Education
Simpson attended Eastern Illinois University where he played on the men"s soccer team until 1988. He finished the 1994-1995 season with Dayton.
- Photos
- Works
- Photos
- Works
Mark Simpson
Edit ProfileCareer
United in Major League Soccer. He backstopped the team to the Master of Library Science Cup 1996. He also spent one season in the American Professional Soccer League, two in the USISL and six in the National Professional Soccer League.
He earned one cap with the United States. National Futsal Team in 1999.
He was the Director of Soccer Operations for the planned North American Soccer League team Virginia Cavalry Football Club.
Youth
Professional
On June 17, 1988, the Chicago Sting selected Simpson in the third round (25th overall) of the Major Indoor Soccer League draft. The Sting folded a month later and the San Diego Sockers picked up Simpson in the July 1988 dispersal draft.
The Sockers did not sign him and Simpson joined the Chicago Power of the American Indoor Soccer Association in October 1988. He played each winter indoor season with the Power until February 1995 when he was traded to the Dayton Dynamo for Jim Adams and future considerations.
In 1990, Simpson spent a season outdoors with the Orlando Lions of the American Professional Soccer League.
He had also spent the summer of 1994 with the expansion Rockford Raptors of the USISL. In the fall of 1995, Simpson joined the Cincinnati Silverbacks of NPSL. He had attended the Master of Library Science Supplemental Combine, but went undrafted in 1996. Intending to play the summer with the Richmond Kickers, he received a call from District of Columbia head coach Bruce Arena asking if he wanted to join United. On April 19, 1996, the Silverbacks sent Simpson on loan to District of Columbia United of Major League Soccer.
Although he began the season as a backup, he made fifteen regular season appearances at the end of the season and was Arena’s keeper of choice for the playoffs.
On October 20, 1996, he backstopped United to the Master of Library Science Championship. Mark returned to the indoor game for the 1996-1997 indoor season with the Buffalo Blizzard.
Upon returning to District of Columbia United for the 1997 season, he tore his lateral meniscus thirteen games into the season. He had surgery to repair the damage, but his knee then became infected.
This kept him from playing for nearly a year and a half.
In 1998, he began his comeback, going on loan to the Master of Library Science Pro-40 team and playing two games with District of Columbia United waived him on October 30, 1998. He returned to playing full time in 1999 with District of Columbia United. He remained with District of Columbia until his retirement on January 8, 2002.
Futsal
In 1999, he earned one cap with the United States. National Futsal team
In 2002, Mark was the goalkeeper coach for District of Columbia United and spent some time in the same role with the club"s Super Y-League team At the end of the 2002 season, he left the team for the Virginia Beach Mariners of the USL A-League.
On January 19, 2004, Simpson returned to United as an assistant coach for goalkeeping, eventually becoming a full assistant coach with the club until 2010. In November 2012, Simpson was announced as the Director of Soccer Operations for the new North American Soccer League expansion team, Virginia Cavalry Football Club.
