Book Eddie Pope

Eddie Pope is an American soccer great and National Soccer Hall of Fame member who anchored the U.S. men's national team defense for eleven years. A High Point, North Carolina native, he starred at the University of North Carolina, earning first-team All-American honors in 1994 while also handling kicking duties for the Tar Heels football team. D.C. United took him second overall in the 1996 MLS College Draft, and as a rookie he scored the golden goal that won the very first MLS Cup against the Los Angeles Galaxy. He earned his first national team cap that November and spent part of that year with the U.S. Olympic squad preparing for the Atlanta Games. In 1997 he was named MLS Defender of the Year, made the MLS Best XI and won a second league title. A year later he scored in both finals as D.C. United captured the CONCACAF Champions Cup and the InterAmerican Cup, the first continental trophies won by a MLS club, including the winner in the InterAmerican final. He later played for the New York club now known as Red Bull New York and finished his career with Real Salt Lake.