Andy Iro
Encyclopedia
Andrew "Andy" Iro is an English
footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC
in Major League Soccer
.
for high school where he played as a forward
and midfielder
.
He moved to California
to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara
on a soccer scholarship in 2004. At UCSB, he was coached by Tim Vom Steeg
and was played as a central defender and occasionally on the left side of the defense. He was immediately an integral part of the 2004 UCSB team as they marched to the 2004 Division I Men's College Cup
in Carson, California
, where his side lost in penalties
to Indiana University.
His disappointment was not long last though as Iro and the UCSB Gauchos were crowned champions of Division I college soccer by beating the Bruins
from the University of California, Los Angeles
in the 2006 Division I Men's College Cup
in St. Louis, Missouri
. This marked UCSB's first ever national championship in soccer and only second overall.
with the 6th overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft
. His debut came against Toronto FC
on 29 March 2008 in the Crew's season opener as an 89th minute substitution. He was part of a successful season for the Crew, as they won both the MLS Supporters Shield and MLS Cup 2008
.
On July 15, 2011, Iro was traded to Toronto FC
along with Léandre Griffit
for Tony Tchani
. Iro made his debut a week later in a 1-0 home loss to FC Dallas
on July 20th.
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
footballer who currently plays for Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
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...
.
Youth and college
Iro began his career playing for youth side Kingsley United Football Club in Toxteth, England, as well as attending St. Edward's CollegeSt. Edward's College
St. Edward's College is a voluntary aided, Catholic school in the UK located in the West Derby suburb of Liverpool. The institution was formerly a boys grammar school run by the Congregation of Christian Brothers, known widely as The Irish Christian Brothers...
for high school where he played as a forward
Striker
Forwards, also known as strikers, are the players on a team in association football who play nearest to the opposing team's goal, and are therefore principally responsible for scoring goals...
and midfielder
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
.
He moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara
University of California, Santa Barbara
The University of California, Santa Barbara, commonly known as UCSB or UC Santa Barbara, is a public research university and one of the 10 general campuses of the University of California system. The main campus is located on a site in Goleta, California, from Santa Barbara and northwest of Los...
on a soccer scholarship in 2004. At UCSB, he was coached by Tim Vom Steeg
Tim Vom Steeg
Timothy Harold "Tim" Vom Steeg is an American collegiate soccer head coach who is currently with the University of California, Santa Barbara men's soccer team. He has been with the Gauchos since 1999 and is the most successful coach in the history of UC Santa Barbara...
and was played as a central defender and occasionally on the left side of the defense. He was immediately an integral part of the 2004 UCSB team as they marched to the 2004 Division I Men's College Cup
2004 Division I Men's College Cup
The 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 48 teams from NCAA Division I. This year's College Cup Final Four was held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher seeded team. The final was held on...
in Carson, California
Carson, California
Carson is a city in Los Angeles County, California. As of the 2010 census, Carson had a total population of 91,714. Located south of downtown Los Angeles and approximately 14 miles away from the Los Angeles International Airport, it is known as a suburb of the city....
, where his side lost in penalties
Penalty shootout (football)
A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
to Indiana University.
His disappointment was not long last though as Iro and the UCSB Gauchos were crowned champions of Division I college soccer by beating the Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
in the 2006 Division I Men's College Cup
2006 Division I Men's College Cup
The 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 48 teams from NCAA Division I who played for the NCAA Championship in soccer. The College Cup Final Four was held at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher-seeded...
in St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
. This marked UCSB's first ever national championship in soccer and only second overall.
Professional
2008 marked the beginning of Iro's professional career. Straight out of UCSB, he was drafted by the Columbus CrewColumbus Crew
The Columbus Crew is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
with the 6th overall pick in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft
2008 MLS SuperDraft
The 2008 MLS SuperDraft took place on January 18, 2008 in Baltimore, Maryland. It was the ninth annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The first selection was made by the Kansas City Wizards, after acquiring the selection from the expansion San Jose Earthquakes...
. His debut came against Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
on 29 March 2008 in the Crew's season opener as an 89th minute substitution. He was part of a successful season for the Crew, as they won both the MLS Supporters Shield and MLS Cup 2008
MLS Cup 2008
The 2008 MLS Cup was the championship match of the 2008 Major League Soccer season. The final was played at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California on November 23, 2008. The match was contested by the Columbus Crew and the New York Red Bulls, marking the debut of both teams in the final after...
.
On July 15, 2011, Iro was traded to Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
along with Léandre Griffit
Leandre Griffit
Léandre Griffit is a French professional footballer who last played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer.-Europe:...
for Tony Tchani
Tony Tchani
Tony Tchani is a Cameroonian footballer who plays for Columbus Crew in Major League Soccer.-Amateur and college:...
. Iro made his debut a week later in a 1-0 home loss 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...
on July 20th.
Columbus Crew
- 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...
MLS Cup (1): 20082008 Major League Soccer seasonThe 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:... - 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): 20082008 Major League Soccer seasonThe 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:...
, 20092009 Major League Soccer seasonThe 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:...
UC Santa Barbara
- NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship (1): 20062006 Division I Men's College CupThe 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 48 teams from NCAA Division I who played for the NCAA Championship in soccer. The College Cup Final Four was held at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher-seeded...
Personal
- 2006 First Team All-American (College Soccer News)
- 2006 College Cup2006 Division I Men's College CupThe 2006 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 48 teams from NCAA Division I who played for the NCAA Championship in soccer. The College Cup Final Four was held at Hermann Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher-seeded...
Most Outstanding Defensive Player - 2006 Big West Defensive Player of the Year
- 2004 Big West Defensive Player of the Year
- 2004 Freshman All-American (Soccer America)
- 2004 First Team All-American (College Soccer News)
- 2004 College Cup2004 Division I Men's College CupThe 2004 NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Championship was a tournament of 48 teams from NCAA Division I. This year's College Cup Final Four was held at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. All the other games were played at the home field of the higher seeded team. The final was held on...
All-Tournament - 2004 Big West Freshman of the Year