Alen Kozić
Encyclopedia
Alen Kozić is a retired MLS Soccer Player.
Raised in Tampa
, Florida
since the age of 3, he was destined to be a soccer player. The son of a professional soccer player, Refik Kozić
, and mother Svetlana, Alen started his career in the youth soccer organization in Tampa, FL. He played for Temple Terrace Spirit and scored the winning goal in the 1993 Don Greer Cup Youth Soccer U-17 National Championship. He went on to play for SV Salzburg for a trial after his high school graduation.
Deciding to return to the states and with many offers from various universities, Alen accepted to play for Florida International University
from 1995-1999. His sophomore year, he made Third Team All-American by NCAA D-I Men's Soccer. By his junior year, he was First Team All-American by NCAA D-I Men's Soccer in 1997. His senior year, Alen tore his ACL and spent most of the season rehabilitating and was recruited by Miami Fusion's new program, Project 40. Project 40 was a joint venture between MLS and U.S. Soccer aimed at developing young American players, giving them the chance to train with MLS clubs and play games at various professional levels. He played two seasons with Miami Fusion before heading to Europe to play.
He played one season for NK Uljanik in Pula
, Croatia
before heading over in 2002 to Solingen, Germany to play for Union Solingen
. After several successful seasons, Alen decided to return to the United States to retire and finish his education.
Alen currently lives in Tampa, FL and runs his own business.
Raised in Tampa
Tampa, 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...
since the age of 3, he was destined to be a soccer player. The son of a professional soccer player, Refik Kozić
Refik Kozic
Refik Kozić is a retired Yugoslav professional footballer who played for FK Partizan, and in the NASL between 1980 and 1984 for the Tampa Bay Rowdies. His son Alen Kozić was also a professional player....
, and mother Svetlana, Alen started his career in the youth soccer organization in Tampa, FL. He played for Temple Terrace Spirit and scored the winning goal in the 1993 Don Greer Cup Youth Soccer U-17 National Championship. He went on to play for SV Salzburg for a trial after his high school graduation.
Deciding to return to the states and with many offers from various universities, Alen accepted to play for 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...
from 1995-1999. His sophomore year, he made Third Team All-American by NCAA D-I Men's Soccer. By his junior year, he was First Team All-American by NCAA D-I Men's Soccer in 1997. His senior year, Alen tore his ACL and spent most of the season rehabilitating and was recruited by Miami Fusion's new program, Project 40. Project 40 was a joint venture between MLS and U.S. Soccer aimed at developing young American players, giving them the chance to train with MLS clubs and play games at various professional levels. He played two seasons with Miami Fusion before heading to Europe to play.
He played one season for NK Uljanik in Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
before heading over in 2002 to Solingen, Germany to play for Union Solingen
Union Solingen
1. FC Union Solingen is a German association football club from Solingen, North Rhine-Westphalia.- History :The side can trace its roots back to an earlier Union Solingen club founded in 1897 out of the merger of a number of clubs from the district of Ohligs that would over time include Ohligs FC...
. After several successful seasons, Alen decided to return to the United States to retire and finish his education.
Alen currently lives in Tampa, FL and runs his own business.