain could be of great use to determine whether or not multiple concussions causes permanent harm to the brain.
. He made international headlines at the 1999 World Youth Championship, scoring four goals. Twellman graduated to the senior national team (making his first appearance for the team on November 17, 2002 against El Salvador
). Twellman struggled to score his first international goal, having several apparent goals waved off for offside infractions, before finally scoring against Panama
in a World Cup qualifier October 12, 2005. He began to improve his chances for a spot on the 2006 World Cup
team with a hat trick
against Norway in a friendly on January 29, 2006 (only the ninth in US National Team history). However, as the selection process for the 23-man World Cup roster came around, Twellman was not on the list.
, and uncles Mike Twellman
and Steve Twellman
, all played professionally in the North American Soccer League
. Taylor's brother James Twellman, played with the San Jose Earthquakes
reserves in 2002. Taylor's grandfather, Jim Delsing
, was a major league baseball outfielder in the 1950s for five different teams. His uncle is golfer Jay Delsing
.
Twellman was the recipient of the inaugural Keough Award
for outstanding male soccer player from the St. Louis area in 2004.
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||rowspan="8"|Major League Soccer
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United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who currently works as a television analyst for the Philadelphia Union and ESPN
ESPN
Entertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
soccer.
Youth and College
Taylor was raised in St. Louis, MissouriSt. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, and attended Saint Louis University High School
Saint Louis University High School
St. Louis University High School , a Jesuit Catholic high school for boys founded in 1818, is the oldest secondary educational institution in the U.S. west of the Mississippi River, and one of the largest private high schools in Missouri. It is located in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Saint...
, where he lettered in American football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, soccer
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
, and baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
, and maintained a 3.5 grade point average. Playing shortstop
Shortstop
Shortstop, abbreviated SS, is the baseball fielding position between second and third base. Shortstop is often regarded as the most dynamic defensive position in baseball, because there are more right-handed hitters in baseball than left-handed hitters, and most hitters have a tendency to pull the...
, he batted .450 as a junior and .517 as a senior; although he was not drafted, he was offered a contract by the Kansas City Royals
Kansas City Royals
The Kansas City Royals are a Major League Baseball team based in Kansas City, Missouri. The Royals are a member of the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. From 1973 to the present, the Royals have played in Kauffman Stadium...
. After graduating from SLUH in 1998, Twellman rejected the offer, electing to play soccer at Maryland
University of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
on an athletic scholarship.
At Maryland, Twellman played soccer in 1998 and 1999; in 1998 Twellman was named a second-team All American for the squad, and in his sophomore 1999 season he finished as a runner-up for both the Hermann Trophy
Hermann 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 the MAC Player of the Year Award. After only two seasons with the Terrapins, Twellman left college to turn professional.
Professional
In 2000, Twellman signed with German BundesligaFußball-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...
club 1860 Munich. However, after an unsuccessful two years with the team, for whom he never played above the reserve level, Twellman returned to the U.S. when he was drafted second overall by 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...
in the 2002 MLS SuperDraft
2002 MLS SuperDraft
The 2002 Major League Soccer SuperDraft.-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:...
.
In Twellman's first season in MLS, he established himself as one of the most dangerous players in the league, finishing second in the league in goals scored (23), first in overall points (52), and was runner-up to Carlos Ruiz for MLS MVP
Major League Soccer MVP Award
The Major League Soccer MVP is a soccer award for players in Major League Soccer. The award is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...
, despite starting the season as a backup for Mamadou Diallo
Mamadou Diallo
Mamadou Diallo , also known as Big Mama, is a former Senegalese football striker.-European career:Diallo has played all over the world: United States, Senegal, Morocco, Switzerland, Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, South Africa, Mali, Germany, Turkey, Sweden and Norway...
and Wolde Harris
Wolde Harris
Wolde Sealassie Harris is a Jamaican football striker who played professionally in Major League Soccer and was the 1996 A-League Rookie of the Year...
. In the 2003 season, despite being beset by a number of injuries, Twellman finished tied for first in the league in goals scored with 15, again with Ruiz. His production went down in 2004, as he ended up with just nine goals. But 2005 saw Twellman back to his old form, as he won both the Major League Soccer MVP Award
Major League Soccer MVP Award
The Major League Soccer MVP is a soccer award for players in Major League Soccer. The award is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...
and MLS Golden Boot
MLS Golden Boot
The MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
, finishing the regular season with 17 goals. He was also named to the MLS Best XI
MLS Best XI
The MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
, as he was in 2002.
Twellman was the target of transfer talk when Odd Grenland of Norway reportedly made a $1.2 million bid for him, which MLS rejected. In February 2007, New England announced they had signed Twellman to a four year contract, reportedly worth $300,000 per year.
In 2007, Twellman won his first title with the Revolution: the US Open Cup, a season in which he finished third in MLS in goals scored. The Revolution also won the Eastern Conference title, with Twellman scoring a spectacular bicycle kick against the Chicago Fire to secure the Revs' spot in the 2007 MLS Cup. Twellman scored the opening goal of the 2007 MLS Cup against Houston Dynamo. However, this would be New England's only goal as they would go on to lose their third straight MLS Cup by a score of 2-1.
In January 2008, English Championship
Football League Championship
The Football League Championship is the highest division of The Football League and second-highest division overall in the English football league system after the Premier League...
team Preston North End had a bid totalling $2.5 million rejected for the striker, against the player's wishes.
Twellman missed the majority of the 2008 and 2009 MLS seasons after suffering a neck injury and a subsequent serious concussion in a game against Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
on August 30, 2008. Twellman planned to make his return during the 2010 season but on June 24, it was announced that Twellman would not play in the 2010 season and was placed on the season-ending injury list. After struggling to find any playing time over the past three seasons in MLS, due to his head injury, Twellman announced his retirement from the game at the end of the 2010 MLS season. Twellman has agreed to donate his brain to science after death. It is believed his brain could be of great use to determine whether or not multiple concussions causes permanent harm to the brain.
International
In addition to success in MLS, Twellman has occasionally played for the U.S. national teamUnited 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...
. He made international headlines at the 1999 World Youth Championship, scoring four goals. Twellman graduated to the senior national team (making his first appearance for the team on November 17, 2002 against El Salvador
El Salvador national football team
El Salvador's national football team represents El Salvador in international football and is sanctioned by the Federación Salvadoreña de Fútbol . In 1899, Santa Ana and San Salvador met for the first hosted football game in El Salvador...
). Twellman struggled to score his first international goal, having several apparent goals waved off for offside infractions, before finally scoring against Panama
Panama national football team
The Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Panamanian Football Federation. Panama reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Round in the qualifiers and finished as runners-up at the final game of the 2005 Gold Cup...
in a World Cup qualifier October 12, 2005. He began to improve his chances for a spot on the 2006 World Cup
2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
team with a hat trick
Hat Trick
Hat trick, hat-trick or hattrick may refer to:* hat-trick — in various sports, achieving three goals, wickets, etc. in a single match* Hattrick — online football management game** Hattrick Limited — producers of this game...
against Norway in a friendly on January 29, 2006 (only the ninth in US National Team history). However, as the selection process for the 23-man World Cup roster came around, Twellman was not on the list.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 12 October 2005 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... , Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1-0 | 2-0 | WCQ 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF) Listed below are the dates and results for the 2006 FIFA World Cup qualification rounds for North, Central America and the Caribbean. A total of 34 teams took part , competing for 3.5 places in the World Cup.The qualification process was divided in three stages... |
|
| 2. | 29 January 2006 | Home Depot Center, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
1-0 | 5-0 | Friendly | |
| 3. | 29 January 2006 | Home Depot Center, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
2-0 | 5-0 | Friendly | |
| 4. | 29 January 2006 | Home Depot Center, California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
4-0 | 5-0 | Friendly | |
| 5. | 10 February 2006 | SBC Park AT&T Park AT&T Park is a ballpark located in the South Beach neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Located at 24 Willie Mays Plaza, at the corner of Third and King Streets, it has served as the home of the San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball since 2000.... , California California California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
3-0 | 3-2 | Friendly | |
| 6. | 12 June 2007 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... , Massachusetts Massachusetts The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
3-0 | 4-0 | 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup The 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the ninth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean , and was won by the United States over Mexico. It was contested in the United States from June 6 to June 24, 2007.This competition was the third... |
Personal
Taylor's father Tim TwellmanTim Twellman
Timothy “Tim” Twellman is a retired American soccer player who spent seven years in the North American Soccer League and four in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned one cap with the U.S. national team in 1982. After retiring from playing professionally, he has coached high school and...
, and uncles Mike Twellman
Mike Twellman
Mike Twellman was a U.S. soccer defender who played two seasons in the North American Soccer League, one in the United Soccer League and two in the first Major Indoor Soccer League.-High school and college:...
and Steve Twellman
Steve Twellman
Steve Twellman was a U.S. soccer player who spent three seasons in the North American Soccer League.Twellman attended Michigan State University where he played on the Spartans soccer team during its first years playing in the NCAA Division I...
, all played professionally in the North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
. Taylor's brother James Twellman, played with the San Jose Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes professional soccer team is located in the San Jose, California, United States suburb of Santa Clara, and participates in Major League Soccer , the top level soccer league in the United States and Canada....
reserves in 2002. Taylor's grandfather, Jim Delsing
Jim Delsing
James Henry Delsing was an American Major League Baseball outfielder who is most remembered for having been the pinch runner for -tall Eddie Gaedel on August 19,...
, was a major league baseball outfielder in the 1950s for five different teams. His uncle is golfer Jay Delsing
Jay Delsing
Jay Delsing is an American professional golfer.Delsing was born in St. Louis, Missouri. He played college golf at UCLA with Corey Pavin, Steve Pate, Tom Pernice, Jr., and Duffy Waldorf. He graduated from UCLA in 1983 with a degree in Economics.At the end of 2007, he led all active PGA Tour...
.
Twellman was the recipient of the inaugural Keough Award
Keough Award
The Keough Award is an award given to the top male and female soccer players from the St. Louis, Missouri area. It was established in 2004 and is named after former United States men's national soccer team member and St. Louis University men's soccer coach Harry Keough.-Winners:-References:*Joe...
for outstanding male soccer player from the St. Louis area in 2004.
New England Revolution
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open CupLamar Hunt U.S. Open CupThe Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
(1): 20072007 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup-Schedule:Note: Scorelines use the standard U.S. convention of placing the home team on the right-hand side of box scores.-First round:-----Second round:-----Third round:... - North American SuperLigaNorth American SuperLigaThe SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
(1): 20082008 North American SuperLigaThe 2008 North American SuperLiga, is the second edition of the SuperLiga competition. The top four Major League Soccer teams by point totals at the end of the 2007 season earn qualification....
Individual
- Major League Soccer MVPMajor League Soccer MVP AwardThe Major League Soccer MVP is a soccer award for players in Major League Soccer. The award is given to the player deemed the most valuable player in the league each season. From 1996 to 2007 the award was sponsored by Honda. The award is now sponsored by Volkswagen.Preki is the only player to win...
: 2005 - MLS Golden BootMLS Golden BootThe MLS Golden Boot has been awarded since the 2005 season to Major League Soccer's regular season leading scorer...
Winner: 2005 - MLS Best XIMLS Best XIThe MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
: 2002, 2005
Career stats
|-|2002||rowspan="8"|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="8"|Major League Soccer
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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|2006||32||11||2||1||2||0||36||12
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|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
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|2008
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
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|2009
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...
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