Josh Cohen Bio
Joshua Cohen is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper. Born on August 18, 1992, in Mountain View, California, Cohen built his reputation through college soccer at the University of California, San Diego, before turning professional in 2015. He rose to international attention with Maccabi Haifa in the Israeli Premier League, where he won three consecutive league titles and was named Israeli Premier League Player of the Season in 2020-21. He currently plays for Atlanta United in Major League Soccer.
Early Life and Background
Joshua Cohen was born on August 18, 1992, in Mountain View, California, to a family of Jewish descent. Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area, he joined Santa Clara Sporting Club as a youth player in 2004 and remained in the club’s youth setup through 2007. During that stretch he had a brief trial with Brazilian club Grêmio in 2007 before returning to the Santa Clara Sporting Club youth system, where he continued developing as a goalkeeper through 2010.
Standing 6 feet 1 inch tall, Cohen used his height and shot-stopping instincts to establish himself in competitive youth environments. The combination of club soccer in Northern California and the chance to train abroad at Grêmio gave him an early sense of the demands required to play professionally.
Path to Soccer
Cohen committed to the University of California, San Diego, where he played four seasons of college soccer for the UC San Diego Tritons between 2010 and 2013. He appeared in 51 matches for the program and graduated with a degree in bioengineering and computer science. In 2012, he started 12 games and led NCAA Division II in goals against average at 0.397 and save percentage at 0.898, earning Daktronics All-America Second Team honors. A year later, in 2013, he started 22 games and was named to the NSCAA All-America First Team.
Following his senior season, Cohen accepted a one-week trial with the Philadelphia Union in early 2014. The experience helped him transition from the college game to the professional ranks, and in 2015 he joined the Burlingame Dragons of the USL Premier Development League to begin his senior career.
Josh Cohen Career
Early Career (2015-2017)
Joshua Cohen made his professional debut with the Burlingame Dragons in 2015, making 11 appearances and posting a 0.636 goals against average in the USL PDL. On August 10, 2015, he signed with United Soccer League side Orange County Blues, where he started one game in the 2015 season and returned for the 2016 campaign. Those two seasons gave him a steady introduction to the demands of senior-level American soccer.
In 2017, Cohen joined Phoenix Rising of the USL, where he won the starting goalkeeper role and made 28 starts. His strongest month came in September 2017, when he recorded a 0.37 goals against average and an 88.9 percent save percentage to earn the club’s Player of the Month Award.
Sacramento Republic Breakthrough (2018-2019)
Cohen signed with Sacramento Republic FC of the USL Championship on January 16, 2018, with a club option for 2019. He played every minute of the 2018 USL Championship regular season, conceding 32 goals across 34 games while recording twelve clean sheets. His consistent performances led to a finalist selection for USL Goalkeeper of the Year and a place on the USL All-League Second Team.
Cohen returned to Sacramento at the start of 2019 and made 16 appearances, allowing only 17 goals, before his next move. His two seasons in the USL Championship positioned him as one of the top American goalkeepers outside Major League Soccer.
Maccabi Haifa Era (2019-2023)
On July 19, 2019, Sacramento Republic and Maccabi Haifa agreed to a transfer for Cohen to join the Israeli Premier League club. He made his first start for Maccabi Haifa on September 25, 2019, helping the team to a 3-0 victory over Maccabi Netanya, and went on to start every match until the season’s postponement. In 21 league games he conceded only 15 goals and recorded 12 clean sheets as Maccabi Haifa finished second after the first stage of the regular season.
The 2020-21 season was the defining year of Cohen’s career. He was named the Israeli Premier League’s Player of the Season after guiding Maccabi Haifa to their first league championship since 2010-11. He then led the club to repeat as Israeli Premier League Champion in 2021-22, finishing the campaign with the league’s best defensive record and 16 clean sheets. That title earned Maccabi Haifa a place in the 2022-23 UEFA Champions League playoffs, where they defeated Olympiacos, Apollon Limassol, and Red Star Belgrade to reach the group stage, where Cohen produced five saves in a 2-0 win over Juventus.
In May 2023, Cohen and Maccabi Haifa clinched their third consecutive Israeli Premier League title with a 5-1 win over Maccabi Netanya. Across his four seasons in Israel he also obtained Israeli temporary resident status in December 2019 and full Israeli citizenship in February 2021 under the country’s Law of Return for the Jewish diaspora.
Atlanta United Era (2024-Present)
On December 14, 2023, Joshua Cohen signed with Major League Soccer club Atlanta United as a free agent, agreeing to a contract through the 2025 season with a club option for 2026. He made his first appearance for the first team on May 21, 2024, keeping a clean sheet against Charlotte Independence and Charleston Battery in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, and saved two consecutive penalty kicks against Charleston Battery to help Atlanta advance to the quarterfinals. Eight days later, on May 29, 2024, he made his first MLS regular-season start and recorded four saves in a victory over Inter Miami CF.
Driving Style and Strengths
Cohen is recognized for his command of the penalty area, sharp reflexes, and consistency in one-on-one situations. His time at Maccabi Haifa showed an ability to organize a back line through a long league campaign, while his performances in the UEFA Champions League demonstrated the capacity to deliver on the biggest stages. His height, shot-stopping technique, and shot-blocking mentality have made him a reliable presence between the posts.
Notable Events and Milestones
Among Cohen’s signature moments, his September 2017 Player of the Month award at Phoenix Rising, his 2018 USL Goalkeeper of the Year finalist selection at Sacramento Republic, and his three consecutive Israeli Premier League titles with Maccabi Haifa stand out. His 2-0 clean sheet win over Juventus in the UEFA Champions League is widely regarded as the most significant individual result of his club career.
Josh Cohen Career Wins
Across his professional career, Joshua Cohen has built a resume highlighted by three consecutive Israeli Premier League titles with Maccabi Haifa, an Israeli Premier League Player of the Season award, and a string of USL postseason honors with Sacramento Republic FC.
Israeli Premier League Highlights
Cohen’s most decorated run came in the Israeli Premier League, where he helped Maccabi Haifa lift league titles in 2020-21, 2021-22, and 2022-23. He was named Israeli Premier League Player of the Season for 2020-21, the same year the club ended a decade-long title drought. His 16 clean sheets in 2021-22 powered the league’s best defensive record, and his 12 clean sheets during the 2019-20 campaign helped establish him as the team’s number one.
Other Wins and Performances
In the United Soccer League, Cohen was a 2018 USL Goalkeeper of the Year finalist and a USL All-League Second Team selection after playing every minute of the Sacramento Republic regular season. He also claimed Phoenix Rising’s September 2017 Player of the Month Award and helped Atlanta United reach the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals with a pair of penalty shootout saves.
Josh Cohen Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Joshua Cohen was raised in a Jewish family in Mountain View, California. That heritage later connected him to Israel, where he obtained temporary resident status in 2019 and full Israeli citizenship in 2021 under the country’s Law of Return for members of the Jewish diaspora.
Personal Life
Outside of professional soccer, Cohen graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a degree in bioengineering and computer science. He has been based in the United States while playing for Major League Soccer clubs, including Atlanta United, where he signed a contract running through the 2025 season.
2025 Season Performance
Joshua Cohen’s 2025 campaign centers on his role with Atlanta United in Major League Soccer, where he is working through a contract that runs through the season with a club option for 2026. After a 2024 debut year that included a first MLS start against Inter Miami CF and penalty shootout heroics in the U.S. Open Cup, the 2025 season offered a chance to establish himself as a regular first-team option.
The wider storyline for 2025 includes his continued adaptation to the demands of Major League Soccer and the rhythm of a long domestic season. His track record of durable performances in the Israeli Premier League, where he played every game across multiple title-winning campaigns, suggests a player built for that workload.
Looking ahead, Cohen’s experience in the UEFA Champions League with Maccabi Haifa, paired with three straight Israeli Premier League titles, gives Atlanta United a goalkeeper accustomed to high-pressure matches. If he can translate that resume into consistent MLS minutes in 2025, the season could mark his full arrival as an established Major League Soccer starter.