Ugo Ihemelu facts for kids
 |
|||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ugochukwu Ihemelu | ||
| Date of birth | April 3, 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Enugu, Nigeria | ||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2001–2004 | SMU Mustangs | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2004 | Legends FC | ||
| 2005–2006 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 54 | (0) |
| 2007–2009 | Colorado Rapids | 63 | (1) |
| 2009–2013 | FC Dallas | 68 | (5) |
| Total | 185 | (6) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2006–2009 | United States | 2 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of October 16, 2012 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of January 24, 2009 |
|||
Ugochukwu "Ugo" Ihemelu (born April 3, 1983, in Enugu, Nigeria) is a retired American soccer player. He was known for playing as a defender.
Contents
Ugo Ihemelu's Soccer Journey
Early Life and College Soccer
Ugo Ihemelu grew up in the United States. He went to Cedar Hill High School in Cedar Hill, Texas. This town is a suburb of Dallas.
Ugo played college soccer at Southern Methodist University. He was a very good player there. He was named All-Missouri Valley Conference in his junior and senior years. This means he was one of the best players in his college league.
During his college breaks, Ugo played for a team called Legends FC. This team was based in Texas. He helped them get into the U.S. Open Cup in 2004.
Professional Career
Ugo Ihemelu started his professional career in 2005. The Los Angeles Galaxy picked him as their fifth choice in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft. This is like a draft for new players in professional soccer.
In his first year, he helped the Galaxy win two big titles. They won the US Open Cup and the MLS Cup. After two seasons with the Los Angeles Galaxy, Ugo moved to a new team. On December 1, 2006, he was traded to the Colorado Rapids.
Ugo played for the Colorado Rapids for three years. Then, in 2009, he was traded again. He joined FC Dallas in exchange for another player, Drew Moor. He also brought a future draft pick and some money to FC Dallas.
In the 2011 MLS season, Ugo played very well. He was named to the MLS Team of the Week twice. This was for his strong defense against teams like D.C. United and Seattle Sounders FC. On June 30, 2011, he signed a new contract with FC Dallas. This contract was planned to last until the end of the 2015 season.
Before the 2012 MLS season began, Ugo Ihemelu became the captain of FC Dallas. This was a big honor for him. However, during the 2012 season, he got a serious head injury called a concussion. This injury sadly led to him retiring from soccer.
Playing for His Country
Ugo Ihemelu also played for the United States men's national soccer team. He played his first game for the U.S. team on January 29, 2006. This match was against the team from Norway.
Later, in June 2008, something unusual happened. The Canadian team called him up to play for them. He even traveled with the Canadian team for a game. However, there were questions about whether he could play for Canada. He had already played for the United States. Also, there were doubts about his Canadian citizenship. Because of these reasons, Canada did not let him play in their game.
In January 2009, Ugo was called back to the U.S. team's training camp. He joined other players as replacements. He then played in a game against Sweden. In that match, he made an amazing play. He cleared the ball off the goal line, stopping a sure goal for Sweden.
Achievements
Los Angeles Galaxy
- U.S. Open Cup: 2005
- Major League Soccer MLS Cup: 2005
- Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship: 2005
FC Dallas
- Major League Soccer Western Conference Championship: 2010
See also
In Spanish: Ugo Ihemelu para niños
