Zach Pfeffer
![]() Pfeffer at 2011 preseason training with the Union | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Zachary Pfeffer | ||
Date of birth | January 6, 1995 | ||
Place of birth | Dresher, Pennsylvania, U.S. | ||
Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m) | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Youth career | |||
2005–2008 | Montgomery United | ||
2008–2009 | YMS Celtic | ||
2009–2010 | FC DELCO | ||
2010 | IMG Soccer Academy | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2015 | Philadelphia Union | 30 | (3) |
2013 | → 1899 Hoffenheim (loan) | 0 | (0) |
2014–2015 | → Harrisburg City Islanders (loan) | 4 | (1) |
2016 | Colorado Rapids | 0 | (0) |
2016 | → Charlotte Independence (loan) | 16 | (0) |
2016 | → Colorado Springs Switchbacks (loan) | 2 | (0) |
Total | 52 | (3) | |
International career‡ | |||
2010–2011 | United States U17 | 5 | (0) |
2012–2013 | United States U18 | 9 | (2) |
2014–2015 | United States U20 | 12 | (5) |
2015 | United States U23 | 1 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of September 22, 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of June 7, 2015 |
Zachary "Zach" Pfeffer (born January 6, 1995) is an American former professional soccer player. In 2010 at the age of 15 he became the fourth-youngest player ever to sign a Major League Soccer contract. He retired from soccer in 2016 at 21 years of age.
Early life
[edit]Pfeffer is Jewish and was born in Dresher, Pennsylvania.[1] He attended Upper Dublin High School, finishing on time as he played soccer for Union.[2][1] He played for YMS Celtics, FC Delco Academy along with the Montgomery Maniacs as a young man in Pennsylvania before spending a semester at the U-17 national team residency at IMG in 2010.[3][4]
After retiring from soccer in 2016 at 21 years of age, as of January 2017, he was a junior at the Fox School of Business and Management department of Temple University; he became an investment banker thereafter.[5][6][7]
Career
[edit]Philadelphia Union
[edit]Pfeffer then spent several months training with the Philadelphia Union first team and made an appearance for them in a friendly against C.D. Guadalajara on September 1, 2010.[8] Pfeffer was a member of Philadelphia's U-17 squad that competed in the MLS U-17 SUM Cup in Houston, Texas.
On December 22, 2010, the Union signed Pfeffer at the age of 15 as their first-ever homegrown player.[9][7] He was the fourth-youngest player ever to sign an MLS contract, behind Freddy Adu, Fuad Ibrahim, and Diego Fagundez.[6]
He scored his first goal for the Union in a preseason friendly against UCF on February 14, 2011, off a brilliant, long-range effort.[10] He made his regular season Philadelphia Union debut on September 17 against Columbus Crew, at 16 years of age.[7] In 2015 in 21 games (11 starts) he had two goals and an assist.[2] Pfeffer was one of the longest-tenured Union players when he left the team.[2]
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim (loan)
[edit]Pfeffer was loaned to TSG 1899 Hoffenheim for the whole of 2013, beginning on January 7, 2013.[11] In the 2012–2013 campaign, Pfeffer scored 2 goals in 9 matches playing for the Hoffenheim U-19 side.
Colorado Rapids
[edit]Pfeffer was traded to the Colorado Rapids in January 2016 in exchange for the overall second pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft, which was used to draft defender Josh Yaro.[2][12][13][14][15] In 2014 and 2015 he played in the Major League Soccer Homegrown Game.[16]
He decided to leave soccer, to go to college and then pursue a career in finance.[2] Pfeffer explained: "I sat down and took a look where I wanted to be long-term, and I knew that in a year, five years, 10 years, the financial industry is where I wanted to be. Everything came together nicely with my contract expiring and where I was at academically and where I was professionally.... I looked at where my heart was and where my passions were. Obviously I love the game and I always will, but there was an overriding passion to pursue this next part of my life."[2] Jim Curtin, who had been his manager at Union, said: "I want to say he should still be playing because he’s that talented... It’s too young to have a career come to an end."[2]
International
[edit]Pfeffer represented the United States at the U-14 and U-15 levels and trained at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, as part of U.S. Soccer's U-17 residency program.[4] On April 18, 2011, he was called up to the U-17 National Team to play in the Mondial Minimes Montaigu Tournament in Montaigu, France, from April 18–26.[17]
Pfeffer was called into the first U-18 National Team camp of 2012 by then-Manager Richie Williams.[18] He was also called up to numerous U-18 National Team camps in 2012. He scored a goal in their November friendly against Canada.[19]
Career statistics
[edit]Club
[edit]Club performance | League | Cup | League Cup | Continental | Total | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Season | Club | League | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
USA | League | Open Cup | League Cup | North America | Total | |||||||
2011 | Philadelphia Union | Major League Soccer | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 3 | 0 | |
2012 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 1 | 0 | ||||
2013 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 0 | 0 | ||||
2014 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 5 | 1 | ||||
2015 | 21 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 23 | 2 | ||||
Total | USA | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 3 | |
Career total | 30 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 3 |
Updated January 15, 2016[20]
Career after soccer
[edit]Pfeffer had taken Penn State online courses during his soccer career, and completed over three semesters of college before he stopped playing soccer.[2] He as of 2020 was an investment banking analyst for Goldman Sachs.[7]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Two Zachs, One Goal". Jewish Exponent. January 16, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e f g h George, Matthew De (June 19, 2017). "Former Union prodigy Pfeffer at peace with decision to walk away". The Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ "Residency". Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ a b "Union sign Pfeffer".
- ^ Christopher A. Vito (June 20, 2017). "Fútbol to Finance: Meet Fox Student Zach Pfeffer". Temple University. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ a b George, Matt De (September 9, 2020). "De George: Older, wiser Union ready for task presented by their European talents". The Delaware County Daily Times. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
- ^ a b c d Hodgkins, James (June 17, 2020). "The new Pele & Goldman Sachs: What happened to the youngest MLS debutants?". HITC.
- ^ "Zach Pfeffer | Philadelphia Union". Archived from the original on February 1, 2011. Retrieved July 30, 2015.
- ^ "Team Signs 15-Year-Old". The New York Times. Associated Press. December 22, 2010. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ "Union Down UCF 1–0 in Third Preseason Match". Philadelphia Union. February 13, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ Kerith Gabriel (December 4, 2012). "Pfeffer taking his talents to Hoffenheim via year loan deal". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ "Union Trade Zach Pfeffer To Colorado To Complete Draft Day Trade". Philadelphia Union. January 15, 2016. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ "A History of Rapids drafts from 2014-2018". Burgundy Wave. January 7, 2019.
- ^ Ralph, Matthew (June 13, 2018). "Josh Yaro suffers another injury setback". Brotherly Game.
- ^ "Colorado Rapids newcomer Zach Pfeffer made MLS debut at 16". February 15, 2016.
- ^ Ralph, Matthew (July 12, 2017). "Derrick Jones & Auston Trusty named to MLS Homegrown Team roster for game in Chicago". Brotherly Game.
- ^ "Pfeffer Called Up to U-17 USMNT for Mondial Minimes Tournament". Philadelphia Union. April 18, 2011. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ "U.S. U-18 MNT Head Coach Richie Williams Names Roster for January Training Camp". United Soccer League. January 2, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ "U-18 MNT Scores Late Equalizer for 2–2 Draw Against Canada". United Soccer League. November 23, 2012. Retrieved November 17, 2017.
- ^ "Zach Pfeffer". Philadelphia Union.
External links
[edit]- 1995 births
- Living people
- Jewish American soccer players
- American men's soccer players
- American expatriate men's soccer players
- Philadelphia Union players
- TSG 1899 Hoffenheim players
- Penn FC players
- Colorado Rapids players
- Charlotte Independence players
- Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC players
- Men's association football midfielders
- Soccer players from Pennsylvania
- American expatriate soccer players in Germany
- Major League Soccer players
- USL Championship players
- United States men's youth international soccer players
- United States men's under-20 international soccer players
- United States men's under-23 international soccer players
- Fox School of Business and Management alumni
- People from Upper Dublin Township, Pennsylvania
- Sportspeople from Montgomery County, Pennsylvania
- Homegrown Players (MLS)
- Goldman Sachs people
- 21st-century American Jews