View source for Eddie Pope

{{short description|American soccer player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}}
{{Use American English|date=May 2017}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Eddie Pope
| image = Eddie Pope cropped.jpg{{!}}border
| image_size =
| caption = Pope in 2008
| fullname = George Edward Pope<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.fifadata.com/document/fwc/2006/PDF/FWC_2006_SquadLists.pdf |title=2006 FIFA World Cup Germany: List of Players: United States |publisher=FIFA |page=32 |date=March 21, 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190610174527/https://www.fifadata.com/document/fwc/2006/PDF/FWC_2006_SquadLists.pdf |archive-date=June 10, 2019}}</ref>
| birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1973|12|24|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[High Point, North Carolina]], U.S.
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=1}}
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| collegeyears1 = 1992–1995
| college1 = [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's soccer|North Carolina Tar Heels]]
| years1 = 1996–2002
| years2 = 2003–2004
| years3 = 2005–2007
| clubs1 = [[D.C. United]]
| clubs2 = [[MetroStars]]
| clubs3 = [[Real Salt Lake]]
| caps1 = 143
| caps2 = 42
| caps3 = 69
| goals1 = 8
| goals2 = 0
| goals3 = 2
| totalcaps      = 254 |totalgoals = 10
| nationalyears1 = 1996–2006
| nationalteam1 = [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]]
| nationalcaps1 = 82
| nationalgoals1 = 8
| pcupdate = October 19, 2007
| ntupdate = August 3, 2006
| medaltemplates = 
{{Medal|Country|{{fb|USA}}}}
{{MedalSport|Men's [[Association football|soccer]]}}
{{MedalCompetition|[[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]}}
{{Medal|RU|[[1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup|1998 United States]]|}}
{{Medal|W|[[2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2005 United States]]|}}
}}
'''George Edward Pope''' (born December 24, 1973) is an American former [[association football|soccer]] player who last played for [[Real Salt Lake]] of [[Major League Soccer]] and spent eleven years as a [[Defender (association football)|defender]] for the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States national team]]. He spent most of his career playing for [[D.C. United]].<ref>[https://www.mlssoccer.com/players/eddie-pope/ Eddie Pope {{!}} MLSsoccer.com]. Retrieved December 9, 2021.</ref> Pope is a member of the [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Eddie Pope - 2011 Inductee {{!}} National Soccer Hall of Fame |url=http://www.nationalsoccerhof.com/players/eddie-pope.html |access-date=2023-12-18 |website=Eddie Pope - 2011 Inductee {{!}} National Soccer Hall of Fame |language=en}}</ref>

==Youth==
Born in [[High Point, North Carolina]], Pope attended [[Southwest Guilford High School]]. Pope had a very successful career playing for the [[North Carolina Tar Heels men's soccer|North Carolina Tar Heels]] where he also kicked for [[Mack Brown]]'s [[North Carolina Tar Heels football|football]] team.  In 1994, he was a first-team [[Division I First-Team All-American (soccer)|All-American]], and also earned All-ACC and All-South Region honors.

==Professional club career==
In 1996, [[D.C. United]] selected Pope in the first round (second overall) in the [[1996 MLS College Draft|MLS College Draft]].  His first season in Washington, D.C. was split between United and the men's Olympic team, which was preparing for the [[1996 Summer Olympics]] in [[Atlanta]].<ref name="TheGuardian" />  However, he still played 18 games for United and won a league title with the team, scoring a [[golden goal]] in the first-ever [[MLS Cup 1996|MLS Cup]] against the [[Los Angeles Galaxy]].<ref name="TheGuardian" />  He also played his first game with the national team, helping the team beat [[Trinidad and Tobago national football team|Trinidad and Tobago]] 2–0 on November 10 that year.

In 1997, Pope made quite a splash on the MLS scene.  He was named [[MLS Defender of the Year Award|MLS Defender of the Year]] and earned a place in the [[MLS Best XI]], as well as winning a second MLS title.<ref name="TheGuardian" />  In 1998, Pope helped United win both the [[CONCACAF Champions Cup]] and the [[Copa Interamericana|InterAmerican Cup]], the first continental honors earned by an MLS team.  He scored goals in both of these two finals; including the winning goal in United's victory in the Interamerican Cup.

Pope's 1999 season was beset by injuries, and his playing time was limited, which continued to pester him into 2000, although he would play 19 and 21 games, respectively, in those seasons, and he earned his third and fourth consecutive trips to the [[MLS All-Star Game]]. Injuries continued to dog Pope in 2001, but he again played in the All-Star Game and also played an important role in the national team's World Cup qualification.  His injuries continued into the 2002 MLS season, and he only appeared in seventeen matches.

On December 23, 2002, Pope was traded to the [[MetroStars]], along with [[Jaime Moreno (footballer, born 1974)|Jaime Moreno]] and [[Richie Williams]], in return for [[Mike Petke]], a first-round draft pick, and an [[allocation money|allocation]]. Pope continued his quality play with the MetroStars, captaining the team to an excellent defensive record. He was named to the MLS Best XI for the third time for his efforts. In 2004, he had a down year with the Metros, but was still voted to the MLS Best XI for a second consecutive season. After the year, Pope was traded to expansion Salt Lake for an allocation. He played three seasons with [[Real Salt Lake]], providing veteran leadership for the expansion franchise.  In 2007, he retired from professional soccer.  In ten years in MLS, he scored nine goals and ten assists, plus added that MLS Cup goal and an assist in the playoffs. In 2005, he was named to the [[MLS All-Time Best XI]].

On June 14, 2007, Pope announced his plans to retire from all competitive soccer at the end of the 2007 season, saying: "It's just time...You get up in the morning and you're in pain. Before practice, you are in pain. And after practice you are still in pain."<sup>[http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6924530]{{dead link|date=December 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</sup>

On March 11, 2011, he was selected for induction into the [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]].<ref>[http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Federation-Services/2011/03/Cobi-Jones-Eddie-Pope-and-Earnie-Stewart-Elected-to-National-Soccer-Hall-of-Fame-Class-of-2011.aspx Cobi Jones, Eddie Pope, and Earnie Stewart Elected to National Soccer Hall of Fame Class of 2011] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131227095518/http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Federation-Services/2011/03/Cobi-Jones-Eddie-Pope-and-Earnie-Stewart-Elected-to-National-Soccer-Hall-of-Fame-Class-of-2011.aspx |date=December 27, 2013 }}</ref>

==International career==
Pope began his international career with the [[United States men's national soccer team]] on November 10, 1996, in a World Cup qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago.  At the time, he was in his rookie season with D.C. United.  He quickly became a fixture for the national team, which surprised the world when it defeated [[Brazil national football team|Brazil]] 1-0 and made its way to the finals of the [[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]. Pope also played in two games for the disappointing U.S. campaign at the [[1998 FIFA World Cup]]. In 2002, he started all five U.S. matches in the [[2002 FIFA World Cup|World Cup]], and played a big part in the surprising success of the United States in that tournament. 

Pope started every game he played with the national team. On August 3, 2006, Pope announced his retirement from international soccer. His international career included 82 caps and 8 goals over an eleven-year period.

==Post playing career==
Pope served as the director of player relations for the MLS Players Union following his playing retirement.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/10/20/throw-2002-wcup-alumni-are-staying-game?module=from_footer |title=The Throw-In: 2002 WCup alumni are staying in the game |last=Freedman |first=Jonah |date=October 20, 2011 |website=www.mlssoccer.com |access-date=October 26, 2017 }}{{Dead link|date=May 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> In 2015, Pope left the MLS Players Union to work at the [[Octagon (sports agency)|Octagon]] sports agency.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2015/10/15/mls-players-union-eddie-pope-octagon-sports |title=Key MLS Players Union officials, including Pope, leaving for Octagon |first=Brian |last=Strauss |date=October 15, 2015 |access-date=October 26, 2017 |publisher=Sports Illustrated}}</ref><ref name="TheGuardian">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/football/2016/dec/09/eddie-pope-rookie-year-us-soccer-mls|title=Eddie Pope's remarkable rookie year: from college student to MLS hero|work=The Guardian|date=December 9, 2016|access-date=August 15, 2019}}</ref>

In 2022, Pope was named as sporting director of the newly founded [[MLS Next Pro]] club [[Carolina Core FC]], to begin play in 2024. The club is based in his hometown of [[High Point, North Carolina]].<ref>{{cite web |title=New Independent Club led by soccer legend Eddie Pope to join MLS NEXT Pro in 2024 |url=https://www.mlsnextpro.com/news/new-independent-club-led-by-soccer-legend-eddie-pope-to-join-mls-next-pro-in-202 |website=MLSNEXTPro.com |language=en |date=Nov 10, 2022}}</ref>

==Career statistics==
===Club===
[http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/eddie-pope]
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! colspan=3 | Club performance
! colspan=2 | League
! colspan=2 | Cup
! colspan=2 | League Cup
! colspan=2 | Continental
! colspan=2 | Total
|-
! Season !! Club !! League
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
! Apps !! Goals
|-
|-
! colspan=3 | U.S.
! colspan=2 | League
! colspan=2 | [[Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup|Open Cup]]
! colspan=2 | League Cup
! colspan=2 | [[CONCACAF|North America]]
! colspan=2 | Total
|-
|[[1996 Major League Soccer season|1996]]||rowspan="7"|[[D.C. United]]||rowspan="12"|[[Major League Soccer]]||18||2||1||1||6||1||0||0||25||5
|-
|[[1997 Major League Soccer season|1997]]||29||3||0||0||5||0||0||0||34||3
|-
|[[1998 Major League Soccer season|1998]]||20||1||0||0||6||0||0||0||26||1
|-
|[[1999 Major League Soccer season|1999]]||19||1||0||0||6||0||0||0||25||1
|-
|[[2000 Major League Soccer season|2000]]||21||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||22||0
|-
|[[2001 Major League Soccer season|2001]]||19||0||3||1||0||0||0||0||22||1
|-
|[[2002 Major League Soccer season|2002]]||17||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||17||0
|-
|[[2003 Major League Soccer season|2003]]||rowspan="2"|[[MetroStars]]|||20||0||4||2||2||0||0||0||26||2
|-
|[[2004 Major League Soccer season|2004]]||22||0||1||0||2||0||0||0||25||0
|-
|[[2005 Major League Soccer season|2005]]||rowspan="3"|[[Real Salt Lake]]|||20||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||20||1
|-
|[[2006 Major League Soccer season|2006]]||22||0||0||0||0||0||0||0||22||0
|-
|[[2007 Major League Soccer season|2007]]||27||1||0||0||0||0||0||0||27||1
|-
! rowspan=1 | Total
! colspan=2 | U.S.
!254||10||10||4||27||1||0||0||291||15
|-
! colspan=3 | Career total
!254||10||10||4||27||1||0||0||291||15
|}

===International goals===
{| class="wikitable collapsible expanded"
! # !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1 || March 16, 1997 || [[Palo Alto, California]] || {{fb|CAN}} || '''2'''–0 || 3–0 || [[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)#Final round|1998 World Cup qualifying]]
|-
| 2 || April 20, 1997 || [[Foxboro, Massachusetts]] || {{fb|MEX}} || '''1'''–1 || 2–2 || [[1998 FIFA World Cup qualification (CONCACAF)#Final round|1998 World Cup qualifying]]
|-
| 3 || February 7, 1998 || [[Oakland, California]] || {{fb|CRC}} || '''1'''–0 || 2–1 || [[1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup]]
|-
| 4 || August 16, 2000 || [[Foxboro, Massachusetts]] || {{fb|BRB}} || '''1'''–0 || 7–0 || [[2002 FIFA World Cup qualification – CONCACAF semi-finals#Group 3|2002 World Cup qualifying]]
|-
| 5 || April 17, 2002 || [[Dublin]], Ireland || {{fb|IRL|name=Ireland}} || '''1'''–1 || 1–2 || Friendly
|-
| 6 || April 29, 2004 || [[Dallas, Texas]] || {{fb|MEX}} || '''1'''–0 || 1–0 || Friendly
|-
| 7 || January 29, 2006 || [[Carson, California]] || {{fb|NOR}} || '''3'''–0 || 5–0 || Friendly
|-
| 8 || February 10, 2006 || [[San Francisco, California]] || {{fb|JPN}} || '''1'''–0 || 3–2 || Friendly

|}

==Honors==
;DC United
* [[MLS Cup]]: [[1996 Major League Soccer season#Playoff bracket|1996]],<ref name="TheGuardian" /> [[1997 Major League Soccer season#Playoff bracket|1997]],<ref name="TheGuardian" /> [[1999 Major League Soccer season#Playoff bracket|1999]]
* [[Supporters' Shield]]: [[1997 Major League Soccer season#Team Awards|1997]], [[1999 Major League Soccer season#Team Awards|1999]]
* [[U.S. Open Cup]]: [[1996 U.S. Open Cup|1996]]
* [[CONCACAF Champions League]]: [[1998 CONCACAF Champions' Cup|1998]]
* [[Copa Interamericana]]: [[1998 Copa Interamericana|1998]]

;United States
* [[CONCACAF Gold Cup]]: [[2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup|2005]]

;Individual
* [[MLS All-Star Game|MLS All-Star]]: [[1997 MLS All-Star Game|1997]],<ref>[https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/all-star-game-flashback-1997-valderrama-named-mvp-again All-Star Game flashback, 1997] at MLSsoccer.com</ref> [[1998 MLS All-Star Game|1998]],<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/1998-mls-all-star-game-373141|title=1998 MLS All-Star Game|work=MLSsoccer.com|date=August 2, 1998| access-date= July 27, 2023}}</ref> [[1999 Major League Soccer All-Star Game|1999]],<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 17, 1999 |title=1999 MLS All-Star Game |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/1999-mls-all-star-game-373142 |work=MLSsoccer.com |access-date=July 27, 2023}}</ref> [[2000 MLS All-Star Game|2000]]<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 29, 2000 |title=2000 MLS All-Star Game |url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/2000-mls-all-star-game-373143 |work=MLSsoccer.com |access-date=July 28, 2023}}</ref>
* [[MLS Best XI]]: 1997, 1998, 2003, 2004<ref name="TheGuardian" />
* [[MLS Defender of the Year Award|MLS Defender of the Year]]: 1997<ref name="TheGuardian" />
* [[CONCACAF Gold Cup]] Best XI: [[1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup|1998]]
* [[MLS Fair Play Award]]: [[2004 Major League Soccer season|2004]]
* [[National Soccer Hall of Fame]] [[2011 National Soccer Hall of Fame Induction Class|2011 Inductee]]<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ussoccer.com/News/Mens-National-Team/2011/06/National-Soccer-Hall-of-Fame-2011-Induction.aspx |title=National Soccer Hall of Fame Inducts Five New Members for 2011 |date=June 4, 2011 |work=USSF |publisher=ussoccer.com |access-date=June 21, 2011}}</ref>
*[[MLS All-Time Best XI|MLS 10th Anniversary Team]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{usurped|1=[https://web.archive.org/web/20060322021955/http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=search&s=Eddie%20Pope Eddie Pope articles on Yanks Abroad]}}
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20120328025227/http://totalsoccershow.com/blog/eddie-pope-profile/ Eddie Pope: His Holiness - Profile on Total Soccer Show]

{{Navboxes
|title= United States squads
|bg= white
|fg= #002868
|bordercolor= #BF0A30
|list1=
{{United States men's football squad 1996 Summer Olympics}}
{{United States squad 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{United States squad 1998 FIFA World Cup}}
{{United States squad 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{United States squad 2002 FIFA World Cup}}
{{United States squad 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}
{{United States squad 2006 FIFA World Cup}}
}}
{{Navboxes
|title= Awards
|bg=gold
|fg=navy
|list1=
{{1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup Team of the Tournament}}
{{MLS Defender of the Year}}
{{1996 MLS College Draft}}
{{DCUnitedFirstPick}}
{{1997 MLS Best XI}}
{{1998 MLS Best XI}}
{{2003 MLS Best XI}}
{{2004 MLS Best XI}}
{{MLS Fair Play Award}}
{{MLSXI}}
{{Honda Player of the Year}}
{{National Soccer Hall of Fame members}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pope, Eddie}}
[[Category:1973 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Greensboro, North Carolina]]
[[Category:African-American soccer players]]
[[Category:American men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:North Carolina Tar Heels football players]]
[[Category:North Carolina Tar Heels men's soccer players]]
[[Category:All-American college men's soccer players]]
[[Category:D.C. United draft picks]]
[[Category:D.C. United players]]
[[Category:New York Red Bulls players]]
[[Category:Real Salt Lake players]]
[[Category:Major League Soccer players]]
[[Category:Major League Soccer All-Stars]]
[[Category:National Soccer Hall of Fame members]]
[[Category:United States men's under-23 international soccer players]]
[[Category:Olympic soccer players for the United States]]
[[Category:United States men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1996 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:1998 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:2002 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:2006 FIFA World Cup players]]
[[Category:CONCACAF Gold Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:CONCACAF Champions Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]