Brian Ching
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Brian Ching | ||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Houston Dynamo | ||
| Number | 25 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1996–2000 | Gonzaga Bulldogs | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1998–1999 | Spokane Shadow | 32 | (34) |
| 2001 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 8 | (1) |
| 2001–2002 | Seattle Sounders | 31 | (19) |
| 2003–2006 | San Jose Earthquakes | 56 | (25) |
| 2006– | Houston Dynamo | 88 | (39) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2003– | United States | 44 | (11) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of May 13, 2010 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of March 5, 2010 | |||
Brian Ching (Chinese: 程拜仁) (born May 24, 1978 in Hale'iwa, Hawai'i) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer, and for the United States national team. Ching is a son of Chinese American father and Caucasian American mother.
Career
Youth and College
Ching attended Kamehameha Schools in Honolulu, and played college soccer at Gonzaga University, where he scored 34 goals and had 23 assists. Between 1998 and 1999, he played for the Spokane Shadow of the USL Premier Development League where he was rookie of the year in 1998.
Professional
In 2001, Ching was drafted by the Los Angeles Galaxy as the 16th pick in the MLS SuperDraft, the first ever Hawaiian native to be drafted by MLS. That year for the Galaxy, he appeared in 8 games and scored one goal. In 2002, Brian was released by the Galaxy and signed by the Seattle Sounders of the A-League for whom he had played several games with in 2001, on loan from Los Angeles. Playing for the Sounders, he was ranked second in the A-League in scoring and was selected as a member of the A-League All-League team.
In February 2003, Brian was acquired by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 2003 MLS Supplemental Draft. When Dwayne DeRosario suffered a devastating knee injury in the 2003 pre-season, Brian was thrust into the starting forward role. Ching played solidly until August 2003 when he ruptured his right Achilles' tendon causing him to miss the rest of the Earthquake's 2003 Championship season. In 2004, he re-gained a starting job and co-led the league (with Eddie Johnson) in goals with 12. Brian was named MLS Comeback Player of the Year and to the league MLS Best XI for his efforts. In four years in MLS, Ching has scored 26 goals and added 12 assists in league play.
Along with the rest of his Earthquakes teammates, Ching moved to Houston for the 2006 season. He scored four goals in Houston's first-ever game April 2 against Colorado, the seventh player in MLS history to score four goals in a single game. At MLS Cup 2006, Ching scored the tying goal in the 114th minute and scored what turned out to be the winning goal in the penalty kick shootout against New England Revolution. He was also named the Cup most valuable player. Ching's impressive September 30, 2006 bicycle kick versus DC United was voted MLS Goal of the year.
In July 2009, Ching was fined $500 by MLS for his comments regarding the officiating of the Dynamo's 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders (a game Ching did not play in due to participation in the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup). On his Twitter page, Ching referred to the referee as "a joke" and "a cheat" for his calling a Fredy Montero shot cleared off the line a goal.[1]
Ching has his own sports segment on a Houston TV station, "Kickin' It with Brian Ching, on which he offers up advice on everything from becoming a professional soccer player to why you should befriend the StairMaster."[2]
International
Ching earned his first cap with the US national team on May 26, 2003 against Wales. He is the first Hawaiian and the second Chinese-American (after Mark Chung) to play for the national team. Ching scored his first international goal, an equalizer in the 89th minute against Jamaica in a World Cup qualifier in Kingston on August 18, 2004.
On May 2, 2006, Ching was named to the U.S. men's squad for the 2006 FIFA World Cup in Germany, but did not make an appearance in the tournament.
He scored a goal in a 2-0 US CONCACAF Gold Cup victory over Trinidad and Tobago on June 9, 2007. He drew a penalty in the box of the second half of the Gold Cup Final against Mexico. Landon Donovan converted the penalty, tying the game at one. The USA won 2-1 after Benny Feilhaber's game winner.
Ching was called in to the USA side to face Barbados in the first round of CONCACAF World cup Qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. He then scored two goals in the US team's largest victory ever, 8-0.
On May 11, 2010, Ching was named to the preliminary U.S. men's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa but did not make the final 23-man roster.
International goals
Personal
Aside from soccer, Ching is also an avid surfer, and lists Superman as his favorite superhero. Ching also likes to read and play golf.
Honors
United States
- 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup Champions (1): 2007
Houston Dynamo
- Major League Soccer MLS Cup (2): 2006, 2007
Los Angeles Galaxy
San Jose Earthquakes
- Major League Soccer MLS Cup (1): 2003
- Major League Soccer Supporters Shield (1): 2005
Individual
- MLS Golden Boot Winner: 2004
Career stats
| Club | Season | Domestic | Domestic Cup | Playoffs | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Houston Dynamo | 2009 | 18 | 8 | - | - | - | - | 6 | 1 | 24 | 9 |
| 2008 | 25 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 36 | 14 | |
| 2007 | 20 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 30 | 12 | |
| 2006 | 21 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 3 | - | - | 26 | 14 | |
| Total | 84 | 39 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 5 | 116 | 49 | |
| San Jose Earthquakes | 2005 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | - | - | 18 | 8 |
| 2004 | 25 | 12 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 32 | 13 | |
| 2003 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 18 | 7 | |
| Total | 56 | 25 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 68 | 28 | |
| Seattle Sounders (A-League) |
2002 | 25 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | - | - | 29 | 17 |
| 2001 | 6 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - | - | 6 | 3 | |
| Total | 31 | 19 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 20 | |
| Los Angeles Galaxy | 2001 | 8 | 1 | - | - | 2 | 0 | - | - | 10 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 1 | |
| Career Totals | 179 | 84 | 7 | 2 | 17 | 6 | 26 | 6 | 229 | 98 | |
See also
References
- ^ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=661315&sec=mls&cc=5901
- ^ "Kick Started". Retrieved 2 May 2010.
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External links
United States Squad | |||||||||||||||||||
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- 1978 births
- Living people
- American soccer players
- Gonzaga Bulldogs soccer players
- Spokane Shadow players
- Seattle Sounders (USL) players
- Los Angeles Galaxy players
- San Jose Earthquakes players
- Houston Dynamo players
- Sportspeople from Hawaii
- Soccer players from Hawaii
- American sportspeople of Chinese descent
- CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
- 2006 FIFA World Cup players
- United States men's international soccer players
- USL First Division players
- Kamehameha Schools alumni