{{short description|American soccer player (born 1996)}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Robbie Mertz | image = | fullname = Charles Robbins Mertz Jr. | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1996|12|4}} | birth_place = Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States | height = 5 ft 7 in | position = Midfielder | currentclub = Pittsburgh Riverhounds | clubnumber = 14 | youthyears1 = 2005–2015 | youthclubs1 = Century United | collegeyears1 = 2015–2018 | college1 = Michigan Wolverines | collegecaps1 = 76 | collegegoals1 = 9 | years1 = 2016 | clubs1 = Chicago FC United | caps1 = 9 | goals1 = 2 | years2 = 2017 | clubs2 = Burlingame Dragons | caps2 = 3 | goals2 = 0 | years3 = 2019–2020 | clubs3 = Pittsburgh Riverhounds | caps3 = 40 | goals3 = 11 | years4 = 2021–2022 | clubs4 = Atlanta United 2 | caps4 = 48 | goals4 = 4 | years5 = 2022– | clubs5 = Pittsburgh Riverhounds | caps5 = 99 | goals5 = 11 | nationalyears1 = | nationalteam1 = | nationalcaps1 = | nationalgoals1 = | medaltemplates = | pcupdate = October 25, 2025 | ntupdate = }}
'''Charles Robbins Mertz Jr.''' (born December 4, 1996) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. He played college soccer for the Michigan Wolverines.
==Career== ===College and amateur=== Mertz played four years of college soccer at the University of Michigan between 2015 and 2018.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mgoblue.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=18552|title=Robbie Mertz - Men's Soccer|website=University of Michigan Athletics}}</ref>
Mertz also played with Premier Development League sides Chicago FC United<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster_players/12585444|title=Chicago FC United - 2016 Regular Season - Roster - # - Charlie Mertz -|website=www.uslleaguetwo.com}}</ref> and Burlingame Dragons.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster_players/18236182?subseason=376352|title=Burlingame Dragons FC - 2017 Regular Season - Roster - # - Charles Mertz -|website=www.uslleaguetwo.com}}</ref>
===Professional=== On January 14, 2019, Mertz was selected 76th overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft by Colorado Rapids.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://mgoblue.com/news/2019/1/14/mens-soccer-alum-mertz-picked-by-colorado-rapids-in-mls-superdraft.aspx|title=Men's Soccer Alum Mertz Picked By Colorado Rapids in MLS SuperDraft|website=University of Michigan Athletics}}</ref> However, he was released by the club during their pre-season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://lastwordonsoccer.com/2019/02/08/colorado-rapids-preseason-club-parts-ways-with-all-but-one-unsigned-superdraft-pick/|title=Colorado Rapids Preseason: Club parts ways with all but one unsigned SuperDraft pick|first1=Matt|last1=Pollard|date=February 8, 2019}}</ref>
Mertz signed his first professional deal with USL Championship club Pittsburgh Riverhounds on March 29, 2019.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://pittsburghsoccernow.com/2019/03/29/hounds-sign-upper-st-clairs-robbie-mertz-along-with-mark-forrest-and-prosper-figbe/|title=Hounds sign Upper St. Clair's Robbie Mertz, along with Mark Forrest and Prosper Figbe » Pittsburgh Soccer Now|first=John|last=Krysinsky|date=March 29, 2019|website=Pittsburgh Soccer Now}}</ref>
On January 12, 2021, Mertz moved to USL Championship side Atlanta United 2.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.atlutd.com/post/2021/01/12/atlanta-united-2-signs-robbie-mertz|title=Atlanta United 2 signs Robbie Mertz | Atlanta United FC}}</ref> Mertz quickly became a fixture for Atlanta 2, wearing the captain's armband often in 2021 and in every match he played in 2022.
On July 20, 2022, Mertz returned to Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC in exchange for conditional compensation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Hounds acquire Robbie Mertz from Atlanta United 2 |url=https://www.uslchampionship.com/news_article/show/1233225 |website=USLChampionship.com |date=20 July 2022 |access-date=20 July 2022}}</ref>
==Personal life== Mertz is married to University of North Carolina women’s soccer player Kate Morris. The couple welcomed their first son on June 5, 2025.
Mertz has three siblings; his younger sister Landy played college soccer at Pittsburgh.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://pittsburghpanthers.com/sports/womens-soccer/roster/landy-mertz/12686|title=Landy Mertz – Women's Soccer|publisher=University of Pittsburgh Athletics|access-date=2024-03-10}}</ref>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mertz, Robbie}} Category:1996 births Category:Living people Category:American men's soccer players Category:Men's association football midfielders Category:Atlanta United 2 players Category:Burlingame Dragons FC players Category:Chicago FC United players Category:Colorado Rapids draft picks Category:Michigan Wolverines men's soccer players Category:Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC players Category:Soccer players from Pittsburgh Category:USL Championship players Category:USL League Two players Category:21st-century American sportsmen
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