Bobby Burling

Hometown: Monument, Colorado
Citizenship: USA
College: Loyola Marymount
Birth date: October 15, 1984
Acquired: Selected third by the Colorado Rapids via the Waiver Draft, on Dec. 10, 2014

MLS CAREER

2017

• Made his season debut in the 2-2 home tie with Minnesota United FC (3/18), as a replacement for the injured Axel Sjöberg.
• The 1-0 home win over Sporting Kansas City (5/27) marked Burling's 150th regular season start in MLS.
• Burling was issued a one-game suspension following the match against Sporting KC (5/27).
• Suffered a foot injury in the 3-2 win over Oklahoma City Energy FC (6/13) in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
• His foot injury kept him out of the 18 until 9/9 and the 1-0 win at Houston Dynamo.
• Burling's return to the lineup came at FC Dallas on 9/27, which was his first start since 5/27.
• He made just three appearances following the foot injury, and finished a frustrating season with eight starts and 12 appearances.

2016

• Missed seven games following knee surgery, which he underwent going into the Copa America Centenario break. The Rapids were 2-1-4 in his absence.
• His only goal of the season was the second equalizer in a 2-2 tie at Montreal Impact on April 30.
• Since joining his hometown team at the start of 2015, Burling has scored more goals than in his previous eight seasons in MLS.
• He made his 150th MLS appearance in the 1-0 win at CenturyLink Field against Seattle Sounders FC (5/21).
• Burling sustained 'turf toe' in the 2-0 loss at New England Revolution (9/3), as a result of which he missed the next six games.
• In total, Burling was out for 13 games due to a combination of injuries, with the Rapids going 6-1-6 in his absence.
• Made the return from his second lengthy lay-off at Portland, on October 16, for his first appearance since September 3.

2015

• Burling returned to play for his hometown team at the beginning of the 2015 season, and went on to start more games (22) than in seven of his previous eight seasons as a pro.
• His Rapids debut was not what he would have wanted. The central defender was sent off on his MLS debut for the Rapids, at Philadelphia Union (3/7), for two bookable offenses.
• Prior to 2015, Burling had managed only two goals in 119 appearances. He doubled that tally with two further goals, both in front of the Colorado faithful, against Columbus Crew (8/8) and DC United (9/12).
• He was also one of five players to sport the captain’s arm-band in 2015.

2014

• He made 22 appearances (20 starts) during the 2014 season with Chivas USA.
• His campaign got off to a bright start, as he netted only his second career goal, a game-winning header at home against the Chicago Fire, March 9.
• Signed contract extension in the fall of 2013 that would have kept him with Chivas through 2015, but when the club disbanded following the 2014 season, he was picked up by the Rapids in the MLS Waiver Draft. 

2013

• Made 18 starts in 23 appearances for Chivas USA despite nursing injuries in 2013.
• Named to MLS Team of the Week for his performance in Week 5 against Vancouver Whitecaps FC.

2009-2012

• Made 48 appearances in two seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes.
• Selected by Montreal in the 2011 MLS Expansion Draft, but the Impact traded his rights to Chivas USA for one season's use of an international roster slot on July 6, 2012.  

2007-2009

• Drafted by the LA Galaxy in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft out of Loyola Marymount University and eventually signed with Chivas USA three months later.
• Made 23 appearances with Chivas USA from 2007-09, his first three years as a professional.

COLLEGE

• Played four years at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles under Coach Paul Krumpe, who played for the USA in the 1990 World Cup in Italy.
• A striker during his first three years of college, he was switched to central defender as a senior and was named to the all-West Coast Conference team.  

HIGH SCHOOL IN COLORADO

• A 2003 graduate of Lewis-Palmer High School in Monument, near Colorado Springs, where he played soccer for Kurt Clark and Vic Garcia.
• Four-year letter winner in both soccer and basketball and captain of the teams in both sports his junior and senior years.
• Named to all-state academic teams in both sports for four straight years, and was the Most Valuable Player in the State Cup competition in soccer in 2002.
• Selected to the Colorado soccer coaches all-star game three straight years.

OTHER

• Used to watch Rapids matches at Mile High Stadium in the early years as a fan.
• Played in a Reserve match for the Colorado Rapids on May 23, 2012. He played the full 90 minutes in a 2-2 tie with Houston Dynamo while in between clubs.
• As a youngster, he played in the same youth soccer team as the son of former Rapids head coach, Glenn ‘Mooch’ Myernick.

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