1Seniorclubappearancesandgoals countedforthedomesticleagueonly160and correctasof31May2006 2Nationalteamcapsandgoalscorrect asof22June2006 AppearancesGoals
ShepMessingbornOctober91949inTheBronxNewYorkisaformerAmericansoccergoalkeeperandcurrentbroadcasterHeplayedsevenseasonsintheNorthAmericanSoccerLeagueandsixintheMajorIndoorSoccerLeagueHewasalsoamemberoftheUSsoccerteamatthe1972SummerOlympics


MessingattendedhighschoolatTheWheatleySchoolinOldWestburyNewYorkHebeganhiscollegiatesoccercareeratNewYorkUniversityHegraduatedfromHarvardUniversityin1973afterplayingontheschoolsmenssoccerteamHewasatwotimesecondteamAllAmerican

HejoinedtheUSnationalteamthatplayedinthe1971PanAmericanGamesHewentontoplaywiththeUSteamat1972SummerOlympicsinMunichTheUSwent021ingroupplayandfailedtoqualifyforthesecondroundMessingmannedthenetintheUSsthirdgameofthegamesa70losstoWestGermanyAftertheOlympicsMessingreceivedoffersfromteamsinMexicoandGermanybutwasinvitedtoplayfortheNewYorkCosmosoftheNorthAmericanSoccerLeagueNASLalongsideprominentteammatesPelFranzBeckenbauerandGiorgioChinaglia

HemadehisdebutwiththeCosmosinaMay201974exhibitationgamewithIrishclubFinnHarpsHewouldremainabackupformostofhiscareerwiththeCosmosIn1973and1974JerrySularzheldthestartingjob
HeachievedameasureofnotorietybyposinginthenudeforaphotospreadintheDecember1974issueofVivaMagazineForthishewaspaid5000HejokedthatthesephotosgavetheNewYorkCosmosmoreexposurethantheydeverreceivedfromthemediauptothattime
HemovedtotheBostonMinutemenforaseasonandahalfHalfwaythroughthe1976seasonBostonownerJohnStergebegansellinghisplayerswhenhebegantofearhewouldgobankruptTheMinutemensoldMessingtotheCosmoswhoneededhimafterstarterBobRigbywasinjuredMessingthenplayedthe1977seasonwiththeCosmosbeforemovingtotheOaklandStompersWhenhesignedwiththeStompersfor100000peryearhebecamethehighestpaidAmericanintheNASL1TheStomperslastedonlyasingleseasonandMessingmovedtotheRochesterLancers

WhentheMajorIndoorSoccerLeaguebeganitsfirstseasonin19781979theNewYorkArrowswereessentiallytheRochesterLancersindifferentuniformsAssuchMessingbecamethestartingArrowsgoalkeeperthroughtheteamssixyearsofexistenceMessingbecametheleaguesdominantkeeperbeingnamedtotheMISLAllStarteamin19791980and1981HewasthechampionshipMVPin1979

WhentheNewYorkArrowsfiredcoachDonPopovichinFebruary1983theteamnamedMessingwhowassidelinedwithaninjuryastheinterimcoach2
AfterhisretirementMessingwasbrieflypartowneroftheillfatedNewYorkExpresswhichplayedthefirsthalfofthe19861987MISLseasonbeforefolding

In1991MrMessingpledguiltytoaviolationofTitle18UnitedStatesCodeSection1343commonlyreferredtoasFederalWireFraudThisviolationcameaboutduringMrMessingstenureasacorporateofficerinasecuritiesfirmalthoughheneveractednorwaslicensedasabrokerordealerMrMessingwassentencedtofiveyearsprobationMrMessingfiledaChapter11BankruptcypetitionwiththeUSBankruptcyCourtEasternDistrictofNewYorkonNovember171995TheBankruptcyCourtconfirmedtheplanofreorganizationonFebruary1119983

MessinghasbeenasoccerbroadcasterforsixteenyearsHebeganasananalystfortheMajorIndoorSoccerLeaguegamesonESPNHebroadcastthe1986FIFAWorldCupfromMexicothe2002FIFAWorldCupfromJapanSouthKoreaandthe2006FIFAWorldCupinGermanyforESPNHehasalsobeentheleadanalystfortheMetroStarsandtherebrandedNewYorkRedBullsofMajorLeagueSoccerforseveralyearsDuringthesebroadcastsShephostsasegmentduringhalftimeentitledShepUnpluggedShepisusuallyoutspokenduringthissegmentaboutleagueissuesandglobalsoccernewsHecanbeeasilyrecognisedwhilecallinggamesbyhistrademarkwowfollowingadramaticincidentaswellashisthickBronxaccent
CurrentlyhecohostswithsportswriterGregLalasMLSExtraTimeaweeklyMajorLeagueSocceranalysisshowproducedbytheleagueswebsiteMLSNetcom
DespitehisroleasabroadcasteranalystforMLSandothersoccermatchesheistheplayeragentforUSunder20andColumbusCrewmidfielderDannySzetela4ThishasledtosomeincludingWashingtonPostsoccerreporterStevenGofftoquestionhisobjectivityinhisworkasananalyst5
HeisamemberoftheNewYorkSportsHallofFameandtheNationalJewishSportsHallofFameandtheauthorofabookonsoccerwhileappearinginseveralfilmsonthesport
In2006hewasinductedintotheNassauCountySportsHallofFame