.jpg) Zusi with the United States national team 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 club | 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 | 123 | (17) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2012– | United States | 18 | (3) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 26, 2013.
† Appearances (Goals).
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of October 16, 2013 | |||
Graham Jonathan Zusi[1] (/ˈzuːsi/; born August 18, 1986 in Longwood, Florida) is an American soccerplayer who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City and the United States national team.
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. He graduated with a degree in criminology.[3]
During his college years Zusi also played with Central Florida Kraze in the USL Premier Development League.[4]
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.[5]
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.[6] In the 2012 season he led the league in assists with 15.
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")
