Diego Walsh

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Personal information
Diego Walsh
Full name	Diego Costa Bastos Walsh
Date of birth	December 8, 1979 (1979-12-08) (age 28)
Place of birth	Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
Height	1.83 m (6 ft 0 in)
Playing position	Central Midfielder
Club information
Current club	Adelaide United
Number	22
Youth clubs
1999-2002	Southern Methodist University
Senior clubs¹
Years	Club	App (Gls)*
2003 2004-2005 2006 2006 2006-present	Columbus Crew Kansas City Wizards Real Salt Lake Miami FC Adelaide United	14 (1) 16 (0) 00 (0) 22 (5) 18 (1)
¹ Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 18 December 2007. * Appearances (Goals)

Diego Walsh (born December 8, 1979 in Santos, São Paulo) is a Brazilian-American soccer player who plays as a center midfielder for Adelaide United of the A-League in Australia.

[edit] Club career

Diego played his club soccer for Miami Strike Force. Diego was part of a talented team which won 5 consecutive state championships, 2 regional championships, and finished second in the National Championship. Diego played four years of college soccer for Southern Methodist University, from 1999 to 2002. In both his junior and senior years, Diego was a NSCAA first team All-American. He is also currently SMU's all-time leader in assists, with 39, and ranks fifth in goals, also with 39.

Upon graduating, Diego was drafted 7th overall in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft by the Columbus Crew. Walsh did not garner much time with the Crew, however, being stuck behind emerging American playmaker Kyle Martino, and was traded at the end of the season to the Kansas City Wizards. Although Diego started the season with a starting role in the Wizards' offense because of an injury to Preki, his season declined from there on.

Diego was released by Kansas City Wizards during the 2005 season. After a brief stint with Real Salt Lake in the 2006 pre-season, he was released again. He played for Miami FC along with Brazilian superstar Romario where they both helped the team make it to the USL playoffs in its first year in the league.

In a visionary move orchestrated by Club Chairman Dario Fontanarosa and Director Mel Patzwald, Diego joined Adelaide United in the Australian A-League during the 2006/2007 seasonafter impressing during the two Miami FC friendlies in Adelaide which also netted United former World Player of the Year Romario. He debuted impressively against Sydney FC on 14 January 2007 with an assist to compatriate Fernando for an 88th minute winner. During his second season with Adelaide, he established himself as an excellent defensive and central midfielder, not only for Adelaide but in the whole A-League and is regarded by his team-mates as the outstanding player of the 2008 Asian Champions League campaign.

[edit] A-League career statistics

(Correct as of 26 January 2008)

Club	Season	League			Finals			Asia			Total
Club	Season	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists	Apps	Goals	Assists
Adelaide United	2006–07	2	0	0	4	0	0	2	0	0	8	0	0
Adelaide United	2007–08	14	1	1	-	-	-	3	3	-	17	4	1
Total											22	1	1