Dominic Oduro

Dominic Oduro

Personal information
Full name	Dominic Oduro
Date of birth	August 13, 1985 (1985-08-13) (age 26)
Place of birth	Accra, Ghana
Height	6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Playing position	Forward
Club information
Current club	Chicago Fire
Number	8
Youth career
1999–2000	Prempeh College
2001–2003	University of Ghana
2004–2005	VCU Rams
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2005	Richmond Kickers Future	13	(16)
2006–2008	FC Dallas	70	(9)
2009	New York Red Bulls	3	(0)
2009–2011	Houston Dynamo	44	(6)
2011–	Chicago Fire	33	(12)
National team‡
	Ghana U-23
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of October 23, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of April 4, 2009

Dominic Oduro (born August 13, 1985 in Accra) is a Ghanaian footballer who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer.

Career

College

Oduro started his playing career in Ghana, playing for both Prempeh College and the University of Ghana before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University in 2004. He appeared in 41 matches for VCU, scoring 18 goals and earning five assists, and being honored with the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association Player of the Year award and a Third Team All-American spot. Oduro helped the Rams reach the quarterfinals of the 2004 NCAA Tournament, VCU's highest ever appearance. He also played for Richmond Kickers Future in the USL Premier Development League in 2005, scoring 16 goals in 13 games.

Professional

Oduro was selected in the second round (22nd overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas. He made his first team debut on June 28, 2006, as a substitute for Kenny Cooper and scored his first MLS goal on July 8, 2006 against New York Red Bulls. During his three year stay in Dallas, Oduro impressed fans and coaches with his blazing speed and effort. He was primarily used as a second half substitute, to provide a spark to the clubs attack, and ultimately appeared in 70 league matches for FC Dallas, with his most productive season coming in 2008 in which he netted 5 goals in 25 matches.

He was traded to New York Red Bulls on January 12, 2009, while Dave van den Bergh went in the other direction to FC Dallas.^[1] In the deal, New York also acquired the #11 and #18 picks in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft while Dallas acquired the #14 pick.^[2]

Less than five months later, New York traded Oduro to Houston Dynamo on May 27, 2009 for a first-round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft and a second-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft.^[3] Oduro made his first start for the Houston Dynamo on July 1, 2009 against the USL-1 side Austin Aztex. The game was the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. Houston won the match, played at Nelson Field in Austin, Texas, 2-0.

Oduro stayed with Houston through the 2009 and 2010 MLS seasons. After the 2010 season, he decided to make a move overseas but was unsuccessful in securing a contract and re-signed with Houston on March 2, 2011.^[4] After missing a sitter in the opening game of the 2011 season, Oduro was traded to Chicago Fire in exchange for Calen Carr on March 23, 2011.^[5] Dominic performed wonderfully since joining the Chicago Fire. He scored twelve goals during the 2011 MLS season.

Personal life

Oduro's first feature on TV was surprisingly as a child actor. On the Ghana Television programme by the fire side, Oduro regularly played the role of Okontompo Kwaku Ananse (The Cunning Spider) in tales narrated by the story telling duo Grace Omaboe and Nana Twum Barima who co-hosted the programme. An alumnus of Prempeh College and the University of Ghana, Oduro's career in the US started when he enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University.

Career statistics

Club performance			League		Cup		League Cup		Continental		Total
Season	Club	League	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
USA			League		Open Cup		League Cup		North America		Total
2005	Richmond Kickers Future	Premier Development League	13	16	2	2	-	-	-	-	15	18
2006	FC Dallas	Major League Soccer	16	1	1	0	-	-	-	-	17	1
2007			29	3	2	0	2	0	3	0	36	3
2008			25	5	1	0	-	-	-	-	26	5
2009	New York Red Bulls		3	0	2	0	-	-	-	-	5	0
2009	Houston Dynamo		16	1	2	2	3	0	-	-	21	3
2010			27	5	2	1	-	-	3	1	32	7
2011			1	0	0	0	0	0	-	-	1	0
2011	Chicago Fire		33	12	2	2	0	0	-	-	35	14
Total	USA		163	43	13	7	5	0	6	1	187	51
Career total			163	43	13	7	5	0	6	1	187	51

See also

• List of current MLS players

References

1. ^ http://www.3rddegree.net/2009/01/oduro-to-red-bull-for-van-den-bergh/
2. ^ http://oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3763668
3. ^ http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3830404
4. ^ http://www.houstondynamo.com/news/2011/03/dynamo-re-sign-dominic-oduro
5. ^ http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/sports/7487467.html

External links

• MLS player profile

Persondata
Name	Oduro, Dominic
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	August 13, 1985
Place of birth	Accra, Ghana
Date of death
Place of death