Matt Polster
{{Short description|American soccer player (born 1993)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=August 2015}}
{{Use American English|date=April 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Matt Polster
| image = CINvCHI 2017-06-28 - Matt Polster (40490288314) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Polster with Chicago Fire in 2017
| fullname = Matthew Ryan Polster{{cite web |url=https://mcusercontent.com/78d3589fb61466b549ff752e5/files/403430ce-158a-6c16-67fc-92028509200a/24_CCC_Final_Rosters.pdf |title=2024 CONCACAF Champions Cup – Club roster: New England Revolution (USA) |publisher=CONCACAF |page=18 |date=January 30, 2024 |access-date=January 30, 2024}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1993|6|8}}
| birth_place = Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States
| height = 6 ft 0 in{{cite web |title=Matt Polster |url=https://www.revolutionsoccer.net/players/matt-polster/ |publisher=New England Revolution |access-date=23 August 2022}}
| currentclub = New England Revolution
| clubnumber = 8
| position = Defensive midfielder, right-back
| youthyears1 = 2004–2010
| youthclubs1 = Downtown Las Vegas SC
| youthyears2 = 2010–2011
| youthclubs2 = Colorado Rapids
| collegeyears1 = 2011–2014
| college1 = SIU Edwardsville Cougars
| collegecaps1 = 79
| collegegoals1 = 6
| years1 = 2013
| clubs1 = Victoria Highlanders
| caps1 = 4
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2014
| clubs2 = Chicago Fire U-23
| caps2 = 3
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2015–2018
| clubs3 = Chicago Fire
| caps3 = 82
| goals3 = 3
| years4 = 2019–2020
| clubs4 = Rangers
| caps4 = 7
| goals4 = 0
| years5 = 2020–
| clubs5 = New England Revolution
| caps5 = 138
| goals5 = 6
| nationalyears1 = 2015–2016
| nationalteam1 = United States U23
| nationalcaps1 = 11
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018
| nationalteam2 = United States
| nationalcaps2 = 1
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| club-update = April 7, 2025
| nationalteam-update = January 28, 2018
}}
Matthew Ryan Polster (born June 8, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer club New England Revolution.
Career
=Early career=
File:CINvCHI 2017-06-28 - Marco Dominguez, Matt Polster (40306661905) (cropped).jpg during a 2017 U.S. Open Cup match.]]
Born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, but raised in Las Vegas, Nevada, Polster played his youth soccer at Downtown Las Vegas Soccer Club. He attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville where he played for the SIU Edwardsville Cougars.{{cite news|title=Chicago Fire sign first-round SuperDraft pick Matt Polster to contract|url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/02/04/chicago-fire-sign-first-round-superdraft-pick-matt-polster|access-date=March 6, 2015|work=Major League Soccer|date=February 4, 2015}} While with the university, Polster earned many honors including 2014 NSCAA All-West Region First Team selection and 2014 NSCAA Scholar All-America First Team selection.
=Chicago Fire=
On January 15, 2015, Polster was selected as the 7th overall pick by the Chicago Fire during the 2015 MLS SuperDraft and was signed to a contract on February 4. During his rookie season for the Fire, Polster has played an important role as a holding midfielder, drawing praise from league commentators for his precise passing and defensive capabilities, he earned recognition as Soccer by Ives 'Rookie of the Week' on three occasions during the 2015 season.{{cite web|url=http://www.sbisoccer.com/2015/04/sbi-rookie-week-matt-polster.html|title=SBI MLS Rookie of the Week: Matt Polster|date=April 27, 2015|publisher=SBISoccer}} On July 31, 2016, Polster scored his first career MLS goal in a 2–2 draw against the New York Red Bulls.{{cite web|url=https://www.chicago-fire.com/post/2016/07/31/chicago-fire-tie-new-york-red-bulls-2-2-toyota-park|title=Chicago Fire Tie New York Red Bulls 2-2 at Toyota Park|publisher=MLSSoccer}} The goal would later be voted as the Chicago Fire goal of the season in at the end of the year.{{cite web|url=https://www.nbcsports.com/chicago/chicago-fire/matt-polsters-diving-header-voted-fire-goal-year|title=Matt Polster's diving header voted Fire Goal of the Year|date=November 12, 2016 |publisher=NBC Sports}} Polster missed the majority of the 2018 Major League Soccer season due to an MCL injury, causing him to only appear in three matches.{{cite web|url=https://www.prosoccerusa.com/mls/chicago-fire/chicago-fires-matt-polster-hoping-to-return-after-miserable-recovery-process/|title=Chicago Fire's Matt Polster hoping to return after 'miserable' recovery process|publisher=ProSoccerUSA}}
=Rangers=
In December 2018, Polster had a trial with Scottish Premiership team Rangers.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46610542|title=Rangers trial for American full-backs Matthew Polster and Andrew Gutman|date=December 18, 2018|publisher=BBC Sport}} On January 30, 2019, Polster signed a {{frac|2|1|2}}-year contract with Scottish Premiership club Rangers.{{cite web|url=https://rangers.co.uk/news/headlines/matt-polster-signs-for-rangers|title=Matt Polster signs for Rangers|date=30 January 2019|publisher=Rangers Football Club}} Polster made his first appearance in a continental tournament against Gibraltarian club, St Joseph's F.C. in the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League qualifying round.{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/48970483|title=Rangers set up a Europa League second qualifying round reunion with 2017 conquerors Progres Niederkorn by cruising past Gibraltans St Joseph's.|work=BBC Sport}}
=New England Revolution=
On July 8, 2020, Polster returned to the United States and signed with the New England Revolution.{{cite news |title=Revolution Sign Defender/Midfielder Matt Polster from Rangers FC |url=https://www.revolutionsoccer.net/post/2020/07/08/revolution-sign-defendermidfielder-matt-polster-rangers-fc |access-date=July 8, 2020 |work=New England Revolution}} In order to sign Polster, the Revolution had to trade $100,000 in General Allocation Money to his former club Chicago Fire for his rights. On October 21, 2023, Polster recorded his 100th start for the Revolution across all competitions.{{cite web|url=https://www.revolutionsoccer.net/news/recap-bou-bags-both-revs-close-regular-season-with-2-1-win-over-union |title=Recap : Bou bags both as Revs close regular season with 2-1 win over Union in front of 41,355 in Foxborough |date=Oct 21, 2023 |accessdate=October 26, 2023 |website=revolutionsoccer.net}}
International career
In January 2016, Polster received his first call up to the senior United States squad for friendlies against Iceland and Canada.{{cite web|url=http://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2016/02/02/15/00/160202-mnt-evans-orozco-released-to-club-teams-as-january-camp-winds-down|title=Evans, Orozco Released to Club Teams as MNT's January Camp Winds Down}} Polster did not appear in any of the two matches. Two years later, he was called into January camp again for a friendly against Bosnia and Herzegovina, making his debut in the 0–0 draw.{{cite web|title=Sarachan Calls 30 Player Roster to National Training Center for 2018 January Camp|url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2018/01/08/14/55/20180108-news-mnt-sarachan-calls-30-player-roster-to-national-training-center-for-2018-january-camp|website=ussoccer.com|publisher=United States Soccer Federation|access-date=January 8, 2018|date=January 8, 2018}}
Career statistics
{{updated|November 17, 2021}}{{Soccerway|matt-polster/398273}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center;" | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|Playoffs !colspan="2"|League cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| rowspan="5" |Chicago Fire
|2015 | rowspan="4"|MLS |30 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2"|— | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2016
|27 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 30 | 2 | |||
| 2017
|22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1{{efn|Appearance(s) in MLS Cup Playoffs|name=Play}} | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 25 | 1 | |||
| 2018
|3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 3 | 0 | |||
| colspan="2" |Total
!82 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 92 | 3 | |
| rowspan="3" |Rangers
| rowspan="2"|Scottish Premiership |1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 2019–20
|6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 1 | 0 | 2{{efn|Appearances in UEFA Europa League}} | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||
| colspan="2" |Total
!7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| rowspan="3" |New England Revolution
|2020 | rowspan="2" |MLS |15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4{{efn|name=Play}} | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 19 | 0 | |||
| 2021
|30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 30 | 2 | |||
| colspan="2" |Total
!45 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 49 | 2 | |
| colspan="3" |Career total
!134 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 151 | 5 |
{{Notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
{{commons category}}
- {{MLS player}}
{{New England Revolution squad}}
{{FireFirstPick}}
{{2015 MLS SuperDraft}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Polster, Matt}}
Category:American men's soccer players
Category:American expatriate men's soccer players
Category:SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's soccer players
Category:Victoria Highlanders FC players
Category:Chicago Fire U-23 players
Category:Chicago Fire FC players
Category:New England Revolution players
Category:Scottish Professional Football League players
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Soccer players from Milwaukee
Category:Soccer players from Las Vegas
Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada
Category:Chicago Fire FC draft picks
Category:USL League Two players
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:United States men's under-23 international soccer players