Diego Gutierrez (soccer)

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Diego Gutierrez
Personal information
Full name Diego Gutierrez
Date of birth November 3, 1972 (1972-11-03) (age 35)
Place of birth    Bogotá, Colombia
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position midfielder
Club information
Current club Chicago Fire
Number 8
Youth clubs
1992
1993-94
 Evansville
Rockhurst
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1996-97
1998-2001
2002-05
2006-		 Kansas City Wizards
Chicago Fire
Kansas City Wizards
Chicago Fire		 033 (0)
109 (7)
101 (4)
048 (1)   
National team2
2001 United States 1 (0)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only and
correct as of 00:33, 16 July 2006 (UTC).
2 National team caps and goals correct
as of 3 June 2005.
* Appearances (Goals)

Diego Gutierrez (born November 3, 1972 in Bogotá, Colombia) is a Colombian-American footballer, who currently plays for the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer.

Born in Colombia, Gutierrez was part of that country's youth teams, playing in the World Under-16 Championship in Scotland in 1989. He came to the United States to attend the University of Evansville and Rockhurst College, and was drafted by the then-Kansas City Wiz in the second round of the 1996 MLS College Draft. Gutierrez spent two seasons in Kansas City, but missed all of 1997 with an ACL injury.

Gutierrez's career took off after he was taken by the Chicago Fire in the 1997 MLS Expansion Draft. He helped the expansion club to the 1998 MLS Cup and US Open Cup double, scoring his first goal as a professional in the 2-0 MLS Cup win over D.C. United. Usually a left back, but equally adept at both defense and midfield, he spent four seasons in Chicago, winning a second Open Cup in 2000. Prior to the 2002 season, Gutierrez was re-acquired by Kansas City, winning his third Open Cup in 2004. After the 2005 season, he was traded back to Chicago for Will John and a draft pick. In his MLS career, Gutierrez has scored ten regular season goals and 39 assists, adding that MLS Cup goal and two assists in the playoffs.

Gutierrez became a United States citizen in 2000, and received one cap with the U.S. national team, coming on December 9, 2001 against South Korea. He serves on the board of directors of the FireWorks for Kids Foundation, the charitable arm of the Chicago Fire.

[edit] See also


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Chicago Fire – current squad

0 Kettering • 1 Busch • 2 Brown • 3 Carr • 4 Soumare • 5 Plotkin • 6 Prideaux • 7 Pause • 8 Gutierrez • 9 Frankowski • 10 Blanco • 11 Thorrington • 12 Nyarko • 17 Rolfe • 19 Barrett • 20 Banner • 21 Mapp • 22 Conde • 23 Mármol • 24 Woolard • 25 Segares • 26 Herron • 28 Noble • 29 Lowry • 32 Robinson • 33 King • 34 Washington • 36 Kasiguran • Coach: Hamlett
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