Edward Clear (May 15, 1944 – March 18, 2022) was a retired American
soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...
defender who earned five caps with the
United States national team in 1968.
Early life
He was born on the Northside of St. Louis, Missouri on May 15, 1944, to James, a lifelong civil servant working with the US Postal Service, and Marie Clear, a housewife and part-time waitress. He was the second of five children: his three sisters Carol, Katie, and Mary Bridget, and brother Doug. He grew up playing CYC soccer and baseball for his local Catholic parish team, Holy Rosary. Later he played both sports for his high school, Christian Brothers College.
During the years between his school playing days and his professional career, Clear played for several high-profile soccer teams in the St. Louis area: Schumacher, Kutis, and White Star FC.
Professional
He played professionally for the
St. Louis Stars in both the
National Professional Soccer League and
North American Soccer League from 1967 to 1969.
National team
Clear gained his first of five
caps with the
U.S. national team in a 3–3 tie with
Israel
Israel, officially the State of Israel, is a country in West Asia. It Borders of Israel, shares borders with Lebanon to the north, Syria to the north-east, Jordan to the east, Egypt to the south-west, and the Mediterranean Sea to the west. Isr ...
. He played the next three games with the U.S., then did not play in the next two U.S. games. His final appearance with the U.S. came in a 1-0 World Cup qualifier victory over
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...
on October 27, 1968. He was a substitute for
Bob Gansler.
Clear was inducted into the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame on November 14, 1996.
Personal life
After his retirement from soccer he married Joan (Hummel) Clear in April 1969. He went on to have 7 children and 13 grandchildren. The couple divorced in 1980. He would later marry Barb (Bilger) Clear, with whom he would remain married until his death. Clear died March 18, 2022, from complications caused from a heart attack he suffered at his South St. Louis home.
References
External links
NASL stats
1944 births
Living people
Soccer players from St. Louis
American men's soccer players
National Professional Soccer League (1967) players
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players
St. Louis Stars (soccer) players
United States men's international soccer players
Men's association football midfielders
20th-century American sportsmen
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