Brian Ching (born May 24, 1978) is the managing director of the Houston Dash. Ching played professional soccer for thirteen years, twelve of which were in Major League Soccer. He also represented the U.S. national team for eight years.
Ching's professional career began when he was the 16th pick overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2001 MLS SuperDraft, making him the first Gonzaga player and the first player from his native Hawaii selected in the MLS draft. After winning the U.S. Open Cup with Los Angeles, Ching was released from the team and played with the second division Seattle Sounders. He returned to first division soccer when the San Jose Earthquakes acquired him in the 2003 MLS Supplemental Draft. He won an MLS Cup and Supporters' Shield with the Earthquakes, collected the MLS Comeback Player of the Year Award, the MLS Golden Boot, and was named to the MLS Best XI.
In 2006, Ching relocated to Houston when the Earthquakes team became the Houston Dynamo. He led the team to back-to-back MLS Cup Championships in 2006 and 2007 and four MLS finals overall. A six-time MLS All-Star, Ching retired from professional soccer in 2013 as Houston Dynamo’s all-time leading scorer.
Ching made his international debut May 26, 2003, becoming the first Hawaiian-born player to represent the United States. Ching scored his first international goal, an equalizer in the 88th minute, in a World Cup qualifier 1-1 tie against Jamaica in Kingston on August 18, 2004. He became the first Hawaiian to be named to the U.S. roster for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. He helped the US team win the 2007 Gold Cup. On May 11, 2010, Ching was named to the preliminary U.S. men's squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa.
Off the field, Brian is a pillar in the Houston community where he partnered with Habitat for Humanity to build three homes for underprivileged families in the Houston area through fundraising efforts under his program "The House that Ching Built”. He now currently has accepted a seat on the board for Houston Habitat where he continues to help the community in which he played.
Another one of his initiatives is Ching’s Champions in partnership with Kroger. This would honor people from the community that continuously give selflessly of themselves in the service of others. Each year winners would get a 250 second shopping spree.
Along with these initiatives Brian constantly donates his time to other charitable causes like Recipe for Success, Celebration of Champions for Texas Children’s Hospital, Girls Inc., Houston’s Children’s Charity, Dynamo Charities, and others. He constantly enjoys giving his time and voice for the betterment of the community around him.