Braeden Cloutier

Braeden Cloutier (born October 3, 1974 in Wichita, Kansas) is a retired U.S. soccer player who spent five seasons in Major Soccer League and over twelve in various indoor leagues. He currently plays for the San Diego Sockers of the Professional Arena Soccer League.

Cloutier grew up in Wichita, Kansas where he attended Northwest High School. In July 1992, he left high school and moved to Germany to play for Hamburg SV. He entered Hamburg’s youth system, playing on their undefeated championship youth team of 1992–1993. In 1993, he moved to the Hamburg reserve team for the 1993–1994 Regionalliga Nord season. In 1994, he returned to the United States and signed with the Las Vegas Dustdevils of the Continental Indoor Soccer League. On June 8, 1994, the Dustdevils traded Cloutier to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Tom Crane. He spent the 1994 season in San Diego, scoring thirteen goals in twenty-seven games. In the fall of 1994, he signed with the Wichita Wings of the National Professional Soccer League. At the time, the CISL and NPSL were in vicious competition and had refused to allow players to move between the two leagues. Cloutier’s move from the Sockers to the Wings led to an unsuccessful legal action by the Sockers to prevent him from playing in Wichita. Despite the legal threats, Cloutier spent the entire 1994–1995 season in Wichita. In June 1995, the Sockers announced they had signed Cloutier for the upcoming CISL season. He denied it and sat out the season as the Wings and Sockers continued their legal battles over his playing rights. He returned to the Wings in the fall for the 1995–1996 NPSL season. In 1996, he finally returned to the Sockers for the summer indoor season. In February 1997, the MetroStars selected Cloutier in the second round (fifteenth overall) of the 1997 MLS Supplemental Draft. He spent the 1997 season with the MetroStars then in October loaned him to the Wichita Wings for the 1997–1998 NPSL season. On January 31, 1998, the MetroStars traded him to the San Jose Earthquakes for a second round pick in the 1998 MLS College Draft. Cloutier spent two seasons in San Jose. The Earthquakes released him at the end of the 1999 season and on October 20, 1999, he signed a three-year contract with the Wichita Wings. He spent two winter indoor season with the Wings. In 2000, he played with the Charleston Battery in the USL A-League. On May 12, 2001, the New England Revolution claimed Cloutier off waivers. He played two seasons with New England and was waived him on January 22, 2003. He then signed with the Cleveland Force in the Major Indoor Soccer League on February 7, 2003 and played six games through the rest of the season. He returned to the Force for the 2003–2004 season. On June 15, 2004, the Force sent Cloutier, along with Nevio Pizzolitto, to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Robbie Aristodemo. The league suspended the Sockers during the season and the Milwaukee Wave claimed Cloutier in the dispersal draft. He did not move to Milwaukee, but remained in San Diego where he plays for the San Diego Sockers in the Professional Arena Soccer League. In 2007, he coached West Coast FC in the Super Y-League. In 2009, he signed with the San Diego Sockers of the Professional Arena Soccer League.