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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ricardo Anthony Clark | ||
| Date of birth | February 10, 1983 | ||
| Place of birth | Atlanta, Georgia, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m) | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Eintracht Frankfurt | ||
| Number | 13 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 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 | 0 | (0) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2005– | United States | 26 | (2) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 November, 2009. † Appearances (Goals). |
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Ricardo Clark (born February 10, 1983 in Atlanta, Georgia) is an American soccer player who currently plays for Eintracht Frankfurt in the Fußball-Bundesliga.
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Contents
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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
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. Playing 90 minutes on October 23 at LA Galaxy, Clark scored his first career playoff goal in the 68th minute and received yellow card.
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. 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.
Clark, whose contract with MLS expired at the end of the 2009 season, signed a deal with Fußball-Bundesliga club Eintracht Frankfurt that will see him play with them for the remainder of the 2009/2010 season, with an option to extend the contract at the end of the season[1].
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 Qualifyer 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.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01. | July 2, 2007 | Estadio Agustín Tovar, Barinas, Venezuela |  Paraguay |
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| 02. | September 9, 2009 | Hasely Crawford Stadium, Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago |  Trinidad and Tobago |
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Style of play
Clark has been used largely as a defensive midfielder. His speed, strength, size, athleticism allow him to make tough tackles and cover immense amounts of ground. He developed a good partnership in central midfield with Michael Bradley for the U.S. National team, sitting in a deeper role and making tackles to allow Bradley to get forward into the offense or assist him defensively.
Personal
Clark got married in early 2007. He and his wife, Martha have one son, Mateo. Clark´s brother Richonne played at Clayton State. His parents are Lancelot and Norma. His father, originally from Trinidad and Tobago, played soccer at New York Polytechnic University in 1977–78. His brother Richonne also plays soccer, for the NAIA school Auburn University at Montgomery (AUM). Clark is an Atlanta sports enthusiast and supports the Braves, Falcons and Thrashers. He played basketball growing up, lists England as favorite country to play in and Pele as his favorite player. Clark admires golfer Tiger Woods. Enjoys hip hop and reggae music, his favorite musical artists include Outkast, TI, and Bob Marley.
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
References
External links
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This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
