A two-time national champion at Indiana University with goals in the finals of the 2003 and 2004 College Cups, Jacob Peterson was selected by the Colorado Rapids in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft. Following stints with Toronto FC and the San Jose Earthquakes, Peterson was signed by Sporting Kansas City in January 2012. He has since made 135 appearances for the club in all competitions, recording 15 goals and 10 assists. Peterson, who represented the U.S. at the U-17, U-20 and U-23 levels, set an MLS career-high with six goals in 2016.
2016: Scored Sporting KC's Goal of the Year on July 24 in a 3-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC. Started 19 of 23 appearances in all competitions, recording six goals and one assist (1591 minutes played) MLS regular season: Started 18 of 21 appearances, recording a career-high six goals and one assist (1500 minutes played). Made his 2016 debut as a second-half substitute at the Colorado Rapids on May 11. Came off the bench in the 69th minute to record an assist and score the game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Orlando City SC on May 15, becoming the fourth player in Sporting KC history to notch a goal and an assist as a substitute. Scored a spectacular goal in a 3-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on July 24. Scored the game-winning goal in a 1-0 victory over the Portland Timbers on July 31. Scored the game-winning goal in a 2-0 victory over Vancouver on Aug. 20. Scored a goal in a 3-3 draw against Houston on Sept. 9, becoming the third player in Sporting KC history to score in four straight regular season home games. Scored a goal in a 2-2 draw against LA Galaxy on Sept. 18, becoming the second player in club history to score in five straight home regular season games. Open Cup: Started one match (90 minutes played). Started and played 90 minutes in a 2-1 extra time win over Minnesota United FC on June 15. CONCACAF Champions League: Did not feature. MLS Cup Playoffs: Was a second-half substitute in a 1-0 knockout round loss at Seattle Sounders FC on Oct. 27.
2015: MLS regular season: Started 15 of 26 appearances, recording one goal and two assists (1335 minutes played). Made his first start of the season in a 3-2 win over Philadelphia on April 5. Assisted Krisztian Nemeth's second goal in a 4-2 win over New England on May 20. Scored the final goal in a 3-1 win at Toronto FC on Aug. 8, his first goal since July 26, 2014, when he also scored at BMO Field against his former club. Assisted Dom Dwyer's goal in a 1-1 draw against Seattle on Sept. 27. MLS Cup Playoffs: Played 10 minutes as an extra-time substitute in Sporting KC's 7-6 penalty kick shootout loss at Portland after a 2-2 draw through regulation. Converted his penalty kick in the shootout. Open Cup: Has started two of five appearances and recorded one assist. Played 22 minutes as a second-half substitute in a 1-0 fourth round win over Saint Louis FC on June 16. Started and played 50 minutes in a 6-2 fifth round win over FC Dallas on July 1, assisting Krisztian Nemeth's first goal in the match. Played 36 minutes as a second-half substitute in a 3-1 quarterfinal win over the Houston Dynamo on July 21. Started and played 64 minutes in a 3-1 semifinal win over Real Salt Lake on Aug. 12. Played eight minutes as an extra time substitute in a championship win over the Philadelphia Union on Sept. 30 as Sporting KC prevailed 7-6 in penalty kicks after a 1-1 draw in regulation.
2014: MLS regular season: Had two goals and two assists in 22 appeareances, 13 of them starts. Assisted Dom Dwyer's first goal in a 4-0 win over Montreal on April 19. Scored his first goal of the season, a game winner, in a 2-0 win over Columbus on May 4. Assisted Benny Feilhaber's game-winning goal in a 2-1 win over Columbus on July 16. Made his 200th MLS appearance (including postseason) in a 2-1 win over LA Galaxy on July 19. Scored the game-winner as a substitute in a 2-1 win at Toronto on July 26. Showcased his versatility throughout the season, starting in defense, midfield and attack on the left side. MLS Playoffs: Played nine minutes as a substitite in a 2-1 loss at New York in the Eastern Conference Knockout Round (Oct. 30). CCL: Played in both legs of the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinals vs. Cruz Azul, playing 90 minutes in the second leg on March 19. Made one substitute appearance (45 minutes) in the 2014-15 group stage. Open Cup: Played 90 minutes at right back in a 2-0 fourth round win over Minnesota United FC on June 18. Played 30 minutes in a 3-1 fifth round loss to Portland on June 24. Friendly: Played 45 minutes in a 4-1 Champions Shield defeat to Manchester City on July 23 at Sporting Park.
2013: MLS: Appeared in 16 games (10 starts) in his second season with Sporting KC. Peterson made his first appearance of the season on April 27 against the Portland Timbers after undergoing shoulder surgery during the offseason. Assisted on Kei Kamara's game-tying goal in a 1-1 tie vs. the Houston Dynamo on May 26. Playoffs: Appeared in three MLS Cup Playoff matches. Started the first leg of the Conference Semifinal series vs. New England and the first leg of the Conference Championship series vs. Houston. Came on as a late-game sub in the second leg of the Conference Championship vs. Houston. CCL: Made three appearances (two starts) in the 2013-14 CONCACAF Champions League group stage. Scored the game-tying goal off a short corner kick in a 1-1 tie vs. Real Esteli on September 17. Open Cup: Appeared in two Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup matches tallying an assist in a 2-0 win over Des Moines Menace on May 29.
2012: Peterson played in 23 matches for Sporting Kansas City during the regular season. Peterson joined the team on January 19th, coming off a stint with the San Jose Earthquakes. Peterson’s first point with Sporting KC came in the form of a game-winning assist against Toronto FC on June 16. He also tallied the clinching goal in Sporting's 2-0 win over the Philadelphia Union in the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup semifinals on July 11th (Video). Additionally, Peterson notched four goals during the 2012 MLS regular season including Sporting KC's lone goal in 1-1 draw versus the Seattle Sounders FC on June 20th (Video). Peterson next scored in Sporting KC's 3-1 victory over the Montreal Impact at Saputo Stadium (Video) before earning the game-winner on July 14 in a 2-0 victory at Columbus Crew Stadium (Video). Peterson’s most recent goal came in the season finale in a 2-1 victory over the Philadelphia Union. Peterson earned AT&T Goal of the Week honors of week 33 for the strike (Video).
2010-2011: Traded to Toronto FC prior to the 2010 season, he appeared in 37 games for Toronto FC with one goal and three assists. Added two more assists in nine games with San Jose Earthquakes after Peterson was part of a multi-player trade between Toronto and San Jose in July 2011.
2006-2009: Drafted 21st overall by the Colorado Rapids in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft, he appeared in 92 matches for the Rapids, recording eight goals and five assists over four seasons. He was also selected to travel to England in 2006 (scoring the game-winning goal against Queens Park Rangers) and Spain in 2007 (recording the game-winning assist against Rayo Vallecano Reserves) with Major League Soccer's Generation adidas team, alongside former Sporting KC player Kei Kamara.
International: Peterson was a member of the United States Under-17 Men’s National Team that advanced to the round of 16 at the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championships in Finland. Later earned a place on the United States Under-20 Men’s National Team roster for the 2005 World Youth Cup in Holland, where he featured in all four matches for the U.S. and scored the game-winning goal in the final match of the group stage against Egypt. Also traveled to Japan with the US U-23 National Team for two games in 2007.
College: Won two National Championships with the Hoosiers in 2003 and 2004. As a freshman in 2003, Peterson scored the championship-winning goal against St. John’s to earn offensive MVP honors at the College Cup. In 2004, Peterson scored the opening goal of the College Cup final against UC-Santa Barbara as Indiana went on to win the title in penalty kicks...Semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy award while at Indiana.
