Saad Abdul-Salaam facts for kids
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | September 8, 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Charlotte, North Carolina, U.S. | ||
| Height | 1.93 m (6 ft 4 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Internationals SC | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2012–2014 | Akron Zips | 54 | (3) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013 | Portland Timbers U23s | 6 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | Sporting Kansas City | 64 | (1) |
| 2015 | → San Antonio Scorpions (loan) | 5 | (0) |
| 2018 | New York City FC | 4 | (0) |
| 2018 | → Phoenix Rising (loan) | 9 | (0) |
| 2019 | Seattle Sounders FC | 18 | (0) |
| 2019 | → Tacoma Defiance (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2020 | FC Cincinnati | 8 | (0) |
| 2021 | Columbus Crew | 18 | (0) |
| 2022 | San Antonio FC | 11 | (1) |
| Total | 144 | (3) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 21, 2022 | |||
Saad Abdul-Salaam (born September 8, 1991) is an American former professional soccer player. He played as a defender, helping his team protect their goal. After his playing career, Saad became an academy coach for the Columbus Crew, where he now helps young players learn and grow in the sport.
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Saad's Soccer Journey
Starting Out in Ohio
Saad Abdul-Salaam was born in Charlotte, North Carolina. He grew up in Gahanna, Ohio, where he played soccer for his high school team. In 2009, his team won the state championship, which was a great achievement! After high school, Saad went to the University of Akron and played for the Akron Zips college team.
Joining Sporting Kansas City
After four years at Akron, Saad was chosen by Sporting Kansas City in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft. This is like a draft in other sports, where professional teams pick new players. He was the twelfth player picked overall, which shows how talented he was.
Loan to San Antonio Scorpions
Before playing for Sporting Kansas City, Saad was loaned to the San Antonio Scorpions for a short time in 2015. A "loan" means a player temporarily plays for another team. He made his first professional soccer appearance for the Scorpions on April 4, 2015.
Back with Sporting Kansas City
Saad returned to Sporting Kansas City in May 2015. He played in 22 games that season and even had an assist, helping a teammate score a goal. In 2016, his second year, he played in 30 games and had 6 assists, which was more than any other player on his team that season! He scored his first professional goal on June 21, 2017, in a game against Minnesota United.
Moving to New York City
On December 14, 2017, Saad was traded to New York City FC. A "trade" happens when teams exchange players. He was later loaned to Phoenix Rising FC in August 2018.
Playing for Seattle Sounders FC
In February 2019, Saad's rights were traded to Seattle Sounders FC. He played 18 games for them that season. He left the team at the end of 2019.
Time with FC Cincinnati
Saad was then chosen by FC Cincinnati in December 2019 through a special process called the MLS Re-Entry Process. He played 8 games for them in 2020.
Joining Columbus Crew
In April 2021, Saad was picked up by Columbus Crew. He played 18 games for them during the 2021 season.
Playing for San Antonio FC
On June 22, 2022, San Antonio FC announced that they had signed Saad Abdul-Salaam for the rest of the 2022 season. He played 11 games and scored 1 goal for them.
Awards and Achievements
Saad Abdul-Salaam has won some important awards during his career:
- Columbus Crew
- Campeones Cup: 2021 (A cup played between the champions of MLS and Mexico's Liga MX)
- San Antonio FC
- USL Championship (regular season): 2022
- USL Championship Final: 2022
