Billy Walsh – USMNT

Billy Walsh was a mainstay with the MetroStars and was a valuable role player for the Chicago Fire. He got his first taste of international soccer in 1999, appearing in one game with the U.S. National Team. With his playing career ending following the 2002 MLS season, Walsh moved into coaching as a collegiate assistant and high school coach. To an earlier generation of American soccer fans, he and his familay are known for the Walsh Cup, an annual backyard tournament in New Jersey that drew recognizable faces from the professional ranks, college, and high school players, and at least one kid who would grow up to be a mainstay with the USMNT. The tournament lasted for over a decade before Walsh’s family moved in 2005.

USMNT Experience

1999: Earned first cap with the USMNT as a substitute late in a 2-2 draw against Jamaica in Kingston on September 8, 1999.
1996: Was a member of the U.S. Olympic team.

Professional Experience

2002: Assisted on one goal in 13 games including seven starts for the Chicago Fire.
2001: Played in 11 games and  made eight starts for the MetroStars, scoring three goals.
2000: Played 24  matches, starting 19. He finished the season with three goals and an  assist.
1999: Started all 30 of the MetroStars matches. He scored four  goals and was named MetroStars MVP.
1998: Was a second-round draft pick of the MetroStars. He began his first season on injured reserve with a wrist injury before making his debut in June and playing in eight matches.