Bruce Edward Murray (born January 25, 1966) is an American former professional
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player who at the time of his retirement was the all-time leading scorer for the
U.S. National Team. His standout college career led to his selection by
Soccer America Magazine
''Soccer America'', the oldest soccer-specific media publisher in the US, was founded in 1971 by Clay Berling in Albany, California. The magazine is headquartered in Oakland, California.
History and profile
The magazine was founded by Clay Be ...
to its
College Team of the Century. He then played professionally in both Europe and the United States, including the
American Soccer League and
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. It ...
. Concussion syndrome forced him to retire in 1995, Murray had earned 86
caps
Caps are flat headgear.
Caps or CAPS may also refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters
* Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...
, scoring 21 goals, including one at the
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second time (the first being Me ...
. He was also a member of the U.S. national futsal team which placed third at the 1989
FIFA Futsal World Championship. Murray is the Direct of Coaching at Accelerator School DC Metro. He is a member of the
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 and currently located in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The Hall of Fame honors soccer achievements in the United States. Induction ...
.
Youth and college
Murray grew up in Maryland and attended
Winston Churchill High School. He played high school soccer at Churchill and club soccer with the Montgomery United Ponies, winning 2 National Championships with the Ponies coached by
John Kerr Sr
John is a common English name and surname:
* John (given name)
* John (surname)
John may also refer to:
New Testament
Works
* Gospel of John, a title often shortened to John
* First Epistle of John, often shortened to 1 John
* Second ...
at the U-16 age group in 1981 and the U-19 age group in 1983.
After graduating from high school, Murray attended
Clemson University
Clemson University () is a public land-grant research university in Clemson, South Carolina. Founded in 1889, Clemson is the second-largest university in the student population in South Carolina. For the fall 2019 semester, the university enro ...
, where he played as a
forward
Forward is a relative direction, the opposite of backward.
Forward may also refer to:
People
* Forward (surname)
Sports
* Forward (association football)
* Forward (basketball), including:
** Point forward
** Power forward (basketball)
** Sm ...
on the men's soccer team from 1984 to 1987. In his freshman year, the Tigers took the 1984
NCAA championship
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
in a 2–1 victory over
Indiana
Indiana () is a U.S. state in the Midwestern United States. It is the 38th-largest by area and the 17th-most populous of the 50 States. Its capital and largest city is Indianapolis. Indiana was admitted to the United States as the 19th s ...
. Through his four years at Clemson, Murray was a dominant forward, finishing his career as the first Clemson player to gain 40 goals and 40 assists. His senior year, he again won the
NCAA championship
The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) is a nonprofit organization that regulates student athletics among about 1,100 schools in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico. It also organizes the athletic programs of colleges and ...
, this time a 2–0 victory over
San Diego State
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a public research university in San Diego, California. Founded in 1897 as San Diego Normal School, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CSU) system ...
. On a personal level, he was named the 1987
Hermann Trophy
The Hermann Trophy is awarded annually by the Missouri Athletic Club to the United States's top men's and women's college soccer players.
History
In 1967, Bob Hermann, the president of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the ...
winner and the 1987
ISAA Player of the Year The ISAA Player of the Year was an annual U.S. college soccer award presented by the Intercollegiate Soccer Association of America (ISAA) between 1984 and 1995. In 1984, the ISAA began recognizing outstanding men's NCAA soccer players with an annua ...
. He was also selected as a
first team All-American as a forward. This went with his selection as a 1985 All-American midfielder. In 2000, ''
SoccerAmerica'' named Murray to its
College Team of the Century. In 1993, Murray was elected to the Clemson University Hall of Fame.
Professional
In 1988, Murray signed with the
Washington Stars of the
American Soccer League (ASL). This was the first year in existence for both the Stars and ASL. The Stars finished third in the North Division with an 11–9 record and out of playoff contention.
/sup> He continued with the Stars for the next three seasons, but also spent time with Swiss club FC Luzern
Fussball-Club Luzern (), or simply abbreviated to FCL, is a Swiss sports club based in Lucerne (german: Luzern). It is best known for its professional football team, which plays in the Super League, the top tier of the Swiss football league syste ...
during the 1988–1989 winter (ASL offseason) season. In 1990, the ASL merged with the Western Soccer League
Western Soccer Alliance was a professional soccer league featuring teams from the West Coast of the United States and Western Canada. The league began in 1985 as the Western Alliance Challenge Series. In 1986, it became the Western Soccer Alli ...
to form the American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. It ...
. The Stars continued their poor run of play, finishing 7–13 and out of playoff contention yet again. The team folded at the end of the 1990 and Murray moved to the Maryland Bays
The Maryland Bays were an inaugural franchise of the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988.They were based in Catonsville, Maryland, and played their games at the University of Maryland-Baltimore County. The team joined the Ameri ...
. In 1991, Murray played nine games, scoring two goals, with the Bays. By this time the APSL was collapsing and the Bays folded at the end of the season.
Murray took a break from full-time soccer when he signed a contract with the U.S. Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...
(USSF) to play full-time with the U.S. national team. On July 30, 1993, the U.S. Soccer Federation
The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. Headquartered in Chicago, the federation is ...
released Murray from his national team contract in order to allow him to pursue professional opportunities in Europe. Murray then moved to England to pursue a contract with English Championship club Millwall
Millwall is a district on the western and southern side of the Isle of Dogs, in east London, England, in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It lies to the immediate south of Canary Wharf and Limehouse, north of Greenwich and Deptford, east ...
.
On August 9, 1993, Murray signed with Millwall and scored six days later in his debut match when Millwall defeated Stoke City
Stoke City Football Club is a professional football club based in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, which competes in the . Founded as Stoke Ramblers in 1863, it changed its name to Stoke in 1878 and then to Stoke City in 1925 after Stoke ...
2–1.
/sup> Despite this excellent start, Murray was limited to 12 games with concussion issues scoring three game winning goals against Stoke City, Watford and Nottingham Forest. over the next year and Millwall released him on October 12, 1994.
/sup> During his time with Millwall, the team sent him on loan to Stockport County F.C., Stockport County.
When Murray returned to the U.S., he signed with the Atlanta Ruckus
Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...
of the A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
. That season the Ruckus went to the championship before falling to the Seattle Sounders
Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club w ...
. Having battled knee injuries/head injuries for several years, Murray retired from playing professionally at the end of the 1995 season.
National team
Murray earned his first cap
A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...
in a 5–0 defeat against England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...
in Los Angeles, on June 16, 1985, while still in college. His first national team goal came against Uruguay
Uruguay (; ), officially the Oriental Republic of Uruguay ( es, República Oriental del Uruguay), is a country in South America. It shares borders with Argentina to its west and southwest and Brazil to its north and northeast; while bordering ...
on February 7, 1986. The game ended in a 1–1 tie. Murray went on to play on the U.S. team at the 1988 Summer Olympics
The 1988 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the XXIV Olympiad () and commonly known as Seoul 1988 ( ko, 서울 1988, Seoul Cheon gubaek palsip-pal), was an international multi-sport event held from 17 September to 2 October ...
, and become a mainstay in the lineup during World Cup qualifying. Murray started all three games for the US at the 1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, a quadrennial football tournament for men's senior national teams. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event for a second time (the first being Me ...
, the U.S.'s first appearance at the Cup since 1950
Events January
* January 1 – The International Police Association (IPA) – the largest police organization in the world – is formed.
* January 5 – 1950 Sverdlovsk plane crash, Sverdlovsk plane crash: ''Aeroflot'' Lisunov Li-2 cr ...
. His play in the World Cup saw him having a hand in both goals scored during the finals, scoring one and assisting on the other.
Only Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride (born June 19, 1972) is an American former soccer player who played as a forward for Columbus Crew, Fulham and Chicago Fire. He is the fifth-highest all-time leading goalscorer for the United States national team.
For m ...
, Clint Mathis
Clint Mathis (born November 25, 1976) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward or midfielder. He appeared at the 2002 FIFA World Cup, scoring one goal. He also played in Major League Soccer for the MetroStars, wh ...
, and John O'Brien have recorded a goal and an assist for the United States in one World Cup finals. Murray ended his national team career in 1993 with 86 caps
Caps are flat headgear.
Caps or CAPS may also refer to:
Science and technology Computing
* CESG Assisted Products Service, provided by the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters
* Composite Application Platform Suite, by Java Caps, a Java ...
and 22 goals. Murray holds the third most goals scored playing European teams with 9 goals, 2nd Landon Donovan (10) 1st Clint Dempsey (12).
Murray also played for the United States national futsal team
The United States national futsal team represents the United States at international competitions. It is governed by the United States Soccer Federation and affiliated with CONCACAF. The U.S. Futsal Federation was founded in 1981 and the first ...
which placed third at the 1989 FIFA Futsal World Championship. He earned six caps and scored one goal with the futsal team.
/sup>
U.S. National Team Appearances
:''As of match played June 22, 1993.''
International goals
Post playing career
After a series of head injuries, Murray decided to retire from playing professionally. At first, he entered the metals trading industry, but in 2001, he decided to re-enter soccer with the Atlanta Silverbacks
The Atlanta Silverbacks FC were an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1998 as Atlanta Ruckus, the club played in many leagues over the years before folding after the 2015 season. The team played its home game ...
youth program.
/sup>
In 2002, Murray became the Director of coaching with the Roswell Soccer Club in Georgia.
On September 17, 2004, Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636 as Harvard College and named for its first benefactor, the Puritan clergyman John Harvard, it is the oldest institution of higher le ...
announced that Murray had been hired as an assistant coach with the men's soccer team.
/sup> He was with Harvard for two seasons, then moved to the Capital Area Soccer League in Raleigh, NC where he was a staff coach.
On March 20, 2011, Murray was elected to the National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 and currently located in Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The Hall of Fame honors soccer achievements in the United States. Induction ...
.Cobi Jones, Eddie Pope, and Earnie Stewart Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2011
Recently Murray has been diagnosed with potential CTE symptoms from his concussion and repetitive heading of the ball over his playing career.
References
External links
*
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Murray, Bruce
1966 births
Living people
All-American men's college soccer players
American expatriate soccer players
American expatriate sportspeople in England
American men's futsal players
American Professional Soccer League players
American soccer coaches
American soccer players
American Soccer League (1988–89) players
Association football forwards
Atlanta Silverbacks players
Ayr United F.C. players
Clemson Tigers men's soccer players
CONCACAF Gold Cup-winning players
FC Luzern players
Footballers at the 1988 Summer Olympics
Maryland Bays players
Millwall F.C. players
National Soccer Hall of Fame members
Olympic soccer players of the United States
Soccer players from Maryland
Stockport County F.C. players
United States men's international soccer players
Washington Stars players
1990 FIFA World Cup players
1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup players
1992 King Fahd Cup players
1993 Copa América players
People from Germantown, Maryland
Hermann Trophy men's winners
NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament Most Outstanding Player winners