Dema Kovalenko
Encyclopedia
Dmytro "Dema" Kovalenko (born 28 August 1977 in Kiev
) is a retired Ukrainian
footballer.
After moving to the United States in 1992 he spent the majority of his playing career there, most notably for Chicago Fire and D.C. United
, winning the MLS Cup
with DC in 2004. After being released by Los Angeles Galaxy
after the end of the 2010 season, he retired from the game in February 2011.
in Rochester, New York
in 1996, and played three years of college soccer
at Indiana University
from 1996 to 1998, where he helped the Hoosiers win a national championship in 1998, and was named an NCAA first team All-American
in the same year.
with a dangerous tackle.
Kovalenko would come into his own as a player in the 2000 season, scoring 10 goals and 5 assists in 31 games for the Fire, as he helped the team to a U.S. Open Cup victory. The next year, he was moved from a forward position to attacking midfield, but continued to catalyze the Fire offense, scoring 8 goals and 7 assists in 25 games. In 2001, Kovalenko had trouble scoring, registering only 1 goal with his 8 assists, but was still a dangerous offensive player for the team.
After the 2001 MLS season, Kovalenko played on loan for FC St. Pauli
of the German Bundesliga. Following the 2002 season he was traded, largely because of salary cap problems, to D.C. United
in exchange for youngster Justin Mapp
. Kovalenko immediately established himself with United, scoring 6 goals in 24 games in his first season with the team. Also, in what seemed like something of a recurring trend, Kovalenko was again involved in a Dallas Burn injury, when another late tackle broke Burn midfielder Ronnie O'Brien
's leg, causing him to miss most of the regular season. Kovalenko was fined $1,000 and suspended one game for his actions. Kovalenko continued to be a valuable player in central midfield for D.C. United in 2004, registering 2 goals and 10 assists for the team in 25 games. He was ejected from the championship game for a handball, but DC United held on to win. In 2005, despite losing the early part of the season to a broken foot, he tallied 4 goals and 4 assists. He left DC United in January, 2006, after being unable to agree on salary terms, and returned to Ukraine. He signed a one year contract with FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhya
.
In August 2006, Kovalenko returned to MLS, after his rights were acquired by New York Red Bulls from DC. The fiery Ukrainian's play in the beginning of the 2007 season had New York challenging in the Eastern Conference, however he was sidelined with injury and the team began to struggle. Kovalenko was able to return during the latter part of the season, helping the club clinch a playoff berth. He concluded the season appearing in 19 league matches, registering two goals and one assist. He was traded to Real Salt Lake
in February 2008.
On 14 January 2009, Salt Lake traded Kovalenko to Los Angeles Galaxy
in exchange for a draft pick and an undisclosed sum of allocation money.
On 3 December 2010, LA Galaxy announced Kovalenko's contract would not be renewed for the 2011 MLS season. Kovalenko elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft
and became a Major League Soccer
free agent when he was not selected by any club.
Having been unable to secure a spot on a professional roster for the upcoming season, Kovalenko confirmed his retirement in an interview on February 14, 2011.
Kiev
Kiev or Kyiv is the capital and the largest city of Ukraine, located in the north central part of the country on the Dnieper River. The population as of the 2001 census was 2,611,300. However, higher numbers have been cited in the press....
) is a retired Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
footballer.
After moving to the United States in 1992 he spent the majority of his playing career there, most notably for Chicago Fire and 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...
, winning the MLS Cup
MLS Cup
The MLS Cup is the championship match of Major League Soccer, the highest tier of professional soccer in the United States and Canada. As the final match of the MLS Cup playoffs, the winner is crowned the season champion in the same manner as other North American sports leagues...
with DC in 2004. After being released by Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, 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, and the league's second...
after the end of the 2010 season, he retired from the game in February 2011.
Early life and amateur
Kovalenko emigrated to the United States in 1992. He graduated from Greece Arcadia High SchoolArcadia High School (New York)
Arcadia High School is a public high school located in Greece, New York, serving grades 9–12. It is one of four high schools in the Greece Central School District. The school was built in 1963 and the new Arcadia Middle School was connected to it just over a decade ago...
in Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
in 1996, and played three years of 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 Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
from 1996 to 1998, where he helped the Hoosiers win a national championship in 1998, and was named an NCAA first team All-American
Division I First-Team All-American (soccer)
The Division I First-Team All-Americans are the best eleven U.S. college soccer players as selected by the NCAA.-1970–1983:From 1970 to 1983 the NCAA only named defenders and forwards in addition to one goalkeeper.-1983–present:...
in the same year.
Professional
Upon joining the league, Kovalenko was originally allocated to the Dallas Burn, but the league complied with his demands to play for the Chicago Fire, engineering a trade to the team in exchange for draft picks. Kovalenko appeared infrequently in his rookie year, playing only 291 minutes in 11 games, but managed to score three goals for the team. Kovalenko made an impact another way, breaking the leg, and effectively ending the career, of Burn defender Brandon PollardBrandon Pollard
Brandon Pollard is a retired U.S. soccer defender who is best known for having his career ended by a vicious tackle from Dema Kovalenko. Pollard was a standout player with the University of Virginia and was a member of the U.S...
with a dangerous tackle.
Kovalenko would come into his own as a player in the 2000 season, scoring 10 goals and 5 assists in 31 games for the Fire, as he helped the team to a U.S. Open Cup victory. The next year, he was moved from a forward position to attacking midfield, but continued to catalyze the Fire offense, scoring 8 goals and 7 assists in 25 games. In 2001, Kovalenko had trouble scoring, registering only 1 goal with his 8 assists, but was still a dangerous offensive player for the team.
After the 2001 MLS season, Kovalenko played on loan for FC St. Pauli
FC St. Pauli
Fußball-Club St. Pauli is a German sports club based in the St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg. The football section is part of a larger club that also has Rugby Fußball-Club St. Pauli is a German sports club based in the St. Pauli quarter of Hamburg. The football section is part of a larger club that...
of the German Bundesliga. Following the 2002 season he was traded, largely because of salary cap problems, to 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...
in exchange for youngster Justin Mapp
Justin Mapp
Justin Mapp is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-Professional:...
. Kovalenko immediately established himself with United, scoring 6 goals in 24 games in his first season with the team. Also, in what seemed like something of a recurring trend, Kovalenko was again involved in a Dallas Burn injury, when another late tackle broke Burn midfielder Ronnie O'Brien
Ronnie O'Brien
Ronnie O'Brien is a retired Irish footballer who last played for the San Jose Earthquakes.-Playing career:...
's leg, causing him to miss most of the regular season. Kovalenko was fined $1,000 and suspended one game for his actions. Kovalenko continued to be a valuable player in central midfield for D.C. United in 2004, registering 2 goals and 10 assists for the team in 25 games. He was ejected from the championship game for a handball, but DC United held on to win. In 2005, despite losing the early part of the season to a broken foot, he tallied 4 goals and 4 assists. He left DC United in January, 2006, after being unable to agree on salary terms, and returned to Ukraine. He signed a one year contract with FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhya
FC Metalurh Zaporizhzhya
FC Metalurh Zaporizhya is a Ukrainian professional football club from the city of Zaporizhia. The club has always been in the top league, since the first season in 1992 until the season 2010/11 when it took the last position and was relegated to the Ukrainian First League.- Early years :The...
.
In August 2006, Kovalenko returned to MLS, after his rights were acquired by New York Red Bulls from DC. The fiery Ukrainian's play in the beginning of the 2007 season had New York challenging in the Eastern Conference, however he was sidelined with injury and the team began to struggle. Kovalenko was able to return during the latter part of the season, helping the club clinch a playoff berth. He concluded the season appearing in 19 league matches, registering two goals and one assist. He was traded to Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
in February 2008.
On 14 January 2009, Salt Lake traded Kovalenko to Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, 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, and the league's second...
in exchange for a draft pick and an undisclosed sum of allocation money.
On 3 December 2010, LA Galaxy announced Kovalenko's contract would not be renewed for the 2011 MLS season. Kovalenko elected to participate in the 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft
2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft
The two-stage 2010 MLS Re-Entry Draft took place on December 8, 2010 and December 15, 2010. The Stage 1 Draft of the Re-Entry Process took place on Wednesday, December 8, at 2 p.m. ET via teleconference. The Stage 2 Draft took place on Wednesday, December 15, at 2 p.m. ET...
and became a 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...
free agent when he was not selected by any club.
Having been unable to secure a spot on a professional roster for the upcoming season, Kovalenko confirmed his retirement in an interview on February 14, 2011.
D.C. United
- 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...
Eastern Conference Championship (1): 2004 - 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): 2004
Los Angeles Galaxy
- 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 (1): 20102010 Major League Soccer seasonThe 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... - 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...
Western Conference Championship (1): 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:...