Steve Trittschuh

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Steve Trittschuh (born April 24, 1965) is a retired United States soccer defender.

[edit] Youth and college

Trittschuh is a native of Granite City, Illinois. He played at Granite City High School North Steelers for former US national coach Bob Kehoe. He earned All State honors his junior and senior year and was a Parade Magazine All American as a senior. Coming out of high school, he was heavily recruited by several top schools, but selected Southern Illinois University Edwardsville which he attended on a full ride soccer scholarship.

He played for four years for SIU-E, scoring 12 goals and assisting 11 others. He earned second team All American honors his junior year and first team his senior year.

[edit] Early professional

After graduating from college in 1986, Trittschuh's soccer career mirrored so many other players' of that era. It was a series of constant moves from one team to another in search of any opportunity to eke out a living playing the game they loved. Trittschuh's career began with the indoor soccer St. Louis Steamers of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). That only lasted a year before he moved to the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the American Professional Soccer Leaque (APSL).

[edit] Move to Europe

In 1990, his career took an unexpected turn. Trittschuh played a single game for the United States men's national soccer team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup in a 5-1 loss to Czechoslovakia. While the national team was thrashed, Trittschuh caught the attention of the Czechoslovakia's assistant coach, the head coach of Czech powerhouse club Sparta Prague. They offered Trittschuh a contract, which he happily accepted. At the time the Soviet Union and its eastern bloc allies, including Czechoslovakia were transitioning from communism to democracy. This brought an exceptional level of turmoil which also affected professional soccer in the region. As a result, eastern teams were searching for talent to replace players who were moving to play in Western Europe.

While Trittschuh played only a single season for Sparta Prague, he helped them win their league championship. He also became the first U.S. player to play in the European Championship Cup.

At the end of the season, he returned to the Rowdies for a single season before heading back to Europe; this time to Dutch club SVV Dordrecht. As he recounts it, he was in competition with two Finnish players for a spot on the club and he won. He became a regular starter for the team, but towards the end of the season the club ran out of money and stopped paying Trittschuh so he returned to the U.S.

[edit] Return to the U.S.

In the spring of 1993, he rejoined Tampa Bay. However, at the end of the 1993 APSL season, he left the Rowdies for the last time to sign with the St. Louis Ambush of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). That year he earned another championship when the Ambush took the NPSL crown.

Trittschuh's days moving had not ended yet and at the end of the season, he moved to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the American Professional Soccer League (APSL). He moved again the next year to the Montreal Impact, also of the APSL.

[edit] MLS

In 1995, the new U.S. soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS) approached Trittschuh about joining the league. He agreed but had to buy out the final year of his contract with the Impact, for $10,000. When he left the Impact, he finished his APSL (now USL First Division) as a 5 time all star.

In 1996, Trittschuh joined the new Colorado Rapids. In 1997, the team reached the 1997 MLS Cup, falling to 2-1 to D.C. United. He had a solid three seasons with the Rapids playing in the sweeper position. At the beginning of the 1999 season, Rapids coach Glenn Myernick moved Marcelo Balboa into the sweeper position. As a result, through the first 8 games of the 1999 season, Trittschuh never left the bench. On June 14, 1999, the Rapids traded Trittschuh to the Tampa Bay Mutiny for midfielder/forward Guillermo Jara. Trittschuh would go on to play 64 regular and post-season games for the Mutiny. In 2001, he retired from active playing and was hired by the Colorado Rapids as an assistant coach.

[edit] National team

Trittschuh also had a long and successful national team career. In 1987, he was selected to play for the U.S. national team. He made his national team debut against Egypt at the 1987 Presidents Cup. He also played for the national team at the 1987 Pan American Games.

In 1988, he was a member of the U.S. team which went 1-1-1 at the Seoul Olympics. As previously mentioned, he was a member of the U.S. team at the 1990 FIFA World Cup. He was also a member of the 1991 Gold Cup championship team. In 1995, he played his last game with the national team, against Saudi Arabia.

v • d • e United States squad - 1990 FIFA World Cup 1 Meola • 2 Trittschuh • 3 Doyle • 4 Banks • 5 Windischmann • 6 Harkes • 7 Ramos • 8 Bliss • 9 Sullivan • 10 Vermes • 11 Wynalda • 12 Krumpe • 13 Eichmann • 14 Stollmeyer • 15 Armstrong • 16 Murray • 17 Balboa • 18 Keller • 19 Henderson • 20 Caligiuri • 21 Covone • 22 Vanole • Coach: Gansler