Matthew Timothy Kassel (born October 30, 1989) is a retired American soccer player and current color commentator for

Bethlehem Steel FC Philadelphia Union II is an American professional soccer team based in Chester, Pennsylvania competing in MLS Next Pro. Founded in 2015 as Bethlehem Steel FC, the team is the official affiliate of the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer. T ...

in the

USL 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, p ...

Career

College and amateur

Kassel attended

Bridgewater-Raritan High School Bridgewater-Raritan High School (commonly abbreviated as BRHS) is a four-year comprehensive public high school. It is the lone secondary school of the Bridgewater-Raritan Regional School District serving students in ninth through twelfth grad ...

. He began his career with

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 ...

' youth academy, and was heavily recruited going into college, being ranked as the ninth best high school recruit in the nation by the magazine '' ESPN RISE''. After receiving interest from

Kassel decided to attend the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

. In his first year at Maryland Kassel helped his side capture the 2008 Division I Men's College Cup. In January 2009, he declined to sign a contract from

. Instead, he decided to stay with the University of Maryland soccer team. In his three years at the

Kassell appeared in 68 matches and scored 11 goals and recorded 24 assists. During his time in college he remained with the

Academy and was a member of the New York Red Bull NPSL squad.

Professional

In January 2011 Kassel signed with

, becoming the third Home Grown player to join the senior roster. He made his MLS debut on 28 May 2011, in a 1–1 tie with

Vancouver Whitecaps FC Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on March ...

. On June 28, 2011 Kassel started his first match for New York playing the full 90 in a 2–1 victory over FC New York in the

US Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a knockout cup competition in men's soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing national soccer competition in that country. The 2023 U.S. Op ...

. Kassel was waived by New York on February 17, 2012. In his first season with the

Pittsburgh Riverhounds Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC is an American professional soccer team based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Founded in 1999 and beginning play in 1999, the club plays in the Eastern Conference of the USL Championship, the second tier of the American so ...

after signing with the team in April 2012, he scored 6 goals in 18 games and earned 2nd Team

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 ...

All-League honors. After spending Spring Training as a trialist, Kassel signed with the Philadelphia Union on March 5, 2013. Kassel was released by Philadelphia before the start of their 2014 season and later signed with

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 ...

Arizona United Phoenix Rising Football Club is an American professional soccer team based in Phoenix, Arizona. Founded in 2014 as Arizona United Soccer Club, the team is a member of the USL Championship. History On March 13, 2014, Kyle Eng, owner of an advert ...

International

Kassel has played for the United States at several youth team levels, including Under 15, Under 18 and Under 20. He played in all three games at the Under 18 Lisbon Tournament in May 2007. In April 2008, Kassel was called up for the Under 20 team for a week-long training camp in England and three games against

Premier League The Premier League (legal name: The Football Association Premier League Limited) is the highest level of the men's English football league system. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the English Fo ...

reserve teams.

Broadcasting

After a four-year professional career, Kassel retired from playing. Since 2016, Kassel has been brought on as the color commentator for the newly formed

;

affiliate of his former club, Philadelphia Union.

Career statistics

Club

Honors

University of Maryland

NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship The NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament, sometimes known as the College Cup, is an American intercollegiate soccer tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and determines the Division I men's national champi ...

(1):

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

Individual

- 2nd Team All-League (1):

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

References

External links

*
Maryland bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kassel, Matt 1989 births Living people American soccer players Bridgewater-Raritan High School alumni Maryland Terrapins men's soccer players New York Red Bulls U-23 players New York Red Bulls players Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players Philadelphia Union players Phoenix Rising FC players Association football midfielders People from Bridgewater Township, New Jersey Sportspeople from Somerset County, New Jersey Soccer players from New Jersey Major League Soccer players USL Championship players United States men's youth international soccer players All-American men's college soccer players Homegrown Players (MLS)