John O'Brien (soccer)

John Patrick O'Brien (born August 29, 1977) is a retired American soccer player. After retiring, he pursued a career in psychology.[1]

John O'Brien
John O'Brien in 2006
Personal information
Full name John Patrick O'Brien
Date of birth (1977-08-29) August 29, 1977
Place of birth Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Midfielder, Left back
Youth career
1994–1998 Ajax
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1998–2005 Ajax 63 (3)
1998–1999 → Utrecht (loan) 19 (2)
2005–2006 ADO Den Haag 3 (0)
2006 Chivas USA 1 (0)
Total 86 (5)
National team
1998–2006 United States 32 (3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

O'Brien was one of the first Americans to earn a starting spot with a major European team, with Ajax Amsterdam in the late 1990s.[nb 1] At the peak of his career, United States national teammate Landon Donovan called O'Brien the "best soccer player in the USA."[2][3]

Professional career

O'Brien grew up in Playa del Rey, California and attended Brentwood School. After being brought to attention of youth director Co Adriaanse, he had his first trial with Ajax at the age of 14 and signed an amateur contract with the Dutch giants in 1994 as a 17-year-old. After two years on their youth teams, Ajax offered O'Brien a professional contract in 1998. He spent the 1998–99 season on loan to FC Utrecht and made his Ajax debut in 1999. He became a regular for the team, usually playing at left back, winning the Eredivisie in 2002 and 2004.

Unfortunately, chronic injuries limited O'Brien's playing time. He left Ajax for ADO Den Haag in February 2005. After one injury-riddled season, in which he only played three games for the club, O'Brien came to MLS for the first time, to sign with hometown club Chivas USA. O'Brien played only one game with Chivas before suffering an injury with the U.S. national team during the 2006 World Cup, and was released by the club following the 2006 season.

O'Brien stated that he was done playing in an interview on June 11, 2008.[4]

International career

With the United States, O'Brien earned his first cap against Austria on April 22, 1998 but was an alternate for the U.S. squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup. He played in the 2000 Summer Olympics, helping to lead the U.S. to a fourth-place finish. O'Brien became a regular with the senior team under Bruce Arena, and came into his own at the 2002 FIFA World Cup. Playing in defensive midfield, he scored the opener in the 3-2 win over Portugal, assisted on Clint Mathis' goal against South Korea, and played every minute of every game for the United States.

Four years later, O'Brien was named to the U.S. roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany. On June 12, 2006, he played the second half of the U.S.'s opening game against the Czech Republic, albeit with a nagging injury, which kept him out for the duration of the tournament.

Career statistics

Club

[5][6]

Club performance League Cup Other Continental Total
SeasonClubLeague AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals AppsGoals
Netherlands League KNVB Cup Super Cup Europe Total
1998–99UtrechtEredivisie19200––192
1999–00AjaxEredivisie151100040201
2000–014000–0040
2001–0227240–30342
2002–03120201050200
2003–044000–0040
2004–051000000010
2005–06Den HaagEredivisie3010––40
U.S. League Open Cup — North America Total
2006Chivas USAMajor League Soccer1000––10
Total Netherlands 85580101201065
U.S. 1000——10
Career total 86580101201075

International

[7]

United States national team
YearAppsGoals
199810
199900
200051
200150
200291
200310
200400
200571
200640
Total323

International goals

Honors

Club
Ajax

International
United States

Notes
  1. O'Brien was the second American ever to play for the 1st team of Ajax, the first being Eddy Hamel who played for the club from 1922 to 1930.

References
  1. John O’Brien is hard op weg doctor in de psychologie te worden vice.com
  2. "Arena names USA squad". FIFAWorldCup.com. May 2, 2006.
  3. "O'Brien is USA's Dutch treat". USAtoday.com. December 2, 2002.
  4. "O'Brien retires" Archived 2008-06-14 at the Wayback Machine. MLS Magazine.
  5. "John O'Brien career stats". Football Database.eu. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
  6. John O'Brien. MLSnet.com. Retrieved August 6, 2012.
  7. "O'Brien, John". National Football Teams. Benjamin Strack-Zimmerman. Retrieved April 5, 2013.
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