 Rolfe playing for DC United in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | (1983-01-17)January 17, 1983 (age 42)[1] | ||
| Place of birth | Kettering, Ohio, U.S.[1] | ||
| Height | 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward,winger | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Fairmont Firebirds | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2001–2004 | Dayton Flyers | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2003–2004 | Chicago Fire Premier | 18 | (9) |
| 2005–2009 | Chicago Fire | 123 | (36) |
| 2010–2012 | AaB | 35 | (6) |
| 2012–2014 | Chicago Fire | 55 | (12) |
| 2014–2017 | D.C. United | 61 | (16) |
| Total | 292 | (79) | |
| International career | |||
| 2005–2009 | United States | 10 | (0) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Chris Rolfe (born January 17, 1983) is an American former professionalsoccer player. Playing both as aforward andwinger, Rolfe primarily played for theChicago Fire ofMajor League Soccer, in addition to spending time in theDanish Superliga, before joiningD.C. United later in his career. He also earned 10 caps for theUnited States during his career. He has been the director of operations with theUniversity of Notre Dame men's soccer program since July 2019.[2]
Rolfe attendedKettering Fairmont High School, where he was given his first varsity start as a freshman in the last game of the season in order to play with his brother Jon, a senior. Set the goal scoring record in only 3 years on Varsity. Earned All-State and All-Midwest honors in his senior year after leading the Firebirds to their first district title and first-ever victory over arch-rivalCenterville High School. He playedcollege soccer at theUniversity of Dayton.
Despite missing most of his final two intercollegiate seasons due to injury, Rolfe continued to be a dynamic[clarification needed] goal scorer and eventually set the school record for career assists (25). He was named anNSCAA All-American after his senior year with theFlyers. Rolfe also played forChicago Fire Premier in theUSL Premier Development League during the summers of 2003 and 2004, helping the Fire PDL team to the national championship game in 2003 and an undefeated season in 2004.
In 2010, Rolfe was inducted into the Ohio Soccer Hall of Fame for his accomplishments at the prep and college levels in the state of Ohio.
Rolfe was drafted by the senior team in the third round of the2005 MLS SuperDraft byChicago Fire, and became a Chicago mainstay, scoring 30 goals in his first four seasons with the club, leading his team in goals with eight in his debut 2005 season, and winning theLamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2006. Since 2007, Rolfe was one of the Fire's top scorers, scoring 8 goals in the 2007 season and 9 goals in the 2008 season, including a hat-trick and man of the match performance versus theNew York Red Bulls.[3]
On September 2, 2009, it was announced that Rolfe had signed withDanish Superliga sideAalborg beginning January 1, 2010.[4] Rolfe struggled at first in Denmark due to injuries, but came into form after recovering from his injuries, being named to the Superliga Best XI five weeks during his final year there.
On April 15, 2012, it was announced that Rolfe was returning to the Fire.[5] Rolfe made his first-team debut with the Fire on June 2 coming on as a second-half substitute against theNew England Revolution. Rolfe scored in his home re-debut match atToyota Park on June 17 in a 3–1 win over theNew York Red Bulls. He won theChicago Fire MVP and Golden Boot for the 2012 season.[6]
Rolfe was traded by Chicago toD.C. United on April 2, 2014, in exchange for allocation money.[7]
Rolfe thrived in his first season at D.C. United, scoring a goal in his debut for D.C. United as a substitute in a 2–0 win against the New England Revolution, giving D.C. United their first win of the season. After scoring 6 goals and creating 6 assists in 21 games, Rolfe suffered a terrible arm injury on September 3, 2014, ending his season.
In 2015, Rolfe led D.C. United to the playoffs and was awarded the Team MVP award (his 2nd) and the Golden Boot Award (his 4th) for most goals scored (10). In the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs, Rolfe scored the 2nd goal in a 2-1 come-from-behind win to push United into the MLS Eastern Conference Semi-final.
Rolfe suffered a concussion in a game against the Chicago Fire on April 30, 2016, when an inadvertent elbow struck him in the nose; he has not played since.[8]
On November 9, 2017, after 18 months out of the game, Rolfe announced his retirement from professional soccer.[9] In his career for DC, he recorded 61 games, scored 17 goals, and assisted 9 goals.
Rolfe made his debut with theUnited States national team on November 12, 2005, againstScotland atHampden Park inGlasgow, and participated in the national team's annual January camp the following four years. He was named to the2006 FIFA World Cup roster of 30. He represented his country in two World Cup qualifying games, helping the team qualify for the 2010 World Cup. The injury sustained in April 2010 in Denmark ruled him unfit for the2010 FIFA World Cup.
Since being sidelined from soccer Rolfe has returned to the University of Dayton, near his home town of Kettering, Ohio, to complete his degree in finance that he started more than 16 years previously.
He has volunteered as assistant coach for the University of Denver women's program.
He has had an interest for organic farming, and volunteered at farms and farmers markets in Chicago, Washington and Denver.[10]
| Club | Season | League | Cup[a] | Play-offs[b] | Continental | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Chicago Fire | 2005 | MLS | 29 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 34 | 8 | |
| 2006 | 21 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 24 | 7 | |||
| 2007 | 19 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | – | 22 | 8 | |||
| 2008 | 26 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | 32 | 10 | |||
| 2009 | 28 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | – | 32 | 7 | |||
| Total | 123 | 36 | 7 | 0 | 14 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 144 | 40 | ||
| AaB | 2009–10 | Danish Superliga | 7 | 1 | – | – | 7 | 1 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 7 | 1 | – | – | 7 | 1 | ||||||
| 2011–12 | 21 | 4 | – | – | 21 | 4 | ||||||
| Total | 35 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 35 | 6 | ||||
| Chicago Fire | 2012 | MLS | 22 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | 23 | 8 | |
| 2013 | 31 | 4 | 4 | 2 | – | 35 | 6 | |||||
| 2014 | 2 | 0 | – | 2 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 55 | 12 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 60 | 14 | ||
| D.C. United | 2014 | MLS | 21 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 24 | 6 | |
| 2015 | 31 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 37 | 11 | ||
| Total | 52 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 61 | 17 | ||
| Career total | 265 | 70 | 13 | 2 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 300 | 77 | ||
Chicago Fire
Individual
