Tony Sanneh

Football player infobox| playername= Tony Sanneh
fullname = Anthony Sanneh
nickname = "Big Cat"


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1971|6|1
cityofbirth = St. Paul, MN
countryofbirth = United States
height = height|ft=6|in=2
currentclub =
clubnumber = 29
position = [defender ]
youthyears = 1990–93
youthclubs = University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
years = 1994
1994–96
1995–96
1996–98
1998–01
2001–04
2004
2005–06
2007
2007
clubs = Milwaukee Rampage
Chicago Power "(indoor)"
Minnesota Thunder
D.C. United
Hertha Berlin
1. FC Nuremberg
Columbus Crew
Chicago Fire
Minnesota Thunder
Colorado Rapids
caps(goals) = 18 (14)
43 (31)
24 0(6)
86 (20)
31 0(1)
52 0(5)
08 0(2)
31 0(0)
02 0(0)
09 0(0)
nationalyears = 1997-2005
nationalteam = United States
nationalcaps(goals) = 43 0(3)
pcupdate = 4 November 2007
ntupdate = 4 November 2007

Anthony (Tony) Sanneh (born June 1, 1971 in St. Paul, Minnesota) is an American soccer midfielder and defender, who last played for the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer.

Early life

Sanneh grew up in St. Paul, where he attended St. Paul Academy and Summit School. He graduated in 1990 having been selected twice to the All State team. He went on to play college soccer for the NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers in the Horizon League, where as a striker he became the school's all-time scoring leader, with 53 goals and 32 assists from 1990 to 1993. He was named an NCAA Second-Team All-American in 1993.

Club career

In 1994, his first year out of college, Sanneh played with USISL's Milwaukee Rampage, where he scored 14 goals and 14 assists while teaming up with Brian McBride. That winter, he joined the indoor soccer Chicago Power of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). He played 34 games, scoring 27 goals in the 1994-1995 season. He also played goalkeeper in four games for a total of 79:15 minutes. ^{[http://members.toast.net/pudgym30a/stats95.html]} In the 1995-1996 indoor season, he played in only 9 games, scoring 4 goals, but also played 4:19 minutes as a goalkeeper. ^{[http://members.toast.net/pudgym30a/stats96.html]} In 1995 he played with a former UWM Panthers teammate, Manny Lagos, on the Minnesota Thunder, amassing 18 goals and 22 assists with the team. In 1996, midway through the inaugural MLS season, Sanneh was signed by D.C. United. Originally a forward, Tony played a variety of positions for United, mostly at right midfield. He went on to score goals in the first two MLS Cup, leading DC to consecutive titles. Sanneh ended his original MLS stay after the 1998 season, signing with Bundesliga club Hertha BSC Berlin.

Sanneh spent the next three years with Hertha, where he was a starter when healthy. His playing time was limited at times due to many injuries and a national team tug of war. He scored just one goal in league play, and is rememebered for assisting on Ali Daei's first champions league goal in a 2-1 victory of Chelsea. He transferred to FC Nuremberg in 2001, where he played nearly every game the first year and a half leading the back line until he sustained a back injury that kept him out of action for 13 months. During his Injury layoff nuremberg was demoted to the second league. Upon his return Sanneh started the last 7 games winning five in a row to give nuremberg promotion and the the second bundesliga crown. He tallied a total of 5 goals scoring five goals. In 2004, he came back to MLS, signing with the Columbus Crew, to play alongside long-time friend, college and Thunder teammate Manny Lagos. The crew finished the season with the leagues best record and a 19 game winning steak but lost in the play-off after they missed two penalty kicks, one of which mared sanneh's time there. Sanneh was traded following the end of the season to the Chicago Fire, in exchange for Ante Razov and part of an allocation. He play out the 2006 season assisting on the final goal of the Fires 2-0 open cup win over the L.A. Galaxy. Sanneh's MLS league totals stand at 16 goals and 27 assists.

However, following the 2006 season, Sanneh and the Fire failed to reach a new agreement on his contract, prompting his release from the team. On July 24, 2007, USL First Division team Minnesota Thunder announced that they had signed Sanneh. The Colorado Rapids then acquired his rights from the Fire. He made his debut for the Rapids on Aug 16, 2007 against the New England Revolution at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. He played in 10 out of their final 12 games, and did not agree to terms the following season.

International career

Sanneh made his debut for the United States national team on January 9, 1997 against China and has played all over the field, often at right back. He became an important part of the team by the 2002 FIFA World Cup, and was one of US's best players in the tournament, playing in every minute of every game. He was awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as voted by sportswriters. In the first US game of the tournament, the US's stunning upset of Portugal, his precise cross from the right side of the field provided an assist to Brian McBride's goal. He has scored three goals in 43 caps for the US.

ee also

* [http://uwmpanthers.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/060102aaa.html Interview with Tony Sanneh]
* List of current MLS players
* [http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/players/active/index.html?player_id=117 ]
* [http://web.mlsnet.com/history/register.jsp?content=players_s MLS Stats Surname S]