Orr Barouch (Hebrew: אור ברוך; born 29 November 1991) is an Israeli former footballer who plays as Forward.

Orr Barouch
Barouch with Chicago Fire
Personal information
Full name Orr Barouch
Date of birth (1991-11-29) 29 November 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Haifa, Israel
Height 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Position(s) Forward
Youth career
2008 Chivas USA
2009–2011 Tigres
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2012 Tigres 0 (0)
2011Chicago Fire (loan) 28 (2)
2012–2014 Chicago Fire 9 (0)
2012–2014Bnei Yehuda (loan) 30 (3)
2014–2015 Maccabi Netanya 23 (2)
2015–2016 Biel-Bienne 10 (1)
2016 Orange County Blues 4 (1)
2017–2018 Hapoel Petah Tikva 33 (10)
2018 Hapoel Ramat Gan 12 (7)
2019 Cal FC 0 (0)
International career
2011–2013 Israel U21 8 (4)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Career

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Early life and career

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Barouch is Jewish, and was born in Haifa, Israel.[1] He moved to the United States with his parents as a child. He grew up in Woodland Hills, California, attended El Camino Real High School and played in the youth ranks of Chivas USA.[2] During the summer of 2009, Barouch was one of the athletes selected to tour Europe with the SuperElite Discover Europe team of top youth soccer players based in America.[3] While with Chivas he drew the interest of Belgian side Club Brugge. However, in 2009 he elected to sign with Mexico's Tigres de la UANL. While with the Monterrey-based club, Barouch appeared in 24 youth team matches, scoring one goal, primarily as a left winger, and helped Tigres to a first-place finish in the Mexican U-20 Apertura tournament,[4] but he never played for senior Tigres team.[citation needed]

Chicago Fire

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During the 2011 Major League Soccer preseason Barouch joined Chicago Fire on trial. Barouch became the third Israeli ever to play in Major League Soccer, after Guy Melamed and Dedi Ben Dayan. Barouch impressed during his trial stint and was signed on loan from Tigres on 10 March 2011, with the American side holding an option to purchase his contract.[5][6][7]

He made his professional debut on 19 March 2011 in Chicago's 1–1 tie with FC Dallas on the opening day of the 2011 MLS season.,[8] and scored his first professional goal on 24 May in a 2–2 tie with Toronto FC.[9] On 2 December 2011 Chicago Fire purchased the rights to Barouch from Tigres.[10]

On 13 September 2012 Chicago Fire announced it loaned Barouch to the Israeli club Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv for the remainder of the 2012 season.[11]

Bnei Yehuda

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In August 2012, it was reported Bnei Yehuda purchased Orr Barouch for a fee of $400,000 signing the player to a four-year contract.[12] However, there have not been any official announcements from either club confirming this.

On 14 February 2014 Chicago Fire announced Orr Barouch re-joined the team after a year and a half on loan with Bnei Yehuda.[13]

After struggling for minutes in 2014, Barouch and Chicago mutually agreed to part ways on 11 June 2014.[14]

International

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Barouch grew up in Southern California and is a U.S. green card holder.[15] While trialing with the Chicago Fire in February 2011, he was scouted by then U.S. under-20 coach Thomas Rongen in a preseason match vs. the New York Red Bulls at Lockhart Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale, FL a 4–1 win in which Barouch scored all four goals. Barouch claimed he was trying to gain his U.S. citizenship with the hopes of joining the U.S. U20 team in the 2011 FIFA World Championships in Colombia, but "hangups" coupled with the team's failure to qualify for the tournament put the plans on hold.[16]

With his impressive play for the Fire, Barouch received his first call up and cap for the Israeli U-21 National Team in a 4–1 friendly loss against England U-21's on 5 September 2011.[17] Barouch assisted on Israel's lone goal in the 25th minute.[16]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Sports Shorts," Jewish Sports Review, Volume 9, Number 11, Issue 107, Page 19, January/February 2015.
  2. ^ Woodland Hills' Barouch brings heat to Fire espn.com
  3. ^ [1] Archived 20 January 2011 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ Guillermo Rivera. "Fire Sign Barouch and Videira | Chicago Fire Confidential". Chicagonow.com. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  5. ^ "Gaitán se pintará de azul en EU". Archived from the original on 29 January 2013. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  6. ^ "Fire Ink Two Trialists". Chicago Fire. 9 March 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  7. ^ Sam Stejskal (11 March 2011). "Barouch excited about chance with Chicago". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  8. ^ "Fire, FCD trade early goals en route to 1–1 draw". Archived from the original on 22 March 2011.
  9. ^ "Toronto FC vs Chicago Fire 05-14-2011 – Recap". MLSsoccer.com. 14 May 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  10. ^ "The Chicago Fire have purchased the rights to forward Orr Barouch, who was w/the Fire on loan in 2011 from Mexican side Tigres. #SmartMove". twitter.com.
  11. ^ "Fire Loan Orr Barouch to Bnei Yehuda Tel Aviv F.C." chicago-fire.com. 13 September 2012.
  12. ^ אור ברוך נרכש על-ידי בני יהודה ב-400,000 דולר [Light Welcome Purchased Bnei Yehuda for $400,000] (in Hebrew). One.co.il. 26 August 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  13. ^ "Orr Barouch set to re-join Fire in Tucson as trialists are released from camp". chicago-fire.com. 14 February 2014.
  14. ^ "Chicago Fire, Orr Barouch Mutually Agree To Part Ways". Chicago Fire.
  15. ^ "Fire Sign Orr Barouch". chicago-fire.com. 2 December 2011.
  16. ^ a b Jeff Crandall (8 September 2011). "Orr's debut". Chicago Fire. Retrieved 14 February 2014.
  17. ^ "Young Chicago Fire striker Orr Barrouch has been called in by Israel for their friendly vs. England. Guessing they saw Fire/Man United". twitter.com.
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