Tate Schmitt
Tate Matthew Schmitt (born May 28, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Nashville SC of Major League Soccer. CareerYouth, college, and amateurSchmitt played two seasons at Desert Vista High School prior to joining the Real Salt Lake Arizona academy.[3][4] Schmitt played four years of college soccer at the University of Louisville between 2015 and 2018, scoring 26 goals and tallying 17 assists in 80 appearances.[3] He was named to the 2015 ACC All-Freshman Team and the TopDrawerSoccer.com Freshman Best XI Second Team. As a junior he was named to the All-ACC Second Team and the United Soccer Coaches All-South Region Third Team. His senior season saw him make the All-ACC First Team, TopDrawerSoccer.com Best XI Second Team, and United Soccer Coaches All-South Region First Team. Schmitt helped the Cardinals win the 2018 ACC men's soccer tournament, with Schmitt being named tournament MVP.[3][5] Schmitt also played with USL Premier Development League side FC Tucson while at Louisville.[6] ProfessionalReal Salt LakeOn January 3, 2019, Schmitt signed as a Homegrown Player for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer.[7][4] Schmitt made his RSL and MLS debut on March 23, getting the start in a 2–1 loss against Los Angeles FC.[8] He ended his rookie season with 8 total appearances for RSL, 6 MLS appearances, plus an appearance each in the Open Cup and Leagues Cup.[8][9] Schmitt primarily played for RSL's USL Championship affiliate, Real Monarchs. He scored 2 goals and had an assist in 15 regular season games for the Monarchs, while adding 1 goal and 3 assists in 4 playoff games, helping the Monarchs win the 2019 USL Championship Playoffs.[8] In a shortened 2020 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Schmitt made 4 appearances for RSL.[10] On June 10, 2021, Schmitt was loaned to his hometown club Phoenix Rising.[11] On June 12 he made his debut and scored his first goal for Phoenix in a 3–1 win over the Tacoma Defiance.[12] Schmitt ended the regular season with 22 appearances, 2 goals, and 1 assist, helping Phoenix finish 1st in the Western Conference.[12] Rising lost in the first round of the playoffs on penalties to Rio Grande Valley FC.[12] Following the 2021 season, Schmitt's contract option was declined by Salt Lake,[13] but was re-signed on January 19, 2022.[14] He scored his first goal for RSL on March 11, finding the right side netting in the 90+3rd minute to beat the New England Revolution 3–2.[15][16] Schmitt ended the regular season with 14 appearances and 2 goals, helping RSL finish 7th in the Western Conference, qualifying for the playoffs.[17][18] RSL lost in the first round on penalties to Austin FC, with Schmitt missing the decisive penalty in the shootout.[19] Following the 2022 season, his contract option was declined by Salt Lake.[20] Houston DynamoOn February 17, 2023, Schmitt signed with the Houston Dynamo.[21] He made his Dynamo debut and scored his first goal for the club on February 26 in a 2–1 loss to FC CIncinnati in the opening match of the season.[22] Schmitt started the first five matches of the 2023 season at left back for the Dynamo, but he sustained a knee injury while playing against the San Jose Earthquakes on April 1, which would require surgery and keep him out for the remainder of the season.[23] Schmitt made his return to action in Houston's opening competitive fixture, against St. Louis City SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup on February 20, 2024.[24] Schmitt was generally second-choice at left back behind Franco Escobar during the 2024 season, making 17 appearances and four starts in the league.[25] For the second time in three seasons, Schmitt missed the decisive penalty in the shootout which saw his team eliminated in the first round, this time against the Seattle Sounders.[26] Nashville SCOn May 21, 2025, Schmitt signed a one-year contract with Nashville SC.[27] Career statisticsAs of February 26, 2023[6][17][28][9]
HonorsReal Monarchs Personal lifeSchmitt was born and raised in Phoenix, Arizona, to RuthAn and Gil Schmitt.[3] His brother Reid played for FC Tucson and Phoenix FC while his brother Andrew played collegiately for the Fort Lewis Skyhawks.[3] References
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