Bobby Boswell
Encyclopedia
Robert Allen "Bobby" Boswell (born March 15, 1983 in Austin, Texas
) is an American
soccer player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo
in Major League Soccer
.
, Florida
and played college soccer
at Florida International University
in Miami, Florida
, but was not drafted by an MLS club in either the 2005 MLS SuperDraft
or the Supplemental Draft
.
as a discovery player and earned a starting spot in the club's defense after Bryan Namoff
had to miss the beginning of the season due to injury. He started the season well, but set the league record by scoring three own goal
s in a season.
During the 2006 MLS season, Boswell was the starting centerback for United, who finished the with the best regular season record and won the Supporters' Shield. Boswell was named an All-Star, and he started and played the entire All-Star match in the 1-0 victory over Chelsea, the defending English Premiership champions. He was named United's 2006 Defender of the Year and Humanitarian of the year. He was also named the 2006 MLS Defender of the Year and selected as a member of the Best XI
.
At the end of the 2007 MLS Season, Boswell was traded by United to Houston Dynamo
for the Dynamo's backup goalkeeper Zach Wells
. Boswell enjoyed success with the Houston Dynamo, helping the team to win the regular season Western Conference title. At the conclusion of the 2008 MLS season, Boswell was named the team's defender of the year and the team's "iron man." He also received the team MVP award, as voted by the Houston Dynamo fans. At the team's awards ceremony, Boswell said "We'll be back next year, and try to bring y'all another championship."
After the 2008 season, Boswell went to Europe in search of a new club and almost signed with Turkish club Antalyaspor
, but eventually signed a four year extension with the Dynamo instead.
. He earned his first cap on February 19, 2006, in a 4-0 victory against Guatemala
.
Magazine, where he was Mr. Virginia.
As a child, Boswell appeared on the Nickelodeon
TV show GUTS
as Bobby "Lightning" Boswell. At one point, he struggled to kick a soccer ball placed on a pedestal into a goal, missing the ball repeatedly, but still ended up winning the event. His older brother, Billy, also played soccer at FIU. Their cousin is "Frasier" actor Adam Blake Boswell.
Boswell has a son named Kingston.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
) is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who currently plays for Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
College
Boswell grew up in TampaTampa, Florida
Tampa is a city in the U.S. state of Florida. It serves as the county seat for Hillsborough County. Tampa is located on the west coast of Florida. The population of Tampa in 2010 was 335,709....
, Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
and played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at Florida International University
Florida International University
Florida International University is an American public research university in metropolitan Miami, Florida, in the United States, with its main campus in University Park...
in Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, but was not drafted by an MLS club in either the 2005 MLS SuperDraft
2005 MLS SuperDraft
The 2005 MLS SuperDraft, held in Baltimore, Maryland on January 14, 2005, was the sixth incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. Expansion club Real Salt Lake had the first pick as the result of a coin toss . RSL drafted Under-17 midfielder Nikolas Besagno with the first selection...
or the Supplemental Draft
2005 MLS Supplemental Draft
Following the signature of the first MLS players' union contract, the MLS Superdraft was limited to four rounds. As a result, the Supplemental Draft was re-incarnated to hold the additional rounds. The 2005 MLS Supplemental Draft, held on February 4, 2005, was the first re-incarnation of the MLS...
.
Professional
After impressing during pre-season, Boswell was signed by D.C. UnitedD.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
as a discovery player and earned a starting spot in the club's defense after Bryan Namoff
Bryan Namoff
Bryan Namoff is a retired American soccer player who last played for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-College and Amateur:...
had to miss the beginning of the season due to injury. He started the season well, but set the league record by scoring three own goal
Own goal
An own net occurs in goal-scoring games when a player scores a goal that is registered against his or her own team. It is usually accidental, and may be a result of an attempt at defensive play that failed or was spoiled by opponents....
s in a season.
During the 2006 MLS season, Boswell was the starting centerback for United, who finished the with the best regular season record and won the Supporters' Shield. Boswell was named an All-Star, and he started and played the entire All-Star match in the 1-0 victory over Chelsea, the defending English Premiership champions. He was named United's 2006 Defender of the Year and Humanitarian of the year. He was also named the 2006 MLS Defender of the Year and selected as a member of the Best XI
MLS Best XI
The MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
.
At the end of the 2007 MLS Season, Boswell was traded by United to Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo
The Houston Dynamo is an American professional soccer club, based in Houston, Texas, that plays in Major League Soccer, the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Founded in 2005 as Houston 1836, the team name was renamed to Houston Dynamo following protests from Hispanic...
for the Dynamo's backup goalkeeper Zach Wells
Zach Wells
Zach Wells is a retired American soccer goalkeeper.-College:...
. Boswell enjoyed success with the Houston Dynamo, helping the team to win the regular season Western Conference title. At the conclusion of the 2008 MLS season, Boswell was named the team's defender of the year and the team's "iron man." He also received the team MVP award, as voted by the Houston Dynamo fans. At the team's awards ceremony, Boswell said "We'll be back next year, and try to bring y'all another championship."
After the 2008 season, Boswell went to Europe in search of a new club and almost signed with Turkish club Antalyaspor
Antalyaspor
Antalyaspor, known as Medical Park Antalyaspor for sponsorship reasons, is a professional Turkish football club located in the city of Antalya. The club colours are red and white and they play their home matches at Mardan Sports Complex...
, but eventually signed a four year extension with the Dynamo instead.
International
In January 2006, Boswell was called into his first training camp for the US national teamUnited States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. He earned his first cap on February 19, 2006, in a 4-0 victory against Guatemala
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
.
Personal
Boswell was named one of the 50 Hottest Bachelors in the November 2006 issue of CosmopolitanCosmopolitan (magazine)
Cosmopolitan is an international magazine for women. It was first published in 1886 in the United States as a family magazine, was later transformed into a literary magazine and eventually became a women's magazine in the late 1960s...
Magazine, where he was Mr. Virginia.
As a child, Boswell appeared on the Nickelodeon
Nickelodeon (TV channel)
Nickelodeon, often simply called Nick and originally named Pinwheel, is an American children's channel owned by MTV Networks, a subsidiary of Viacom International. The channel is primarily aimed at children ages 7–17, with the exception of their weekday morning program block aimed at preschoolers...
TV show GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS
Nickelodeon GUTS is an American television reality "action sports" competition series hosted by actor/comedian Mike O'Malley and officiated by British actress Moira "Mo" Quirk. The series was broadcast by the cable television network Nickelodeon from 1992 to 1995...
as Bobby "Lightning" Boswell. At one point, he struggled to kick a soccer ball placed on a pedestal into a goal, missing the ball repeatedly, but still ended up winning the event. His older brother, Billy, also played soccer at FIU. Their cousin is "Frasier" actor Adam Blake Boswell.
Boswell has a son named Kingston.
D.C. United
- Major League SoccerMajor League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
Supporter's Shield (2): 2006, 20072007 Major League Soccer seasonThe 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
Individual
- MLS Defender of the YearMLS Defender of the Year AwardIn the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Defender of the Year award since its inception in 1996. Here is a list of the past winners:Past winners:...
: 2006 - MLS Best XIMLS Best XIThe MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
: 2006
External links
- MLS player profile
- ESPN
- Matchnight
- Bobby Boswell at YouTubeYouTubeYouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....