Chris Leitch
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Chris Leitch | ||
| Height | 5'11 | ||
| Position(s) | defender | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Red Bull New York | ||
| Number | 33 | ||
| ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 7 March 2007 | |||
Chris Leitch (born April 1, 1979 in Columbus, Ohio) is an American soccer defender who is currently with Red Bull New York in Major League Soccer.
Leitch played college soccer at the University of North Carolina, leading them to the NCAA Championship in 2001, setting a school record for games played (88) and starts (87). He was drafted by the Columbus Crew in the fourth round of the 2002 MLS SuperDraft, but only played 13 games for his hometown team in his first professional season.
Leitch was traded to the MetroStars with Jeff Matteo for Ross Paule prior to the 2003 season. He became a regular in the Metro lineup late in the year, playing in 15 games. He then became an automatic starter in 2004, playing every minute of all but a single game. Originally a right back, Leitch acquitted himself well on the left flank when the Metros needed help at that position. He switched back to the right flank in 2005. Despite being named the team's Defender of the Year, he was waived by the club in the offseason and then came back to Columbus. He appeared in 24 matches in the 2006 season for his hometown club.
In the 2007 pre-season, Leitch was waived again, this time by the Crew as they sought to clear roster spots. He would return to the now-rebranded MetroStars, now Red Bull New York, in July. The versatile defender appeared in 12 league matches for the club, starting 11.