Maurice Edu
Encyclopedia
Maurice Edu is an American soccer player who plays for Rangers
in the Scottish Premier League
and the United States national team
.
to Nigeria
n parents. His father, Maurice Sr., was a mathematics teacher, and his mother is a chemistry teacher. Edu has three sisters and a brother.
from 2004 until 2006 and played three years for the Maryland Terrapins
, including a role on the 2005 squad which won the NCAA
College Cup national championship. He forfeited his final year of NCAA eligibility to enter the 2007 MLS Superdraft
as a Generation Adidas
player. He was named a first-team All-American
in 2006.
and was drafted by Toronto FC
as the first overall pick of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He made his MLS debut on April 25, 2007, against Kansas City Wizards
, and he scored his first professional goal in the seventy-fifth minute of a game against Chicago Fire on May 12. During that first season he made twenty-five appearances in MLS and scored four goals. He ended his debut season by winning the MLS Rookie of the Year award and earning his first senior national team cap.
to hold talks with Scottish Premier League
team Rangers
after a fee of £2.6 million, was agreed with MLS. Edu signed a five-year contract with Rangers on August 17, 2008, but had to wait until five days later to officially join after successfully gaining a work permit
.
Edu made his debut for Rangers in a league match against Kilmarnock
on September 13, 2008. The team won 2–1 thanks to a Kris Boyd
double. Edu scored his first goal for Rangers on April 8, 2009, in a league match against St. Mirren
and then followed his goal up with another against Hibernian
in a 3–2 win at Easter Road
eleven days later. He went on a run of games towards the end of the season including his Old Firm
debut against Celtic on May 9 at Ibrox
in a 1–0 Rangers win. He ended his first season in Scottish football by winning a league championship medal - having played in twelve of Rangers' thirty-eight games in the 2008-09 SPL season. However, a torn cruciate knee ligament saw him miss out on the Scottish Cup final
.
After recovering from his injury, Edu returned for Rangers as a 74th minute substitute in a 4–1 win against Hibernian on December 27, 2009, but only played four games before being sidelined for another month with an ankle problem. He had complained of racist abuse from two Rangers supporters after the club's embarrassing 4–1 home defeat to FC Unirea Urziceni in October 2009. A turnaround in his fortunes began when he came off the bench to score a 93rd minute stoppage-time winner against Old Firm
rivals Celtic
on February 28, 2010, as Rangers won 1–0. This goal gave Rangers a ten point lead in the league with a game in hand. On March 21, 2010, Edu came on as a half-time substitute when Rangers beat St. Mirren to win the League Cup Final
. His domestic season ended with him being awarded a second league medal having appeared in fifteen of the thirty-eight games. During the 2010-11 season, Edu made his Champions League debut against English giants Manchester United
at Old Trafford and drew plaudits for his performance. On 20 October 2010, he scored his first Champions League goal against Spanish side Valencia
, converting from a Vladimír Weiss
corner, but scored an own goal to equalise for Valencia minutes after the restart in a game that finished 1-1.
Edu made his 100th appearance in all competitions for the Gers on 5 November 2011 in their 3-1 win over Dundee United.
against Switzerland
on October 17, 2007, and won his second cap a month later against South Africa
, where he registered an assist on Steve Cherundolo
's winning goal. Edu was included in the U.S. team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He played in all three of the group matches and deputized as a center back. Edu drew a penalty in the final game of the group stage against Nigeria which Sacha Kljestan
took and finished. However, the U.S. were knocked out of the group stage after that loss. Edu scored his first international goal for the U.S. during of a friendly against Czech Republic on May 25, 2010.
Edu made only one brief appearance for the national team in 2009, as a stoppage-time substitute in a World Cup qualifier against El Salvador. That was his solitary game in the final stage of qualifying for South Africa. Despite this he was selected as a member of the 23-man roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa. On June 18, against Slovenia
, he volleyed in a free kick from Landon Donovan
in the 85th minute with the game tied at 2–2, but referee Koman Coulibaly
disallowed the goal. Coulibaly's decision was heavily criticized by commentators and columnists alike who believe that the United States committed no fouls on the play and were in fact the ones who were being fouled for the most part.
|2007
||rowspan="2"|Toronto FC
||rowspan="2"|Major League Soccer
||25||4||0||0||0||0||0||0||25||4
|-
|2008
||13||1||3||1||0||0||0||0||16||2
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="4"|Rangers
||rowspan="4"|Scottish Premier League
||12||2||3||0||1||0||0||0||16||2
|-
|2009–10||15||2||4||0||1||0||0||0||20||2
|-
|2010–11||33||2||3||0||3||1||8||2||47||5
|-
|2011–12||15||2||0||0||0||0||4||0||19||2
38||5||3||1||0||0||0||0||41||6
75||8||10||0||5||1||12||2||102||11
113||13||13||1||5||1||12||2||143||17
Statistics accurate as of match played November 15, 2011
Personal awards
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
in the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
and the United States national team
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...
.
Early life
Edu grew up in San Bernardino, CaliforniaSan Bernardino, California
San Bernardino is a city located in the Riverside-San Bernardino metropolitan area , and serves as the county seat of San Bernardino County, California, United States...
to Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
n parents. His father, Maurice Sr., was a mathematics teacher, and his mother is a chemistry teacher. Edu has three sisters and a brother.
Maryland Terrapins
Edu was at the University of Maryland, College ParkUniversity of Maryland, College Park
The University of Maryland, College Park is a top-ranked public research university located in the city of College Park in Prince George's County, Maryland, just outside Washington, D.C...
from 2004 until 2006 and played three years for the Maryland Terrapins
Maryland Terrapins
The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 27 men's and women's athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I competition...
, including a role on the 2005 squad which won the NCAA
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
College Cup national championship. He forfeited his final year of NCAA eligibility to enter the 2007 MLS Superdraft
2007 MLS SuperDraft
The 2007 MLS SuperDraft, was held in Indianapolis, Indiana on January 12, 2007. It was the eighth annual Major League Soccer SuperDraft. The first selection belonged to expansion team Toronto FC.The SuperDraft was followed by the 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft....
as a Generation Adidas
Generation adidas
Generation adidas is a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer aimed at raising the level of young soccer talent in the United States. The program, sponsored by adidas, encourages early entry of American players into MLS...
player. He was named a 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 2006.
Toronto FC
Edu cut short his time at college to join 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 was drafted by 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....
as the first overall pick of the 2007 MLS SuperDraft. He made his MLS debut on April 25, 2007, against Kansas City Wizards
Kansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
, and he scored his first professional goal in the seventy-fifth minute of a game against Chicago Fire on May 12. During that first season he made twenty-five appearances in MLS and scored four goals. He ended his debut season by winning the MLS Rookie of the Year award and earning his first senior national team cap.
Rangers
On August 16, 2008, Edu flew to GlasgowGlasgow
Glasgow is the largest city in Scotland and third most populous in the United Kingdom. The city is situated on the River Clyde in the country's west central lowlands...
to hold talks with Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
team Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
after a fee of £2.6 million, was agreed with MLS. Edu signed a five-year contract with Rangers on August 17, 2008, but had to wait until five days later to officially join after successfully gaining a work permit
Work permit (United Kingdom)
The UK Work Permit scheme was an immigration category used to encourage skilled workers to enter the United Kingdom up till November 2008, when it was replaced by the points-based immigration system...
.
Edu made his debut for Rangers in a league match against Kilmarnock
Kilmarnock F.C.
Kilmarnock Football Club is a Scottish football team based in the town of Kilmarnock, Ayrshire. Founded in 1869, "Killie" is the oldest club currently in the Scottish Premier League. Home matches are played at Rugby Park...
on September 13, 2008. The team won 2–1 thanks to a Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd
Kris Boyd is a Scottish professional footballer who currently plays as a striker for Turkish side Eskişehirspor.Boyd grew up in the Ayrshire village of Tarbolton and started his senior career with Kilmarnock. He transferred to Rangers in January 2006, and was Rangers' top goalscorer in each of his...
double. Edu scored his first goal for Rangers on April 8, 2009, in a league match against St. Mirren
St. Mirren F.C.
St Mirren Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Paisley, Renfrewshire who play in the Scottish Premier League, having been promoted from the First Division in 2005–06.St...
and then followed his goal up with another against Hibernian
Hibernian F.C.
Hibernian Football Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Leith, in the north of Edinburgh. They are one of two Scottish Premier League clubs in the city, the other being their Edinburgh derby rivals, Hearts...
in a 3–2 win at Easter Road
Easter Road
Easter Road is a football stadium located in the Leith area of Edinburgh, Scotland, which is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Hibernian . The stadium currently has an all-seated capacity of 20,421, which makes it the fifth-largest football stadium in Scotland. Easter Road is also...
eleven days later. He went on a run of games towards the end of the season including his Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
debut against Celtic on May 9 at Ibrox
Ibrox Stadium
Ibrox Stadium is a football stadium located on the south side of the River Clyde, on Edmiston Drive in the Ibrox district of Glasgow. It is the home ground of Scottish Premier League club Rangers and has an all-seated capacity of 51,082...
in a 1–0 Rangers win. He ended his first season in Scottish football by winning a league championship medal - having played in twelve of Rangers' thirty-eight games in the 2008-09 SPL season. However, a torn cruciate knee ligament saw him miss out on the Scottish Cup final
2009 Scottish Cup Final
The 2009 Scottish Cup Final was the final of the 124th season of the main domestic football cup competition in Scotland, the Scottish Cup. The final was played at Hampden Park in Glasgow on 30 May 2009...
.
After recovering from his injury, Edu returned for Rangers as a 74th minute substitute in a 4–1 win against Hibernian on December 27, 2009, but only played four games before being sidelined for another month with an ankle problem. He had complained of racist abuse from two Rangers supporters after the club's embarrassing 4–1 home defeat to FC Unirea Urziceni in October 2009. A turnaround in his fortunes began when he came off the bench to score a 93rd minute stoppage-time winner against Old Firm
Old Firm
The Old Firm is a common collective name for the association football clubs Celtic and Rangers, both based in Glasgow, Scotland.The origin of the term is unclear. One theory has it that the expression derives from Celtic's first game in 1888, which was played against Rangers. However, author,...
rivals Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
on February 28, 2010, as Rangers won 1–0. This goal gave Rangers a ten point lead in the league with a game in hand. On March 21, 2010, Edu came on as a half-time substitute when Rangers beat St. Mirren to win the League Cup Final
2010 Scottish League Cup Final
The 2010 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Scottish League Cup, the 63rd season of the Scottish League Cup.-St. Mirren:...
. His domestic season ended with him being awarded a second league medal having appeared in fifteen of the thirty-eight games. During the 2010-11 season, Edu made his Champions League debut against English giants Manchester United
Manchester United F.C.
Manchester United Football Club is an English professional football club, based in Old Trafford, Greater Manchester, that plays in the Premier League. Founded as Newton Heath LYR Football Club in 1878, the club changed its name to Manchester United in 1902 and moved to Old Trafford in 1910.The 1958...
at Old Trafford and drew plaudits for his performance. On 20 October 2010, he scored his first Champions League goal against Spanish side Valencia
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
, converting from a Vladimír Weiss
Vladimír Weiss (footballer born 1989)
Vladimír Weiss is a Slovak football winger who currently plays for RCD Espanyol on loan from Manchester City.-Manchester City:...
corner, but scored an own goal to equalise for Valencia minutes after the restart in a game that finished 1-1.
Edu made his 100th appearance in all competitions for the Gers on 5 November 2011 in their 3-1 win over Dundee United.
International career
Edu made his international debut for the United StatesUnited 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...
against Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
on October 17, 2007, and won his second cap a month later against South Africa
South Africa national football team
The South Africa national football team represents South Africa in association football and is controlled by the South African Football Association, the governing body for football in South Africa. South Africa's home ground is Soccer City, known as FNB Stadium due to a naming rights deal, in...
, where he registered an assist on Steve Cherundolo
Steve Cherundolo
Steven Emil "Steve" Cherundolo is an American soccer defender who is the captain of Hannover 96 of the German Bundesliga, where he has spent his entire club career. He played for the United States men's national soccer team at the 2006 and 2010 FIFA World Cups.-Early life:Cherundolo grew up in...
's winning goal. Edu was included in the U.S. team for the 2008 Summer Olympics. He played in all three of the group matches and deputized as a center back. Edu drew a penalty in the final game of the group stage against Nigeria which Sacha Kljestan
Sacha Kljestan
Sacha Kljestan is an American soccer player who currently plays for Anderlecht in the Belgian First Division.-Youth and College:...
took and finished. However, the U.S. were knocked out of the group stage after that loss. Edu scored his first international goal for the U.S. during of a friendly against Czech Republic on May 25, 2010.
Edu made only one brief appearance for the national team in 2009, as a stoppage-time substitute in a World Cup qualifier against El Salvador. That was his solitary game in the final stage of qualifying for South Africa. Despite this he was selected as a member of the 23-man roster for the 2010 FIFA World Cup
2010 FIFA World Cup
The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010...
in South Africa. On June 18, against Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
, he volleyed in a free kick from Landon Donovan
Landon Donovan
Landon Timothy Donovan is an American soccer player for the Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer in the United States. He usually plays as a withdrawn forward, and can also be used as an attacking midfielder on either wing....
in the 85th minute with the game tied at 2–2, but referee Koman Coulibaly
Koman Coulibaly
Koman Coulibaly is a Malian football referee. He has been a full international referee for FIFA since 1999, and officiated his first international match on April 19, 2000, between Mali and Burkina Faso. Coulibaly is one of Mali's most experienced officials, having been selected for five Africa Cup...
disallowed the goal. Coulibaly's decision was heavily criticized by commentators and columnists alike who believe that the United States committed no fouls on the play and were in fact the ones who were being fouled for the most part.
International goals
- Scores and results list USA's goal tally first.
Goal Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1. May 25, 2010 Rentschler Field, East Hartford East Hartford, ConnecticutEast Hartford is a town in Hartford County, Connecticut, United States. The population was 51,252 at the 2010 census.-Geography:...
, USAUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...1 – 0 2 – 4 Friendly Exhibition gameAn exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
Club
|-|2007
2007 Major League Soccer season
The 2007 Major League Soccer season was the 12th season in league history. The season began on April 7 and concluded with MLS Cup 2007 on November 18, 2007 at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium in Washington, D.C.....
||rowspan="2"|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....
||rowspan="2"|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...
||25||4||0||0||0||0||0||0||25||4
|-
|2008
2008 Major League Soccer season
The 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:...
||13||1||3||1||0||0||0||0||16||2
|-
|2008–09||rowspan="4"|Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
||rowspan="4"|Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
||12||2||3||0||1||0||0||0||16||2
|-
|2009–10||15||2||4||0||1||0||0||0||20||2
|-
|2010–11||33||2||3||0||3||1||8||2||47||5
|-
|2011–12||15||2||0||0||0||0||4||0||19||2
38||5||3||1||0||0||0||0||41||6
75||8||10||0||5||1||12||2||102||11
113||13||13||1||5||1||12||2||143||17
International
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States 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... |
|||
| 2007 2007 in American soccer The 2007 season was the 95th year of competitive soccer in the United States.-National team:The home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the right column.-Table:... |
2 | 0 | |
| 2008 2008 in American soccer The 2008 season was the 96th year of competitive soccer in the United States.-National team:The home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the right column.-Playoffs:... |
8 | 0 | |
| 2009 2009 in American soccer -National team:The home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the rightcolumn.-MLS Cup:-Table:Purple indicates league title clinched.... |
1 | 0 | |
| 2010 2010 in American soccer The 2010 Season was the 98th season of competitive soccer in the United States.- National teams :The home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the right column.-Friendly matches:... |
8 | 1 | |
| 2011 2011 in American soccer The 2011 Season is the 99th season of competitive soccer in the United States.- National teams :The home team or the team that is designated as the home team is listed in the left column; the away team is in the right column.-Senior:... |
10 | 0 | |
| Total | 29 | 1 | |
Statistics accurate as of match played November 15, 2011
Honours
RangersRangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
- Scottish Premier LeagueScottish Premier LeagueThe Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
(3): 2009Scottish Premier League 2008-09The 2008–09 Scottish Premier League season was the eleventh season of the Scottish Premier League and the second season under the sponsorship of the Clydesdale Bank...
, 2010, 20112010–11 Scottish Premier LeagueThe 2010–11 Scottish Premier League was the thirteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football. It commenced on 14 August 2010 and ended on 15 May 2011...
-
-
- Scottish League CupScottish League CupThe Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
(2): 20102010 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2010 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2009–10 Scottish League Cup, the 63rd season of the Scottish League Cup.-St. Mirren:...
, 20112011 Scottish League Cup FinalThe 2011 Scottish League Cup Final was the final match of the 2010–11 Scottish League Cup, the 64th season of the Scottish League Cup. It was played by Old Firm rivals Celtic and Rangers. Rangers won the trophy after extra time 2–1.-Celtic:...
- Scottish League Cup
-
Personal awards
- MLS Rookie of the Year AwardMLS Rookie of the Year AwardIn 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...
(1): 2007
Personal life
- Edu is sponsored by AdidasAdidasAdidas AG is a German sports apparel manufacturer and parent company of the Adidas Group, which consists of the Reebok sportswear company, TaylorMade-Adidas golf company , and Rockport...
. - Edu has a younger brother and 3 older sisters.
- Maurice featured alongside Guillermo OchoaGuillermo OchoaFrancisco Guillermo Ochoa Magaña is a Mexican goalkeeper who currently plays for French Ligue 1 club Ajaccio. He also plays for the Mexican national football team.-América:...
and RonaldinhoRonaldinhoRonaldo de Assis Moreira , commonly known as Ronaldinho or Ronaldinho Gaúcho, is a Brazilian footballer who plays for Flamengo and the Brazilian national team as an attacking midfielder or forward. He is a two-time winner of the FIFA World Player of the Year, awarded to the best player over the year...
as one of the FIFA 2009 cover stars in North America.
External links
- ESPN Profile
- Current Maurice Edu News at followUSsoccer.com