Peter Joseph Vermes is former professional football player
and current head coach of Sporting Kansas City in MLS.
Peter was born in
November 21, 1966 in Willingboro, New Jersey. He spent many years playing in
Hungary, the Netherlands and Spain, then he established himself as the best
defenders in MLS. He played with many clubs like MetroStars, Colorado Rapids,
and the Kansas City Wizards.
Vermes represented his country at the 1998 Summer Olympics ,
the 1990 FIFA World Cup, and the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Peter Vermes was selected to the U.S. Soccer Hall of Fame on
April 4, 2013.
Playing career:
High School and college:
He grew up in Delran Township , New Jersey plying at Delran
High School. Then when he graduated he played in college in his first year on
the men’s soccer team at Loyola College in Maryland under the leading of head
coach Bill Sento.
The he moved and played three years at Rutgers University
from 1985 to 1987.
Professional:
Vermes after graduating went to Europe , where he played in
Hungary with Raba ETO FC in 1989, then he moved to the Dutch Eredivisie with
Volendam in 1990. And after one year in
1991 he returned to the United States where Vermes played three seasons scoring
only one goal in the American Professional Soccer League with Tampa Bay
Rowdies. After that Vermes moved to Spain to play in the Spanish Second
Division with Figueres from 1991-to 1995.
As many good players he returned to the United States to
play in the MLS in January 1995, he played with the New york Fever of the USISL
playing games and scoring goals. Then he moved to the New Jersey MetroStars in
the third round of the MLS and captained the team .
Then he moved to Kansas City Wizards doing his best in 2000.
Vermes was recognized as the MLS Defender of the year . and he announced his retirement
from playing career in the end of 2002 season.
International playing career:
He was not a star for the US national team but he was an
important contributor for a period of time. He got his first cap against
Columbia on May 14, 1988. Then he got 67 caps for the team in the 1988 Olympics
, the 1990 World Cup and the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Peter Vermes was named the 1998 U.S. soccer Athlete of the
year and U.S. Olympic player of the
year.
He scored 6 goals for the U.S. Futsal team in 1989, in
Rotterdam, Holland . Vermes ended his career with 11 caps and 7 goals.
Coaching career:
On November 15, 2006 Vermes signed with the Kansas City
Wizards o be his head coach in the MLS . in addition to his work as a coach to
the Kansas team he worked as a broadcaster for the San Jose Earthquakes and the
technical director of coaching for the Blue Valley Soccer in Overland Park
Kansas. He also was the assistant coach for the US under 20 national team.