James Kiffe

Professional soccer player

What is James Kiffe known for?

James Alexander Kiffe, born on January 24, 1989, in Santa Barbara, California, is a celebrated American soccer player. Not only notable as an alumnus of San Marcos High School, Kiffe's story is a testament to local talent rising through the ranks, from high school soccer to professional leagues.

In his early life, Kiffe played for the local Santa Barbara Soccer Club, later moving on to the San Marcos High School team. He honed his skills in college, first playing for Santa Barbara City College in 2007 before transferring to the University of California, Santa Barbara. At UCSB, Kiffe featured prominently on the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos men's soccer team from 2009 to 2011, making 45 appearances and scoring 3 goals. His skills on the field earned him the Big West Conference Defender of the Year award in 2011.

Kiffe's professional career kicked off at the Ventura County Fusion, a Premier Development League team. Following a short stint with the Fusion, he was selected in the fourth round of the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft by the San Jose Earthquakes. Though he didn't make the Earthquake's roster and spent much of 2012 recovering from an injury, he returned to the Fusion in 2013 and served as their longest tenured player and team captain. His career path then led him to the Sacramento Republic FC in 2014, after he impressed them during a match against the Fusion in the 2014 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and the 2014 PDL playoffs.

Kiffe demonstrated consistent performance throughout his time with Sacramento Republic FC. He played in almost all matches for the Republic FC in the 2015 and 2016 seasons, notching assists and scoring his first professional goal. By 2017, Kiffe had broken the 100-appearance mark, making him only the second player to have achieved this feat with the Republic FC. He held an impressive 75.6 percent tackle success rate and a 79.5 percent pass success rate.

Throughout his career, Kiffe also played for Reno 1868, Charlotte Independence, and El Paso Locomotive, contributing to the success of these teams with his defensive prowess.

For more detailed statistics, refer to his professional career records on USL Championship.