Dave van den Bergh

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Personal information
Dave van den Bergh

Full name	Dave van den Bergh
Date of birth	May 7, 1976 (1976-05-07) (age 32)
Place of birth	Amsterdam, Netherlands
Height	6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Playing position	Left Wing Back, Left Back Left Winger, Left Midfielder Forward
Club information
Current club	Red Bull New York
Number	11
Youth clubs
1986-95	AFC Ajax
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
1995-97 1997-2000 2000-2006 2006 2007-	AFC Ajax Rayo Vallecano FC Utrecht Kansas City Wizards Red Bull New York	012 0(1) 047 0(6) 184 (29) 013 0(3) 036 0(4)
National team²
2004-2005	Netherlands	002 0(0)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 4 June 2008. ² National team caps and goals correct as of 19 July 2006. * Appearances (Goals)

Dave van den Bergh (born May 7, 1976 in Amsterdam, Netherlands) is a Dutch soccer player who currently plays for Red Bull New York in Major League Soccer.

A product of the famed AFC Ajax youth program, Van den Bergh played for AFC Ajax from 1995 to 1997, winning one league title during that time. Between 1997 and 2000, he played for Rayo Vallecano in Spain, helping the team get promoted to the Primera División, and earning their first UEFA Cup qualification. Between 2000 and 2006, he played for FC Utrecht in the Netherlands, contributing 29 league goals over that span.

He was a member of the FC Utrecht squad that won the Dutch Cup in 2003 (4-1 against Feyenoord) and 2004 (1-0 against FC Twente), scoring the only goal in the 2004 final. Also in 2004, he won the Dutch Super Cup (4-2 against AFC Ajax), ranking him among the most successful FC Utrecht players ever. As a result of his play with FC Utrecht van den Bergh was called up by his national team. On October 18, 2004 he made his international debut with the Netherlands in a 2-2 draw with Sweden.

Van den Bergh was very popular among FC Utrecht supporters, which is remarkable for an Amsterdam born person and former Ajax player due to Utrecht's long standing rivalry with the club.

In June of 2006, Van den Bergh (who is married to an American wife) was signed by the Kansas City Wizards scoring three goals in thirteen appearances for the club. Prior to the 2007 MLS season, he was traded to Red Bull New York in exchange for a third-round draft pick in the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft.^[1] He quickly established himself as the teams starting left winger, and has since moved to the left back position. He ended his first season with the club appearing in 29 league matches, including 26 starts. He tallied two goals and led the club with eight assists.

During the 2007 season, Van den Bergh obtained a U.S. Green Card, meaning that he is now considered a domestic player instead of a senior international.