steve cronin

Steve Cronin (born May 28, 1983 in Sacramento, California) is an American soccer goalkeeper, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer. As a teenager, Cronin trained with the Under-17 national team at the USSF's Bradenton Academy, along players like Landon Donovan, DaMarcus Beasley, and Bobby Convey. He played college soccer at Santa Clara University from 2001 to 2003. As a freshman, Cronin pulled double duty, starting ten games as a goalkeeper, and six in the field, finishing the season with a .79 goals against average. For his next two years, Cronin would remain solely in goal, starting 27 matches and being named first-team All-West Coast Conference as a junior. Following a tremendous performance with the Under-20 national team in the 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, Cronin signed a Project-40 contract with MLS. He was selected 10th overall in the 2004 MLS SuperDraft by his hometown San Jose Earthquakes. Unfortunately for Cronin, San Jose had two very competent goalkeepers in front of him, 2003 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Pat Onstad and Jon Conway, and the young keeper did not get any playing time in the 2004 season. He was traded to Los Angeles in the off-season in a four-player deal.

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