Graham Zusi
.jpg) Zusi with United States in 2013 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Graham Jonathan Zusi | ||
| Date of birth | August 18, 1986 | ||
| Place of birth | Longwood, Florida, United States | ||
| Height | 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
Current team | Sporting Kansas City | ||
| Number | 8 | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2005–2008 | Maryland Terrapins | 89 | (28) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2005 | Central Florida Kraze | 10 | (1) |
| 2009– | Sporting Kansas City | 170 | (24) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2012– | United States | 33 | (4) |
|
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 9, 2015. | |||
Graham Jonathan Zusi[1] (/ˈzuːsi/; born August 18, 1986) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City and the United States national team.
Early life
Zusi was born on August 18, 1986. Zusi graduated high school at Lake Brantley High School.
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. He graduated with a degree in criminology.[2]
During his college years Zusi also played with Central Florida Kraze in the USL Premier Development 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 March 21, 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.
During the 2012–13 offseason, Zusi trialed with English Premier League side West Ham United.[6]
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.
On October 15, 2013, Zusi scored a stoppage-time equalizer against Panama in a World Cup qualifier. Though the United States had already qualified, Zusi's goal meant that Mexico would advance to the next round at Panama's expense. As a result, a group of Mexico fans later presented Zusi with a framed photo and plaque with the words San Zusi ("Saint Zusi").[7]
On June 16, 2014, in the United States' first game in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Zusi provided the assist from a corner kick for John Brooks' game winning goal in the 2-1 victory against Ghana.
On June 22, 2014, in the United States' second game in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, Zusi provided the assist for Clint Dempsey's goal in the 2-2 draw against Portugal.
On 29 March 2016, after two years without scoring for the USA national team, he scored the third goal against Guatemala in the USA's campaign to qualify for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | January 25, 2012 | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama |  Panama |
|||
| 2 | October 11, 2013 | Sporting Park, Kansas City, United States |  Jamaica |
|||
| 3 | October 15, 2013 | Estadio Rommel Fernández, Panama City, Panama | Panama |
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| 4 | March 29, 2016 | Mapfre Stadium, Columbus, Ohio, United States |  Guatemala |
Career statistics
Club
- As of December, 21 2015.
| Club | Season | MLS | US Open Cup | Playoffs | CONCACAF | Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | Assists | App | Goals | Assists | ||
| Sporting Kansas City |
2009 | 13 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| 2010 | 19 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 20 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2011 | 32 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | — | — | — | 39 | 5 | 9 | |
| 2012 | 32 | 5 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | — | — | — | 39 | 7 | 16 | |
| 2013 | 27 | 6 | 8 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 40 | 6 | 13 | |
| 2014 | 24 | 5 | 8 | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0 | 1 | 26 | 5 | 9 | |
| 2015 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | - | - | - | 26 | 3 | 5 | |
| Club Total | 172 | 24 | 44 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 205 | 27 | 53 | |
| Career Total | 172 | 24 | 44 | 15 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 205 | 27 | 53 | |
International
- As of March 29, 2016.
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | |||
| 2012 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2013 | 12 | 2 | |
| 2014 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2015 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 1 | 1 | |
| Total | 33 | 4 | |
Honors
University of Maryland
Sporting Kansas City
- MLS Cup (1): 2013
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup (2): 2012, 2015
- Eastern Conference (playoffs) (1): 2013
Individual
- MLS Best XI (2): 2012, 2013
- MLS All-Star (3): 2012, 2013, 2014
- MLS Breakout Player of the Year: 2011 [8]
- Sporting Kansas City Most Valuable Player (2): 2012,[9] 2013 [10]
See also
References
- ↑ 2013 Gold Cup official roster
- ↑ Nancy Hass (April 16, 2013). "Hey Zeus! Graham Zusi & the pressure of replacing US Soccer's best-ever player | OVERLAP Magazine". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ↑ "2005 Central Florida Kraze stats". Uslsoccer.com. Retrieved June 24, 2014.
- ↑ Archived March 25, 2009, at the Wayback Machine.
- ↑ Palmer, Tod. "Sporting signs Zusi to extension". KansasCity.com. Retrieved August 10, 2012.
- ↑ Bailey, Graeme. "West Ham United have taken American international Graham Zusi on trial". Sky Sports. Retrieved May 10, 2013.
- ↑ Edwards, Andy. ""Saint" Graham Zusi presented with gifts from fans, radio station for sending Mexico to World Cup playoff". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved October 17, 2013.
- ↑ Andrew Wiebe (December 20, 2011). "Zusi named MLS Breakout Player of the Year | Sporting Kansas City". Sportingkc.com. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Sporting KC announces 2012 team awards | Sporting Kansas City". Sportingkc.com. October 24, 2012. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Sporting KC announces 2013 team awards | Sporting Kansas City". Sportingkc.com. October 19, 2013. Retrieved May 4, 2014.
External links
- MLS player profile
- Graham Zusi at National-Football-Teams.com
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