Utrecht (Holland), Ajax (Holland), ADO Den Haag (Holland),
Chivas (USA)
Honours
Concacaf Cup (Usa national team)
Biography
John O'Brien (born on August 29, 1977 in Los Angeles,
California) is an American soccer player, one of the first
Americans to earn a starting spot with a major European team,
which he did with Ajax Amsterdam. He currently plays for C.D.
Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.
O'Brien had his first trial with Ajax at the age of 14 and
signed an amateur contract with the Dutch giants in 1996 as a
17-year old. After two years on their youth teams, Ajax offered
O'Brien a professional contract in 1998. He spent the 1998-99
season on loan to FC Utrecht and made his Ajax debut in 1999. He
became a regular for the team, usually playing at left back,
winning the Eredivisie in 2002 and 2004. Unfortunately, chronic
injuries have limited O'Brien's playing time in recent years. He
left Ajax for ADO Den Haag in February 2005. After one injury-riddled
season, in which he only played three games for the club,
O'Brien came to MLS for the first time, to sign with hometown
Chivas USA.
With the United States, O'Brien earned his first cap against
Austria on April 22, 1998 but was an alternate for the U.S.
squad for the 1998 World Cup. He played in the 2000 Summer
Olympics, helping to lead the U.S. to a fourth-place finish.
O'Brien became a regular with the senior team under Bruce Arena,
and came into his own at the 2002 World Cup. Playing in
defensive midfield, he scored the opener in the shock 3-2 win
over Portugal, assisted on Clint Mathis' goal against South
Korea, and played every minute of every game for the United
States.
