Tony Sanneh
Encyclopedia
Anthony "Tony" Sanneh is an American
soccer player who most recently played for Los Angeles Galaxy
in Major League Soccer
.
, where he attended St. Paul Academy and Summit School
and played for the local soccer team - St. Paul Blackhawks. He graduated in 1990 having been selected twice to the All State team. He went on to play college soccer
for the NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panthers in the Horizon League
, where, as a striker
, he became the school's all-time scoring leader, with 53 goals and 32 assists from 1990 to 1993. He was named an NCAA Second-Team All-American in 1993.
, where he scored 14 goals and 14 assists while teaming up with Brian McBride
. That winter, he joined the indoor soccer Chicago Power
of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). He played 34 games, scoring 27 goals in the 1994-1995 season. He also played goalkeeper
in four games for a total of 79:15 minutes. In the 1995-1996 indoor season, he played in only 9 games, scoring 4 goals, but also played 4:19 minutes as a goalkeeper. In 1995 he played with a former UWM Panthers teammate, Manny Lagos
, on the Minnesota Thunder
, amassing 18 goals and 22 assists with the team. He also played the 1995-1996 indoor season with the Milwaukee Wave
. In 1996, midway through the inaugural MLS season, Sanneh was signed by D.C. United
. Originally a forward, Tony played a variety of positions for United, mostly at right midfield. He went on to score goals in the first two MLS Cup
, leading DC to consecutive titles. Sanneh ended his original MLS stay after the 1998 season, signing with Bundesliga club Hertha BSC in January 1999.
Sanneh spent the next three years with Hertha, where he was a starter when healthy. His playing time was limited at times due to many injuries and a national team tug of war. He scored just one goal in league play, and is remembered for assisting on Ali Daei's first Champions League goal in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea. He transferred to FC Nuremberg in 2001, where he played nearly every game the first year and a half leading the back line until he sustained a back injury that kept him out of action for 13 months. During his injury layoff Nuremberg was demoted to the second league. Upon his return Sanneh started the last 7 games, winning five in a row, to give Nuremberg promotion and the second Bundesliga crown. He tallied a total of 5 goals. In 2004, he came back to MLS, signing with the Columbus Crew
, to play alongside long-time friend, college and Thunder teammate Manny Lagos
. The crew finished the season with the league's best record and a 19 game unbeaten streak but lost in the playoffs after they missed two penalty kicks, one of which marred Sanneh's time there. Sanneh was traded following the end of the season to the Chicago Fire, in exchange for Ante Razov
and part of an allocation
. He play out the 2006 season assisting on the final goal of the Fire's 3-1 Open Cup win over the L.A. Galaxy. Sanneh's MLS league totals stand at 16 goals and 27 assists.
However, following the 2006 season, Sanneh and the Fire failed to reach a new agreement on his contract, prompting his release from the team. On July 24, 2007, USL First Division
team Minnesota Thunder
announced that they had signed Sanneh. The Colorado Rapids
then acquired his rights from the Fire. He made his debut for the Rapids on Aug 16, 2007 against the New England Revolution
at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. He played in 10 out of their final 12 games but did not agree to terms the following season.
After sitting out the 2008 season, he signed with Los Angeles Galaxy
in February 2009. He made 13 appearances with the Western Conference champions (including 5 starts) but struggled with injuries the latter half of the season and was not invited to 2010's training camp.
on January 29, 1997 in a 2-1 loss to China
but failed to make Steve Sampson
's final squad and was left out of the 1998 FIFA World Cup
in France
.
Sanneh than had very good seasons from there on out, enough to impress new USA coach Bruce Arena
scoring his first international goal in a shock 3-0 win over Germany. Eventually, he became an important part of the team by the time the 2002 FIFA World Cup
came around and was one of the USA's best players in the tournament, playing every minute of every game. In the USA's first game of the tournament, a 3-2 upset of Portugal
, his precise cross from the right side of the field provided an assist to Brian McBride
's goal. He was also instrumental, both defensively and offensively, in the USA's narrow 1-0 loss to Germany in the quarterfinals, barely missing an equalizing goal on two occasions in the 47th and 89th minute.
After the 2002 FIFA World Cup
, Sanneh was rarely picked due to injury and an influx of young talent into the national team pool. However, after playing impressively for the Colombus Crew and Chicago Fire in MLS, he was recalled for the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup
, starting in group games against Cuba and Costa Rica. The USA later won the tournament upon beating Panama in the final, following which Sanneh retired from the USA national team. He finished his career with 3 goals in 43 appearances.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who most recently played for 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 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
Sanneh grew up in St. PaulSaint Paul, Minnesota
Saint Paul is the capital and second-most populous city of the U.S. state of Minnesota. The city lies mostly on the east bank of the Mississippi River in the area surrounding its point of confluence with the Minnesota River, and adjoins Minneapolis, the state's largest city...
, where he attended St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St. Paul Academy and Summit School
St. Paul Academy and Summit School is a college preparatory independent day school in St. Paul, Minnesota, for students in grades K–12....
and played for the local soccer team - St. Paul Blackhawks. He graduated in 1990 having been selected twice to the All State team. He went on to play 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...
for the NCAA Division I University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee Panthers in the Horizon League
Horizon League
The Horizon League is a ten school, NCAA Division I college athletic conference whose members are located in five of the Midwestern United States....
, where, as a striker
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...
, he became the school's all-time scoring leader, with 53 goals and 32 assists from 1990 to 1993. He was named an NCAA Second-Team All-American in 1993.
Professional
In 1994, his first year out of college, Sanneh played with USISL's Milwaukee RampageMilwaukee Rampage
The Milwaukee Rampage is a defunct American soccer franchise, which played in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in the A-League. The Rampage folded in 2002 because of financial problems, despite winning the A-league championship that year, as well as in 1997. The Rampage was founded in 1994 as a member of the...
, where he scored 14 goals and 14 assists while teaming up with Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
. That winter, he joined the indoor soccer Chicago Power
Chicago Power
The Chicago Power were an indoor soccer club based in Chicago, Illinois that competed in the American Indoor Soccer Association and National Professional Soccer League.After the 1995/96 season, the team became the Edmonton Drillers.-Year-by-year:...
of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). He played 34 games, scoring 27 goals in the 1994-1995 season. He also played goalkeeper
Goalkeeper (football)
In association football, the goalkeeper occupies a position that represents the last line of defence between the opponent's offence and his own team's goal. The primary role of the goalkeeper is to defend his team's goal and prevent the opposition from scoring a goal...
in four games for a total of 79:15 minutes. In the 1995-1996 indoor season, he played in only 9 games, scoring 4 goals, but also played 4:19 minutes as a goalkeeper. In 1995 he played with a former UWM Panthers teammate, Manny Lagos
Manny Lagos
Manuel "Manny" Lagos is a former American soccer midfielder who last played for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, and is the current Head Coach of NSC Minnesota Stars...
, on the Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its home games at the National Sports Center in nearby...
, amassing 18 goals and 22 assists with the team. He also played the 1995-1996 indoor season with the Milwaukee Wave
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA. Founded in 1984 they are the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in North Americaand a member of the Major Indoor Soccer League....
. In 1996, midway through the inaugural MLS season, Sanneh was signed by 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...
. Originally a forward, Tony played a variety of positions for United, mostly at right midfield. He went on to score goals in the first two 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...
, leading DC to consecutive titles. Sanneh ended his original MLS stay after the 1998 season, signing with Bundesliga club Hertha BSC in January 1999.
Sanneh spent the next three years with Hertha, where he was a starter when healthy. His playing time was limited at times due to many injuries and a national team tug of war. He scored just one goal in league play, and is remembered for assisting on Ali Daei's first Champions League goal in a 2-1 victory over Chelsea. He transferred to FC Nuremberg in 2001, where he played nearly every game the first year and a half leading the back line until he sustained a back injury that kept him out of action for 13 months. During his injury layoff Nuremberg was demoted to the second league. Upon his return Sanneh started the last 7 games, winning five in a row, to give Nuremberg promotion and the second Bundesliga crown. He tallied a total of 5 goals. In 2004, he came back to MLS, signing with the Columbus Crew
Columbus 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...
, to play alongside long-time friend, college and Thunder teammate Manny Lagos
Manny Lagos
Manuel "Manny" Lagos is a former American soccer midfielder who last played for the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer, and is the current Head Coach of NSC Minnesota Stars...
. The crew finished the season with the league's best record and a 19 game unbeaten streak but lost in the playoffs after they missed two penalty kicks, one of which marred Sanneh's time there. Sanneh was traded following the end of the season to the Chicago Fire, in exchange for Ante Razov
Ante Razov
Ante Razov is a retired American soccer player of Croatian descent who last played for Chivas USA in Major League Soccer.-Club:...
and part of an allocation
Allocation (MLS)
In Major League Soccer, an allocation represents an amount of money teams can use to sign players and/or allocate to their salaries to get under the salary cap. Allocations are given to teams that have missed the playoffs the previous seasons, given to expansion teams, or awarded as compensation...
. He play out the 2006 season assisting on the final goal of the Fire's 3-1 Open Cup win over the L.A. Galaxy. Sanneh's MLS league totals stand at 16 goals and 27 assists.
However, following the 2006 season, Sanneh and the Fire failed to reach a new agreement on his contract, prompting his release from the team. On July 24, 2007, USL First Division
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
team Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder
Minnesota Thunder was an American professional soccer team based in Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. Founded in 1990, the team played in the USL First Division , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2009. The team played its home games at the National Sports Center in nearby...
announced that they had signed Sanneh. The Colorado Rapids
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver suburb of Commerce City, Colorado 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...
then acquired his rights from the Fire. He made his debut for the Rapids on Aug 16, 2007 against the New England Revolution
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...
at Dick's Sporting Goods Park. He played in 10 out of their final 12 games but did not agree to terms the following season.
After sitting out the 2008 season, he signed with 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 February 2009. He made 13 appearances with the Western Conference champions (including 5 starts) but struggled with injuries the latter half of the season and was not invited to 2010's training camp.
International career
Sanneh made his debut for the United States national teamUnited 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...
on January 29, 1997 in a 2-1 loss to China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
but failed to make Steve Sampson
Steve Sampson
Steve Sampson is a soccer coach and the former head coach of the United States men's national team and the Los Angeles Galaxy of Major League Soccer...
's final squad and was left out of the 1998 FIFA World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
.
Sanneh than had very good seasons from there on out, enough to impress new USA coach Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena
Bruce Arena is a former coach of the United States men's national soccer team as well as a former professional soccer and lacrosse player...
scoring his first international goal in a shock 3-0 win over Germany. Eventually, he became an important part of the team by the time the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
came around and was one of the USA's best players in the tournament, playing every minute of every game. In the USA's first game of the tournament, a 3-2 upset of Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, his precise cross from the right side of the field provided an assist to Brian McBride
Brian McBride
Brian Robert McBride is a retired American soccer player who finished his career for Chicago Fire in Major League Soccer , but spent the majority of his time in MLS playing for the Columbus Crew. For much of his career he played in Europe, notably for Fulham in the English Premier League...
's goal. He was also instrumental, both defensively and offensively, in the USA's narrow 1-0 loss to Germany in the quarterfinals, barely missing an equalizing goal on two occasions in the 47th and 89th minute.
After the 2002 FIFA World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
, Sanneh was rarely picked due to injury and an influx of young talent into the national team pool. However, after playing impressively for the Colombus Crew and Chicago Fire in MLS, he was recalled for the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the eighth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested in the United States in July 2005. The United States emerged victorious in the final against an upstart Panama team led by tournament...
, starting in group games against Cuba and Costa Rica. The USA later won the tournament upon beating Panama in the final, following which Sanneh retired from the USA national team. He finished his career with 3 goals in 43 appearances.
Post career
Sanneh operates his own soccer camp system in the Midwest and U.S. Virgin Islands. He also is a coach and consultant for the club soccer team Minneapolis United. In addition to overseeing youth development, Tony also runs his own charitable foundation headquartered in St. Paul which, among other initiatives, aims to help urban youth and also assists in recovery efforts in Haiti.External links
- Interview with Tony Sanneh
- http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/players/active/index.html?player_id=117
- MLS Stats (Surname S)
- Sanneh Soccer