Mike Gentile (born May 24, 1974) is a former U.S.

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 ...

midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...

who, while drafted twice by teams in

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 ...

, spent his seven-season career in the second division

USISL United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

. He was a member of the

United States U-20 men's national soccer team The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years. The United States' b ...

at the

1993 FIFA World Youth Championship The 1993 FIFA World Youth Championship, known as the 1993 FIFA/Coca-Cola World Youth Championship for sponsorship purposes, was the 9th edition FIFA World Youth Championship. U20 Brazil defeated Ghana, 2–1 for its third title. It took place ac ...

Early years

Gentile attended Livonia Churchill High School along with Scott Lamphear and

Jeff Cassar Jeff Cassar (born February 2, 1974) is an American soccer coach and former goalkeeper who last coached Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer. Playing career Cassar played college soccer at Florida International University, where he was roommat ...

where they were finalist in the Class A State Championship in 1990 as a Junior.

College

Gentile attended college at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison A university () is an educational institution, institution of higher education, higher (or Tertiary education, tertiary) education and research which awards academic degrees in several Discipline (academia), academic disciplines. Universities ty ...

where he played on the soccer team from 1992 to 1995. In 1995, the Badgers won the

NCAA Men's 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 champ ...

while Gentile was selected a third team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed upon an amateur sports person from the United States who is considered to be one of the best amateurs in their sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an All-Am ...

n. In 1993, he was part of the

at the

, but he never entered a game in the tournament. In 2015, Gentile was added to the UW Athletic Hall of Fame.

Professional

In March 1996, the

Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...

selected Gentile in the first round (9th overall) of the 1996 College Draft. The Rapids released Gentile during the preseason and he signed with the

Milwaukee Rampage The Milwaukee Rampage are a former defunct professional American soccer team, that was located in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, which played in the A-League. History Founded in 1993 by Milwaukee area businessmen Dan Doucette and Jim Hock, the Rampage play ...

of the

. In 1997, the Rampage won the league championship. On July 13, 1999, the Rampage unexpectedly released Gentile along with four other players. Gentile had started five games before being benched in June. He immediately signed with the

Minnesota Thunder Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division (USL-1), the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its hom ...

, going on to win the 1999 league championship with his new team. In February 2000, Gentile was again drafted by an MLS team when the

Tampa Bay Mutiny Tampa Bay Mutiny was a professional soccer team based in Tampa, Florida. They were a charter member of Major League Soccer (MLS) and played from 1996 to 2001. They played their home games at Tampa Stadium and then at Raymond James Stadium. The ...

selected him in the sixth round (66th overall) in the

2000 MLS SuperDraft The 2000 Major League Soccer SuperDraft was held on February 6, 2000 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and consisted of six rounds. One of the most successful draft picks was goalkeeper Nick Rimando, a third round pick, who went on to hold the record ...

. However, on February 22, 2000, the Mutiny released Gentile and he returned to the Thunder. In 2001, he signed a one-year contract, with a one-year option. He played through at least the 2002 season.

References

External links

University of Wisconsin–Madison Media Guide

University of Wisconsin Men's Soccer Hall of Fame
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gentile, Mike 1974 births Living people American men's soccer players A-League (1995–2004) players Milwaukee Rampage players Minnesota Thunder players Wisconsin Badgers men's soccer players Colorado Rapids draft picks Tampa Bay Mutiny draft picks United States men's under-20 international soccer players Men's association football midfielders