Onua Obasi
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Onua Thomas Obasi | ||
Date of birth | 24 September 1988 | ||
Place of birth | Birmingham, England | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Baltimore Blast | ||
Youth career | |||
2010 | Leigh Genesis | ||
2010–2011 | Cefn Druids | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2011–2012 | Central Connecticut Blue Devils | 37 | (4) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2012 | Western Mass Pioneers | 1 | (0) |
2012–2013 | CFC Azul | 14 | (1) |
2014–2016 | Baltimore Blast (indoor) | 37 | (18) |
2014–2015 | Rochester Rhinos | 44 | (1) |
2016–2019 | Ottawa Fury | 95 | (2) |
2019–2022 | Utica City (indoor) | 22 | (3) |
2022 | Ontario Fury (indoor) | 5 | (0) |
2022– | Baltimore Blast (indoor) | 2 | (0) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 15 December 2022 |
Onua Thomas Obasi (born 24 September 1988 in Birmingham, England) is an English footballer who plays for the Baltimore Blast in the Major Arena Soccer League. He is a versatile player who plays left back, centre back and defensive midfielder.
Career
[edit]College and amateur
[edit]Obasi also played soccer for University of Liverpool from 2008 - 2011 before transferring to Central Connecticut State University. During his college years in England in 2010–2011, he played in the development leagues for Leigh Genesis[1] in England and Cefn Druids[2] in Wales. He was also part of the successful Bootle FC team that won the North West Counties 1st Division in 2008/09 (4 apps 1 Goal). He went on to make 36 appearances for Bootle in the 2009/10 season before moving to Leigh Genesis.[3]
Obasi played two years of college soccer at Central Connecticut State University between 2011 and 2012.[4] In 2011, Obasi started all 19 games for the Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils where he scored three goals and two assists. Obasi earned First-Team North Atlantic Region and Northeast Conference first team in both 2011 and 2012 He was selected to the New England College All-Star game. He also received All-American First Team honours in 2012.[citation needed]
While at college, Obasi also appeared for USL PDL clubs Western Mass Pioneers and Connecticut FC Azul in 2012 and again with CFC Azul after college in 2013.[5][6][7]
Professional
[edit]Obasi signed his first professional deal with USL Pro club Rochester Rhinos on 30 January 2014.[8] In the 2014 season, he played 24 games and scored 1 goal (against the Charlotte Eagles on 16 August 2014 in a 3–1 loss.[9][10] On 14 May 2014, he also scored an over time game-winning goal against his former team, Western Mass Pioneers in the US Open Cup in a 2–1 win.[11]
In the 2015 season, he played 20 games and had 4 assists.[12] He started all 3 playoff games including the 2–1 victory in the USL Championship against Los Angeles Galaxy II. After the 2015 season, Obasi trialed with the Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer.[13]
Obasi played indoor soccer for the Baltimore Blast of the Major Arena Soccer League in the 2014–2015 season - playing 19 games, scoring 9 goals and 10 assists.[14] He was named to the league's All-Rookie team.[15]
Obasi returned to Baltimore for the 2015–2016 season, featuring in 18 of the Blast's 19 regular season games and all 6 of their playoff games.[16] Obasi scored the opening goal in the championship final in which Baltimore beat Sonora 14-13; this was Baltimore's 8th indoor championship.[17] Obasi received a 2015-16 MASL Honorable Mention alongside teammate Tony Donatelli.[18]
In January 2016, Obasi signed with the Ottawa Fury.[19]
Obasi returned to the Baltimore Blast on 25 August 2022.[citation needed]
International
[edit]Obasi began playing futsal in 2008 and it led to him being discovered for the England national futsall team.[20] He was the leading goal scorer and was voted tournament MVP in the World University Futsal Championships while representing Great Britain. During the year he had 19 appearances and 4 goals.[21]
Honors
[edit]- United Soccer League
- USL Championship
- Winner : 2015
- USL Regular Season
- Winner: 2015
- USL Eastern Conference (Playoffs)
- Winner: 2015
- USL Eastern Conference (Regular Season)
- Winner: 2015
- Major Arena Soccer League
- All Rookie Team: 2014-2015
- Major Arena Soccer League
- Winner: 2015-2016
References
[edit]- ^ "Tom Obasi".
- ^ "CEFN DRUIDS PEN-PICS 2010/11" (PDF). files.pitchero.com.
- ^ "Football.mitoo".
- ^ "Central Connecticut Blue Devils Soccer". soccerccsu.com. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". uslsoccer.com. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on 2 May 2014. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ "rhinossoccer.com: News". rhinossoccer.com. Retrieved 2 May 2014.
- ^ "Charlotte Eagles vs. Rochester Rhinos - 17 August 2014 - Soccerway".
- ^ "Rochester Rhinos 2014 Stats - United Soccer League". Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ "Rochester Rhinos vs. Western Mass Pioneers - 15 May 2014 - Soccerway".
- ^ "Rochester Rhinos 2015 Stats - United Soccer League". Archived from the original on 22 October 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ "Rochester's Obasi in Training with Union - United Soccer League". Archived from the original on 24 October 2015. Retrieved 25 October 2015.
- ^ "Pointstreak.com - invalid page - Real-time Scoring and League Management System".
- ^ "Official Website of the Baltimore Blast: Headlines". Archived from the original on 11 August 2015. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
- ^ "Onua Obasi - Major Arena Soccer League - on Pointstreak Sports Technologies".
- ^ "News – the Baltimore Blast". 27 April 2023.
- ^ "On Pointstreak Sports Technologies".
- ^ "Fury FC add USL Champion; Sign former MLS First Rounder". ottawafuryfc.com. Archived from the original on 19 January 2016. Retrieved 14 January 2016.
- ^ "Unknown".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "rhinossoccer.com: Roster". Archived from the original on 4 February 2014.
- 1988 births
- Living people
- English men's footballers
- English expatriate men's footballers
- Western Mass Pioneers players
- AC Connecticut players
- Rochester New York FC players
- Ottawa Fury FC players
- Baltimore Blast players
- Utica City FC players
- Men's association football midfielders
- Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States
- Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada
- USL League Two players
- USL Championship players
- Major Arena Soccer League players
- Footballers from Birmingham, West Midlands
- North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players
- English expatriate sportspeople in the United States
- English expatriate sportspeople in Canada
- English men's futsal players
- Alumni of the University of Liverpool
- Ontario Fury players
- 21st-century English sportsmen