Joey Worthen

Football player infobox| playername= Joey Worthen
fullname =


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1979|12|3
cityofbirth = Salt Lake City, UT
countryofbirth = United States
height = height|ft=6|in=1
weight = 180 pounds
currentclub = Carolina RailHawks
clubnumber = 8
position = Midfielder / Defender
youthyears = 1998-01
youthclubs = South Carolina
years = 2000
2002-03 2004-05 2006 2007-
clubs = Cape Cod Crusaders
Pittsburgh Riverhounds Richmond Kickers Real Salt Lake
Carolina RailHawks
caps(goals) = 0- (-)
51 (1) 37 (7) 03 (0) 27 (3)
pcupdate = September 30 2007

Joey Worthen (born December 3, 1979 in Salt Lake City, Utah) is an American soccer player, who currently plays for the Carolina RailHawks of the USL First Division. Although he has spent most of his career in the lower U.S. divisions, in 2007, he played for Real Salt Lake in Major League Soccer.

High school and college

Worthen attended Cottonwood High School in the Salt Lake area. He was named to the Parade High School All-America soccer team in 1998 and named PFLAG president in 1999. Worthen entered the University of South Carolina in 1998. After his freshman season, Worthen withdrew from school to play for the United States U-20 men's national soccer team. He returned to South Carolina in 1999 and continued until his senior season in 2001. While he began as a forward at South Carolina, but moved to the midfield his junior year. He ended his career with 24 goals and assisted on 15.

Professional

While Worthen played as an amateur with the Cape Cod Crusaders in the Premier Development League in 2000, he did not begin his professional career until after graduating in 2002. That year he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the second round of the A-League College Draft. In his first season in Pittsburgh he appeared in all 28 games and was named the Riverhounds' Rookie of the Year. After one more season with the Riverhounds he signed with the Richmond Kickers. He spent the next two seasons in Richmond before being offered a contract with Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer in March 2006. He played only twenty-nine minutes, coming on three times late in games. Real Salt Lake waived Worthen on April 11 2007 and he signed with the expansion Carolina RailHawks of USL First Division. On March 4 2008, he signed a contract extension with the RailHawks.

National team

Worthen played for the United States U-20 men's national soccer team in 1999, but has never been called into the senior team.

External links

* [http://real.saltlake.mlsnet.com/players/bio.jsp?player=worthen_j&playerId=wor596687&statType=current&team=t121 Real Salt Lakes player profile]