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{{short description|American retired soccer player (born 1972)}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Zak Ibsen
| fullname = 
| image = 
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1972|6|2}}
| birth_place = [[Santa Clara, California]], U.S.
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}
| position = [[Defender (association football)|Defender]]
| collegeyears1 = 1990–1992
| college1 = [[UCLA Bruins]]
| years1 = 1993<!--early 1993, 1992–93 Oberliga Westfalen season -->
| years2 = 1993<!--  mid 1993, 1993–94 Oberliga Südwest season   -->
| years3 = 1993<!-- late 1993, 1993–94 NOFV-Oberliga season  -->
| years4 = 1994
| years5 = 1995
| years6 = 1995–1996
| years7 = 1996
| years8 = 1996
| years9 = 1996
| years10 = 1997
| years11 = 1998
| years12 = 1999–2000
| years13 = 2001–2002
| clubs1 = [[VfL Bochum II]]
| clubs2 = [[1. FC Saarbrücken II]]
| clubs3 = [[FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt]]
| clubs4 = [[Los Angeles Salsa]]
| clubs5 = [[Hawaii Tsunami]]
| clubs6 = [[Baltimore Spirit]] ''(indoor)''
| clubs7 = [[Tampa Bay Terror]] ''(indoor)''
| clubs8 = [[New England Revolution]]
| clubs9 = [[Dallas Burn]]
| clubs10 = [[California Jaguars]]
| clubs11 = [[Chicago Fire Soccer Club|Chicago Fire]]
| clubs12 = [[Los Angeles Galaxy]]
| clubs13 = [[San Jose Earthquakes]]
| caps1 = 5
| caps2 = 2
| caps3 = 2
| caps4 = 3
| caps5 = 2
| caps6 = 17
| caps7 = 9
| caps8 = 6
| caps9 = 16
| caps10 = 15
| caps11 = 27
| caps12 = 50
| caps13 = 41
| goals1 = 0
| goals2 = 0
| goals3 = 0
| goals4 = 0
| goals5 = 0
| goals6 = 10
| goals7 = 2
| goals8 = 0
| goals9 = 1
| goals10 = 1
| goals11 = 0
| goals12 = 3
| goals13 = 2
| nationalyears1 = 1992–1996
| nationalteam1 = [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]]
| nationalcaps1 = 15
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalteam2 = [[United States men's national beach soccer team|United States]] (beach)
| nationalyears2 = 2006–2010
| medaltemplates = {{MedalSport | Men's soccer}}
{{MedalCompetition | MLS Cup}}
{{MedalGold | 1998 | [[Chicago Fire FC|Chicago Fire]]}}
{{MedalGold | 2001 | [[San Jose Earthquakes]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | U.S. Open Cup}}
{{MedalGold | 1998 | [[Chicago Fire FC|Chicago Fire]]}}
{{MedalCompetition | CONCACAF Champions' Cup}}
{{MedalGold | 2001 | [[LA Galaxy]]}}
{{MedalSport | Men's [[Beach soccer]]}}
{{MedalCountry | {{USA}}}}
{{MedalCompetition | CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship}}
{{MedalGold | [[2006 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship|2006]] | 1st}}
{{MedalGold | [[2007 CONCACAF and CONMEBOL Beach Soccer Championship|2007]] | 1st}}
{{MedalBronze | [[2008 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship|2008]] | 3rd}}
{{MedalBronze | [[2010 CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship|2010]] | 3rd}}
| nationalcaps2 = 22
| nationalgoals2 = 9
}}
'''Zak Ibsen''' '''(born June 2, 1972)''' is an American retired [[Association football|soccer]] player who played professionally in [[Major League Soccer]] and the [[National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001)|National Professional Soccer League]] and internationally for both the [[United States Soccer Federation|U.S. national]] and [[United States men's national beach soccer team|beach soccer]] teams.

== Early life ==
Zak Ibsen was born in [[Santa Clara, California]]. He developed a passion for soccer at a young age.<ref name=":1" />

==Career==

=== College ===
Ibsen played college soccer at [[UCLA Bruins men's soccer|UCLA]]. He helped lead the Bruins to an NCAA National Championship in 1990.<ref name="UCLA">[http://www.uclabruins.com/fls/30500/old_site/pdf/m-soccer/07-mg-section9.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30500 "UCLA's National Team Connection"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304084735/http://www.uclabruins.com/fls/30500/old_site/pdf/m-soccer/07-mg-section9.pdf?DB_OEM_ID=30500 |date=2016-03-04 }} in ''2007 UCLA Men's Soccer'' (accessed 2014-09-12).</ref>

=== National ===
Ibsen was a member of the [[United States men's national under-23 soccer team|1992 U.S. Olympic team]]<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140921211837/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-1015144.html "Soccer"], ''[[The Washington Post]]'', July 13, 1992.</ref> and the [[United States men's national soccer team|U.S. National Team]].<ref name="UCLA" />

=== NPSL ===
Ibsen played in Germany and the [[National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001)|National Professional Soccer League]] for the [[Baltimore Blast#NPSL, MISL II and MISL III years|Baltimore Spirit]] as a [[midfielder]] before he was traded to the [[Tampa Bay Terror]] on January 17, 1996, in exchange for [[John Garvey (soccer)|John Garvey]].<ref name="Revolution add2" />

=== MLS ===
He then joined [[Major League Soccer]] in 1996. Selected by New England in the [[1996 MLS Supplemental Draft]],<ref name="Revolution add">[https://web.archive.org/web/20140921211840/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-8359913.html "Revolution add Naveda, 5 others"], ''[[The Boston Globe]]'', March 5, 1996 {{subscription required|via-[[HighBeam Research]]}}.</ref> he also later played for Dallas, Chicago, Los Angeles, and San Jose.<ref name="stats">[http://www.mlssoccer.com/players/zak-ibsen Zak Ibsen], MLSSoccer.com (accessed 2014-09-12).</ref> He won MLS titles with the [[Chicago Fire Soccer Club|Chicago Fire]] in 1998<ref>Len Ziehm, [https://web.archive.org/web/20140921211849/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4489331.html "L.A.'s Ibsen gets his ring for Fire title], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', April 18, 1999 {{subscription required|via-[[HighBeam Research]]}}.</ref> and the [[San Jose Earthquakes]] in 2001.<ref name="worsttofirst">
[https://web.archive.org/web/20140921211835/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4617680.html "Earthquakes cap worst-to-first burst DeRosario's overtime goal topples Galaxy for MLS crown"], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', October 22, 2001 {{subscription required|via-[[HighBeam Research]]}}.</ref> During his MLS career, Ibsen played 140 games, scored 6 goals, and had 10 assists.<ref name="stats" /> His most notable assist came during [[MLS Cup 2001]], in which he assisted [[Dwayne De Rosario]]'s game-winning goal for the Earthquakes.<ref name="worsttofirst" /><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Zhang |first=Sean |title=Falling from glory, rising from ashes |url=https://scotscoop.com/falling-from-glory-rising-from-ashes/ |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Scot Scoop News}}</ref>

=== Beach ===
Zak Ibsen had a long involvement in beach soccer, beginning with the pre-FIFA era of the sport. He represented the [[United States men's national beach soccer team|United States]] in the [[Beach Soccer World Championships]] organized by [[Beach Soccer Worldwide]] (BSWW) prior to FIFA’s official adoption of the tournament in 2005. During these early competitions, Ibsen recorded 17 goal contributions, placing him among the top scorers in the tournament's history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Confederação Brasileira de Beach Soccer |url=http://www.beachsoccerbrasil.com.br/camp_mundial/artilheiros.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20030801163341/http://www.beachsoccerbrasil.com.br/camp_mundial/artilheiros.asp |archive-date=2003-08-01 |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=www.beachsoccerbrasil.com.br}}</ref>

Following FIFA’s takeover, Ibsen continued to play for the [[United States men's national beach soccer team|United States national beach soccer team]] from 2006 to 2010, earning 22 caps and scoring 9 goals in official FIFA-sanctioned matches.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20140921211846/http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P2-4448908.html "Zak Ibsen"], ''[[Chicago Sun-Times]]'', July 21, 1998 {{subscription required|via-[[HighBeam Research]]}}.</ref> He competed in the [[FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup]]s in 2006 and 2007, scoring two goals in the 2007 edition, including the match-winner against [[Iran national beach soccer team|Iran]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 5, 2024 |title=National Soccer Hall of Fame - 2025 Veterans Eligibility List |url=https://soccerhof.imgix.net/hall-of-fame/2025/EligibleVeteranList_2025.pdf |website=soccerhof}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Zak IBSEN|url=https://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=199501/index.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170620094958/http://www.fifa.com/fifa-tournaments/players-coaches/people=199501/index.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=June 20, 2017|website=FIFA|access-date=12 January 2018}}</ref>

He was part of the U.S. squads that won the [[CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship]]s in 2006 and 2007,  while finishing third in 2008 and 2010 and fourth in 2009.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-12-18 |title=CONCACAF Beach Soccer Championship 2006 |url=https://issuu.com/concacaf2013/docs/concacaf-beach-soccer-tournament-20/11 |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Issuu |language=en}}</ref>

Ibsen also took part in the Beach Soccer Worldwide Miami Cup in 2011.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2011-03-16 |title=The best of Beach Soccer comes to Miami |url=https://beachsoccer.com/the-best-of-beach-soccer-comes-to-miami |access-date=2025-06-25 |website=Beach Soccer Worldwide |language=en-US}}</ref>

== Coaching ==
After earning his [[United States Soccer Federation|U.S. Soccer]] “A” License, one of the highest levels of coaching certification in the United States, Zak Ibsen became Director of Coaching at Woodside Soccer Club: WSC Crush. He has also coached in [[MLS Next]], a youth soccer league in the U.S.<ref name=":1"/>

== Personal life ==
His professional soccer career ended due to a crystal meth addiction which left him homeless living in a minivan for years.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |last=Bell |first=Jack |date=2009-08-02 |title=Zak Ibsen Was Saved by the Beach |url=https://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/zak-ibsen-was-saved-by-the-beach/ |access-date=2021-10-19 |website=Goal |language=en-US}}</ref> He struggled with relapse cycles for over a decade, however he eventually recovered.<ref name=":1" />

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{MLS player|zak-ibsen}}

{{United States squad 1992 Summer Olympics}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ibsen, Zak}}
[[Category:1972 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:American expatriate men's soccer players]]
[[Category:American men's soccer players]]
[[Category:American Professional Soccer League players]]
[[Category:Baltimore Spirit players]]
[[Category:California Jaguars players]]
[[Category:Chicago Fire FC players]]
[[Category:FC Dallas players]]
[[Category:Hawaii Tsunami players]]
[[Category:LA Galaxy players]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Salsa players]]
[[Category:Major League Soccer players]]
[[Category:National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players]]
[[Category:New England Revolution players]]
[[Category:Soccer players from Santa Clara County, California]]
[[Category:Tampa Bay Terror players]]
[[Category:San Jose Earthquakes players]]
[[Category:VfL Bochum II players]]
[[Category:FC Rot-Weiß Erfurt players]]
[[Category:Olympic soccer players for the United States]]
[[Category:Footballers at the 1992 Summer Olympics]]
[[Category:UCLA Bruins men's soccer players]]
[[Category:United States men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:United States men's under-23 international soccer players]]
[[Category:USL Second Division players]]
[[Category:A-League (1995–2004) players]]
[[Category:New England Revolution draft picks]]
[[Category:Men's association football defenders]]
[[Category:American beach soccer players]]
[[Category:Oberliga (football) players]]
[[Category:CONCACAF Champions Cup–winning players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]
[[Category:Sportspeople from Santa Clara, California]]