Rutgers University and the World Cup Connection

6/23/2010 1:41:50 PM

What do Rutgers and the World Cup have in common? Midfielder Michael Bradley, forward Jozy Altidore, and defender Jonathan Spector of the United States men’s national soccer team all played on the U-15 National Team under head coach Jim Barlow (the current Princeton University coach) and goalkeeper coach Charlie Inverso, who is on the coaching staff at Rutgers University. Head men’s soccer coach Dan Donigan announced the addition of Inverso in March 2010. Sixteen of Inverso’s players have gone on to play professionally in the World Cup. Inverso started at Rutgers after he resigned as head coach at Mercer County Community College, where he spent 24 years. Bradley, Altidore, and goalkeeper Tim Howard were all born in New Jersey. Bradley hails from Princeton and is the son of Bob Bradley, current head coach of the United States men’s national soccer team. Altidore is from Livingston, and Howard is from North Brunswick. Howard considered attending Rutgers while deciding between attending college and playing professional soccer.