Forward
Brian West
5' 9"
Biography of retired USMNT soccer player Brian West who successfully moved from MLS to Norway's topflight.
Caps: 7
Brian West might feel as comfortable on a track as he does on a soccer pitch, as he was one of the fastest players in Major League Soccer. He was a rising star for the Columbus Crew forward where he played his way into the national team player pool. The short speedster earned his first cap less than three years into his professional career. In 2004, he left Columbus on a free transfer to Fredrikstad, in the Norwegian First Division. He spent four seasons in Norway, retiring in 2008.
Photo by J Brett Whitesell – ISIPhotos.com
USMNT Experience
2002
Made five substitute appearances including two in the Gold Cup.
2001
Played one match for the USMNT, a friendly against South Korea.
2000
Made his international debut against Russia on April 26, 2000.
Professional Experience
2008
Retired as a member of Fredrikstad finishing with 53 appearances and 12 goals. Fredrikstad finished 2nd in West's final season.
2007
Another 8th-place finish.
2006
Won Norway's domestic cup with Fredrikstad, finishing 8th in the league.
2005
Finished 11 in the league.
2004
After contract ended with the Crew, signed a two-year deal with Fredrikstad FK in Norway. Tippeligaen's first XI and was voted the team's co-MVP by the club's fans after the season. Helped FK avoid relegation, scoring four goals and adding eight assists during the season.
2003
Played 24 games for the Crew, starting 17 scored four goals and four assists in 1,543 minutes of play.
2002
Helped Crew secure their first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title.
2002
Scored one goal and eight assists in 24 games with Crew.
2001
Started 19 of 21 matches in his fourth season with the Columbus Crew.
2000
Set career highs in games (28), starts (24), goals (six) and assists (seven).
1999
Cracked the Crew's starting lineup, starting 13 of 22 matches, scoring one goal.
1998
Assigned to Columbus Crew as a Project-40 player and made his professional debut at age 19.
Youth and College
A Parade All-American in high school, West scored 13 goals in two years at the University of Virginia. He set a freshmen record of 12 assists in his first year at Virginia.
