| Intro | National Women’s Soccer League midfielder and US national team member |
| A.K.A. | Amber Jean Brooks |
| Is |
Athlete Football player Association football player |
| From | United States of America |
| Type | Sports |
| Gender | female |
| Birth | 23 January 1991, Evansville, Vanderburgh County, Indiana, U.S.A. |
| Age: | 29 years |
Amber Jean Brooks (born January 23, 1991) is an American soccer player. She currently plays for the Houston Dash in the National Women’s Soccer League. She has previously played for Bayern Munich in the German Bundesliga, the Portland Thorns and Seattle Reign of the NWSL, and the Vancouver Whitecaps of the W-League. She has represented the United States as member of numerous youth national teams and has one cap with the senior national team.
Early life
Brooks was born in Evansville, Indiana and attended Pennington School in New Jersey. She scored 62 goals and had 30 assists during her first three years for a total of 154 points. She did not play as a senior due to a knee injury and National Team commitments. Brooks was named first-team All-County and a Parade Magazine All-America as a junior after she helped the team finish the 2008 season undefeated at 18–0, winning its sixth straight Prep-A state championship and its third MCT Championship in five years. Pennington was ranked by the NSCAA and ESPN Rise as the number one team in the nation the same year. Brooks was awarded the 2008 NSCAA Girls’ Scholar Athlete of the Year Award and was ranked by ESPN Rise as the number one recruit in the nation in 2009.
University of North Carolina
Brooks was captain of the University of North Carolina Tar Heels women’s soccer team her junior and senior year (2011–2012). She accrued several accolades during her four years with the Tar Heels, becoming a two-time NCAA National Champion and winning the College Cup in 2009 and in 2012. She scored 34 goals and added 19 assists during her college career.
Playing career
Club
Vancouver Whitecaps, 2011
During the summer of 2011, Brooks played for the Vancouver Whitecaps in the W-League. She made five appearances, playing 391 minutes, and provided one assist.
Bayern Munich, 2013–2015
On January 11, 2013, Brooks signed with German club, Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga until June 30, 2014. In her first Bundesliga game against SGS Essen, she scored two goals, including the game-winning goal in the 90th minute.
Portland Thorns, 2013–2014
Brooks was drafted by Portland Thorns on January 18, 2013 during the 2013 National Women’s Soccer League College Draft. Her debut came while visiting the Houston Dash in which she played the entirety of the 1–0 victory. She would go on to start another 19 matches for the club in addition to a solitary substitution appearance. Amber collected her first and only goal for the Thorns during the season while adding two assists, though her primary contributions were on the defensive end of the field where her ferocity led to a team-leading four yellow cards on the season. After the conclusion of the Thorns 2014 season, the team announced that she would be on loan to her previous side Bayern Munich and become the second Portland member to be headed to Germany after the 2014 season, following teammate Veronica Boquete to the Bundesliga. While Portland initially indicated that Brooks would be re-signed for the 2015 National Women’s Soccer League season, she was instead traded to the Western New York Flash on November 6, 2014 in exchange for midfielder McCall Zerboni and defender Kathryn Williamson.
Seattle Reign, 2015
In March 2015, Brooks was traded to Seattle Reign along with the rights to Abby Wambach in exchange for Sydney Leroux and Amanda Frisbie. She made twelve appearances and scored one goal for Seattle before leaving in October 2015.
Houston Dash, 2015–present
On October 26, 2015, Brooks joined fellow National Women’s Soccer League club Houston Dash as she was traded for Meghan Klingenberg and a conditional selection in the 2017 NWSL College Draft from Seattle Reign.
International
Brooks has competed on behalf of the United States in various national youth teams since 2007, including at the 2008 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup. As a member of the U-20 national team, she represented the United States at the 2010 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup in Germany and won the 2010 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship. She was a captain of the U-23 national team.
On November 10, 2013 Brooks made her debut for the full United States team against Brazil in a friendly; started in the match and played 81 minutes.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | Total | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Bayern Munich | 2012–13 | Bundesliga | 10 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 11 | 4 |
| 2013–14 | Bundesliga | 9 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 11 | 6 | |
| Total | 19 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 22 | 10 | ||
| Portland Thorns | 2014 | NWSL | 21 | 1 | — | 21 | 1 | |
| Total | 21 | 1 | — | 21 | 1 | |||
| Bayern Munich (loan) | 2014–15 | Bundesliga | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 1 |
| Total | 8 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 1 | ||
| Seattle Reign | 2015 | NWSL | 12 | 1 | — | 12 | 1 | |
| Total | 12 | 1 | — | 12 | 1 | |||
| Houston Dash | 2016 | NWSL | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |
| Total | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | |||
| Career total | 60 | 11 | 5 | 2 | 65 | 13 | ||
Honours
Brooks has won one honour to date which was the 2012 CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship that she won with the United States U-20s.
International
- CONCACAF Women’s U-20 Championship: 2012