Chioma Ubogagu

Chioma Ubogagu

Ubogagu playing for Arsenal in 2015
Personal information
Full name Chioma Grace Ubogagu
Date of birth (1992-09-10) September 10, 1992
Place of birth London, England
Height 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)
Playing position Forward
Club information
Current team
 Orlando Pride
Number 6
Youth career
2007–2010 Coppell HS
2013–2014 Pali Blues
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011–2014 Stanford Cardinal
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2015 Arsenal Ladies 14 (6)
2016 Houston Dash 15 (1)
2017– Orlando Pride 0 (0)
National team‡
2008–2011 United States U-18
2012 United States U-20
2014–2015 United States U-23
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of September 9, 2016.
‡ National team caps and goals correct as of July 25, 2015

Chioma Grace Ubogagu[1] (born September 10, 1992) is a British-born American soccer forward who currently plays for Orlando Pride of National Women's Soccer League, and most recently played for Houston Dash, and the United States U-23 women's national team. Ubagagu played her collegiate soccer for Stanford University, and represented the United States Under-20 team and won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup.

Early life and career

Ubogagu was born in London, where her parents, mother Tina a nurse and father Aloy a social worker, had moved from Nigeria seeking job opportunities.[2] At age 3, her parents divorced and she moved with her mother and older brother to Coppell, Texas a suburb in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex.[3]

Ubogagu led her club team, D'Feeters, to two Texas-North State Cup titles, a U.S. Youth Soccer Association Region II championship and a 2010 third-place U-17 national finish, and led Coppell High School to the 2009 Texas 5A state title. She was also named 2010 Gatorade Texas Player of the Year, all-America three times by ESPN RISE and twice each by the NSCAA and Parade. In addition, she was all All-Area selection by Dallas Morning News, all four years of her high school career.[4]

Ubogagu came to Stanford as the #3-ranked recruit in the nation by Top Drawer Soccer. During her freshman year, she won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2011 and helped the Cardinal win their first Women's College Cup, making the all-tournament team in the process.[3] Stanford returned to the final in 2012 and to the semifinal in 2014.[5] She finished her college career with 27 goals in 89 total appearances, made the All-Pac-12 team all four seasons, earning first-team honors in 2012 and 2014.[4]

Clubs

Arsenal Ladies

In January 2015, National Women's Soccer League's Sky Blue FC selected Ubogagu with the 28th pick of the 2015 NWSL College Draft,[6] although coach Jim Gabarra acknowledged she was in negotiations with an FA WSL club.[7] In February 2015, Ubogagu signed with Arsenal, the club she'd supported as a child, and her British birth made it easier for her to acquire a United Kingdom work permit.[7]

Ubogagu made her professional debut on April 3, 2015, scoring a goal in a 1–1 draw against Notts County.[8]

Houston Dash

Arsenal released Ubogagu having reached the end of her contract in November 2015. She finished her season with seven goals in 21 appearances.[9] Subsequently, the Houston Dash acquired the rights to Ubogagu from the Sky Blue FC in exchange for picks in the 2016 and 2017 college drafts. The trade gave the Dash an opportunity to sign her before the start of the NWSL season in March 2016.[10]

Ubogagu was named NWSL Player of the Week in week 4 of the 2016 season for her one goal and one assist performance to lead Houston to a 2–1 victory over FC Kansas City[11]

International career

Ubogagu has represented the United States at youth levels, including U-18, U-20, and U-23 teams. With the U-20, she won the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup, appearing in all six games and scoring once, and the 2012 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship, where she scored the winning goal in the final, and scored six goals in a stretch of eight games at one point in 2012.[4]

Because of her parents and her place of birth, Ubogagu is eligible to represent Nigeria, England, or the United States at the senior level.[3]

Personal life

Her grandfather Austin Eneuke played for former Nigeria and Tottenham Hotspur.[3] She became an Arsenal fan watching the North London derby, despite her father urging her to support Tottenham.[3]

Her name Chioma means "Good God" in the Igbo language, spoken primarily by the Igbo people in southeastern Nigeria.[2]

References

  1. ↑ "FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup Japan 2012 List of Players: USA" (PDF). FIFA. September 14, 2012. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Just Call Her Chee". US Soccer. September 2, 2012. Retrieved July 25, 2015.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Kiefer, David (September 18, 2014). "Stanford's Chioma Ubogagu chases one more shot on soccer journey".
  4. 1 2 3 "Chioma Ubogagu". Stanford University. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  5. ↑ Radoff, Nicholas (December 7, 2014). "Women’s soccer season ends in semis of College Cup". Stanford Daily. Retrieved July 27, 2015.
  6. ↑ "SKY BLUE FC SELECTS SIX PLAYERS IN 2015 NWSL COLLEGE DRAFT" (Press release). Sky Blue FC. January 16, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  7. 1 2 "Sky Blue draft pick Ubogagu signs for Arsenal". The Equalizer. February 12, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Ubogagu spoils the party for Notts County with a debut goal". April 3, 2015. Retrieved July 24, 2015.
  9. ↑ "Chioma Ubogagu to leave Ladies". Arsenal Football Club. November 20, 2015. Retrieved December 1, 2015.
  10. ↑ "Houston Dash acquire rights to forward Chioma Ubogagu". Houston Dash. November 25, 2015. Retrieved November 28, 2015. The Houston Dash have acquired the rights to forward Chioma Ubogagu (pronounced: chee-OH-ma ah-bo-GA-gu) from Sky Blue FC in exchange for the club’s fourth-round pick (No. 36 overall) in the 2016 NWSL College Draft and natural third-round pick in the 2017 NWSL College Draft.
  11. ↑ "HOUSTON DASH'S CHIOMA UBOGAGU VOTED PLAYER OF THE WEEK". NWSL. May 10, 2016. Retrieved May 10, 2016.
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