Place of birth Furth, Germany Name John Abe Role Soccer player | Years Team Position Midfielder 1988-1991 Maryland Bays | |
1988-1991 Hershey Impact (indoor) 1991-1993 Harrisburg Heat (indoor) Education Community College of Balti County | ||
Playing position | ||
John Abe is a retired German-American soccer player who played professionally in the American Professional Soccer League and National Professional Soccer League.
Born in Germany to an American military father and a German mother, Abe moved to Baltimore, Maryland when he was thirteen. He graduated from Northern High School before attending Essex Community College where he was a two-time junior college All American. In 1981, the Baltimore Blast drafted Abe but did not sign him. Abe then spent five years working as a bank teller.
In 1988, Abe signed with the Maryland Bays of the newly created American Soccer League. He remained with the Bays through the 1991 season and scored the game winning penalty kick in the 1990 APSL Championship game against the San Francisco Blackhawks. In the fall of 1988, he moved indoors with the Hershey Impact of the American Indoor Soccer Association. In 1991, the Impact moved to Harrisburg, Pennsylvania and became the Harrisburg Heat. Abe was named the first ever captain of the Heat but after just two season in Harrisburg, the team released Abe after they could not agree on contract terms. On November 23, 1993, Abe signed with the Baltimore Spirit. In 1995, he played his last season of professional soccer with the Albany Alleycats of the USISL. In 2001 Abe was named to the Harrisburg Heat All Decade team (1991–2001). Abe currently lives in Harrisburg, works for the Pennsylvania State Education Association and coaches youth soccer in Central Pennsylvania. Abe has his USSF National "B" License.
He was inducted into the Maryland Soccer Association Hall of Fame in 2000.