Dominic Oduro
Encyclopedia
Dominic Oduro is a Ghana
ian footballer who currently plays for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer
.
and the University of Ghana
before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University
in 2004. He appeared in 41 matches for VCU, scoring 18 goals and earning five assists, and being honored with the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association
Player of the Year award and a Third Team All-American spot. Oduro helped the Rams reach the quarterfinals of the 2004 NCAA Tournament
, VCU's highest ever appearance. He also played for Richmond Kickers Future
in the USL Premier Development League
in 2005, scoring 16 goals in 13 games.
by FC Dallas
. He made his first team debut on June 28, 2006, as a substitute for Kenny Cooper
and scored his first MLS goal on July 8, 2006 against New York Red Bulls. During his three year stay in Dallas, Oduro impressed fans and coaches with his blazing speed and effort. He was primarily used as a second half substitute, to provide a spark to the clubs attack, and ultimately appeared in 70 league matches for FC Dallas, with his most productive season coming in 2008 in which he netted 5 goals in 25 matches.
He was traded to New York Red Bulls on January 12, 2009, while Dave van den Bergh
went in the other direction to FC Dallas
. In the deal, New York also acquired the #11 and #18 picks in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft
while Dallas acquired the #14 pick.
Less than five months later, New York traded Oduro to Houston Dynamo
on May 27, 2009 for a first-round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft
and a second-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft
. Oduro made his first start for the Houston Dynamo
on July 1, 2009 against the USL-1 side Austin Aztex
. The game was the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
. Houston won the match, played at Nelson Field
in Austin, Texas
, 2-0.
Oduro stayed with Houston through the 2009 and 2010 MLS seasons. After the 2010 season, he decided to make a move overseas but was unsuccessful in securing a contract and re-signed with Houston on March 2, 2011. After missing a sitter in the opening game of the 2011 season, Oduro was traded to Chicago Fire in exchange for Calen Carr
on March 23, 2011. Dominic performed wonderfully since joining the Chicago Fire. He scored twelve goals during the 2011 MLS season.
and the University of Ghana
, Oduro's career in the US started when he enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University
.
|2005
||Richmond Kickers Future
|| Premier Development League ||13||16||2||2||-||-||-||-||15||18
|-
|2006||rowspan="3"|FC Dallas
||rowspan="8"|Major League Soccer
||16||1||1||0||-||-||-||-||17||1
|-
|2007
||29||3||2||0||2||0||3||0||36||3
|-
|2008
||25||5||1||0||-||-||-||-||26||5
|-
|2009
||rowspan="1"|New York Red Bulls||3||0||2||0||-||-||-||-||5||0
|-
|2009
||rowspan="3"|Houston Dynamo
||16||1||2||2||3||0||-||-||21||3
|-
|2010
||27||5||2||1||-||-||3||1||32||7
|-
|2011
||1||0||0||0||0||0||-||-||1||0
|-
|2011
||rowspan="1"|Chicago Fire||33||12||2||2||0||0||-||-||35||14
163||43||13||7||5||0||6||1||187||51
163||43||13||7||5||0||6||1||187||51
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
ian footballer who currently plays for Chicago Fire 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
Oduro started his playing career in Ghana, playing for both Prempeh CollegePrempeh College
Prempeh College is an all-boys boarding school in Kumasi Ghana. Prempeh College, the Asante Royal Boarding School for Boys of all ethnic backgrounds is the Kings College of Ghana....
and the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
before transferring to Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
in 2004. He appeared in 41 matches for VCU, scoring 18 goals and earning five assists, and being honored with the 2004 Colonial Athletic Association
Colonial Athletic Association
The Colonial Athletic Association is a NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose full-time members are located in East Coast states from Massachusetts to Georgia. Most of its members are public universities, with five in Virginia alone, and the conference is headquartered in Richmond,...
Player of the Year award and a Third Team All-American spot. Oduro helped the Rams reach the quarterfinals of the 2004 NCAA Tournament
NCAA Men's Soccer Championship
The NCAA began conducting a Men's Division I Soccer Championship tournament in 1959 with an eight-team tournament. Currently, the tournament field consists of 48 teams...
, VCU's highest ever appearance. He also played for Richmond Kickers Future
Richmond Kickers Future
Richmond Kickers Future was an American soccer team based in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2002 as part of the development system of the Richmond Kickers USL Second Division franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...
in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
in 2005, scoring 16 goals in 13 games.
Professional
Oduro was selected in the second round (22nd overall) of the 2006 MLS SuperDraft2006 MLS SuperDraft
The 2006 MLS SuperDraft, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on January 20, 2006, was the seventh incarnation of the annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The first selection originally belonged to C.D. Chivas USA, but they traded it to the MetroStars for the fifth overall selection and Jason...
by FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. He made his first team debut on June 28, 2006, as a substitute for Kenny Cooper
Kenny Cooper
Kenneth Scott Cooper, Jr. is an American soccer player who currently plays for Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer....
and scored his first MLS goal on July 8, 2006 against New York Red Bulls. During his three year stay in Dallas, Oduro impressed fans and coaches with his blazing speed and effort. He was primarily used as a second half substitute, to provide a spark to the clubs attack, and ultimately appeared in 70 league matches for FC Dallas, with his most productive season coming in 2008 in which he netted 5 goals in 25 matches.
He was traded to New York Red Bulls on January 12, 2009, while Dave van den Bergh
Dave van den Bergh
Dave van den Bergh is a former Dutch footballer who last played for FC Dallas in Major League Soccer. He is currently an assistant coach for the United States U-20.-Europe:...
went in the other direction to FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
. In the deal, New York also acquired the #11 and #18 picks in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft
2009 MLS SuperDraft
The 2009 MLS SuperDraft took place on January 15, 2009 in St. Louis, Missouri. It was the tenth annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The first selection was owned by the expansion Seattle Sounders FC...
while Dallas acquired the #14 pick.
Less than five months later, New York traded Oduro 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...
on May 27, 2009 for a first-round pick in the 2010 MLS SuperDraft
2010 MLS SuperDraft
The 2010 MLS SuperDraft was the eleventh annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 14, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 2010 NSCAA Convention. The 2010 SuperDraft consisted of four rounds with sixteen selections each, for a total of 64 players...
and a second-round pick in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft
2011 MLS SuperDraft
The 2011 MLS SuperDraft was the twelfth annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 13, 2011 in Baltimore, Maryland, during the 2011 NSCAA Convention at the Baltimore Convention Center. The 2011 SuperDraft consisted of three rounds with eighteen selections each, for...
. Oduro made his first start for the 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...
on July 1, 2009 against the USL-1 side Austin Aztex
Austin Aztex
Austin Aztex FC was an American professional soccer team based in Austin, Texas, United States. Founded in 2008, the team played in the USL First Division, and in the USL Division of the USSF D2 Pro League, the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
. The game was the third round of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup is a knockout tournament in American soccer. The tournament is the oldest ongoing American soccer competition and is presently open to all United States Soccer Federation affiliated teams, from amateur adult club teams to the professional clubs of Major League...
. Houston won the match, played at Nelson Field
Nelson Field
Nelson Field is a multi-use stadium in Austin, Texas. It serves as home stadium for LBJ High School, Anderson High School, and John H. Reagan High School. The stadium's capacity is 8,800 spectators....
in Austin, Texas
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...
, 2-0.
Oduro stayed with Houston through the 2009 and 2010 MLS seasons. After the 2010 season, he decided to make a move overseas but was unsuccessful in securing a contract and re-signed with Houston on March 2, 2011. After missing a sitter in the opening game of the 2011 season, Oduro was traded to Chicago Fire in exchange for Calen Carr
Calen Carr
Calen Carr is an American soccer player who currently plays for the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-High School and College:...
on March 23, 2011. Dominic performed wonderfully since joining the Chicago Fire. He scored twelve goals during the 2011 MLS season.
Personal life
Oduro's first feature on TV was surprisingly as a child actor. On the Ghana Television programme by the fire side, Oduro regularly played the role of Okontompo Kwaku Ananse (The Cunning Spider) in tales narrated by the story telling duo Grace Omaboe and Nana Twum Barima who co-hosted the programme. An alumnus of Prempeh CollegePrempeh College
Prempeh College is an all-boys boarding school in Kumasi Ghana. Prempeh College, the Asante Royal Boarding School for Boys of all ethnic backgrounds is the Kings College of Ghana....
and the University of Ghana
University of Ghana
The University of Ghana is the oldest and largest of the thirteen Ghanaian universities and tertiary institutions. It is one of the best universities in Africa and by far the most prestigious in West Africa...
, Oduro's career in the US started when he enrolled at Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University
Virginia Commonwealth University is a public university located in Richmond, Virginia. It comprises two campuses in the Downtown Richmond area, the product of a merger between the Richmond Professional Institute and the Medical College of Virginia in 1968...
.
Career statistics
|-|2005
2005 PDL Season
The 2005 USL Premier Development League season was the 11th PDL season. The season began in April 2005 and ended in August 2005.Des Moines Menace finished the season as national champions, beating El Paso Patriots 6-5 on penalty kicks, following a 0-0 draw in the PDL Championship game in El Paso,...
||Richmond Kickers Future
Richmond Kickers Future
Richmond Kickers Future was an American soccer team based in Richmond, Virginia, United States. Founded in 2002 as part of the development system of the Richmond Kickers USL Second Division franchise, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer...
|| Premier Development League ||13||16||2||2||-||-||-||-||15||18
|-
|2006||rowspan="3"|FC Dallas
FC Dallas
FC Dallas is an American professional soccer club based in the Dallas suburb of Frisco, Texas which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
||rowspan="8"|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...
||16||1||1||0||-||-||-||-||17||1
|-
|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 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.....
||29||3||2||0||2||0||3||0||36||3
|-
|2008
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 2008 Major League Soccer season was the 13th season in league history. The season began on March 29 and ended with MLS Cup 2008, on November 23 at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.-Changes from the 2007 season:...
||25||5||1||0||-||-||-||-||26||5
|-
|2009
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...
||rowspan="1"|New York Red Bulls||3||0||2||0||-||-||-||-||5||0
|-
|2009
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 2009 Major League Soccer season was the 14th season of Major League Soccer. The season began on March 19 and ended with Real Salt Lake winning the MLS Cup 2009, on November 22 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington-Changes from the 2008 season:...
||rowspan="3"|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...
||16||1||2||2||3||0||-||-||21||3
|-
|2010
2010 Major League Soccer season
The 2010 Major League Soccer season was the 98th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 32nd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 15th in MLS history. It began on March 25 at Seattle's Qwest Field with Seattle Sounders FC defeating the expansion...
||27||5||2||1||-||-||3||1||32||7
|-
|2011
2011 Major League Soccer season
The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...
||1||0||0||0||0||0||-||-||1||0
|-
|2011
2011 Major League Soccer season
The 2011 Major League Soccer season was the 99th season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 33rd with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada, and the 16th season of Major League Soccer. The season marked the arrival of two new league clubs, Portland Timbers and Vancouver...
||rowspan="1"|Chicago Fire||33||12||2||2||0||0||-||-||35||14
163||43||13||7||5||0||6||1||187||51
163||43||13||7||5||0||6||1||187||51