Jeff Baicher

Last updated
Jeff Baicher
Personal information
Date of birth (1968-11-16) November 16, 1968 (age 54)
Place of birth Sunnyvale, California, United States
Height 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
Sunnyvale United
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1987–1988 Foothill College
1989–1990 Santa Clara Broncos
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1989–1992 San Francisco Bay Blackhawks
1993 San Jose Hawks [1]
1994 CCV Hydra 16 (17)
1995 Monterey Bay Jaguars
1995 San Jose Grizzlies (indoor) 17 (13)
1996–1999 San Jose Clash 102 (20)
1999 New England Revolution 10 (1)
2000 Kansas City Wizards 0 (0)
2000 Bay Area Seals 24 (3)
International career
1990–1991 United States 2 (0)
Managerial career
Bethany University
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Jeff Baicher (born November 16, 1968 in Sunnyvale, California) is a retired American soccer forward whose professional career took him through multiple leagues, including the Western Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, Continental Indoor Soccer League and Major League Soccer. He ended his playing career with the Bay Area Seals of the USL A-League. He earned two caps with the U.S. national team and coaches youth soccer.

Contents

Youth

Baicher was born and raised in California. He lived in Santa Clara County while growing up and entered organized soccer with the Sunnyvale United Soccer Club. He also attended Homestead High School where he played on the boys soccer team. After graduating from high school, Baicher attended Foothill College, a local two year community college near his home and went to two straight State Championships. In 1989, he transferred to Santa Clara University where he spent the next two seasons. In 1989, Baichers first year with the Broncos, the team won the NCAA championship title against Virginia after the two schools played even through four overtimes. 1989 Baicher was named NCAA player of the year and was scouted by Manchester United and the US National Team. While at Santa Clara, he paired with fellow forward Paul Bravo who later teamed with Baicher at both the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks and the San Jose Clash. Baicher was named NCAA top 11 and was named NCAA All-America both in his Junior and Senior year. He ended his two years at Santa Clara fifth on the NCAA list of assists per game with 37 in 43 games.

Minor leagues

While still in college, Baicher began playing for the professional soccer club San Francisco Bay Blackhawks of the Western Soccer League during the collegiate off season. He would remain with the Blackhawks for their entire existence under that name, beginning with the team’s first season in 1989 and ending in 1991. During his years with the Blackhawks, he became an integral part of this dominant U.S. club. That same season, the Blackhawks went to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions' Cup. The last two seasons saw Baicher play for Laurie Calloway as well as former Broncos team mate Paul Bravo . .

In 1991, Baicher was recruited and traveled to England where he had a trial with Manchester United. Baicher trained with the first team and reserves and saw time with the reserve squad during the 1991 season before returning home in early 1992 for ACL reconstruction in his left knee.

In 1994, Baicher spent the season with the Central California Valley (CCV) Hydra of the U.S. Interregional Soccer League (USISL). The next year found him with the Monterey Bay Jaguars of the USISL Professional League. That season, Monterey Bay compiled a 16-4 record, taking their Division championship. That put them in the Sizzling Nine tournament where they failed to make the title game.

The 1995 season also saw Baicher spend time with the San Jose Grizzlies of the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL).

MLS

In 1996, the San Jose Clash of Major League Soccer drafted Baicher for 1996 MLS Inaugural Player Draft. He went on to play from 1996 to 1999 in San Jose. The first two seasons saw him reunited with his former Blackhawks coach Laurie Calloway as well as his recurring team mate Paul Bravo. The team thought so highly of him that they protected him in the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft. However, in 1999, while he was the team’s second leading scorer, San Jose sent him to the New England Revolution for Jair on August 13, 1999. The mid-season trade sparked considerable controversy as Robert Kraft owned both teams. Kraft owned the New England Patriots of the National Football League (NFL) and had grown up and lived in the New England area his entire life. At the time it appeared as if Kraft had made the trade in order to boost the Revolution’s prospects at the expense of the Clash.

Regardless, Baicher spent only the remainder of the 1999 season with the Revs before being traded, with a third round draft pick, to the Kansas City Wizards on January 3, 2000 for the Wizards’ second, third and fourth round picks in the 2000 Super Draft. Baicher was furious with the trade and refused to move to Kansas City. He had spent his entire playing career in the San Francisco bay area and his wife had long established herself in the Silicon Valley computer industry. He demanded that the league send him back to San Jose. When MLS refused to invalidate the trade or pressure the Wizards to send him to the Earthquakes, Baicher retired from MLS. . Baicher was named the team’s Offensive Player of the Year but decided to retire from playing professionally.

National team

Baicher was scouted by US soccer for his performance in the NCAA final in 1989. He joined the US National Team pool after his junior year at Santa Clara University and spend the next five years in and out of the team. He played 22 times against opponents like Bayern Munich, Flamingo and Boca Juniors. Baicher earned two caps with the U.S national team in 1990 and 1991. His first cap came as a substitute for Bruce Murray in a February 13, 1990 victory over Bermuda. His second, and last, cap came a year later as a substitute for Fernando Clavijo in a February 1, 1991 loss to Switzerland.

Coaching

Since retiring from playing professionally, Baicher has joined the coaching ranks with Bethany University. He is currently the Boys Coaching Director and coach for the DeAnza Force Soccer Club.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jeff Agoos</span> American soccer player (born 1968)

Jeffrey Alan Agoos is an American former professional soccer player who played as a defender. He is one of the all-time appearance leaders for the United States national team. Agoos served as the Sporting Director for the New York Red Bulls, and currently is the Vice President of Competition for Major League Soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dominic Kinnear</span> American soccer coach and former player (born 1967)

Dominic Kinnear is an American soccer coach and former player. On January 18, 2022, he was named an assistant coach by FC Cincinnati, his first coaching role since serving as the interim head coach of the LA Galaxy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ezra Hendrickson</span> Vincentian association football player and head coach

Ezra Hendrickson is a Vincentian professional football coach and former player. He was the head coach of Major League Soccer club Chicago Fire FC from November 24, 2021 until his dismissal on May 8, 2023.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe Cannon (soccer)</span> American soccer player

Joseph Cannon is an American former professional soccer player. He spent the majority of his 16 professional seasons playing in Major League Soccer. His 86 MLS career shutouts ranks him fourth in league history. He won the MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award twice, and finished runner-up for the award three times.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">C. J. Brown</span> American soccer player

C. J. Brown is an American soccer coach and former player. He currently serves as an assistant coach for Chicago Fire FC in Major League Soccer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jimmy Conrad</span> American soccer player

James Paul Conrad 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Troy Dayak</span> American soccer player

Troy Michael Dayak is an American former soccer player who played as central defender. He spent his entire Major League Soccer career with the San Jose Clash/Earthquakes and nearly all of his professional career playing for Bay Area teams.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jamil Walker</span> American soccer player

Jamil Walker is a retired American soccer forward and midfielder, who played professionally in Major League Soccer and the USL First Division.

Rhett Stowe Harty is an American former soccer defender who spent one season in the Western Soccer League, one in the Continental Indoor Soccer League, one in the USISL and three with the MetroStars of Major League Soccer.

Paul Bravo is an American former soccer player who was most recently head coach of NISA side Oakland Roots SC. He played six seasons in Major League Soccer, two in the American Professional Soccer League and two in the USISL. He also earned four caps, scoring one goal, with the United States men's national soccer team. After his retirement from playing, Bravo served for several years as an assistant coach in both Major League Soccer and the NCAA and was most recently Technical Director for the Colorado Rapids.

Tim Martin is a former American soccer defender. Over his twelve-year professional career, he played with numerous teams in six leagues, winning the 1994 U.S. Open Cup with the San Francisco Greek-Americans and the 1991 American Professional Soccer League title with the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks. He also earned two caps with the U.S. national team. Since retiring from playing in 2000, he has become a college and youth soccer coach.

Peter Isaacs is a former Jamaican soccer forward.

Tayt Ianni is a former U.S. soccer defender.

Paul Holocher is a former U.S. soccer midfielder who played in Austria and Major League Soccer. He also earned one caps with the U.S. national team in 1996. He was the Academy Director for MLS club Houston Dynamo.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Dougherty</span>

Mark Dougherty is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played in the Western Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League, USISL and Major League Soccer. He served as a goalkeeper coach with the U.S. women national team.

Kevin Grimes is a former U.S. National Team player who played five seasons in the American Professional Soccer League, one in the USISL and one each in Iceland and Major League Soccer. He also earned five caps with the U.S. National Team in 1988. Grimes made over 20 appearances for the U.S. National Team from 1988 to 1990 that were not official international caps, but rather international matches versus other professional clubs from Central and South America.

Mark Semioli is a retired American soccer defender who played six seasons in Major Soccer League, four in American Professional Soccer League and three in USISL. He won the 1994 U.S. Open Cup with the San Francisco Greek-Americans.

Jamil Roberts is an American former soccer player who played as a defender. He played one match for the San Jose Earthquakes in 2008.

John Garvey is a retired American soccer player.

Kevin Rueda is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the USISL and USL A-League.

References

  1. ↑ "Shields, Wozniak star but Falcons drop pair". The Star News. Chula Vista. 1993-06-16. Retrieved 2021-08-24.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.