Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons in the MLS - June 3
6/3/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
By Josh Gresh, Wake Forest Athletic Communications (@WakeMSoccer)
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - As the Major League Soccer (MLS) season kicks into high gear this summer, several former Demon Deacons are in action in the professional ranks. Here's a look at how these Wake Forest players are faring in the MLS and other professional leagues this season.
Michael Parkhurst - Columbus Crew
Wearing the arm band at center back this season, Columbus Crew captain Michael Parkhurst is on the ballot for the 2015 MLS All-Star Game, July 29, at Dicks Sporting Goods Park in Commerce City, Colorado. He has started all 12 games this season for the Columbus Crew in 1,005 total minutes of action. The Columbus Crew currently sits in fifth place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-4-4 record for 16 points. The Crew and will take on Philadelphia Union tonight at 7 p.m., followed by the Montreal Impact on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Voting for the 2015 MLS All-Star Game ends at 3 p.m. ET on July 3 and you may vote multiple times. Fans can vote for Parkhurst to make the 2015 MLS All-Star Game by clicking here.
Sam Cronin, James Riley, Jared Watts, Ben Newnam - Colorado Rapids
Cronin scored his first goal in a Rapids' uniform on Sunday with a one-time volley for a stunner in the 90th minute to tie the match 1-1 against the Portland Timbers. So far this season, he has started in eight of the nine total games he has appeared in, while logging 693 minutes of total action.
Jared Watts made his first start and first appearance of the 2015 season for the Colorado Rapids at right center back in a 0-0 draw against the Houston Dynamo on March 28. He has made a total of three starts this season playing all 90 minutes in each match, most recently in a 1-0 loss to Seattle on May 27.
Riley has started in all eight matches at outside back that he has played in this season. He scored his first goal for the Rapids on May 5 in a 1-1 draw against San Jose. For the majority of his starts this season, he has played the entire match.
Newnam made is first-career MLS start on April 29 in a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls. He played all 90 minutes at outside back. He has been an unused substitute in 10 other matches this season, but looks for another opportunity after a solid first start.
Michael Lahoud, Brian Carroll - Philadelphia Union
Lahoud played in nine matches while getting the start in seven contests, until he suffered a hip flexor injury on May 2 against Toronto F.C. five minutes into the match. He has not seen the field since as he continues to recover from the injury. He has played a total of 565 minutes and recorded three shots so far this season.
Carroll has now made five starts this season and has appeared in six total matches playing 448 minutes of action. He made his most recent start on Saturday in a 2-1 loss to D.C. United playing in the midfield, while playing all 90 minutes. He has recorded two shots so far this year.
Chris Duvall - New York Red Bulls
Duvall has started at outside back in 11 of the 12 total matches for the New York Red Bulls this season, logging 990 total minutes over those starts. The only match he missed was on May 2 against the New England Revolution in a 2-1 loss. Duvall has recorded two this season for the Red Bulls. Last year, he made 19 appearances and 18 starts in rookie season, playing 1,604 minutes and recorded one assist. The New York Red Bulls are in third place in the Eastern Conference with a 4-3-5 record for 17 points, eight behind conference leader D.C. United.
Sean Okoli - New England Revolution
Since playing 22 minutes against the Seattle Sounders on March 8, Okoli is still seeking more playing time as he has only tallied an additional 12 minutes in three matches as a substitute this season. He signed with Revolution after his rights were acquired in a trade with Seattle at the MLS SuperDraft on January 15, 2015. The Revolution sits second in the Eastern Conference with 21 points, just four behind the leader D.C. United.
Ike Opara - Sporting Kansas City
After getting off to a hot start to begin 2015 in March, Opara had a bad break when he ruptured his achilles tendon on April 11 in the 84th minute against Real Salt Lake. In March, Opara earned multiple MLS Team of the Week honors and recognition from MLSsoccer.com, Bleacher Report, Goal.com and NBC Pro Soccer Talk and was a nominee for MLS Player of the Month by MLSsoccer.com. In the six matches where he started at center back, Opara played a total of 534 minutes and scored two goals for Kansas City.
Stephen Keel - F.C. Dallas
Keel has still not seen any action with F.C. Dallas this season as he still recovers from a knee injury that he suffered during the 2014 season. Last season, Keel played in 16 games and made 14 starts, recording one assist on the season. F.C. Dallas faces the San Jose Earthquakes on Sunday at 7 p.m. on Fox Sports 1.
Collin Martin - D.C. United
Martin has not seen action as he has been battling an injury. He has bounced back and forth between D.C. United and the Richmond Kickers as he continues to bounce back from injury. He played in 12 total matches last season. Six of those came with United and the other half were with the Richmond Kickers.
Jay Vidovich - Portland Timbers T2 (USL PRO)
Former Demon Deacon head coach Jay Vidovich won his inaugural USL match as T2 earned a 3-1 win over fellow expansion side Real Monarchs SLC in front of 3,667 fans March 29 at Merlo Field on the campus of the University of Portland. After 10 games this season, T2 is in sixth place and in the playoff picture in the Western Conference with 14 points and a 4-4-2 overall record. After winning his fourth match this season at the helm on Saturday against the Tulsa Roughnecks, Vidovich and T2 return to USL action this week against OKC Energy on Friday at Taft Stadium; kickoff is set for 5 p.m.
Jalen Robinson - Richmond Kickers (USL PRO)
Robinson continues to add to a solid season with the Richmond Kickers as he was called up to the U.S. U-23 Men's National Team for the Toulon Tournament in France. He made his only start of the tournament on May 31 against Costa Rica and had an opportunity to score an equalizer on a header, but his header was cleared by a defender. The United States couldn't pull out the win as they fell 2-1 in the match. During the entire tournament, Robinson played a total of 91 minutes between the two matches he played in. He saw action for 13 minutes in a 3-1 win over the Netherlands, and played 78 minutes in his start against Costa Rica. The U.S. U-23 National Team finished third in Group A, not enough to land a spot in the final or 3rd/4th place match.
With the Richmond Kickers, Robinson has started in all eight matches he has played in for the team. He found the back of the net for the kickers in the 41st minute on March 28 to begin the Richmond Kickers' two-goal comeback to earn a 2-2 draw against the Wilmington Hammerheads to open the USL season.
Robinson is currently on loan from D.C. United. Richmond is third in the Eastern Conference and face the Charlotte Independence on Sunday, June 7 at 5:00 p.m.
Justin Moose, Ross Tomaselli, Cody Arnoux , Corben Bone - Wilmington Hammerheads (USL PRO)
Moose has seen the most action out of the four Demon Deacons on the Wilmington squad. He has played in all 10 games this season earning a starting nod in eight of those matches. Moose was named to the USL Team of the Week on March 31 after scoring in a season opening 2-2 on March 28 against the Richmond Kickers. Moose joined the club for the 2015 season after playing at Seinäjoen Jalkapallokerho of the Veikkausliiga in Finland.
Tomaselli has also seen action in all 10 matches this season for the Hammerheads, including seven starts. He recorded his first assist of the season on March 28 on the team's opening goal in the 10th minute in a 2-2 draw against the Richmond Kickers.
Arnoux and Bone have both made an impact with Wilmington as each has seen action in at least half the matches this season. Arnoux has played in 6 matches and has started twice this season. He returned to the Hammerheads after scoring two goals and tallying an assist in 27 games last season. Bone has played in five matches this season and has started in four for the Hammerheads. He was on loan to the Hammerheads last season from the Philadelphia Union before officially joining the club.
After falling to the Charleston Battery 1-0 on Saturday, the Hammerheads will rematch the Battery on Saturday at home at Legion Stadium at 7 p.m.
Sam Fink - St. Louis F.C. (USL PRO)
Fink has started all nine USL games for Saint Louis F.C. at center back in his first professional season. He has started in one of two U.S. Open Cup matches as well. On May 9th, Fink scored his first-career professional goal on a header off a corner kick to lead Saint Louis to a 1-0 win over the Wilmington Hammerheads. Fink inked a deal with St. Louis F.C. on Saturday, March 7 to join the club for his first professional contract. After nine games of the USL season, Saint Louis F.C. is 3-3-3 overall and are seventh in the Eastern Conference with 12 points. The team has earned two big wins in the U.S. Open Cup. The next major challenge of Fink and Saint Louis F.C. will be their matchup against MLS side Sporting Kansas City on Tuesday, June 16 at 7:30 p.m. Saint Louis continues its USL season as they face off against the Pittsburgh Riverhounds on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Anthony Arena - Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL PRO)
Arena has started and played in nine of the Riverhounds' 10 games this season as a defender. He scored his first and only goal so far in the 2015 campaign on May 16 in a 1-1 draw against the Richmond Kickers. His strike in the 55th minute helped earn a point for Pittsburgh. Last season, Arena played in 16 matches and had 15 starts. Pittsburgh continues its USL season as they face off against the Saint Louis on Saturday at 12 p.m.
Akira Fitzgerald, Austin da Luz and Wells Thompson - Carolina Railhawks (NASL)
Three Deacons are on the Carolina Railhawks roster for the 2015 season. Fitzgerald made his return to the Railhawks on May 19 and is currently on loan from New York City F.C. of the MLS. The 27-year-old made two appearances for the MLS club during their first-ever preseason as he came on as a second-half substitute in the 2-0 win over St. Mirren on February 10th and started against the Houston Dynamo in the Carolina Challenge Cup on February 24th. He has started in two games so far this season for the Railhawks earning shutouts in a 1-0 win over Fort Lauderdale on May 23, and a 4-0 win over the Jacksonville Armada on May 30.
Battling a couple small injuries this season, Thompson has played in five matches and made three starts in 296 minutes of action at forward so far this season. He joined the Railhawks after playing with the Charlotte Eagles of the USL last season, where he scored six goals and had four assists in 25 appearances and 23 starts.
Da Luz continues to recover from injury as has not played yet this season. He was signed on March 5 to join the club from Orlando City S.C. The Carolina Railhawks continue their season on Saturday they take on Minnesota United F.C. at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, N.C. at 7:30 p.m.
