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Mike Petke
Personal information
Full name	Mike Petke
Date of birth	January 30, 1976 (age 33)
Place of birth	Bohemia, New York, United States
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	New York Red Bulls
Number	12
Youth career
1995–1998	Southern Connecticut Fighting Owls
Senior career*
National team‡
	* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 26 October, 2009.; † Appearances (Goals).; ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 3 April, 2009

Mike Petke (born January 30, 1976 in Bohemia, New York) is an American soccer player who currently plays for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. Also an amateur journalist, Petke contributes a regular blog to ESPN.

[edit] Career

[edit] College

Petke attended St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip, New York, where he was selected as an All-American, before moving on to play college soccer in Southern Connecticut State University. In 1995 he led SCSU to the NCAA Division II National title and was named Conference Rookie of the Year. In 1997 he was named NECC Defensive Player of the Year, and was a consensus NSCAA/Umbro First Team All-America selection.

[edit] Professional

Petke was drafted by the MetroStars in the first round of the 1998 MLS College Draft. He made his MLS debut on April 17, 1998 in a 1-0 win over Chicago Fire. He spent the first five years of his career with the MetroStars, becoming the only constant under an ever-changing regime of coaches and players. A fan favorite, Petke remains the MetroStars all-time leader in games played with 134 (157 in all competitions).

Petke gained notoriety on August 20, 2000, four days after Tampa Bay Mutiny forward Mamadou Diallo broke the ribs of Metro goalkeeper Mike Ammann. Petke, who rarely scored goals, scored in the Metro win over Colorado, and unveiled a t-shirt that said August 16: Crime of the Century on the front and Revenge is Coming on the back. While such support for a fallen comrade was welcomed by teammates and Metro fans, it was frowned at by the league and Petke was fined for his efforts. Diallo, however, received no disciplinary action following the injuries to Ammann.

After an outstanding season in 2000, in which Petke helped lead the club to the Eastern Division title, Petke went on a two week trial with Bundesliga side Bayern Munich. After his trial with Bayern, another German club FC Kaiserslautern offered Petke a contract, but Petke elected to remain with the Metrostars.

Petke, a three-time MLS All-Star, was traded to D.C. United with a draft pick and an allocation for Eddie Pope, Jaime Moreno, and Richie Williams. He won the MLS Cup with DC during the 2004 season. Petke was then traded to the Colorado Rapids in May 2005 in a three-team deal. He helped stabilize the Colorado backline and was a key player in helping the Rapids reach the Western Conference Finals in 2005. He remained a fixture in the heart of the Rapids defense for the next three years. In eleven years in MLS, he has scored thirteen regular season goals and added four assists.

On November 26, 2008, Red Bull New York signed Petke on waivers, and agreed to terms on a new multi-year agreement.

[edit] International

Petke has two caps with the US national team, the first coming on June 7, 2001, against Ecuador.

Petke also captained the United States Under-21 team, and was a member of the U.S. squad that competed in the 1995 World University Games in Japan.

[edit] Career statistics

[1]

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
USA			League		Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup		League Cup		North America		Total
1998	MetroStars	Major League Soccer	27	1	2	0	1	0	-	-	30	1
1999			25	1	1	0	-	-	-	-	26	1
2000			30	3	4	0	5	0	-	-	39	3
2001			25	0	1	0	3	0	4	1	33	1
2002			27	0	2	0	-	-	-	-	29	0
2003	DC United	Major League Soccer	25	3	3	1	2	0	-	-	30	4
2004			26	1	1	0	4	0	-	-	31	1
2005			7	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	7	1
2005	Colorado Rapids	Major League Soccer	19	0	-	-	3	0	-	-	22	0
2006			26	0	2	0	2	0	-	-	30	0
2007			24	1	-	-	-	-	-	-	24	1
2008			11	2	-	-	-	-	-	-	11	2
2009	Red Bull New York	Major League Soccer	16	0	1	1	-	-	1	0	18	1
Total	USA		288	13	17	2	20	0	5	1	330	16
Career Total			288	13	17	2	20	0	5	1	330	16

[edit] See also

List of current MLS players

[edit] External links

MLS player profile

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