Matt Besler

Matt Besler

Personal information
Full name	Matt Besler
Date of birth	February 11, 1987 (1987-02-11) (age 24)
Place of birth	Overland Park, Kansas, United States
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Defender
Club information
Current club	Sporting Kansas City
Number	5
Youth career
2006–2008	Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2009–	Sporting Kansas City[1]	72	(2)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 22, 2011. † Appearances (Goals).

Matt Besler (born February 11, 1987 in Overland Park, Kansas) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Sporting Kansas City in Major League Soccer.

Career

College and Youth

Besler was a four year All-Conference player at Blue Valley West High School in Overland Park, Kansas. He led Blue Valley West to the Kansas 5A State Championship as a senior, scoring 23 goals with 19 assists, and holds the season and career marks in total points (124), goals (40) and assists (44) at Blue Valley West. He was also a member of the KCFC Alliance club team and a key member of the Region II Olympic Developmental Program (ODP) which competed in the 2004 ESP All-Star game.

Besler played college soccer at the University of Notre Dame, playing in 90 games (73 starts) and scoring 5 goals during his college career. He received All-American and Academic All-American honors as a senior, was named the NSCAA 2008 Senior College Men's Scholar All-America Player of the Year, and was named to the All Big East Team 3 times. He helped Notre Dame gain 4 straight berths to the NCAA Championship, including the program's first 2 trips to the quarterfinals in 2006 and 2007.

Professional

Besler was drafted in the first round (8th overall) in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by Kansas City Wizards. He made his professional debut on March 28, 2009, as an 87th minute subtitute during a 2-1 loss away to Colorado Rapids.,^[2] and scored his first professional goal on March 26, 2011, in a 3-2 loss to the Chicago Fire.^[3] On July 10, 2011, Besler was added to the 2011 MLS All-Star team. He received the most text-messaged votes through MLS Soccer and will play at the Center Back position.

He also writes a weekly column titled 'Across the Midwest Pitch' for soccer website MLS Daily every Tuesday.^[4]

See also

• List of current MLS players

References

1. ^ Team was known as Kansas City Wizards 2009-2010
2. ^ http://kc.wizards.mlsnet.com/scoreboard/game.jsp?match=03282009_KCCOL
3. ^ Fire outlast Kansas City after Bravo sees red
4. ^ "Matt Besler Joins MLS Daily". MLS Daily. June 7, 2009. http://www.mls-daily.com/2009/06/matt-besler-joins-mls-daily.html. Retrieved June 2009. 

External links

• MLS player profile

Persondata
Name	Besler, Matt
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	February 11, 1987
Place of birth	Overland Park, Kansas, United States
Date of death
Place of death