Roger Espinoza facts for kids
Espinoza with Sporting Kansas City in 2018
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| Personal information | ||||||||||
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| Full name | Roger Aníbal Espinoza Ramírez | |||||||||
| Date of birth | 25 October 1986 | |||||||||
| Place of birth | Puerto Cortés, Honduras | |||||||||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | |||||||||
| Playing position | Midfielder, defender | |||||||||
| Senior career* | ||||||||||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† | |||||||
| 2006 | Arizona Sahuaros | 7 | (1) | |||||||
| 2008–2012 | Sporting Kansas City | 113 | (2) | |||||||
| 2013–2014 | Wigan Athletic | 42 | (2) | |||||||
| 2015–2023 | Sporting Kansas City | 210 | (10) | |||||||
| 2019 | → Swope Park Rangers (loan) | 1 | (0) | |||||||
| 2024 | Des Moines Menace | 0 | (0) | |||||||
| Total | 373 | (15) | ||||||||
| National team | ||||||||||
| 2012 | Honduras Olympic | 4 | (1) | |||||||
| 2009–2017 | Honduras | 52 | (4) | |||||||
| Teams managed | ||||||||||
| 2021– | Sporting Kansas City (youth) | |||||||||
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Honours
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Roger Aníbal Espinoza Ramírez (born October 25, 1986) is a former professional footballer from Honduras. He played as a midfielder or defender. Roger is now a youth coach for the Major League Soccer team Sporting Kansas City. He played for the Honduras national team in two World Cups and the 2012 Summer Olympics.
Contents
Roger Espinoza's Football Journey
Early Life and College Soccer
Roger Espinoza was born in Puerto Cortés, Honduras. When he was twelve, his family moved to the United States. He grew up in Denver, Colorado.
He played college soccer for two years at Yavapai College. He also played one season with the Arizona Sahuaros in 2006. In 2007, he moved to Ohio State for his junior year. That year, Ohio State reached the national championship game. Roger scored a goal, but his team lost 2–1. He was recognized as a top player in college soccer.
Playing for Sporting Kansas City
Roger decided to skip his last year of college to play professionally. He was chosen by the Kansas City Wizards (now Sporting Kansas City) in the 2008 MLS draft. In his first year, he played in 22 games. He helped Sporting Kansas City win the 2012 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup trophy. He played 113 regular season games for the club over five years.
Playing in England with Wigan Athletic
After the 2012 MLS season, Roger joined Wigan Athletic in England. They were part of the Premier League, which is a top league.
Roger played his first game for Wigan in January 2013. He scored his first goal for the team in May. On May 11, 2013, Roger and Wigan won the FA Cup. This was a huge win against Manchester City. However, just three days later, Wigan was moved down from the Premier League. He scored another goal for Wigan in the FA Cup in January 2014.
Coming Back to Kansas City
Roger Espinoza came back to Sporting Kansas City in 2015. In his second game back, he scored a goal against FC Dallas. Even though he had an injury, his team won the 2015 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup that year. Two years later, Sporting KC won the 2017 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup again. Roger played a big part in this victory. In 2018, he had his best season for assists, helping his teammates score many goals.
In 2021, Roger also started coaching youth players for Sporting KC. He signed a new contract for the 2022 and 2023 seasons. He briefly played for Des Moines Menace in 2024. Roger announced his retirement from playing football in June 2024.
Playing for His Country
Roger Espinoza played for the Honduras national football team. He first joined the team for the UNCAF Nations Cup 2009. He scored his first goal for Honduras in that tournament. This goal helped Honduras win third place.
He also played for Honduras in the 2012 London Olympics. He scored a goal against Brazil in a quarter-final game. Roger played for Honduras in the 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups. He stopped playing for the national team in August 2019.
About Roger's Life
Roger became a citizen of the United States in March 2008. He is married to Lo'eau LaBonta, who is also a professional soccer player. She plays for the Kansas City Current.
Honors and Awards
Roger Espinoza has won several important trophies during his career:
With Sporting Kansas City
- Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup: 2012, 2015, 2017
With Wigan Athletic
Images for kids
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Espinoza with Sporting Kansas City in 2018
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Espinoza (right) with Sporting Kansas City in 2021.
See also
In Spanish: Roger Espinoza para niños
