Rich Balchan
Encyclopedia
Rich Balchan is an American
soccer player currently playing for the Columbus Crew
in Major League Soccer
.
, and played club soccer for Carmel United Cosmos, before going on to play four years of college soccer
at Indiana University
. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team following his first season in 2007, was named to the Big Ten Championship all-tournament team as a sophomore in 2008, was named to the All-Big Ten second-team and the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region third-team as a junior in 2009, and was a All-Big Ten first team member, a Big Ten All-Tournament team pick and a member of the NSCAA All-Great Lakes region third-team following his senior year in 2010. He finished his college career with 4 goals and 7 assists in 80 games for the Hoosiers.
During his college years Balchan also played in the USL Premier Development League
for Fort Wayne Fever
and Chicago Fire Premier
, and for half a season with FC Indiana in the National Premier Soccer League
in 2009 (he transferred to Chicago half-way through the season). He was part of the Fire squad which reached the 2009 PDL championship game, but did not play in the final itself (which they lost 2-1 to Ventura County Fusion
) after suffering an injury in the semi-final against the Cary Clarets
.
by the Columbus Crew
. He made his professional debut on February 22, 2011 in the first leg of the Crew's CONCACAF Champions League
quarter-final series against Real Salt Lake
, and played his first league game with the Crew on March 19, 2011 in the season opener against D.C. United
.
Balchan scored his first professional goal at Red Bull Arena on June 4, 2011 during a regular season match against the New York Red Bulls. He received a cross from Justin Meram
and hit a sliding one-timer to equalize the game with about 30 seconds before the final whistle.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player currently playing for the 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...
.
College and Amateur
Balchan attended Carmel High SchoolCarmel High School (Carmel, Indiana)
Carmel High School is a public high school in Carmel, Indiana whose name is commonly abbreviated to CHS. It is part of the Carmel Clay School District and has an enrollment of around 4,600 students, making it the largest high school in the state of Indiana by number of students.- History :Carmel...
, and played club soccer for Carmel United Cosmos, before going on to play four years of 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...
at Indiana University
Indiana University
Indiana University is a multi-campus public university system in the state of Indiana, United States. Indiana University has a combined student body of more than 100,000 students, including approximately 42,000 students enrolled at the Indiana University Bloomington campus and approximately 37,000...
. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team following his first season in 2007, was named to the Big Ten Championship all-tournament team as a sophomore in 2008, was named to the All-Big Ten second-team and the NSCAA All-Great Lakes Region third-team as a junior in 2009, and was a All-Big Ten first team member, a Big Ten All-Tournament team pick and a member of the NSCAA All-Great Lakes region third-team following his senior year in 2010. He finished his college career with 4 goals and 7 assists in 80 games for the Hoosiers.
During his college years Balchan also played in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
for Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever
Fort Wayne Fever was an American soccer team based in Fort Wayne, Indiana, United States. Founded in 2003, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...
and Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier
Chicago Fire Premier is an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes Division of the Central Conference.The team plays its home games at...
, and for half a season with FC Indiana in the National Premier Soccer League
National Premier Soccer League
The National Premier Soccer League is a United States soccer league recognized by the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA as a Division IV league...
in 2009 (he transferred to Chicago half-way through the season). He was part of the Fire squad which reached the 2009 PDL championship game, but did not play in the final itself (which they lost 2-1 to Ventura County Fusion
Ventura County Fusion
Ventura County Fusion is an American soccer team based in Ventura, California, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference.The team plays its home games in...
) after suffering an injury in the semi-final against the Cary Clarets
Cary Clarets
Cary Clarets was an American soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 2002, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009, after which the franchise folded and the team left the league.During their...
.
Professional
On January 14, 2011, Balchan was drafted in the first round (12th overall) in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft2011 MLS SuperDraft
The 2011 MLS SuperDraft was the twelfth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 13, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, during the 2011 NSCAA Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 2011 SuperDraft consisted of three rounds with eighteen selections each, for...
by the 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...
. He made his professional debut on February 22, 2011 in the first leg of the Crew's CONCACAF Champions League
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions League is the annual international club football championship for teams from the CONCACAF region ....
quarter-final series against Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
, and played his first league game with the Crew on March 19, 2011 in the season opener 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...
.
Balchan scored his first professional goal at Red Bull Arena on June 4, 2011 during a regular season match against the New York Red Bulls. He received a cross from Justin Meram
Justin Meram
Justin Meram is an ethnic Assyrian American soccer player currently playing for the Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
and hit a sliding one-timer to equalize the game with about 30 seconds before the final whistle.