Ike Opara facts for kids
.jpg)
Opara with Minnesota United in 2019
|
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ikenna Martin Opara | ||
| Date of birth | February 21, 1989 | ||
| Place of birth | Durham, North Carolina, United States | ||
| Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Centre Back | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2007–2009 | Wake Forest Demon Deacons | 65 | (9) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | Cary Clarets | 13 | (0) |
| 2010–2012 | San Jose Earthquakes | 35 | (3) |
| 2013–2018 | Sporting Kansas City | 113 | (12) |
| 2019–2021 | Minnesota United | 32 | (5) |
| Total | 193 | (20) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2009 | United States U20 | 7 | (0) |
| 2012 | United States U23 | 4 | (0) |
| 2018 | United States | 1 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021 | Nashville SC (scout) | ||
| 2022– | Sporting Kansas City II (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of August 5, 2021 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of January 28, 2018 |
|||
Ikenna Martin "Ike" Opara, born on February 21, 1989, is an American who used to play professional soccer. He was a strong defender known for his speed and strength. Today, he helps coach a soccer team called Sporting Kansas City II in MLS Next Pro.
Contents
Ike Opara's Soccer Journey
Playing in College
Ike Opara started his soccer career playing for Wake Forest University. He played college soccer from 2007 to 2009. During this time, he played in 65 games. He scored nine goals and helped his team score three more.
In 2007, Ike was part of the Wake Forest team that won the NCAA College Cup Championship. This is a big tournament for college soccer teams. He was also named the best defensive player in his college league, the ACC, in both 2008 and 2009.
While in college, Ike also played for a team called Cary Clarets. He played two seasons for them in a league called the USL Premier Development League.
Becoming a Professional Player
Starting with San Jose Earthquakes
In 2010, Ike Opara was chosen to play in the professional league, MLS. He was picked by the San Jose Earthquakes as the third player overall in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft. This was a big achievement!
He played his first professional game on March 27, 2010. He scored his first goal for the team on April 10, 2010, which helped his team win. Unfortunately, during his time with the Earthquakes, Ike had many foot injuries.
Playing for Sporting Kansas City
On December 12, 2012, Ike moved to a new team, Sporting Kansas City. He made his first appearance for SKC on March 23, 2013. A few months later, on July 20, 2013, he scored his first goal for the club. This goal was scored in the very last minute of the game and won the match for Sporting Kansas City.
Ike and his team, Sporting Kansas City, won the MLS Cup in 2013. Even though he was not playing in the final game, he was part of the winning team. He played in 21 games that year and was named the "Newcomer of the Year" for Sporting KC.
Over the next few years, Ike became a very important player for Sporting Kansas City. He helped make their defense one of the best in MLS. He played alongside other great defenders like Matt Besler, Graham Zusi, and Seth Sinovic, and their amazing goalie, Tim Melia. This strong defense helped the team win the U.S. Open Cup in 2015 and 2017.
In 2017, Ike Opara received a special award: the MLS Defender of the Year Award. This award goes to the best defender in the league. He was also chosen for the MLS Best XI, which is a list of the best players in the MLS that year.
Moving to Minnesota United FC
On January 28, 2019, Ike Opara joined Minnesota United FC. He scored his first goal for Minnesota on May 4, 2019, during a game against the Seattle Sounders. He won the MLS Defender of the Year Award again in 2019, showing he was still one of the best defenders around. In August 2021, Minnesota United decided to end his contract.
Playing for the National Team
Ike Opara was chosen to play for the United States Men's National Team on January 8, 2018. He played one game for the national team against Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was his only game, or "cap," for the national team.
Ike Opara's Coaching Career
Coaching Sporting Kansas City II
After leaving Minnesota United, Ike Opara worked as a scout for Nashville SC. A scout helps find new players for a team. In January 2022, Ike returned to Sporting Kansas City. He became an assistant coach for their second team, Sporting Kansas City II.
Career Statistics
This table shows how many games Ike Opara played and how many goals he scored for different teams throughout his career.
Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup | Continental | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Cary Clarets | 2008 | USL PDL | 6 | 0 | — | — | — | 6 | 0 | |||
| 2009 | 7 | 0 | — | — | — | 7 | 0 | |||||
| Total | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ||
| San Jose Earthquakes | 2010 | MLS | 11 | 3 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 11 | 3 | ||
| 2011 | 8 | 0 | — | — | — | 8 | 0 | |||||
| 2012 | 16 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 20 | 0 | |||
| Total | 35 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 39 | 3 | ||
| Sporting Kansas City | 2013 | MLS | 18 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 25 | 4 |
| 2014 | 3 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | — | 5 | 0 | ||||
| 2015 | 6 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 6 | 2 | ||||
| 2016 | 25 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | ||
| 2017 | 30 | 3 | 5 | 2 | — | 1 | 0 | 36 | 5 | |||
| 2018 | 31 | 3 | 1 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | 36 | 3 | |||
| Total | 113 | 12 | 8 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 136 | 15 | ||
| Minnesota United | 2019 | MLS | 30 | 3 | 4 | 0 | — | 1 | 0 | 35 | 3 | |
| 2020 | 2 | 2 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 32 | 5 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 37 | 5 | ||
| Career total | 193 | 20 | 15 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 225 | 23 | ||
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2018 | 1 | 0 |
| Total | 1 | 0 | |
Awards and Achievements
Ike Opara won several awards and championships during his soccer career:
With Sporting Kansas City
- MLS Cup: 2013 (The top championship in MLS)
- Eastern Conference Championship (Playoffs): 2013 (Won the playoff for their conference)
- U.S. Open Cup: 2015, 2017 (A national soccer tournament in the U.S.)
Individual Awards
- MLS Best XI: 2017, 2019 (Chosen as one of the best 11 players in the MLS)
- MLS Defender of the Year: 2017, 2019 (Awarded to the best defender in the MLS)
See also
In Spanish: Ike Opara para niños
