Patrick Ianni

Patrick Ianni

Personal information
Full name	Patrick Edward Joseph Ianni
Height	6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Houston Dynamo
Number	4
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 14 April 2006

Patrick Ianni (born June 15, 1985 in Lodi, California) is an American soccer defender, who currently plays for the Houston Dynamo of the Major League Soccer.

College

After completing his junior season at UCLA, Ianni earned a Hermann Award nomination. He also played in the USL Premier Development League with the Southern California Seahorses.

Professional Career

Ianni entered the 2006 MLS SuperDraft and was chosen by Houston as the eighth overall pick. After failing to break into the Dynamo first team on a regular basis, Ianni was loaned to USL-1 side California Victory in May 2007, but he played just two games before re-joining the Dynamo. Since Ianni was drafted as an underclassman with a Generation adidas contract, he does not count against Houston's salary cap.

Ianni made his first MLS start June 24, 2007 against Kansas City. In that game, he scored on a late header and contributed defensively in a 1-0 shutout win that helped earn him continued playing time as a center back.

International Career

Ianni has been a part of several U.S. national youth teams, including the U-20 squad that participated at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, which was hosted by the Netherlands, and the U-23 team that will participate in CONCACAF qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, China.

Personal

Patrick Ianni's brother, Tayt, played in MLS for the San Jose Clash. In college, Patrick Ianni listed his career aspiration as becoming a Christian preacher.

See also

• List of current MLS players