Kirk Urso
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Kirk Jon Urso | ||
| Date of birth | March 6, 1990 | ||
| Place of birth | Downers Grove, Illinois, United States | ||
| Date of death | August 5, 2012 (aged 22) | ||
| Place of death | Columbus, Ohio, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m) | ||
| Playing position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2005–2007 | IMG Soccer Academy | ||
| 2008–2011 | North Carolina Tar Heels | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2008–2009 | Carolina Dynamo | 25 | (4) |
| 2010 | Chicago Fire Premier | 16 | (5) |
| 2012 | Columbus Crew | 6 | (0) |
| Total | 47 | (9) | |
| National team | |||
| 2007 | United States U17 | 2 | (1) |
| * Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (Goals). | |||
Kirk Jon Urso (March 6, 1990 – August 5, 2012) was an American soccer player. He played for Carolina Dynamo, Chicago Fire Premier, and Columbus Crew, and also represented the United States under-17s. He died at the age of 22 at the Ohio Health – Grant Medical Center.[1]
Early Life
Kirk Jon Urso was born on March 6, 1990 in Downers Grove, Illinois, the younger of Michael and Sandra (née Ceponis) Urso's two children. He had one older brother, Kyle, who played soccer at the University of New Hampshire.
Career
College and amateur
Urso played college soccer at the University of North Carolina. He was a 2011 NSCAA All-South Region First Team selection. While at Carolina, he started 80 of the 91 matches (the most in school history) in which he appeared, tallying 15 goals and 24 assists. He scored in each quarter final of the College Cup as a Freshman, Sophomore and Junior, and as a Senior, captained the Tar Heels to a 2011 NCAA Men’s College Cup final 1–0 victory over Charlotte and was named to the All-Tournament Team. While in college, Urso spent a semester in Europe training with both Bolton Wanderers and Borussia Dortmund.[2]
Professional
The Columbus Crew selected Urso the first round (No. 10 overall) of the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft and signed him on March 1, 2012. He joined college teammate Ben Speas with the Crew and made his first appearance during the season opener in Colorado, playing a full 90 minutes.
He missed May 2012 after sustaining a groin injury.[3]
International
Urso played for the United States in the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2007. He scored the winning goal in the US vs Belgium game, allowing the US to move on in their group.[4] He also represented USA at the U-20 level.
Death
On the morning of August 5, 2012, Urso collapsed and fell unconscious at a downtown Columbus establishment and was carried outside. He was taken to a nearby hospital when found by police who happened to be in the area for an unrelated call, where he suffered cardiac arrest. He was pronounced dead at 1:50 AM local time, after several attempts at resuscitation. He was 22 years old.
Autopsy results revealed Urso died from arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy. [5]
References
- ↑ "Columbus Crew mourn passing of midfielder Kirk Urso". mlssoccer.com. August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.football-x.com/2012/08/columbus-crew-player-dies-aged-22/
- ↑ Jardy, Adam (May 10, 2012). "Urso Sidelined For A Month". Columbus Dispatch. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
- ↑ "Columbus Crew says midfielder Kirk Urso, who won an NCAA title with UNC, has died". Washington Post. August 5, 2012. Retrieved August 5, 2012.
- ↑ http://www.thenewstribune.com/2012/09/21/2305484/coroner-mls-player-died-of-genetic.html