Wake Forest Athletics
Deacons in the MLS - July 16
7/16/2015 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 heads towards the All-Star break, 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
The Columbus Crew and captain Parkhurst has the team sitting second in the Eastern Conference with 28 points after yesterday's 1-0 win over the Chicago Fire. He has started in all 19 games of the 20 total games this season for the Columbus Crew, logging 1,635 total minutes of action. The Crew have two more matches before the All-Star Game on July 29. Columbus will be on prime time on Sunday taking on the Chicago Fire again on Sunday at 5 p.m. on ESPN2, followed by Toronto F.C. on Saturday, July 25, at 7:30 p.m.
Sam Cronin, James Riley, Jared Watts - Colorado Rapids
Watts made a huge contribution this past weekend scoring his first-career goal and game-winner for the Colorado Rapids in their 3-1 win over Real Salt Lake. He finished a rebounded shot off the back post to give the Rapids the lead in the 92nd minute in stoppage time. For the season, Watts has made a total of seven starts this season playing all 90 minutes in each match.
Cronin has been having a solid season for the Rapids as he has started in 13 of the 15 matches that he has appeared in for Colorado this season. He scored his first goal in a Rapids' uniform on May 31 with a one-time volley for a stunner in the 90th minute to tie the match 1-1 against the Portland Timbers.
Riley has started in all 13 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.
Michael Lahoud, Brian Carroll - Philadelphia Union
Carroll has now made 11 starts this season and has appeared in 12 total matches playing 951 minutes of action. He started and played all 90 minutes in Philadelphia's 3-0 victory over Portland on Saturday recording one shot. The Union are just two points outside the playoff race in the Eastern Conference as they are currently in seventh place.
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.
Chris Duvall - New York Red Bulls
Duvall scored his first-career MLS goal and game-winner on June 28 in a 3-1 victory over New York City F.C. But in a rematch with their rivals several days later in the U.S. Open Cup, Duvall suffered a broken leg and will be out three to four months for recovery. During the MLS season, he had started at outside back in 14 of 15 matches with the New York Red Bulls this season, logging 1,283 total minutes over those starts. The New York Red Bulls are in third place in the Eastern Conference with 26 points, nine points 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.
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 17 matches this season, T2 is in 10th place in the Western Conference with 20 points and a 6-9-2 overall record. Vidovich and T2 return to USL action next week against Whitecaps 2 F.C. on Tuesday, July 21, at Merlo Field; kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
Ben Newnam -- Charlotte Independence (USL PRO)
Newnam made is first-career MLS start on April 29 for the Colorado Rapids in a 1-1 draw with the New York Red Bulls. He played all 90 minutes at outside back. He has since been sent back down to the Charlotte Independence. So far this season, Newnam has started in seven matches for the Independence.
Austin da Luz, Akira Fitzgerald, and Wells Thompson - Carolina Railhawks (NASL)
Da Luz has returned from his injury in style scoring two goals in three matches he has played. He scored a spectacular diving header for the Railhawks in a 2-1 loss to Indy Eleven, which has been nominated for NASL Goal of the Week. Since returning from injury, Da Luz has made two starts in the three matches he has played for Carolina. Vote for Da Luz's goal clicking HERE .
Fitzgerald made his return to the Railhawks on May 19 and is currently on loan from New York City F.C. of the MLS. He has started in six games so far this season in goal for the Railhawks. 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.
Battling a couple small injuries this season, Thompson has played in eight matches and made six starts in 566 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.
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. During the entire tournament, Robinson played a total of 91 minutes and made one start between the two matches he played in.
With the Richmond Kickers, Robinson has started in all 11 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 fourth in the Eastern Conference and face English side West Bromwich Albion on Sunday, June 19 at 5:30 p.m. in an exhibition.
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 16 games this season earning a starting nod in 12 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.
Tomaselli has also seen action in 15 matches this season for the Hammerheads, including 10 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.
Bone and Arnoux have both made an impact with Wilmington as each has seen action in most of the matches this season. Bone has played in 13 matches this season and has started in 11 for the Hammerheads. He was on loan to the Hammerheads last season from the Philadelphia Union before officially joining the club. Arnoux has played in nine 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.
Sam Fink - St. Louis F.C. (USL PRO)
Fink has started 16 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. He scored his second goal of the season, a thumping header in a 1-1 draw on June 13 against the Harrisburg City Islanders.
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.
Anthony Arena - Pittsburgh Riverhounds (USL PRO)
Arena has started and played in 16 games for the Riverhounds this season as a defender. He has two goals during the campaign. Last season, Arena played in 16 matches and had 15 starts. Pittsburgh continues its USL season as they face off against Louisville City F.C. on Saturday at 7 p.m.
