Eddie Gaven
Encyclopedia
Eddie Gaven is an American
soccer player who currently plays for Columbus Crew
in Major League Soccer
.
in New Jersey
but did not play college soccer
. Instead, Gaven became (at the time, since passed by Freddy Adu
) the youngest player to sign with MLS when, at the age of 16 years and two months, he joined the league after having spent two years training with other young Americans at the USSF's
Bradenton Academy
.
with the twelfth overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft
. He became the youngest player in team history on his debut on June 14, 2003 against Chicago and became the youngest player in team history to score a goal, which he did in just his second game, against D.C. United
on July 5. With the game tied at two, Metro coach Bob Bradley
used a loophole in the substitution rule, moving Metro goalie Tim Howard
out of the net and putting on Gaven as a fourth "goalkeeper only" sub. After less than a minute in goal, Gaven and Howard switched places and Gaven went on to score the game winner in overtime. In the process, he became the youngest goalkeeper in MLS history (the loophole was eliminated after the season, largely due to outcry following Gaven's goal).
After becoming an automatic starter and coming into his own with the MetroStars in 2004, Gaven became the youngest player ever voted in to start the MLS All-Star Game, and finished the MLS season with seven goals and seven assists and became the youngest player in league history to be named to the MLS Best XI
.
Gaven ended the 2005 MLS season with eight goals and four assists. Just before the 2006 season, Gaven was traded to Columbus Crew
along with the rights to defender Chris Leitch
for striker Edson Buddle
. With the Crew, Gaven played nearly every game in 2006, scoring 4 goals. In 2007 he appeared in 27 games for Columbus scoring five goals and tallying seven assists. Eddie's 2008 season resulted in lower output, 3 goals and 2 assists due in part to starting the season injured. In the Eastern Conference Championship game, Gaven propelled the Crew into their first MLS Cup game with a game winning goal.
During the 2010 MLS season in a game against the Philadelphia Union, Gaven was forced to play in goal for William Hesmer who went out of the game due to a shoulder injury. The Columbus Crew had used all three substitutions prior to Hesmer's injury. Gaven was scored on by Sebastian LeToux during the final minutes of the game, but made two saves to help the Crew win the game 3-1. Gaven would go on to win MLS Save of the Week honors for one of the saves.
Gaven signed a contract extension for two years plus option years with Columbus on November 14, 2011.
in the 2003 Under-17 World Championship
in Finland
and then became the youngest player in CONCACAF
history to appear in an Olympic
qualifier when he played for the U.S. Under-23 team. He then became the fourth youngest player in US history to get his a senior cap, doing so against Poland
on July 11.
In 2005, after continuing his solid play with the MetroStars, Gaven was part of the U.S. Under-20 team at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
in the Netherlands
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who currently plays for Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
Youth
Gaven attended Steinert High SchoolSteinert High School
Steinert High School is a four- year comprehensive public high school, one of three secondary high schools that are part of the Hamilton Township School District, located in Hamilton Township in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States...
in New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...
but did not play college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
. Instead, Gaven became (at the time, since passed by Freddy Adu
Freddy Adu
Fredua Koranteng "Freddy" Adu is a Ghanaian-born American soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer. He plays primarily as an attacking midfielder, but he is also used as a winger or forward....
) the youngest player to sign with MLS when, at the age of 16 years and two months, he joined the league after having spent two years training with other young Americans at the USSF's
United States Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Its headquarters are located in Chicago, Illinois. It is a member of FIFA and is responsible for governing amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, futsal...
Bradenton Academy
IMG Soccer Academy
The IMG Soccer Academy is part of the IMG Academies located in Bradenton, Florida. It is U.S. Soccer's full-time residency program for the United States' U-17 and U-16 mens national teams. Started in 1999, it has become integral in developing the United States' top youth soccer prospects...
.
Professional
Gaven was drafted by the MetroStarsMetrostars
Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila...
with the twelfth overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft
2003 MLS SuperDraft
The 2003 Major League Soccer SuperDraft was held January 17, 2003 in Kansas City, Missouri.-Round 1:-Round 2:-Round 3:-Round 4:-Round 5:-Round 6:References=* USA Today MLS Draft List...
. He became the youngest player in team history on his debut on June 14, 2003 against Chicago and became the youngest player in team history to score a goal, which he did in just his second game, against D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
on July 5. With the game tied at two, Metro coach Bob Bradley
Bob Bradley
Robert "Bob" Bradley is an American soccer coach and the current manager of the Egypt national football team, taking over in September 2011. He previously managed the United States men's national soccer team...
used a loophole in the substitution rule, moving Metro goalie Tim Howard
Tim Howard
Timothy Matthew Howard is an American soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for English club Everton and the United States national team....
out of the net and putting on Gaven as a fourth "goalkeeper only" sub. After less than a minute in goal, Gaven and Howard switched places and Gaven went on to score the game winner in overtime. In the process, he became the youngest goalkeeper in MLS history (the loophole was eliminated after the season, largely due to outcry following Gaven's goal).
After becoming an automatic starter and coming into his own with the MetroStars in 2004, Gaven became the youngest player ever voted in to start the MLS All-Star Game, and finished the MLS season with seven goals and seven assists and became the youngest player in league history to be named to the MLS Best XI
MLS Best XI
The MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
.
Gaven ended the 2005 MLS season with eight goals and four assists. Just before the 2006 season, Gaven was traded to Columbus Crew
Columbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
along with the rights to defender Chris Leitch
Chris Leitch
Chris Leitch is an American soccer player who currently plays for San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer.-College:...
for striker Edson Buddle
Edson Buddle
Edson Buddle is an American soccer player who currently plays for Ingolstadt 04 in Second Bundesliga, the second-highest level of competition of soccer in Germany. Buddle previously spent his entire career in North America, beginning in 2000 with the Long Island Rough Riders, who played in the USL...
. With the Crew, Gaven played nearly every game in 2006, scoring 4 goals. In 2007 he appeared in 27 games for Columbus scoring five goals and tallying seven assists. Eddie's 2008 season resulted in lower output, 3 goals and 2 assists due in part to starting the season injured. In the Eastern Conference Championship game, Gaven propelled the Crew into their first MLS Cup game with a game winning goal.
During the 2010 MLS season in a game against the Philadelphia Union, Gaven was forced to play in goal for William Hesmer who went out of the game due to a shoulder injury. The Columbus Crew had used all three substitutions prior to Hesmer's injury. Gaven was scored on by Sebastian LeToux during the final minutes of the game, but made two saves to help the Crew win the game 3-1. Gaven would go on to win MLS Save of the Week honors for one of the saves.
Gaven signed a contract extension for two years plus option years with Columbus on November 14, 2011.
International
Gaven played every minute for the U.S.United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
in the 2003 Under-17 World Championship
2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship
The FIFA U-17 World Championship 2003 was held in the cities of Helsinki, Tampere, Lahti, and Turku in Finland between 13 August and 30 August 2003...
in Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
and then became the youngest player in CONCACAF
CONCACAF
The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean...
history to appear in an Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
qualifier when he played for the U.S. Under-23 team. He then became the fourth youngest player in US history to get his a senior cap, doing so against Poland
Poland national football team
The Poland national football team represents Poland in association football and is controlled by the Polish Football Association, the governing body for football in Poland...
on July 11.
In 2005, after continuing his solid play with the MetroStars, Gaven was part of the U.S. Under-20 team at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
2005 FIFA World Youth Championship
The 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in The Netherlands between 10 June and 2 July 2005. The 2005 championship was the 15th contested.- Venues :- Qualification :The following 24 teams qualified for the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
.
Career Statistics
| Club | Season | League Major League Soccer Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada... |
MLS Cup Playoffs MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues... |
U.S. Open Cup Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League... |
SuperLiga North American SuperLiga The SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S... |
Champions League CONCACAF Champions League The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region .... |
Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| MetroStars Metrostars Metrostar may refer to:*New York Red Bulls, formerly called the "MetroStars", a soccer team from New York*Manila Metro Rail Transit System, popularly called "The Metrostar Express", a part of the metropolitan rail system in Manila... |
2003 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | ? | ? | ||||||
| ? | ? | 14 | 1 | ||||||||||
| 2004 | 29 | 7 | 2 | 0 | ? | ? | |||||||
| ? | ? | 31 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 2005 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 0 | ? | ? | |||||||
| ? | ? | 28 | 8 | ||||||||||
| Columbus Crew Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada... |
2006 | 30 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ? | ? | ||||||
| ? | ? | 30 | 4 | ||||||||||
| 2007 2007 Major League Soccer season The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C..... |
27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | ? | 27 | 5 | |
| 2008 2008 Major League Soccer season The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:... |
24 | 3 | 4 | 1 | ? | ? | 2 | 0 | ? | ? | 30 | 4 | |
| 2009 2009 Major League Soccer season The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:... |
30 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |||||||
| 6 | 1 | 39 | 7 | ||||||||||
| 2010 2010 Major League Soccer season The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion... |
28 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 1 | |||||||
| 2 | 0 | 36 | 6 | ||||||||||
| 2011 2011 Major League Soccer season The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver... |
23 | 4 | |||||||||||
| 1 | 0 | ||||||||||||
| 6 | 0 | 30 | 4 | ||||||||||
| Career total | 231 | 41 | 14 | 1 | 6 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 267 | 44 | |
Columbus Crew
- Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
MLS Cup (1): 20082008 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:... - Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Supporter's Shield (2): 20082008 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
, 20092009 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...