Kerry Zavagnin (/zəˈvæɡnɪn/; born July 2, 1974) is an American former professional soccer player who is an assistant coach with Sporting Kansas City. A defensive midfielder, he spent most of his career with Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer. He made 21 appearances for the United States national team.
 Zavagnin training with the United States national team | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | July 2, 1974 | ||
| Place of birth | Plymouth, Michigan, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive midfielder | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1992–1995 | North Carolina Tar Heels | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1993 | Raleigh Flyers[1] | ||
| 1996 | Raleigh Flyers | ||
| 1997–1998 | MetroStars | 39 | (0) |
| 1997 | → Long Island Rough Riders (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 1999 | Lehigh Valley Steam | 24 | (2) |
| 2000–2008 | Kansas City Wizards | 205 | (5) |
| International career | |||
| 2000–2006 | United States | 21 | (0) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2009– | Sporting Kansas City (assistant) | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Career
editEarly career
editZavagnin went to and played soccer for Detroit Catholic Central High School.
He played his college soccer at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill from 1992 to 1995, where he registered 22 goals and 24 assists in 76 games. Upon graduating, Zavagnin joined the Raleigh Flyers of the USISL, one of the two major outdoor second divisions in US soccer, for their 1996 season.
Professional career
editZavagnin was born in Plymouth, Michigan. After one year with the Flyers, he was drafted 21st overall with the first pick of the third round in the 1997 MLS Supplemental Draft by the Colorado Rapids. Before playing a single game for the Rapids, however, Kerry was traded to the New York/New Jersey MetroStars, in exchange for Peter Vermes. Zavagnin played 1743 minutes for the Metros in 1997 and 1998, and did not acquit himself well, playing himself out of MLS. In 1997, the MetroStars sent him on loan to the Long Island Rough Riders of the USISL.[2]
Zavagnin joined the Lehigh Valley Steam of the A-League for the 1999 season. After one season in the A-League, Zavagnin returned to MLS after being drafted 30th overall in the 2000 MLS SuperDraft by the Kansas City Wizards. Zavagnin quickly established himself with the Wizards, playing 2743 minutes at midfield for a team that would both go on to win the MLS Cup, and was one of the best defensive teams in the league's history. Zavagnin remained an important contributor to the Wizards for the next six years, playing a quiet defensive role, and establishing himself as one of the better, though also one of the least recognized, midfielders in the league.
In 2004, Zavagnin began to be recognized among the league's elite. He won a lot of praise for running the Wizards midfield, and was named to the MLS Best XI. In eight years in the league, Zavagnin scored five goals and added 20 assists in regular season play.
Zavagnin received 21 caps for the U.S. national team, making his debut October 25, 2000, against US arch-rival Mexico.
In August, 2008, Zavagnin announced that he would retire at the end of the season.[3]
Career statistics
editAs of July 25
| Club | Season | Domestic | Playoffs | US Open Cup | Continental | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Kansas City Wizards | 2006* | 19 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| 2005 | 28 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |||||||
| 2004 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 28 | 0 | |||||
| 2003 | 29 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 1 | |||||
| 2002 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |||||
| 2001 | 27 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 31 | 1 | |||||
| 2000 | 31 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 39 | 2 | |||||
| Total | 185 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 189 | 5 | |||||
| MetroStars | 1998 | 18 | 0 | 18 | 0 | ||||||
| 1997 | 21 | 0 | 21 | 0 | |||||||
| Total | 39 | 0 | 39 | 0 | |||||||
| Career total | 228 | 5 | 20 | 0 | 228 | 5 | |||||
Honors
editKansas City Wizards
- MLS Cup: 2000
- Supporters' Shield: 2000
- U.S. Open Cup: 2004
Individual
- MLS Best XI: 2004
- Major League Soccer All-Star Game: 2004
- Sporting Legend: Class of 2016 [4]
References
edit- ^ Harris, Tom (1993-06-04). "Flyers face stern test against Greensboro tonight". The News & Observer. Raleigh, NC. Retrieved 2021-08-21.
- ^ Long Island Rough Riders All Time Stats Archived 2012-02-25 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Kerry Zavagnin to retire from MLS - CBC News". Archived from the original on 2012-11-04.
- ^ "Kerry Zavagnin to be inducted into Sporting Legends Hall of Fame on Saturday". Sporting KC. MLS Digital. Retrieved 13 April 2020.