Stuart Holden
Encyclopedia
Stuart Alistair Holden (born August 1, 1985) is an American football player who currently plays as a midfielder for Bolton Wanderers
in the English Premier League.
Holden has represented the United States at under-20
, under-23
and senior
levels. He made his senior debut in July 2009 against Grenada
and scored his first goal during that game. He was part of the United States squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics
, 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
and 2010 FIFA World Cup
. Since his debut, Holden has gained 17 caps
and scored two goals.
, Scotland
and grew up in Sugar Land, Texas
, after moving there with his family at age 10. His father worked for Chevron Corporation
in its human resources
department. He played high school soccer in Houston for Awty International School
.
at Clemson University
, Holden signed with English
club Sunderland
in early 2005. On March 12, Holden was attacked outside a bar
in Newcastle, leaving him with a fractured
left eye socket
, which prevented him from training with the club for two months. When Holden resumed training, he suffered an ankle injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season. Holden was released after his six-month stay having never played for Sunderland's first team.
Holden returned to the United States to play in Major League Soccer
with Houston Dynamo
for the 2006 season. He made his MLS debut on May 27, 2006, and scored his first professional goal on July 22, 2006, in a 1–1 home draw against New England
. He appeared thirteen times in the 2006 regular season and twice as a substitute in Houston's run to the MLS Cup 2006
championship. In the championship penalty shootout, Holden took the Dynamo's second shot and scored to the top right corner.
Holden's playing time increased in the 2007 season. He mostly started on the left wing when teammate Brad Davis
went down with injury. In July, Holden scored goals on consecutive Thursday night games and added three assists in league play and another in SuperLiga
play, as of July 25. Holden was awarded the US Soccer Humanitarian of the Year award in 2008.
, Holden officially joined Premier League side Bolton Wanderers
on January 25, 2010. He made his Bolton debut on February 24, 2010, in a 4–0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur
in the FA Cup
, starting and playing the full ninety minutes. He made his first league appearance on February 27, 2010, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. On September 30, 2010 he signed a new contract at Bolton which will keep him at the club until 2013. He scored his first goal for Bolton away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on November 13, 2010.
In the 2010-11 season, Holden helped Bolton reach seventh place in the Premier League and an FA Cup Semi-Final. However, his season was cut short on 19 March after he suffered a knee injury against Manchester United
at Old Trafford
when going into a tackle with Jonny Evans
. Evans' studs caught Holden in the right knee, leaving a gash that required twenty six stitches and an anterior cruciate ligament injury
, which ruled him out for up to six months. Despite missing the final two months of the season, Holden was still voted the 2011 Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year. Without Holden, Bolton finished the season in fourteenth position.
On 20 September, after six months out, Holden started and played the full ninety minutes against Aston Villa
in the third round of the Carling Cup but was then initially ruled out for a further six weeks as the club brought forward a routine follow up procedure. However the procedure revealed cartilage damage, meaning Holden would be out for a further six months.
at the U-20 level. Early in 2007, Holden was called in to the U.S. U-23 squad for a camp in California and in December for a camp and trip to China to play matches against the China U-23 team. In July 2008 Holden was named to the U.S. squad competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
. On August 7 he scored in the USA's opening match, a 1–0 victory against Japan. In December 2008 Holden was called into a camp set to begin in January 2009 preceding a friendly against Sweden on January 24. He sustained a hip injury prior to the friendly and was forced to withdraw from camp.
Holden was named to the United States
Gold Cup
squad on June 25, 2009, as nearly all of the senior regulars were rested following the Confederations Cup
. Holden scored a goal for the U.S. in his national team debut against Grenada
on July 4, 2009. On July 11, 2009, Holden scored his second international goal against Haiti
with a thirty-yard strike that tied the game in the ninety-second minute, and assisted the USA's first goal in that match, which was scored by Davy Arnaud
. Holden added two more assists in the 2–0 semi-final win against Honduras
. Stuart was selected to the Gold Cup
All-Tournament Team. During a friendly match on March 3, 2010, Nigel de Jong
broke Holden's leg, causing him to miss 6 weeks of football. On May 26, 2010, it was announced that Holden would be part of the 23-man roster for the U.S. National Team which played in the 2010 FIFA World Cup
in South Africa and he played as a substitute in the opening 1-1 draw with England
.
|-
|2006||rowspan="4"|Houston Dynamo
||rowspan="4"|Major League Soccer
||13||1||0||0||2||0||0||0||15||1
|-
|2007
||22||5||1||0||4||1||3||0||30||6
|-
|2008
||27||3||1||0||2||0||9||0||39||3
|-
|2009
||26||6||0||0||3||0||5||0||34||6
|-
|2009-10||rowspan="3"|Bolton Wanderers||rowspan="3"|Premier League||2||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||3||0
|-
|2010-11||26||2||3||0||1||0||0||0||30||2
|-
|2011-12||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0
88||15||2||0||11||1||17||0||118||16
28||2||4||0||2||0||0||0||34||2
116||17||6||0||12||1||17||0||151||18
Last updated August 26, 2011
Statistics accurate as of match played 1 January 2011
and delivering crosses, being compared favorably to David Beckham
.
, and moved to the United States at the age of ten. Holden's father lost a six-year battle with cancer in early 2009. His mother and sister still live in Houston. He has been an American citizen
since 2006. Every game, Holden wears a Livestrong bracelet that belonged to his father, taping over it for its protection.
Holden's brother, Euan Holden
, is also a professional soccer player who is currently with Conference National
club Stockport County
.
under the alias Holden, most famously playing for Forsaken in the United States. During his time with the team he helped them to a second place at the WCG 2002 qualifier
and 8th place at CPL Summer 2003
. His CS career took a back seat as he began to play soccer seriously for Clemson University
eventually leading into his MLS
career.
Holden has admitted that he is slightly embarrassed by his gaming career, stating, "When I first started playing football professionally it all started to come out and I was a bit ashamed of it. I tried to hide it but eventually I've just started to embrace it. There's nothing I can do. I've deleted it off my Wikipedia page about four or five times and someone just keeps putting it back up there!"
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
in the English Premier League.
Holden has represented the United States at under-20
United States U-20 men's national soccer team
The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is the national under-20 soccer team of the United States of America and is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years.The...
, under-23
United States U-20 men's national soccer team
The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is the national under-20 soccer team of the United States of America and is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years.The...
and senior
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...
levels. He made his senior debut in July 2009 against Grenada
Grenada national football team
The Grenada national football team is the national team of Grenada and is controlled by the Grenada Football Association. It is affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF. The team is nicknamed The Spice Boys, a reference to the export of nutmeg from the country...
and scored his first goal during that game. He was part of the United States squad at the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
, 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the tenth edition of the Gold Cup competition, and the twentieth association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested from 3 July to 26 July 2009 in the United States. This competition was the fourth tournament...
and 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...
. Since his debut, Holden has gained 17 caps
Cap (sport)
In sports, a cap is a metaphorical term for a player's appearance on a select team, such as a national team. The term dates from the practice in the United Kingdom of awarding a cap to every player in an international match of association football...
and scored two goals.
Early life
Holden was born in Cults, AberdeenAberdeen
Aberdeen is Scotland's third most populous city, one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas and the United Kingdom's 25th most populous city, with an official population estimate of ....
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and grew up in Sugar Land, Texas
Sugar Land, Texas
Sugar Land is a city in the U.S. state of Texas within the metropolitan area and Fort Bend County. Sugar Land is one of the most affluent and fastest-growing cities in Texas, having grown more than 158 percent in the last decade. In the time period of 2000–2007, Sugar Land also enjoyed a...
, after moving there with his family at age 10. His father worked for Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation
Chevron Corporation is an American multinational energy corporation headquartered in San Ramon, California, United States and active in more than 180 countries. It is engaged in every aspect of the oil, gas, and geothermal energy industries, including exploration and production; refining,...
in its human resources
Human resources
Human resources is a term used to describe the individuals who make up the workforce of an organization, although it is also applied in labor economics to, for example, business sectors or even whole nations...
department. He played high school soccer in Houston for Awty International School
Awty International School
-Information:The Awty School was founded in 1956 as a pre-school by Mrs. Kathleen Awty. The incorporation of an Upper School in 1975 changed the school into a college preparatory school which merged with the French School of Houston and became the Awty International School in 1984...
.
Sunderland
After playing two years of College soccerCollege 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 Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
, Holden signed with English
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...
club Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
in early 2005. On March 12, Holden was attacked outside a bar
Tavern
A tavern is a place of business where people gather to drink alcoholic beverages and be served food, and in some cases, where travelers receive lodging....
in Newcastle, leaving him with a fractured
Bone fracture
A bone fracture is a medical condition in which there is a break in the continuity of the bone...
left eye socket
Orbit (anatomy)
In anatomy, the orbit is the cavity or socket of the skull in which the eye and its appendages are situated. "Orbit" can refer to the bony socket, or it can also be used to imply the contents...
, which prevented him from training with the club for two months. When Holden resumed training, he suffered an ankle injury that ruled him out for the rest of the season. Holden was released after his six-month stay having never played for Sunderland's first team.
Houston Dynamo
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...
with 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 2006 season. He made his MLS debut on May 27, 2006, and scored his first professional goal on July 22, 2006, in a 1–1 home draw against New England
New England Revolution
The New England Revolution is an American professional association football club based in Foxborough, Massachusetts which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada...
. He appeared thirteen times in the 2006 regular season and twice as a substitute in Houston's run to the MLS Cup 2006
MLS Cup 2006
The 2006 MLS Cup was the championship game of the 2006 Major League Soccer season, played on November 12, 2006 at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas between the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo. Houston won 4-3 on penalty kicks, after a 1-1 draw following extra time...
championship. In the championship penalty shootout, Holden took the Dynamo's second shot and scored to the top right corner.
Holden's playing time increased in the 2007 season. He mostly started on the left wing when teammate Brad Davis
Brad Davis (soccer)
Brad Davis is an American footballer who currently plays for Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
went down with injury. In July, Holden scored goals on consecutive Thursday night games and added three assists in league play and another in SuperLiga
North American SuperLiga
The SuperLiga was an official North American association football competition between teams from the Primera División of Mexico and Major League Soccer of the United States and Canada, the top divisions in each country. The competition was sanctioned by CONCACAF, U.S...
play, as of July 25. Holden was awarded the US Soccer Humanitarian of the Year award in 2008.
Bolton Wanderers
Having spent several weeks training in England following the end of the 2009 Major League Soccer season2009 Major League Soccer season
The 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:...
, Holden officially joined Premier League side Bolton Wanderers
Bolton Wanderers F.C.
Bolton Wanderers Football Club is an English professional association football club based in the area of Horwich in the Metropolitan Borough of Bolton, Greater Manchester. They began their current spell in the Premier League in 2001....
on January 25, 2010. He made his Bolton debut on February 24, 2010, in a 4–0 defeat at Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
in the FA Cup
FA Cup
The Football Association Challenge Cup, commonly known as the FA Cup, is a knockout cup competition in English football and is the oldest association football competition in the world. The "FA Cup" is run by and named after The Football Association and usually refers to the English men's...
, starting and playing the full ninety minutes. He made his first league appearance on February 27, 2010, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers. On September 30, 2010 he signed a new contract at Bolton which will keep him at the club until 2013. He scored his first goal for Bolton away to Wolverhampton Wanderers on November 13, 2010.
In the 2010-11 season, Holden helped Bolton reach seventh place in the Premier League and an FA Cup Semi-Final. However, his season was cut short on 19 March after he suffered a knee injury against 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
Old Trafford
Old Trafford commonly refers to two sporting arenas:* Old Trafford, home of Manchester United F.C.* Old Trafford Cricket Ground, home of Lancashire County Cricket ClubOld Trafford can also refer to:...
when going into a tackle with Jonny Evans
Jonny Evans
Jonathan Grant "Jonny" Evans is a Northern Irish footballer who plays as a defender for Manchester United and Northern Ireland. Evans was born in Belfast and started his career at Greenisland FC, where he was spotted by Manchester United scouts. He progressed through Manchester United's football...
. Evans' studs caught Holden in the right knee, leaving a gash that required twenty six stitches and an anterior cruciate ligament injury
Anterior cruciate ligament injury
An injury to the anterior cruciate ligament can be a debilitating musculoskeletal injury to the knee, seen most often in athletes. Non-contact tears and ruptures are the most common causes of ACL injury....
, which ruled him out for up to six months. Despite missing the final two months of the season, Holden was still voted the 2011 Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year. Without Holden, Bolton finished the season in fourteenth position.
On 20 September, after six months out, Holden started and played the full ninety minutes against Aston Villa
Aston Villa F.C.
Aston Villa Football Club is an English professional association football club based in Witton, Birmingham. The club was founded in 1874 and have played at their current home ground, Villa Park, since 1897. Aston Villa were founder members of The Football League in 1888. They were also founder...
in the third round of the Carling Cup but was then initially ruled out for a further six weeks as the club brought forward a routine follow up procedure. However the procedure revealed cartilage damage, meaning Holden would be out for a further six months.
International career
Holden was capped 11 times as a United States youth internationalUnited States U-20 men's national soccer team
The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is the national under-20 soccer team of the United States of America and is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years.The...
at the U-20 level. Early in 2007, Holden was called in to the U.S. U-23 squad for a camp in California and in December for a camp and trip to China to play matches against the China U-23 team. In July 2008 Holden was named to the U.S. squad competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics
Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate...
. On August 7 he scored in the USA's opening match, a 1–0 victory against Japan. In December 2008 Holden was called into a camp set to begin in January 2009 preceding a friendly against Sweden on January 24. He sustained a hip injury prior to the friendly and was forced to withdraw from camp.
Holden was named to the 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...
Gold Cup
CONCACAF Gold Cup
The CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
squad on June 25, 2009, as nearly all of the senior regulars were rested following the Confederations Cup
2009 FIFA Confederations Cup
The 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup was the eighth Confederations Cup, and was held in South Africa from 14 June to 28 June 2009 as a prelude to the 2010 FIFA World Cup. The draw was held on 22 November 2008 at the Sandton Convention Centre in Johannesburg. The opening match was played at Ellis Park...
. Holden scored a goal for the U.S. in his national team debut against Grenada
Grenada national football team
The Grenada national football team is the national team of Grenada and is controlled by the Grenada Football Association. It is affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF. The team is nicknamed The Spice Boys, a reference to the export of nutmeg from the country...
on July 4, 2009. On July 11, 2009, Holden scored his second international goal against Haiti
Haiti national football team
The Haiti national football team represents Haiti in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the governing body for football in Haiti. Haiti's home ground is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince and their head coach is Edson Tavares...
with a thirty-yard strike that tied the game in the ninety-second minute, and assisted the USA's first goal in that match, which was scored by Davy Arnaud
Davy Arnaud
Davy Arnaud is an American soccer player who currently plays for Montreal Impact in Major League Soccer.-College:Arnaud played college soccer at West Texas A&M University from 1999 to 2001, finishing his career with 31 goals and 11 assists...
. Holden added two more assists in the 2–0 semi-final win against Honduras
Honduras national football team
The Honduran national football team, nicknamed Los Catrachos, La Bicolor or La H, is the national team of Honduras and is controlled by the Federación Nacional Autónoma de Fútbol de Honduras...
. Stuart was selected to the Gold Cup
2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the tenth edition of the Gold Cup competition, and the twentieth association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested from 3 July to 26 July 2009 in the United States. This competition was the fourth tournament...
All-Tournament Team. During a friendly match on March 3, 2010, Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong
Nigel de Jong is a Dutch footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Netherlands national team....
broke Holden's leg, causing him to miss 6 weeks of football. On May 26, 2010, it was announced that Holden would be part of the 23-man roster for the U.S. National Team which played in 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 and he played as a substitute in the opening 1-1 draw with England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
.
International goals
| # | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 4 July 2009 | Qwest Field, Seattle, United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
2–0 | 4–0 | 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup | |
| 2. | 11 July 2009 | Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium Gillette Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium located in Foxborough, Massachusetts, 21 miles southwest of downtown Boston and from downtown Providence, Rhode Island. It serves as the home stadium and administrative offices for the New England Patriots football team and the New England Revolution... , Foxborough Foxborough, Massachusetts -Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 16,246 people, 6,141 households, and 4,396 families residing in the town. The population density was 809.1 people per square mile . There were 6,299 housing units at an average density of 313.7 per square mile... , United States |
2–2 | 2–2 | 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
Club
|-|-
|2006||rowspan="4"|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...
||rowspan="4"|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...
||13||1||0||0||2||0||0||0||15||1
|-
|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.....
||22||5||1||0||4||1||3||0||30||6
|-
|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:...
||27||3||1||0||2||0||9||0||39||3
|-
|2009
2009 Major League Soccer season
The 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:...
||26||6||0||0||3||0||5||0||34||6
|-
|2009-10||rowspan="3"|Bolton Wanderers||rowspan="3"|Premier League||2||0||1||0||0||0||0||0||3||0
|-
|2010-11||26||2||3||0||1||0||0||0||30||2
|-
|2011-12||0||0||0||0||1||0||0||0||1||0
88||15||2||0||11||1||17||0||118||16
28||2||4||0||2||0||0||0||34||2
116||17||6||0||12||1||17||0||151||18
Last updated August 26, 2011
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... |
|||
| 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.... |
11 | 2 | |
| 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:... |
6 | 0 | |
| 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:... |
0 | 0 | |
| Total | 17 | 2 | |
Statistics accurate as of match played 1 January 2011
Club
Houston Dynamo- MLS CupMLS CupThe 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...
(2): 2006, 20072007 Major League Soccer seasonThe 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.....
Individual
- MLS Best XIMLS Best XIThe MLS Best XI is an acknowledgement of the best eleven players in the league in a given season for Major League Soccer in Canada and the United States.-Winners:*Players in bold text also won the Major League Soccer MVP Award award for that season....
(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:... - CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XICONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
(1): 2009 - Bolton Wanderers Player of the Year (1): 2010–112010–11 Bolton Wanderers F.C. season-Premier League:The fixtures for the 2010–11 season were announced on 17 June, and revealed that Bolton would begin their league campaign by welcoming Fulham to the Reebok Stadium in Mark Hughes' first competitive fixture as Fulham's manager. The match finished goalless with Bolton giving a debut...
Style of play
Holden is a versatile, linking midfielder who, due to his ambidexterity, can play in the left, right, or center of the midfield. Holden is particularly noted for his adeptness at taking set piecesSet piece (football)
The term set piece or set play is used in association football and rugby to refer to a situation when the ball is returned to open play following a stoppage, particularly in a forward area of the pitch. Most often, the term is used to refer to free kicks and corners, but sometimes throw-ins. Many...
and delivering crosses, being compared favorably to David Beckham
David Beckham
David Robert Joseph Beckham, OBE is an English footballer who plays midfield for Los Angeles Galaxy in Major League Soccer, having previously played for Manchester United, Preston North End, Real Madrid, and A.C...
.
Personal life
Holden was born in ScotlandScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, and moved to the United States at the age of ten. Holden's father lost a six-year battle with cancer in early 2009. His mother and sister still live in Houston. He has been an American citizen
Citizenship
Citizenship is the state of being a citizen of a particular social, political, national, or human resource community. Citizenship status, under social contract theory, carries with it both rights and responsibilities...
since 2006. Every game, Holden wears a Livestrong bracelet that belonged to his father, taping over it for its protection.
Holden's brother, Euan Holden
Euan Holden
Euan Holden is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for Stockport County in the Conference National...
, is also a professional soccer player who is currently with Conference National
Conference National
Conference National is the top division of the Football Conference in England. It is the highest level of the National League System and fifth highest of the overall English football league system...
club Stockport County
Stockport County F.C.
Stockport County Football Club is an English football club based in Stockport, Greater Manchester. The club formed in 1883 as Heaton Norris Rovers, shortly afterwards merging with Heaton Norris F.C., and adopted the current name on 24 May 1890 on the creation of the County Borough of Stockport...
.
Professional gaming career
Before his professional sports career Holden played competitive Counter-StrikeCounter-Strike
Counter-Strike is a tactical first-person shooter video game developed by Valve Corporation which originated from a Half-Life modification by Minh "Gooseman" Le and Jess "Cliffe" Cliffe...
under the alias Holden, most famously playing for Forsaken in the United States. During his time with the team he helped them to a second place at the WCG 2002 qualifier
World Cyber Games
The World Cyber Games is an international competitive video-gaming event operated by South Korean company World Cyber Games Inc., and sponsored by Samsung and Microsoft...
and 8th place at CPL Summer 2003
Cyberathlete Professional League
The Cyberathlete Professional League , founded on June 27, 1997 by gaming entrepreneur Angel Munoz, is a professional sports tournament organization specializing in computer and console video game competitions....
. His CS career took a back seat as he began to play soccer seriously for Clemson University
Clemson University
Clemson University is an American public, coeducational, land-grant, sea-grant, research university located in Clemson, South Carolina, United States....
eventually leading into his MLS
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...
career.
Holden has admitted that he is slightly embarrassed by his gaming career, stating, "When I first started playing football professionally it all started to come out and I was a bit ashamed of it. I tried to hide it but eventually I've just started to embrace it. There's nothing I can do. I've deleted it off my Wikipedia page about four or five times and someone just keeps putting it back up there!"