Nick DeLeon facts for kids
DeLeon playing for D.C. United in 2014
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Nicholas Lee DeLeon | ||
| Date of birth | July 17, 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Phoenix, Arizona, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder, Full Back | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1998–2009 | CISCO Soccer Club | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2009 | UNLV Rebels | 29 | (7) |
| 2010–2011 | Louisville Cardinals | 46 | (14) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010 | Arizona Sahuaros | 0 | (0) |
| 2012–2018 | D.C. United | 180 | (13) |
| 2019–2021 | Toronto FC | 69 | (8) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of November 7, 2021 | |||
Nicholas Lee DeLeon (born July 17, 1990) is an American professional soccer player. He is known for playing as a midfielder or a defender. Nick is admired for how hard he works and his great skills when playing against one opponent. He can also score goals using both his left and right feet.
Contents
Club Career
Early Soccer Days
Nick DeLeon played soccer for Thunderbird High School in Phoenix, Arizona, from 2004 to 2007. After high school, he started playing college soccer at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 2008. In his first year, he played in 18 games and helped his team with 3 assists. He scored two goals and made two assists in his second year. In the summer of 2010, Nick also played in the U.S. Open Cup with a team called Arizona Sahuaros.
College Success
DeLeon then moved to the University of Louisville for the 2010 season. He had a very good first year, playing in all 24 games. He scored 8 goals and made 3 assists, earning a spot on the All-Big East first team. His team, the Louisville Cardinals, won the 2010 Big East Soccer Tournament. They even reached the final of the 2010 College Cup, where they lost 1–0.
In his final year at Louisville, Nick continued to play well. He started every game, scoring 6 goals and making 6 assists. He was again named to the All-Big East first team. His goals helped the Cardinals reach the quarterfinals of the 2011 College Cup. Because of his strong college performances, Nick was invited to the 2012 MLS Combine, which is a tryout for professional teams.
Playing Professionally
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Nick DeLeon officially joined Major League Soccer (MLS) on December 29, 2011. He was picked by D.C. United as the 7th player overall in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft. His first game for D.C. United was on March 18, 2012, when he came in as a substitute against the LA Galaxy. He scored D.C.'s only goal in that game, a great shot that earned him a nomination for Goal of the Week.
On November 8, Nick scored the winning goal in the 88th minute against the New York Red Bulls in the playoffs. This win sent D.C. United to the Eastern Conference finals, where they were defeated by the Houston Dynamo. In his first professional season, DeLeon played in 28 games, starting 25 of them. He scored a total of six goals and made four assists. He was voted runner-up for the 2012 MLS Rookie of the Year award.
On November 1, 2018, DeLeon scored a fantastic volley goal in the 116th minute of an MLS Playoff game against Columbus Crew. However, D.C. United lost the game after a penalty shootout.
After the 2018 season, D.C. United decided not to keep DeLeon. In December 2018, Toronto FC chose him in the 2018 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Nick scored his first goal for Toronto FC in their first game of the 2019 season on March 2, 2019, against Philadelphia Union. He also scored against his old team, D.C. United, on June 29, 2019. He scored against D.C. United again in the 2019 MLS Cup Playoffs on October 19, 2019, in a game Toronto FC won 5–1. On October 30, 2019, DeLeon scored the winning goal against Atlanta United FC in a 2–1 victory. He left Toronto FC after the 2021 season.
International Career
Nick DeLeon was born in the United States. However, he could also play for Trinidad and Tobago because his father is from there. He was asked to join Trinidad and Tobago's team for the qualifying games for the 2012 Summer Olympics, but he chose not to. In January 2013, he was invited again to play in a friendly game against Peru, but he declined once more.
DeLeon said he wanted to play for the United States national team. However, he also mentioned that he might play for Trinidad and Tobago in the future. In January 2016, his father told the media that Nick was ready to play for Trinidad and Tobago and was working on getting a passport for the country. As of October 2021, he had not yet played for either national team.
Personal Life
Nick DeLeon's father is Leroy DeLeon, who was also a professional soccer player. Leroy played for the Washington Diplomats in the 1970s.
Nick DeLeon married his girlfriend, Jordan Trimble, on December 14, 2013. They have two children together. Their daughter was born on August 10, 2016, and their son was born in September 2017.
Career Statistics
Club
| Club | Season | League | Playoffs | Cup | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Arizona Sahuaros | 2010 | NPSL | – | – | 2 | 1 | – | – | 2 | 1 | ||||
| D.C. United | 2012 | MLS | 28 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | – | – | 34 | 8 | ||
| 2013 | 25 | 2 | – | 5 | 1 | – | – | 30 | 3 | |||||
| 2014 | 32 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 34 | 3 | |||
| 2015 | 29 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | – | 35 | 3 | |||
| 2016 | 32 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | – | 35 | 1 | |||
| 2017 | 19 | 0 | – | 0 | 0 | – | – | 19 | 0 | |||||
| 2018 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | – | – | 16 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 180 | 13 | 11 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | 0 | – | 203 | 19 | |||
| Toronto FC | 2019 | MLS | 32 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | – | 39 | 10 | |
| 2020 | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | 1 | 0 | 23 | 1 | |||
| 2021 | 16 | 1 | — | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | – | 21 | 1 | ||||
| Total | 69 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 83 | 12 | ||
| Career total | 249 | 21 | 16 | 6 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 286 | 31 | ||
Honors
D.C. United
- U.S. Open Cup: 2013
See also
In Spanish: Nick DeLeon para niños
