Ricardo Clark (born February 10, 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American soccer player, who currently plays defensive midfielder for the Houston Dynamo of Major League Soccer.

Clark played high school soccer at St. Pius X Catholic High School in Atlanta, Georgia, and college soccer at Furman University in 2001 and 2002, and was named a first-team All-American in his second season. After his sophomore year, he 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.

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. 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. Along with the rest of his Earthquakes teammates, he moved to Houston for the 2006 season.

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.

On October 4, 2007, Clark was handed a record nine-game suspension and a $10,000 fine by Major League Soccer for violently kicking FC Dallas forward Carlos Ruiz during Houston's 3-0 victory over Dallas on September 30. ^[1][2]

See also

• List of current MLS players

Donate to Wikimedia