Edward Opoku

Edward Opoku
Opoku at a Columbus Crew SC Meet the Team event in 2018
Personal information
Full name Edward Opoku Yeboah Alexander
Date of birth (1996-08-01) 1 August 1996
Place of birth Konongo, Ashanti, Ghana
Height 1.70 m (5 ft 7 in)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Columbus Crew SC
Number 27
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015–2017 Virginia Cavaliers 56 (16)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2016–2017 AC Connecticut 8 (1)
2018– Columbus Crew SC 4 (0)
2018 → Saint Louis FC (loan) 2 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 19 August 2018

Edward Opoku Yeboah Alexander (born 1 August 1996) is a Ghanaian professional footballer who plays for MLS club Columbus Crew SC as a forward.

Youth and college

Born in Konongo, Ghana, Opoku was a product of the Right to Dream Academy and came to the United States at age 15 through the academy. He lived in Millbrook, New York and attended the Millbrook School, where he set school records with 85 goals and 115 points over his four years.[1] He helped Millbrook to two NEPSAC Class C state titles, was a Western New England Prep School All-Select honoree all four years in high school, and was named as the MVP of the 2014 High School All-American Game.[2] He was ranked as the ninth-best player in the high school class of 2015 by College Soccer News.[3]

Opoku saw the field immediately after arriving at Virginia, starting 15 of the 18 games he appeared in as a freshman. He scored his first collegiate goal on 5 October 2015, in a victory over Portland.[1] Although he tallied just two goals in his 18 appearances, Opoku finished the season by being named Third Team All-ACC and to the ACC All-Freshman Team.[4] He was one of just two freshmen to be named to an All-ACC team, the other being Jack Harrison. As a sophomore, Opoku found his stride, netting six goals in 18 appearances. Five of those six goals were game-winners, a mark that ranked 13th nationally and second in the conference.[1] His only goal that was not a game-winner came on October 28 against James Madison, but was accompanied by an assist for the first multi-point game of Opoku's collegiate career. He was named to the All-ACC Second Team at the end of the season.[5] Opoku's best collegiate season came as a junior, as he notched eight goals in a career-high 20 appearances. His season was highlighted by a golden goal to defeat Portland on 2 October,[6] the eighth game-winning goal of his career. Opoku was named to the All-ACC Second Team at the end of the season,[7] his third consecutive all-conference nod. He finished his three seasons at Virginia with 16 goals in 56 appearances for the Cavaliers.

AC Connecticut

Following his freshman season at Virginia, Opoku joined AC Connecticut in the PDL. He made his debut for the club on 28 May 2016 in a 2–2 draw against Westchester Flames.[8] Opoku appeared four times for AC Connecticut over the course of the season as the club finished in sixth place in the Northeast Division.

Opoku returned to AC Connecticut for the 2017 PDL season, after his sophomore year at Virginia. He made his season debut on 19 May in a 2–0 defeat against Western Mass Pioneers, then scored his first goal for the club two days later in a 2–1 defeat against Seacoast United Phantoms.[8] Opoku finished the season having appeared four times with one goal for AC Connecticut, and he ended his two seasons with the club having played eight times and scored once.

Club career

Columbus Crew SC

Ahead of the 2018 MLS Combine, Opoku signed a Generation Adidas contract with the league, making him the seventh member of the Generation Adidas class.[9] On 19 January 2018, Opoku was selected by Columbus Crew SC with the 32nd overall pick of the 2018 MLS SuperDraft.[10] He was the first Generation adidas player drafted by Columbus since Dilly Duka in 2010.

Loan to Saint Louis FC

In a bid to find playing time, Opoku was loaned to Saint Louis FC of the USL on 27 April 2018. The loan move was on a match-by-match basis, with Columbus able to recall him at any point during the season.[11] Just one day later, Opoku made his professional debut; he replaced Joey Calistri in the 78th minute against Swope Park Rangers, helping Saint Louis earn a 1–1 draw.[12] However, he only played one more time for Saint Louis, as Columbus terminated the loan spell and brought him back to Ohio on 18 May.[13] Opoku appeared twice in the short time he spent with the club.

Career statistics

As of 19 August 2018[14][15]
Club Season League Playoffs Cup Continental Total
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
AC Connecticut 2016 PDL 40–––40
2017 41–––41
Total 8100000081
Columbus Crew SC 2018 MLS 400010–50
Saint Louis FC (loan) 2018 USL 200000–20
Career total 141001000151

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Edward Opoku bio - Virginia Men's Soccer". VirginiaSports.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  2. ↑ "Where Are They Now: Atuahene, Opoku, Harrison, Twumasi". PrepSportsReport.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "Recruiting - Class of 2015 (High School Seniors)". CollegeSoccerNews.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  4. ↑ "2015 ALL-ACC MEN'S SOCCER TEAMS ANNOUNCED". TheACC.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  5. ↑ "ACC Announces 2016 Men's Soccer Awards". TheACC.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  6. ↑ "Opoku's Golden Goal Completes Comeback Win Over Portland". VirginiaSports.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  7. ↑ "Six Cavaliers Recognized on All-ACC Teams". VirginiaSports.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  8. 1 2 "AC Connecticut Roster - Edward Opoku". USLPDL.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  9. ↑ "Edward Opoku added to Generation adidas class". MLSSoccer.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  10. ↑ "Columbus Crew SC select midfielder Edward Opoku with the 32nd overall pick". MassiveReport.com. Retrieved 10 February 2018.
  11. ↑ "Opoku loaned to Saint Louis FC". ColumbusCrewSC.com. Retrieved 27 April 2018.
  12. ↑ "Swope Park Rangers 1–1 Saint Louis FC". USLSoccer.com. Retrieved 28 April 2018.
  13. ↑ @AEricksonCD (18 May 2018). "Berhalter said team is trying to find him a new USL loan assignment. Consistent game time is the goal. #CrewSC" (Tweet) – via Twitter.
  14. ↑ Edward Opoku at Soccerway
  15. ↑ Edward Opoku at Major League Soccer
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