Michael Ritch (born April 26, 1981 in Tallassee,

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama (state song), Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery, Alabama, Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville, Alabama, Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County, Al ...

) is an 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 ...

striker, who last played for the

Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one ...

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

. Ritch 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 ...

Auburn University Montgomery Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM) is a public university in Montgomery, Alabama. Established by an act of the Alabama Legislature in 1967, it is governed by the Auburn University Board of Trustees as a member of the Auburn University system. ...

in the NAIA from 1999 to 2002, where he helped lead the team to four straight conference championships. Ritch was named a second-team All-American in 2001, and as a senior, after scoring 29 goals with 15 assists in 23 games, he was named a first team All-American. Ritch finished his career at the school with 64 goals and 48 assists. In December 2002, Ritch was selected as the #1 overall pick in the 2003

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 ...

College Draft by the Syracuse Salty Dogs. Upon graduating from college, Ritch was drafted 37th overall in the

2003 MLS SuperDraft The 2003 MLS Superdraft was held January 17, 2003 in Kansas City, Missouri. It was the fifth annual SuperDraft held by Major League Soccer. Player selection Any player whose name is marked with an * was contracted under the Project-40 program ...

by the

, and signed a two-year contract with the club. This made Michael the first ever player drafted in the MLS from the state of Alabama. He only played 21 minutes over three games as a rookie, however in his second year, Ritch appeared in 12 games (4 as a starter) and finished the year with one goal and one assist. In 2003, the Crew sent Ritch on loan to the Salty Dogs for three games. Michael Ritch is currently the Director of Coaching at CSC (Cajun Soccer Club) in Lafayette, LA

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ritch, Michael 1981 births Living people Auburn Montgomery Warhawks men's soccer players American soccer players Columbus Crew players Major League Soccer players Soccer players from Alabama A-League (1995–2004) players Syracuse Salty Dogs players Columbus Crew draft picks People from Tallassee, Alabama Association football midfielders Association football forwards