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C. J. Sapong

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This is an old revision of this page, as edited by RandyFitz (talk | contribs) at 20:02, 7 October 2018 (listed as fw/mf on official roster; most of starts in 2018 in the midfield). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

CJ Sapong
Personal information
Full name Charles Nana Kwabena Sapong
Date of birth (1988-12-27) December 27, 1988 (age 35)
Place of birth Manassas, Virginia, United States
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Forward/Midfielder
Team information
Current team
 Philadelphia Union
Number 17
Youth career
D.C. United
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2007–2010 James Madison Dukes 67 (35)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009 Fredericksburg Gunners 8 (0)
2010 Reading United 11 (4)
2011–2014 Sporting Kansas City 110 (20)
2013 → Orlando City (loan) 4 (1)
2015– Philadelphia Union 116 (36)
International career‡
2012– United States 4 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 4 March 2018
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of January 28, 2018

Charles "CJ" Nana Kwabena Sapong (/səˈpɒŋ/; born December 27, 1988) is an American soccer player who currently plays as a forward and midfielder for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.

Playing career

College and amateur

Sapong played college soccer at James Madison University, where he ended his career with 37 goals and 21 assists in four seasons from 2007–2010. He was awarded First Team All-Conference and team Offensive MVP honors all four years, a first in program history, and was the CAA Player of the Year as a senior co-captain in 2010. Sapong was a two-time NSCAA First Team All-South Atlantic Region selection. As a freshman, he was named the CAA and VaSID Rookie of the Year and chosen to the Third Team All-South Atlantic Region.[1]

Sapong made eight appearances for Fredericksburg Gunners in the USL Premier Development League in 2009,[2] and made eleven appearances and scored four goals for Reading United during their 2010 PDL season.[3]

Club

Sporting Kansas City

On January 14, 2011, Sapong was drafted #10 overall in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City.[1] He signed with the club on March 1, 2011.[4] He made his professional debut on March 19, in Kansas City's opening game of the 2011 MLS season against Chivas USA; he scored his first professional goal after just two minutes of the game, helping his team to a 3–2 victory.[5] Sapong was awarded the MLS Rookie of the Year Award for 2011, edging out Perry Kitchen and Michael Farfan, who finished second and third, respectively.[6]

Orlando City

Sapong was loaned to USL Pro's Orlando City in July 2013.[7] On July 18, only a week after being loaned to Orlando, Sapong was recalled by Sporting Kansas City. In total, Sapong scored 1 goal in 3 matches while tallying 1 assist.[8]

Philadelphia Union

On December 8, 2014, Sapong was traded by Kansas City to Philadelphia Union in exchange for a first-round pick in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft.[9] After several seasons of being deployed on the wing with Kansas City, Sapong was positioned as the Union's lone center forward, taking advantage of his strength and hold-up play.[10] He led the Union in goals during the 2015 season (with 9) and would build on those totals in subsequent seasons. He scored his first career hat-trick in Philadelphia's 3–0 victory over the New York Red Bulls at Talen Energy Stadium on May 6, 2017.[11]

On October 22, 2017, Sapong broke the Union's (and his own) single-season scoring record, previously held by Sebastian Le Toux (14 goals during the 2010 season). At home against Orlando City, on the final day of the season, Sapong scored his fifteenth and sixteenth goals for the record.[12]

International

On January 21, 2012, Sapong made his debut for the senior side of the United States (as a second-half substitute) in the 1–0 win over Venezuela in a friendly match. On November 14, 2017, Sapong made his first start for the US in a friendly against Portugal, notching an assist with an incisive pass to Weston McKennie.

Personal life

Sacred Seeds

On February 23, 2017, Sapong helped launch the Sacred Seeds foundation, which promotes and enhances the growth of underserved communities through sustenance and self-sustainability.[13][14] He was inspired by his own experiences recovering from injuries during his soccer career and being reluctant to rely on painkillers rather than more nutritional methods.

On May 1, 2015, Sapong was arrested for DUI and reckless driving.[15] He was found not guilty of the DUI charge but still faced the reckless driving charge and was still forced to have attended an MLS league-mandated stint at a treatment facility in Malibu California. Sapong has credited the experience with having "changed [his] life."[15]

Career statistics

As of 4 March 2018
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club Season League Open Cup Playoffs CONCACAF Total
Division App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Sporting Kansas City 2011 MLS 34 5 1 0 3 1 – 38 6
2012 MLS 31 9 5 1 2 0 – 38 10
2013 MLS 25 4 2 0 2 0 6 0 35 4
2014 MLS 20 2 2 0 – 3 0 25 2
Total 110 20 10 1 7 1 9 0 136 22
Orlando City (loan) 2013 USL Pro 4 1 0 0 – – 4 1
Philadelphia Union 2015 MLS 27 9 4 0 – – 31 9
2016 MLS 31 7 1 0 1 0 – 33 7
2017 MLS 33 16 2 1 – – 35 17
2018 MLS 25 4 0 0 0 0 – 25 4
Total 116 36 7 1 1 0 0 0 124 37
Career Total 230 57 17 2 8 1 9 0 240 57

Honors

Sporting Kansas City

Individual

References

  1. ^ a b "Sporting Kansas City Selects C.J. Sapong". Sporting Kansas City.
  2. ^ "United Soccer Leagues (USL)".
  3. ^ United Soccer Leagues (USL) Archived June 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  4. ^ "Sporting KC Signs Three to MLS Contracts". Sporting Kansas City.
  5. ^ "Bravo's debut double for Sporting sinks Chivas USA".
  6. ^ "Sporting KC's Sapong named Rookie of the Year". MLSsoccer.com.
  7. ^ "Sporting KC". kansascity.
  8. ^ http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2013/13380700.html#STATS
  9. ^ "Philadelphia Union acquires forward C.J. Sapong from Sporting Kansas City". Philadelphia Union.
  10. ^ Matt Doyle (July 2, 2017). "CJ Sapong and his hold-up play". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  11. ^ Bodiford, Matt (May 6, 2017). "CJ Sapong records first career hat-trick as Philadelphia defeats New York Red Bulls 3-0". Philadelphia Union.
  12. ^ John Rossi (October 22, 2017). "CJ Sapong breaks Union's single-season scoring record". Brotherly Game. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  13. ^ Jacob Born (March 29, 2017). "Sapong sprouting growth with his foundation Sacred Seeds". Philadelphia Union. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  14. ^ "About Sacred Seeds". Sacred Seeds. Retrieved March 4, 2018.
  15. ^ a b Carlisle, Jeff (April 27, 2017). "Philadelphia Union's C.J. Sapong: DUI 'changed my life'". ESPN.com. Retrieved February 9, 2018.
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