By: Greg Goldstein – Maryland Media Relations Student Assistant
COLLEGE PARK, Md.- The Maryland men's soccer program hosted an abundance of soccer alumni this weekend for its annual golf outing and soccer match. With many former Terps on campus, umterps.com also wanted to catch up with alumni who were unable to attend Alumni Weekend as they are representing Maryland in the professional ranks.
On U.S. soil, Maryland boasts 18 players on MLS rosters, with many others currently playing in USL Pro. Former Maryland greats like Omar Gonzalez and Graham Zusi have also played in the most recent World Cup this past summer. Each started on the World's biggest soccer stage and played big roles in the USMNT advancing past the group of death.
Zusi and Gonzalez also play key parts on two of the most prestigious franchises in the MLS. Zusi starts for the 2013 MLS Cup champion Sporting Kansas City and Omar Gonzalez suits up for the defending MLS Cup champion LA Galaxy. Both players were also selected to play in the MLS All Star game last season as well. Gonzalez is coming off a season in which he scored four goals and this season he currently leads the Galaxy with two assists, starting in all six games he has appeared in. Zusi had a spectacular 2014 MLS season finishing the year with eight assists and he has already started in five games for the 2015 MLS season.
Other Maryland graduates who are playing in the MLS are Philadelphia Union stalwarts Maurice Edu and Ethan White. Both players have been in the starting lineup for the team this season. Edu is coming off a year in which he had three goals and started in 31 games.
Maryland has also produced FC Dallas's starting goalkeeper Chris Seitz. For the 2015 season, Seitz has racked up a total of 17 saves after coming off of a 44-save season last year. Seitz also has collected four wins in 2015, helping FC Dallas get off to a hot start as they sit in second place in the Western Conference about a month and a half into the season.
Maryland also is represented on one of MLS's newer teams, New York City FC. Former Terp Patrick Mullins was selected fourth in the MLS expansion draft by NYFC and has impressed early on by scoring as a sub in the team's second game in franchise history. Mullins is one of four players to score a goal in NYFC's inaugural season.
DC United is home to former Terrapin defender Taylor Kemp, who has stayed close to College Park for a third straight year following graduation. Kemp started 12 games last season, scoring one goal. He has kicked off the 2015 season by appearing in five games and collecting one assist.
The Portland Timbers also have two former Maryland greats on their roster - 17th overall pick in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft Schillo Tshuma and 2008 national champion Rodney Wallace. Wallace is coming off a very solid 2014 season in which he scored five goals. This season, Wallace has started in six games for the Timbers, helping them win two out of their last three games this year.
Numerous other Maryland graduates are represented across the MLS. Along with Gonzalez, former Maryland stars Robbie Rogers and AJ DeLaGarza play important roles for the defending MLS champion LA Galaxy. The Colorado Rapids are also home to Marc Burch, who has started three games, and goalkeeper Zac MacMath, who moved out West this season.
The 2014 MLS Cup runner-up New England Revolution have midfielder Jeremy Hall and defender London Woodberry on their active roster. Defender Clarence Goodson is suiting up for the San Jose Earthquake and has appeared in five games this season.
The latest Terp to play internationally is Zack Steffen, who plays for SC Freiburg in Germany. Steffen recently kept the clean sheet after starting for the US U-20s in a 2-2 draw against Qatar's U-20s.
