Dante Washington facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Dante Deneen Washington | ||
| Date of birth | November 21, 1970 | ||
| Place of birth | Baltimore, Maryland, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Forward | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1989–1993 | Radford Highlanders | 66 | (82) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994–1995 | Washington Warthogs (indoor) | 47 | (70) |
| 1996 | Columbus Crew | 3 | (0) |
| 1996–1999 | Dallas Burn | 85 | (24) |
| 2000–2002 | Columbus Crew | 73 | (28) |
| 2003–2004 | Virginia Beach Mariners | 53 | (35) |
| 2004–2005 | Columbus Crew | 1 | (0) |
| 2005 | Real Salt Lake | 9 | (0) |
| 2006 | Baltimore Blast (indoor) | 15 | (0) |
| International career‡ | |||
| 1991–1997 | United States | 6 | (2) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 5 May 2013 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 5 May 2013 |
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Dante Deneen Washington (born November 21, 1970) is a former American soccer player. He played as a striker, which means he was a forward who focused on scoring goals.
Dante played college soccer at Radford University. He was a standout player there. In 1991, he was named a first team All-American. This means he was one of the best college players in the country. He also holds the NCAA record for career assists in men's soccer.
Contents
Dante Washington's Soccer Journey
Early Career and MLS Start
Before joining Major League Soccer (MLS), Dante played in various indoor and smaller outdoor leagues. In 1996, he signed with the Columbus Crew during their first season. After playing only three games, Dante was traded to the Dallas Burn. He spent the next three and a half seasons playing for Dallas. His best year with the Burn was in 1997, when he scored 12 goals.
Return to Columbus and Later Years
In 2000, Dante returned to the Columbus Crew in a trade. He had a fantastic first season back, scoring 15 goals. His goal production slowed down in the next two seasons. After 2002, the Crew did not re-sign him.
Dante then played for the Virginia Beach Mariners for two years. This team was part of the A-League, a professional soccer league. In 2004, he was the top scorer in that league. He also tied for the most goals. Later that year, he got a surprise call to play for the Columbus Crew again. He even started a playoff game.
He stayed with the Crew into the 2005 season. However, he left when the team acquired another player. He then joined Real Salt Lake for a short time. Over nine years in MLS, Dante scored 52 league goals. He also made 30 assists for his teammates. He retired from MLS after the 2005 season. Later, he played indoor soccer for the Baltimore Blast. Before MLS, he also played for the Washington Warthogs in an indoor league.
Playing for the United States
Dante Washington also played for the United States men's national soccer team. He was part of the team for the 1992 Summer Olympics. He played in six games for the senior national team. His first game was on March 12, 1991, against Mexico. He scored a goal in his very first game for his country. He scored one more goal for the national team during his career.
Dante is one of only 22 college players to join the "40-40 club." This means he had both 40 goals and 40 assists during his college soccer career.
Achievements and Awards
Club Honors
- Dallas Burn
- U.S. Open Cup: 1997
- Columbus Crew
- U.S. Open Cup: 2002
Individual Awards
- MLS All-Star: 1997, 2000
- A-League Top Scorer: 2004
