Jason Kreis

Jason Clarence Kreis (born December 29, 1972) is an American soccer manager and former player who currently serves as head coach of USL League One club Fort Lauderdale CF and the United States U-23 team. He coached Orlando City SC in Major League Soccer and was previously an assistant coach under Jürgen Klinsmann for the United States men's national soccer team.[1] Prior to that he was the head coach of New York City FC and Real Salt Lake.

Jason Kreis
Kreis as head coach of Real Salt Lake
Personal information
Full name Jason Clarence Kreis
Date of birth (1972-12-29) December 29, 1972
Place of birth Omaha, Nebraska, United States
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Midfielder, Forward
Club information
Current team
 Fort Lauderdale CF (head coach)
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1991–1994 Duke Blue Devils
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1993 Raleigh Flyers
1994 New Orleans Storm
1995 Raleigh Flyers (10)
1996–2004 Dallas Burn 247 (91)
2005–2007 Real Salt Lake 58 (17)
Total 305 (108)
National team
1996–2000 United States 14 (1)
Teams managed
2007–2013 Real Salt Lake
2013–2015 New York City FC
2016–2018 Orlando City SC
2019– United States U23
2020– Fort Lauderdale CF
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Kreis spent the majority of his playing career in Major League Soccer in the United States, initially with the Dallas Burn, and later with Real Salt Lake. In total he made over 300 professional appearances, was Major League Soccer MVP in 1999, and is currently tied for the fifth highest scorer in MLS regular season history, with 108 goals. He also earned fourteen international caps for the United States national team. At one point in his playing career, he was the all-time leading scorer in MLS.

Early life

Kreis played for the Gladiator Soccer Club in his hometown of Omaha, Nebraska, where his parents were among the pioneers who established this first premier/select club within the state. As a freshman at Burke High School in Omaha, Kreis was selected First Team All-State.[2] He remains the only freshman selected to the first team. Following his freshman year, Kreis and his family moved to Mandeville, Louisiana, where he led Mandeville High School to several Class 5A state soccer tournaments, but never won a state title, losing to Lafayette High in the quarterfinals his senior year. While at Mandeville, he was also a standout performer for the Baton Rouge United Jags, a U-19 Select team that finished as national runner-up in 1991 and won the prestigious Capital Cup tournament in Washington, D.C. He played collegiately at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina.

Club career

Minor leagues

In 1993, Kreis played during the summer for the Raleigh Flyers of the USISL.[3] In the summer of 1994, he returned to Louisiana to play for the New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers, also of the USISL.[4] After finishing his collegiate eligibility in 1994, Kreis signed his first professional contract with the Raleigh Flyers in the spring of 1995.

Dallas Burn

On August 1, 1995, Kreis signed a contract with Major League Soccer as the league prepared for its inaugural season.[5] Kreis was drafted forty-third overall by the Dallas Burn in the fifth round of the MLS Inaugural Draft. He scored the first goal in Burn history. In 1999, Kreis was the first American-born player to be named league MVP after he led the league in points and goals, and also registered the first 15-goal, 15-assist season in league history. The five-time all-star led his team in goals five times and in points four times.

On June 26, 2004, Kreis scored his eighty-ninth league goal against D.C. United, moving past Roy Lassiter to the top of the league's all-time goal-scoring chart. Kreis remained the MLS all time goalscoring leader for more than three years until Jaime Moreno surpassed his record on August 22, 2007. He ended his ninth MLS season with career totals of 91 goals and 65 assists for 247 points, plus added four goals and two assists in the playoffs. He remains Dallas' all-time leader in games played (247), goals (91), assists (65), and points (247).

Real Salt Lake

On November 17, 2004, Kreis was traded to expansion team Real Salt Lake, becoming the first player in the club's history. Kreis scored the first goal in Salt Lake's history in its second match, a 3–1 loss to the Los Angeles Galaxy.[6] In doing so, he became the first player in league history to do so for two different teams, as he scored the inaugural goal for Dallas in 1996 as well.[7]

On August 13, 2005, he became the first player in MLS history to score 100 career league goals, during a 4–2 loss to the Kansas City Wizards.[8] The achievement was unexpected from observers, especially out of a 1996 class that included other candidates like Eric Wynalda, Brian McBride, or Joe-Max Moore; Kreis had never been considered a particularly dangerous goalscorer and had only lead the league in scoring once, in 1999.[9]

Kreis was left unprotected in the 2006 MLS Expansion Draft by Real Salt Lake and subsequently chosen by Toronto FC. He was reacquired by Salt Lake on November 17, 2006, with the club sending partial allocation money to Toronto in exchange.[10][11]

He retired as a player on May 3, 2007, to take over as head coach, finishing with 108 career goals.

International career

With only 14 international appearances,[12] Kreis was never able to translate his club success into one with the U.S. national team. He received his first cap on August 30, 1996, against El Salvador at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.[13] Kreis scored his only international goal on September 8, 1999, in a 2–2 draw against Jamaica in Kingston.[14]

International goals
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result CompetitionRef
1. September 8, 1999 National Stadium, Kingston, Jamaica  Jamaica 1 – 0 2–2 Friendly [14]

Coaching career

Real Salt Lake

On May 3, 2007, Kreis retired from professional competition and was announced as the new head coach of Real Salt Lake, retiring as a player and taking over the coaching reins from John Ellinger.[15] At the time of his hire, Kreis became the youngest active head coach in MLS at 34 years and 127 days. He led Real Salt Lake to its first-post season playoff appearance in 2008 and in 2009 he coached the team to its first MLS Cup championship. Kreis is the youngest coach in MLS history to win the MLS Cup. Following the 2009 MLS Cup win, Kreis would lead Real Salt Lake to playoff appearances in every subsequent season through 2013, including an appearance in the 2013 MLS Cup, which RSL lost to Sporting Kansas City in dramatic fashion on penalty kicks. Kreis also guided Real Salt Lake to a very good CONCACAF Champions League campaign in 2011. Real Salt Lake won Group A and made it all the way to the 2011 CONCACAF Champions League Finals, only to lose to 3–2 on aggregate to C.F. Monterrey.

Real Salt Lake signed Kreis to a contract extension on March 24, 2011, that kept him at the RSL helm through the 2013 season, after which he left RSL to become head coach of New York City FC. Real Salt Lake has retired Kreis' number 9 jersey from his playing days.[16]

New York City FC

On December 11, 2013, Kreis was announced as the first head coach of New York City FC, having reached the end of his contract at Real Salt Lake and declining an extension offer from RSL so he could take the New York City FC position.[17] The move came just four days after he missed out on lifting his second MLS Cup with the Utah team, losing on penalty kicks to Sporting Kansas City. It was revealed in the announcement that his contract, starting on January 1, 2014, would see him begin by traveling to Manchester in England to familiarize himself with the set-up of franchise-owners Manchester City.[17]

Kreis' inaugural season with NYCFC ended in disappointment. The club finished with a 10–17–7 record in the regular season placing 8th in the Eastern Conference, failing to make the 2015 MLS Cup Playoffs. He and the club parted ways on November 2, 2015.[18]

Orlando City SC

On July 19, 2016, Kreis was hired by Orlando City SC to replace outgoing inaugural coach Adrian Heath. At Orlando City, he reunited with two of his assistant coaches, Miles Joseph and C. J. Brown,[1] and led the club to its first win in two months during his first game in charge.[19]

On June 15, 2018, Kreis was released by Orlando City.[20]

United States U-23

On March 19, 2019, Kreis was named head coach of the United States men's national under-23 team.[21]

Career statistics

Club career statistics
Club performance League Cup League Cup Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
USA League Open Cup League Cup North America Total
1996FC DallasMLS31130021003314
1997328204100389
19983092021003410
199932181161003920
200027113120003212
2001257103000297
200227133031003314
2003187100000197
2004255100000265
2005Real Salt Lake249000000249
2006308000000308
20074000000040
Total USA 30510814222500341115
Career total 30510814222500341115
Source: MLS[22]

Coaching statistics
As of 24 October 2020
Coaching record by team and tenure
Team Nat From To Record Ref
G W D L GF GA GD Win %
Real Salt Lake 3 May 2007 10 December 2013 267 111 68 88 381 304 +77 041.57 [23]
New York City FC 11 December 2013 2 November 2015 35 10 8 17 51 60 −9 028.57 [24]
Orlando City SC 19 July 2016 15 June 2018 65 22 13 30 90 117 −27 033.85 [25]
United States U23 19 March 2019 Present 5 2 1 2 8 4 +4 040.00 [26]
Fort Lauderdale CF 15 February 2020 Present 16 4 3 9 19 28 −9 025.00 [27]
Total 388 149 93 146 549 513 +36 038.40 —

See also

References
  1. DelGallo, Alicia (July 19, 2016). "Orlando City hires former NYCFC coach Jason Kreis". Orlando Sentinel. Retrieved July 19, 2016.
  2. NEBRASKA USA TODAY – Wednesday, June 8, 1988
  3. Flyers top Dynamo 2–1 in a shootout The News & Observer – Wednesday, June 9, 1993
  4. "KREIS LEADS GAMBLERS' ROUT, 5–1" Times-Picayune (New Orleans) – Saturday, July 9, 1994
  5. "Flyers' Kreis signs deal with Major League Soccer" The News & Observer Wednesday, August 2, 1995
  6. Edward, James (April 10, 2005). "Donovan shoots L.A. Galaxy over Real S.L." Deseret News. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  7. "Storylines | City vs. Real Salt Lake". Orlando City Soccer Club. June 30, 2017. Retrieved September 10, 2017. Kreis scored the first goal in RSL history – and became the first player to score the first goal for two clubs, having scored Dallas' first goal in 1996...
  8. Black, Michael (August 14, 2005). "Real notes: Hitting century mark a Real big deal for Kreis". Deseret News. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  9. Connolly, Marc (August 14, 2005). "Kreis, the unexpected record holder". MLSnet.com. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  10. "Real Salt Lake reacquires rights to captain Jason Kreis" (Press release). Real Salt Lake. November 17, 2006. Archived from the original on May 6, 2007. Retrieved July 11, 2016.
  11. "MLS all-time scoring leader Kreis chosen by Toronto". ESPN. Associated Press. November 17, 2006. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  12. Lodes, Kirk J. (2008). The American Soccer Guide. Mobile, Alabama: Infosential Press. p. 70. OCLC 213482683. Retrieved July 12, 2016 – via Google Books.
  13. "International Friendly: USA 3, El Salvador 1 (Aug. 30)". Soccer America. August 31, 1996. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  14. "Late goal gives U.S. tie with Jamaica". Sports Illustrated. September 9, 1999. Archived from the original on November 2, 2012. Retrieved July 12, 2016.
  15. Real Salt Lake captain Jason Kreis retires, named head coach Archived May 29, 2007, at the Wayback Machine
  16. Davis, Randy (March 25, 2011). "Real Salt Lake extend Kreis' contract through '13". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved April 24, 2011.
  17. "Jason Kreis named as Head Coach". nycfc.com. December 11, 2013. Retrieved December 11, 2013.
  18. "New York City part ways with head coach Jason Kreis". mlssoccer.com. November 2, 2015. Retrieved November 2, 2015.
  19. Diaz, George (July 31, 2016). "Orlando City finds love with Jason Kreis in first game". Orlando Sentinel. Tronc. Retrieved May 7, 2018.
  20. "Orlando City SC Agrees to Part Ways with Head Coach Jason Kreis". OurSportsCentral.com. June 15, 2018.
  21. "Jason Kreis Named Head Coach of U-23 MNT". USSoccer.com. March 19, 2019.
  22. "Jason Kreis". Major League Soccer. Archived from the original on September 30, 2015. Retrieved July 20, 2016.
  23. "Real Salt Lake: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  24. "New York City FC: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  25. "Orlando City SC: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  26. "United States U23: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved April 18, 2019.
  27. "Fort Lauderdale CF: Matches". Soccerway. Perform Group. Retrieved October 26, 2020.
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