Mark Bloom (born November 25, 1987) is a retired American
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. Bloom played as a
defender.
Career
Youth and amateur
Born in
Marietta
Marietta may refer to:
Places in the United States
*Marietta, Jacksonville, Florida
*Marietta, Georgia, the largest US city named Marietta
*Marietta, Illinois
*Marietta, Indiana
*Marietta, Kansas
*Marietta, Minnesota
*Marietta, Mississippi
*Mar ...
, Georgia, Bloom played
college soccer
College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...
at
Berry College
Berry College is a private liberal arts college in the Mount Berry community adjacent to Rome, Georgia. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS). Berry College was founded on values based on Christian pri ...
, where he was a second-team All-Southern States Athletic Conference selection as a junior in 2008, and was his team's MVP in his senior year in 2009. During his time with Berry he helped the school to a 48-26-5 record, two conference titles, and scored 13 goals.
During his college years Bloom also played in the
USL Premier Development League
USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...
both in the
Atlanta Silverbacks U23's and the
Southern California Seahorses
Southern California Seahorses are an American soccer team based in La Mirada, California. Founded in 2001, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games in the stadium on the camp ...
.
Professional
Bloom signed his first professional contract in 2010 when he was signed by
AC St. Louis
AC St. Louis was an American professional association football, soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Founded in December 2009, the team played its first and only season the next year in the NASL Conference of the temporary USSF ...
of the
USSF Division 2 Professional League
The USSF Division 2 Professional League (D2 Pro League) was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation (USSF) for the 2010 season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding Un ...
. He made his professional debut on April 10, 2010, in St. Louis's first ever game, against
Carolina RailHawks
North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. Founded in 2006, the team plays in USL League One, the third tier of the American league system.
The team has played its home games a ...
Bloom joined
Charlotte Eagles
The Charlotte Eagles are an American professional soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1991, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid.
The team plays its home games at ...
of the
USL Pro
The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, pl ...
league for the 2011 season.
In 2013, Bloom joined 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 ...
of the
NASL. He was loaned to
Toronto FC
Toronto Football Club (commonly known as Toronto FC or TFC) is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matches at BMO ...
on July 12, 2013. He made his Major League Soccer debut on September 14, 2013, playing a full 90 minutes in an away loss to
New York Red Bulls
The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
. Bloom's loan option was exercised by Toronto FC, making a permanent move to the club the following season. On January 13, 2015, it was announced that he re-signed with the team on a multi-year deal.
On March 25, 2016, Bloom was loaned to affiliate club
Toronto FC II
Toronto FC II is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, who play in MLS Next Pro, a third tier league of the United States soccer league system. It is the reserve team and minor league affiliate of Toronto FC as well as i ...
. He made his debut the following day in a 2–2 draw with
New York Red Bulls II
New York Red Bulls II is an American professional soccer team based in Montclair, New Jersey. They are the reserve team of the New York Red Bulls and play in MLS Next Pro, the third tier in the American soccer pyramid.
History
Red Bull New Yo ...
.
![Mark Bloom - 2017-09-10](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ea/Mark_Bloom_-_2017-09-10.jpg)
On December 13, 2016, he was traded to Atlanta United for
Clint Irwin
Clinton Robert Irwin (born April 1, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper for Minnesota United.
Early life
Irwin attended high school at Charlotte Christian School. As a student, he played basketball, where h ...
who was selected by
Atlanta United FC
Atlanta United FC, commonly known as Atlanta United, is an American professional soccer club based in Atlanta that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference.
Founded in 2014, Atlanta United began pl ...
in the third round of the 2016 MLS Expansion Draft.
As of December 2017, Bloom had his contract option with Atlanta United declined. He subsequently retired from professional football to work as a financial advisor.
References
External links
Toronto FC bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bloom, Mark
1987 births
Living people
Sportspeople from Marietta, Georgia
American soccer players
American expatriate soccer players
Atlanta Silverbacks U23's players
Southern California Seahorses players
AC St. Louis players
Charlotte Eagles players
Atlanta Silverbacks FC players
Toronto FC players
Soccer players from Georgia (U.S. state)
Expatriate soccer players in Canada
USL League Two players
USSF Division 2 Professional League players
USL Championship players
North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players
Major League Soccer players
Men's association football fullbacks
Atlanta United FC players
Toronto FC II players