Louis Crayton
Encyclopedia
Louis Crayton is a Liberia
n footballer currently playing for NSC Minnesota Stars
in the USSF Division 2 Professional League
.
, in 1997. He left the club in 1998 to spend two seasons at Grasshoppers Zürich
until 2000 before going on to spend one half-season apiece at FC Schaffhausen
and FC Wangen bei Olten
in 2000 and 2001. He then moved to YF Juventus
and spent the entire 2001-02 season with the club before going on to spend the entire 2002-03 season at Zug.
In the summer of 2003, he moved to Concordia Basel
, and spent two seasons with the club before joining their cross-town rivals FC Basel
in July 2005. However, he spent his entire first season with Basel on the bench as a backup for their first-choice keeper at the time, Pascal Zuberbühler
, who played in all of the club's competitive matches that season. Crayton finally made his competitive debut for Basel in July 2006, when he made two appearances in both Swiss Super League
and UEFA Cup
qualification. He also played one match in the UEFA Cup
group stage in November 2006 due to a red-card suspension of the first-choice keeper Franco Costanzo
.
, and on August 15, 2008 Crayton had signed with D.C. United
. He made his first start against Chicago Fire on August 16, 2008, and secured his first MLS shutout in the process. During the 2009 season, Crayton has been caught in a three-way competition with Josh Wicks
and Milos Kocic
for the starting goalkeeper position for United. It appeared that Crayton would get the starting spot in goal for the 2009 season however a hip injury along with Crayton's high salary proved to much for DC which resulted in Crayton's contract to be terminated.
In the winter/spring of 2010 Crayton tried out with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer but was eventually released. On March 16, 2010 the new expansion NASL team, NSC Minnesota Stars
announced that they had signed Crayton to a 1-year deal. Crayton made his debut for the team in its opening game of the 2010 season against the Vancouver Whitecaps, but suffered a serious season-ending knee injury just minutes into the game.
in a 2000 African Cup of Nations
qualifying match against Tunisia
. Crayton went on to represented his country 36 times, often serving as captain, before announcing his retirement from international play in May 2008.
In addition to his national team appearances, Crayton has also played in two FIFA
World All-Star games, in South Africa in 1999, and in Hong Kong in 2008.
between 1997 and 2008, Crayton now also holds Swiss
citizenship.
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
n footballer currently playing for NSC Minnesota Stars
NSC Minnesota Stars
The NSC Minnesota Stars is an American professional soccer team based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
in the USSF Division 2 Professional League
USSF Division 2 Professional League
USSF Division 2 Professional League was a temporary professional soccer league created by the United States Soccer Federation in 2010 to last just one season. The twelve-team league was formed as a compromise between the feuding United Soccer Leagues and the North American Soccer League...
.
Europe
Crayton started his career playing for St. Joseph Warriors in Liberia before moving to his first Swiss club, LucerneFC Lucerne
FC Luzern is a Swiss football club, founded in 1901. The club colors are blue and white, derived from the Canton of Lucerne and the City of Lucerne coats of arms.- History :...
, in 1997. He left the club in 1998 to spend two seasons at Grasshoppers Zürich
Grasshopper-Club Zürich
Grasshopper Club Zürich commonly referred to as simply GC, GCZ, or Grasshopper is a Swiss multisports club based in Zürich. The oldest and best known section of Grasshopper Club Zürich is its football team...
until 2000 before going on to spend one half-season apiece at FC Schaffhausen
FC Schaffhausen
FC Schaffhausen is a Swiss football team from the town of Schaffhausen. The club plays in the Challenge League, the second tier of the Swiss football pyramid.-Honours:*Swiss Cup: Final game*Challenge League: 1st*Swiss Super League: rank 8...
and FC Wangen bei Olten
FC Wangen bei Olten
FC Wangen bei Olten is a Swiss football club based in Wangen bei Olten. The club has played in Nationalliga B , and currently plays at 1. Liga .-Recent seasons:*2000-01: Nationalliga B 7th in Abstiegsrunde...
in 2000 and 2001. He then moved to YF Juventus
SC Young Fellows Juventus
Sportclub Young Fellows Juventus is a professional Swiss football club based in Zürich. It was founded in 1992 following a merger between Young Fellows Zürich and Società Calcistica Italiana Juventus Zurigo ....
and spent the entire 2001-02 season with the club before going on to spend the entire 2002-03 season at Zug.
In the summer of 2003, he moved to Concordia Basel
FC Concordia Basel
FC Concordia Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. The club was founded in 1907. They play in the 2nd regional league which is the fifth level, and their home stadium is Rankhof Stadium....
, and spent two seasons with the club before joining their cross-town rivals FC Basel
FC Basel
Fussball Club Basel 1893, widely known as FC Basel is a Swiss football club based in Basel. They are one of the most successful clubs in Swiss football, having won the Swiss Super League 14 times, the third most for any Swiss club. They were most successful in the late 1960s and 1970s, winning the...
in July 2005. However, he spent his entire first season with Basel on the bench as a backup for their first-choice keeper at the time, Pascal Zuberbühler
Pascal Zuberbühler
Pascal Zuberbühler is a Swiss footballer who is currently the goalkeeping coach for the Philippines. He was recently released by Fulham after coming to the end of his contract.-Club career:...
, who played in all of the club's competitive matches that season. Crayton finally made his competitive debut for Basel in July 2006, when he made two appearances in both Swiss Super League
Swiss Super League
The Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
and UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
qualification. He also played one match in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
group stage in November 2006 due to a red-card suspension of the first-choice keeper Franco Costanzo
Franco Costanzo
Franco Costanzo is an Argentine international football goalkeeper, who plays now for Olympiacos Piraeus FC. He has earned the reputation of being an eccentric goalkeeper by often dribbling the ball past the opposition's strikers and by making somewhat unorthodox saves...
.
North America
On August 7, 2008, Basel announced they were allowing Crayton to move to Major League SoccerMajor 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...
, and on August 15, 2008 Crayton had signed with D.C. United
D.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...
. He made his first start against Chicago Fire on August 16, 2008, and secured his first MLS shutout in the process. During the 2009 season, Crayton has been caught in a three-way competition with Josh Wicks
Josh Wicks
Josh Wicks is an American soccer player who currently plays for IFK Mariehamn.-Early Life and Amateur:Wicks was born on a US Army base, Landstuhl Regional Medical Center, in Landstuhl, Germany, but grew up in San Bernardino, California...
and Milos Kocic
Miloš Kočić
Miloš Kocić is a Serbian footballer who plays for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
for the starting goalkeeper position for United. It appeared that Crayton would get the starting spot in goal for the 2009 season however a hip injury along with Crayton's high salary proved to much for DC which resulted in Crayton's contract to be terminated.
In the winter/spring of 2010 Crayton tried out with the Kansas City Wizards of Major League Soccer but was eventually released. On March 16, 2010 the new expansion NASL team, NSC Minnesota Stars
NSC Minnesota Stars
The NSC Minnesota Stars is an American professional soccer team based in the Minneapolis-Saint Paul area in Minnesota, United States. Founded in 2010, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
announced that they had signed Crayton to a 1-year deal. Crayton made his debut for the team in its opening game of the 2010 season against the Vancouver Whitecaps, but suffered a serious season-ending knee injury just minutes into the game.
International
Crayton made his international debut for LiberiaLiberia national football team
The Liberia national football team, nicknamed the Lone Stars, is the national team of Liberia and is controlled by the Liberia Football Association. Although the country produced the 1995 FIFA World Player of the Year, George Weah, they have never reached the World Cup finals...
in a 2000 African Cup of Nations
2000 African Cup of Nations
The 2000 African Cup of Nations was the 22nd edition of the Africa Cup of Nations, the association football championship of Africa . It was co-hosted by Ghana and Nigeria, who jointly replaced Zimbabwe as host. Just like in 1998, the field of sixteen teams was split into four groups of four...
qualifying match against Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
. Crayton went on to represented his country 36 times, often serving as captain, before announcing his retirement from international play in May 2008.
In addition to his national team appearances, Crayton has also played in two FIFA
FIFA
The Fédération Internationale de Football Association , commonly known by the acronym FIFA , is the international governing body of :association football, futsal and beach football. Its headquarters are located in Zurich, Switzerland, and its president is Sepp Blatter, who is in his fourth...
World All-Star games, in South Africa in 1999, and in Hong Kong in 2008.
Personal life
Having spent so much time playing for various clubs in SwitzerlandSwitzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
between 1997 and 2008, Crayton now also holds Swiss
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
citizenship.
Basel
- Swiss Super LeagueSwiss Super LeagueThe Swiss Super League or Axpo Super League is the top tier of the Swiss Football League. The Swiss Super League is currently ranked 16th according to UEFA's ranking of league coefficients, which is based upon Swiss team performances in European competitions.-Names:-Participating clubs:The teams...
(2): 2005Swiss Super League 2004-05Statistics of Swiss Super League in the 2004–2005 season.-Overview:It was contested by 10 teams, and FC Basel won the championship. FC Servette withdrew from the league after eighteen matches due to financial problems, and subsequently was demoted to the Second Division. All their remaining...
, 2008Swiss Super League 2007-08-End of season:Last updated 10 May 2008Pld = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; GF = Goals for; GA = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points... - Swiss CupSchweizer CupThe Swiss Cup is a football cup tournament that has been organised annually since 1926 by the Swiss Football Association . The winner is allowed to take part in the UEFA Europa League. Between 2003 and 2008 the cup has been sponsored and known as the Swisscom Cup.-Finals:All played...
(2): 2007, 2008Swiss Cup 2007-08The Swiss Cup 2007-08 is the eighty-third season of Switzerland's football knockout competition. The winner was FC Basel. AC Bellinzona qualified for the UEFA Cup after finishing as runner-up due to Basel qualifying for the UEFA Champions League.... - Uhren CupUhrencupThe Uhrencup is a club football tournament, held annually in Switzerland.The tournament usually features four teams , each playing two matches, and is held in July at Stadion Brühl in Grenchen. As a friendly tournament, the format tends to be fluid...
(2): 2006, 2008