Mason Trafford

Mason Trafford

Personal information
Full name	Mason Trafford
Date of birth	(1986-08-21) August 21, 1986
Place of birth	Boynton Beach, Florida, United States
Height	6 ft 2 in (1.88 m)
Playing position	Defender
Youth career
2004–2007	UNLV Rebels
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps†	(Gls)†
2008	Whitecaps Residency	4	(0)
2008–2009	Vancouver Whitecaps	37	(0)
2010	Real Maryland Monarchs	20	(2)
2010–2012	IFK Mariehamn	65	(2)
2013	Guizhou Zhicheng	29	(0)
National team‡
2013–	Canada	1	(0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of September 3, 2012. † Appearances (Goals). ‡ National team caps and goals correct as of January 26, 2013

Mason Trafford (born August 21, 1986) is an American-born Canadian soccer player who currently plays for Guizhou Zhicheng in the Chinese League One.

Career

Youth and Amateur

Born in Boynton Beach, Florida, Trafford grew up in North Vancouver, British Columbia, attended Handsworth Secondary School, and played club soccer for the North Shore Selects. Trafford honed his skills under the eye of soccer coach Roman Tulis, and played for 2 years on the British Columbia provincial team, before going on to play four years of college soccer at University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He was team captain in his final year with the Rebels, and in addition to soccer he maintained top marks at school, graduating with a Bachelor of Science/Accounting degree.

Professional

Trafford signed a one-year contract with the Vancouver Whitecaps in June 2008, after finishing his fall semester at UNLV.^[1] He went on to play 14 games in the USL First Division in 2008, and was re-signed by the Whitecaps on December 3, 2008 for the 2009 season.^[2] Trafford played 23 games in 2009 as the team again reached the USL Championship game, eventually losing out to the Montreal Impact. Trafford played a variety of roles for the Vancouver Whitecaps. In an effort to develop at one position, he signed with Real Maryland Monarchs under coach Anthony Hudson to be the club's left sided central defender. Trafford would go on to score two goals and played every minute during the club's 2010 campaign that ended in August 2010, allowing him to transition to a European club.

On August 29, 2010, after impressing on trial, Trafford signed a 6 month contract with a 2 year option with Finnish club IFK Mariehamn.^[3] IFK Mariehamn picked up the option after Trafford played all seven matches to conclude the 2010 season. Mason would go on to play every match available throughout his IFK Mariehamn career.

Traffored rejected a new contract with IFK Mariehamn in order to test the free agency market. Trafford considered offers from Sweden, Finland and North America and participated in his first Canadian National Team Camp in Phoenix, Arizona and Houston, Texas with friendlies against Denmark and the United States. Immediately after, he went on trial with the Seattle Sounders for a week but could not play in a friendly match against the Portland Timbers due to having food poisoning the night prior, along with several other teammates. He then elected to go on trial in China where he was once again successful. On February 23, 2013, Trafford signed with China League One club Guizhou Zhicheng for 1 year as one of the club's three international players.^[4]

International career

On January 18, 2013, Trafford received his first call up by the Canadian national team for friendlies against Denmark and United States^[5] He made his senior team debut on January 26 in a friendly against Denmark as a second half sub for Tosaint Ricketts, the game ended as a 4-0 defeat.^[6]

Honors

Vancouver Whitecaps

• USL First Division Championship (1): 2008

References

External links

• Vancouver Whitecaps bio