Danny Mwanga
Encyclopedia
Jean-Marie Daniel "Danny" Mwanga (born July 17, 1991 in Kinshasa
) is a Congolese
-American
footballer who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer
.
, was killed during the nation's civil war in 1997, and his mother had to leave him and his sisters behind with their grandmother. Mwanga eventually moved to the United States
in 2006, reuniting with his mother and settling in Portland, Oregon
. He attended Jefferson High School, and played club soccer for Westside Metros Soccer Club before playing college soccer
at Oregon State University
(OSU). At OSU he started 11 matches as a freshman, scoring four goals, and was named the 2008 Pacific 10 Conference Freshman of the Year. The next year he was the player of the year in the conference after scoring 14 goals in 18 games, and was also selected as a second team All-American.
in the 1st round by Philadelphia Union and made his professional debut on March 25, 2010, in the opening game of the 2010 MLS season against Seattle Sounders FC
. On May 15, 2010, he had his first MLS goal at Lincoln Financial Field
against FC Dallas
in stoppage time to earn the club a draw. He also scored a second consecutive stoppage time goal on May 29, 2010, against Houston Dynamo
for the Union to win 3-2. In 2010, Mwanga was also a finalist for the MLS Rookie of the Year Award
. He had a two goal performance at Toronto FC
in Philadelphia's 6-2 win on May 28, 2011. On June 8, Mwanga was named a nominee for the MLS All-Star Game. He scored the game-winning goal for the Union to win 3-2 against Chivas USA on June 25. This goal was nominated for MLS Goal of the Week and placed second.
, "It would be an honor to represent the United States. Playing for the U.S.
in a World Cup
would be a wonderful opportunity".
Kinshasa
Kinshasa is the capital and largest city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The city is located on the Congo River....
) is a Congolese
Congolese
Congoese may refer to:* Something of, from, or related to the Republic of the Congo in Africa, located west of the Congo River* Something of, from, or related to the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Africa, through which the Congo River flows...
-American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
footballer who currently plays for Philadelphia Union 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
Mwanga's father, who was an adviser to former Congolese dictator Mobutu Sese SekoMobutu Sese Seko
Mobutu Sese Seko Nkuku Ngbendu wa Za Banga , commonly known as Mobutu or Mobutu Sese Seko , born Joseph-Désiré Mobutu, was the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo from 1965 to 1997...
, was killed during the nation's civil war in 1997, and his mother had to leave him and his sisters behind with their grandmother. Mwanga eventually moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
in 2006, reuniting with his mother and settling in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
. He attended Jefferson High School, and played club soccer for Westside Metros Soccer Club before playing 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 Oregon State University
Oregon State University
Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...
(OSU). At OSU he started 11 matches as a freshman, scoring four goals, and was named the 2008 Pacific 10 Conference Freshman of the Year. The next year he was the player of the year in the conference after scoring 14 goals in 18 games, and was also selected as a second team All-American.
Professional
Mwanga was drafted the 1st overall pick of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft2010 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...
in the 1st round by Philadelphia Union and made his professional debut on March 25, 2010, in the opening game of the 2010 MLS season against Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional soccer club based in Seattle, Washington. The club competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. Sounders FC was established in November 2007 as a MLS expansion team, making it the 15th team in...
. On May 15, 2010, he had his first MLS goal at Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field
Lincoln Financial Field is the home stadium of the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles. It has a seating capacity of 68,532 . It is located in South Philadelphia on Pattison Avenue between 11th and 10th streets, also aside I-95 as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
against 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 stoppage time to earn the club a draw. He also scored a second consecutive stoppage time goal on May 29, 2010, against 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 Union to win 3-2. In 2010, Mwanga was also a finalist for the MLS Rookie of the Year Award
MLS Rookie of the Year Award
In the United States, Major League Soccer has handed out a Rookie of the Year Award since its inception in 1996. MLS, as opposed to other American sports leagues like Major League Baseball, only designates a player as a rookie if the player has had no prior professional experience...
. He had a two goal performance at 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 Philadelphia's 6-2 win on May 28, 2011. On June 8, Mwanga was named a nominee for the MLS All-Star Game. He scored the game-winning goal for the Union to win 3-2 against Chivas USA on June 25. This goal was nominated for MLS Goal of the Week and placed second.
International
While not yet a citizen, Mwanga has expressed an interest in representing the United States at the international level (instead of his native DR-Congo), telling Goal.comGoal.com
Goal.com, founded in 2004 by Chicco Merighi and former Ferrari Maserati and Ralph Lauren President and CEO Gian Luigi Longinotti-Buitoni, is a website for international football news. Goal.com represents the largest football community in the world, with 22 language versions, covering over 200...
, "It would be an honor to represent the United States. Playing for the U.S.
United 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...
in a World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
would be a wonderful opportunity".
Career statistics
| Club | Season |  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... |
US Open Cup | MLS Cup Playoffs MLS Cup Playoffs The MLS Cup Playoffs is the postseason elimination tournament of Major League Soccer held at the end of the regular season en route to the MLS Cup, the league's championship game. 10 teams in total from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference qualify for the tournament based on regular-season... |
CONCACAF CONCACAF The Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football is the continental governing body for association football in North America, Central America and the Caribbean... |
Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | App | Goals | ||
| Philadelphia Union |
2010 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... |
24 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 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... |
28 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 5 | |
| Club Total | 52 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 56 | 12 | |