Steve Michael Cronin (born May 28, 1983 in

Sacramento, California ) , image_map = Sacramento County California Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Sacramento Highlighted.svg , mapsize = 250x200px , map_caption = Location within Sacramento C ...

) is a retired American soccer player who most recently played for D.C. United of

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 Cana ...

Career

College and Amateur

Cronin 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 Philippines, the Philippines. Th ...

Santa Clara University Santa Clara University is a private Jesuit university in Santa Clara, California. Established in 1851, Santa Clara University is the oldest operating institution of higher learning in California. The university's campus surrounds the historic M ...

from 2001 to 2003. As a freshman, Cronin started 10 games as a goalkeeper and six in the field, finishing the season with a 0.79 goals against average. For the next two years, Cronin remained solely in goal, starting 27 matches and being named first-team All-West Coast Conference as a junior.

Professional

Following a tremendous performance with the Under-20 national team in the

2003 FIFA World Youth Championship The 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship took place in United Arab Emirates between 27 November and 19 December 2003. U20 Brazil claimed their fourth title. The 2003 championship was the 14th contested. The tournament was originally planned to be ...

, Cronin signed a

Project-40 Generation Adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young professional soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by Adidas, offers professional-ready players in the U.S ...

contract with MLS. He was selected 10th overall in the

2004 MLS SuperDraft The 2004 MLS SuperDraft, held in Charlotte, North Carolina on January 16, 2004, was the fifth incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The draft was most notable at the time for the selection of one of the youngest athletes in Ame ...

by his hometown

San Jose Earthquakes The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional soccer team based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete as a member club of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). Originally as the San Jose Clash, the franchis ...

. Unfortunately for Cronin, San Jose had two very competent goalkeepers in front of him, 2003

MLS Goalkeeper of the Year MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Award, known as the Allstate MLS Goalkepeer of the Year Award for sponsorship purposes, is an annual Major League Soccer award established in 1996. It is voted on by media, MLS players and club management based on regular ...

Pat Onstad and

Jon Conway Jon Conway (born May 6, 1977) is an American retired soccer goalkeeper and current goalkeeping coach for Toronto FC. Youth and college Born in Media, Pennsylvania, as a youth, Conway played club soccer for the Lower Merion Gorillas, leading ...

, and the young keeper did not get any playing time in the 2004 season. Cronin was traded to

Los Angeles Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pla ...

in the 2005 off-season in a four-player deal and started several games for the Galaxy. He became the Galaxy's starting goalkeeper after Joe Cannon was traded to the

in January 2008. Cronin signed a multi-year contract extension with Galaxy after the 2008 MLS season, but transferred to

Portland Timbers The Portland Timbers are an American professional men's soccer club based in Portland, Oregon. The Timbers compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The Timbers have played their home games at ...

in February 2009. Cronin joined

side D.C. United on 9 October 2009 on loan from Portland until the end of the 2009 MLS season. His first appearance for DC United was an October 17, 2009 start at home against the Columbus Crew. Cronin made 6 saves and earned a shutout win. Cronin enjoyed a strong season with Portland in 2010 appearing in 28 league matches, in which he posted a .79 goals against average which included 12 shutouts. On October 19, 2010 Cronin was named as one of the first four players to be signed by the

ahead of their expansion into

in 2011, along with Bright Dike,

Ryan Pore Ryan Pore (born September 23, 1983 in Mansfield, Ohio) is an American former professional soccer player and the current head men's soccer coach of he Kansas City Roos men's soccer team at the University of Missouri–Kansas City. Career Youth ...

and

Eddie Johnson Edward, Eddie or Ed Johnson may refer to: Politicians * Edward Johnson (founder of Woburn, MA) (1598–1672), colonial military officer and writer * Edward Johnson (mayor) (1767–1829), mayor of Baltimore *Edward A. Johnson (1860–1944), first A ...

. On December 17, 2010 Cronin was traded from Portland along with allocation money to D.C. United for goalkeeper

Troy Perkins Troy Perkins (born July 29, 1981) is an American former soccer player. During his career, he played for clubs in the United States, Canada, and Norway. The 2006 Major League Soccer Goalkeeper of the Year award winner earned seven caps with th ...

. Cronin remained with D.C. through the 2011 season. At season's end, the club declined his 2012 contract option and he entered the

2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft The two-stage 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft took place on December 5, 2011 (Stage 1) and December 12, 2011 (Stage 2). All 19 Major League Soccer clubs participated. The Stage 1 and Stage 2 Drafts were conducted in the same order as the traditional Waiv ...

. Cronin was not selected in the draft and became a free agent.

International

As a teenager, Cronin trained with the Under-17 United States national team at the USSF's Bradenton Academy, alongside players like

Landon Donovan Landon Timothy Donovan (born March 4, 1982) is an American former professional soccer player. Donovan is also the co-founder and vice-president of soccer operations for USL Championship side San Diego Loyal SC, and serves as strategic advisor f ...

DaMarcus Beasley DaMarcus Lamont Beasley (; born May 24, 1982) is an American former professional soccer player. A left-footed player, Beasley played both as a left winger and left wingback throughout his career. He retired from soccer after the 2019 MLS Season. ...

, and

Bobby Convey Robert Francis Convey (; born May 27, 1983) is an American former football player who last played for New York Red Bulls in Major League Soccer. In addition to several MLS clubs, Convey spent five years in England with Reading, whom he helped ...

. He made his international debut with the team against Sweden on November 26, 1998. He was called up for the United States national team camp before the game against Sweden on January 19, 2008, but was the only unused substitute in the match.

Retirement

On April 13, 2012 Cronin announced he was becoming a State Farm insurance agent. He opened his office in Denver, Colorado on March 1, 2013.

Honors

Los Angeles Galaxy

MLS Cup (1):

2005 File:2005 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: Hurricane Katrina in the Gulf of Mexico; the Funeral of Pope John Paul II is held in Vatican City; "Me at the zoo", the first video ever to be uploaded to YouTube; Eris (dwarf planet), Er ...

Portland Timbers

USL First Division The USL First Division (usually referred to as USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the United States and Canada from 2005 to 2010. During its existence, it formed the second tier of soccer in the United States soccer league system ...

Commissioner's Cup (1):

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

Individual

All-League First Team (1):

References

External links

Steve Cronin Player experience
* *

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cronin, Steve 1983 births Living people American soccer players Santa Clara Broncos men's soccer players San Jose Earthquakes players LA Galaxy players Portland Timbers (2001–2010) players D.C. United players Association football goalkeepers USL First Division players USSF Division 2 Professional League players Major League Soccer players United States men's youth international soccer players United States men's under-20 international soccer players Soccer players from Sacramento, California San Jose Earthquakes draft picks