Ricardo Clark

Ricardo Clark

Personal information
Full name	Ricardo Anthony Clark
Date of birth	February 10, 1983 (1983-02-10)
Place of birth	Atlanta, Georgia, United States
Height	5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)
Playing position	Defensive midfielder Centre back
Club information
Current club	Eintracht Frankfurt
Number	13
Youth career
	AFC Lightning Soccer Club
2001–2002	Furman Paladins
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2003–2004	MetroStars	54	(4)
2005	San Jose Earthquakes	30	(3)
2006–2009	Houston Dynamo	97	(7)
2010–	Eintracht Frankfurt	15	(0)
National team‡
2005–	United States	33	(3)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of November 8, 2011. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of January 22, 2012

Ricardo Clark (born February 10, 1983, in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the 2. Fußball-Bundesliga.

Career

High School and College

Clark attended St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta, Georgia, and played college soccer at Furman University in 2001 and 2002, where he was named a first-team All-American in his second season. In 2001, he overcame foot injury to start 14 games and record one assist. In 2002 he scored three goals and registered three assists, and was named, First Team NSCAA All-American, first-team All-American, First Team College Soccer News All-American and All-Southern Conference First Team. He also helped lead Furman to 19–3–1 record and Southern Conference regular season and tournament championships.

Professional

MetroStars

After his sophomore year, Clark signed a Project-40 contract with MLS, and entered the 2003 MLS SuperDraft, where he was selected second overall by the MetroStars. Clark was excellent from the first game with the Metros, playing a vital role in the team's midfield, and finishing the season first on the team in minutes. Although Clark was an early favorite to be named MLS Rookie of the Year, he faded near the end, but still was a finalist for the award. He helped the MetroStars win four games en route to the first final in club history. MetroStars were defeated 1–0 by Chicago Fire in Open Cup final.

In his second year with the Metros, Clark struggled to find playing time in a very crowded midfield and to find his form after some minor injuries, but he came on strong at the end of the year, becoming an automatic starter. In two years with the MetroStars, Clark scored four goals and added two assists.

San Jose Earthquakes, Houston Dynamo

He was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes for an allocation before the 2005 season.

Clark played very well in San Jose in a defensive midfield position, scoring three goals and two assists. He was named Player Of The Month for July and Earthquakes Player Of The Month for July. Along with the rest of his Earthquakes teammates, he moved to Houston for the 2006 season where he was part of two MLS Cup Championship runs in the 2006 and 2007 seasons. Clark scored MLS Goal of the Week nominee on August 16 vs. Real Salt Lake with a long-range strike.

In 2007, Clark started 19 games in 2007 despite missing almost a month while competing in the 2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup and CONMEBOL 2007 Copa America with the U.S. national team. He was named to MLS All-Star squad that faced Celtic F.C. He finished season with two goals and three assists, but missed the final two regular season and all playoff matches due to a suspension resulting from a deliberate kick aimed at a prone Carlos Ruiz in a match with FC Dallas. On March 3, 2009, started in second leg of a CONCACAF Champions League match at Atlante, made him the fifth player in club history to make 100 starts in all competitions.

Eintracht Frankfurt

Clark, whose contract with MLS expired at the end of the 2009 season, signed a deal with Fußball-Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt for the remainder of the 2009–10 season with an option to extend the contract at the end of the season. Despite being injured for much of his time in Germany, Clark inked a three-year deal with Frankfurt on May 7, 2010.

International

Clark has played for several youth United States national teams. He played for the US at the 2003 World Youth Championship in the United Arab Emirates. Clark got his first senior cap on October 12, 2005 against Panama, and scored his first international goal on July 2, 2007 against Paraguay in the 2007 Copa America. He received his first appearance in a World Cup Qualifier against Trinidad and Tobago and his first start in World Cup Qualifying against Guatemala. He also participated in the 2009 Confederations Cup where he was sent off in the American's first match against Italy, following a kick on Gennaro Gattuso. Clark scored his first goal in World Cup Qualifying on a 26-yard strike against Trinidad and Tobago, giving the U.S. a 1–0 victory. His father, born in Trinidad, was watching from the stands. Clark has drawn criticism for his play in major tournaments; in the 2010 World Cup, his turnover in the midfield led to Ghana's first goal in the second round.

On January 21, 2012 Clark scored a 97th minute header on a corner kick to win the friendly against Venezuela in Phoenix, Arizona. It was Clark's third goal for the US.

International goals

#	Date	Venue	Opponent	Score	Result	Competition
01.	July 2, 2007	Estadio Agustín Tovar, Barinas, Venezuela	Paraguay	1 – 1	1 – 3	Copa América 2007
02.	September 9, 2009	Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago	Trinidad and Tobago	1 – 0	1 – 0	Q 2010 World Cup
03.	January 21, 2012	University of Phoenix Stadium, Glendale, United States	Venezuela	1 – 0	1 – 0	Friendly Match

Career statistics

Club

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
2003	MetroStars	Major League Soccer	28	3	5	0	2	0	0	0	35	3
2004			26	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	28	1
2005	San Jose Earthquakes		30	3	0	0	2	1	0	0	32	4
2006	Houston Dynamo		31	2	2	0	2	0	0	0	35	2
2007			19	2	0	0	0	0	3	0	22	2
2008			25	2	0	0	2	0	7	0	34	2
2009			22	1	0	0	3	0	3	0	28	1
Germany			League		DFB-Pokal		Premiere Ligapokal		Europe		Total
2009–10	Eintracht Frankfurt	Bundesliga	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	0
2010–11			11	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	14	0
2011–12		2. Bundesliga	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Total	USA		181	14	7	0	13	1	13	0	214	15
	Germany		15	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	18	0
	Country		196	14	10	0	13	1	13	0	232	15

Last updated November 8, 2011

International

National team	Year	Apps	Goals
United States
	2005	1	0
	2006	0	0
	2007	9	1
	2008	6	0
	2009	11	1
	2010	4	0
	2011	0	0
	2012	1	1
Total		33	3

Statistics accurate as of match played January 21, 2012

Honors

United States

• CONCACAF Gold Cup Champions (1): 2007

Houston Dynamo

• Major League Soccer MLS Cup Champion (2): 2006, 2007

Individual

• MLS Best XI: 2006

External links

• MLS player profile