Matt Bahner (born March 12, 1990) is an American former soccer player who last played as a defender for

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...

club El Paso Locomotive.

Career

Bahner played four years of

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 ...

University of Cincinnati The University of Cincinnati (UC or Cincinnati) is a public research university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Founded in 1819 as Cincinnati College, it is the oldest institution of higher education in Cincinnati and has an annual enrollment of over 44,00 ...

between 2008 and 2012, although he missed the entirety of the 2011 season due to injury. He also played for Cincinnati Kings and

Michigan Bucks Flint City Bucks is an American soccer team based in Flint, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club was founded in 1995 as the Mid-Michigan Bucks, play ...

, both of the

USL PDL USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league sys ...

during his time at college. Bahner signed with

USL Pro The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, ...

club

Harrisburg City Islanders Penn FC (formerly the Harrisburg City Islanders) was an American professional soccer team based in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, United States. Founded in 2003, the team most recently played in the USL Pro, the second tier of the United States soc ...

on April 3, 2013.

Jacksonville Armada

Prior to the 2015 season, Bahner was transferred to the newly formed NASL club, Jacksonville Armada. After the 2016 season, Bahner was one of only a few remaining players from the beginning of the Armadas franchise. A highly productive defender has mostly been a starter in his NASL career, and has managed to score 2 goals as a defender.

FC Cincinnati

In January 2017, Bahner signed with

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

club

FC Cincinnati Football Club Cincinnati, commonly known as FC Cincinnati, is an American professional soccer club based in Cincinnati. The club plays in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The team succeeded the lower-division team of the ...

for their 2017 season. On October 25, 2017, the club confirmed that Bahner would return for the 2018 season.

Saint Louis FC

On December 18, 2018,

Saint Louis FC Saint Louis FC was an American professional soccer team based in St. Louis, Missouri. The team was founded in May 2014, and competed in the USL Championship. The team played their matches at West Community Stadium, a venue inside the World Wi ...

announced they had signed Bahner as

was moving up to

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 ...

and thus undergoing major roster changes. Saint Louis head coach Anthony Pulis spoke positively of Bahner, saying in a press release, "He's a fantastic athlete, good in the air and uses the ball really well, not to mention he has experience of being successful in the league which is important."

El Paso Locomotive

On August 6, 2020, Bahner joined

side El Paso Locomotive. He made 57 appearances for the club before retiring at the end of the 2022 season.

References

External links

University of Cincinnati profile

El Paso profile
* 1990 births Living people American men's soccer players Soccer players from Ohio People from West Chester, Butler County, Ohio Sportspeople from Butler County, Ohio Men's association football midfielders Cincinnati Bearcats men's soccer players Cincinnati Kings players Flint City Bucks players Penn FC players Jacksonville Armada FC players FC Cincinnati players El Paso Locomotive FC players Saint Louis FC players USL Championship players North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players USL League Two players {{US-footy-midfielder-stub