Graham Zusi
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Graham Zusi | ||
| Date of birth | August 18, 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Longwood, Florida, United States | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Sporting Kansas City | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2008 | Maryland Terrapins | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005 | Central Florida Kraze | 10 | (1) |
| 2009– | Sporting Kansas City[1] | 100 | (13) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2012– | United States | 10 | (1) |
|
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of March 26, 2013 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of March 26, 2013 | |||
Graham Zusi (pronounced /ˈzuːsi/; born August 18, 1986 in Longwood, Florida) is an American football player who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.
Zusi had a breakout year in 2011 that led to a national team call-up. Zusi settled into an advanced, right-sided spot in Sporting Kansas City's three-man midfield where he displayed his smooth passing and set-piece ability.[2]
Career
College
Zusi played college soccer at the University of Maryland, College Park. During his college career Zusi played in 89 games, recording 28 goals and 20 assists, and helped Maryland win the National Championship in 2005 and 2008, scoring the game-winning goal in the 2008 National Semi-Final and Championship Games.
During his college years Zusi also played with Central Florida Kraze in the USL Premier League.[3]
Professional
Zusi was drafted in the second round (23rd overall) of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards. He made his professional debut on 21 March 2009, in Kansas City's first game of the 2009 MLS season against Toronto FC.[4]
Zusi enjoyed a breakout season in 2011 helping the renamed Sporting Kansas City franchise to an Eastern Conference championship and earning a call-up to the U.S. national team. His efforts were rewarded by Sporting with a new four-year contract announced on February 16, 2012.[5] In the 2012 season he led the league in assists with 15.
9th January 2013 Sky Sports understands that West Ham United have taken Zusi on trial.
International career
On January 21, 2012, Zusi made his debut for the senior side of his country (as a starter) in a 1-0 win over Venezuela in a friendly match. On January 25, 2012, Zusi scored his first international goal in the ninth minute against Panama in a 1-0 victory. Zusi was named to the national team's Hexagonal roster for the February 6, 2013 match against Honduras; he entered the game as a second half substitute.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 25, 2012 | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama |  Panama
|
Honors
University of Maryland
Sporting Kansas City
See also
References
- ^ Known as Kansas City Wizards through 2010.
- ^ Davis, Steve. "2012 Eastern Conference preview: Sporting Kansas City has firepower". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 7 March 2012.
- ^ "2009 Major League Soccer SuperDraft" (PDF). Uslsoccer.com. Retrieved 2012-11-26.
- ^ [1][dead link]
- ^ Palmer, Tod. "Sporting signs Zusi to extension". KansasCity.com. Retrieved 2012-08-10.
External links
- MLS player profile
- Graham Zusi at National-Football-Teams.com