Said Ali

Said Ali (born October 26, 1980)[1] is a Jordanian-born Canadian former soccer player who began his career in 2004 with Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Pro Select League.[2] After a successful season in the USL Pro Select League he managed to play in the USL First Division with the Vancouver Whitecaps, and the Toronto Lynx. He would later conclude his career in the Canadian Soccer League with the Serbian White Eagles, and Hamilton Croatia.

Said Ali
Personal information
Full name Said Ali
Date of birth (1980-08-26) August 26, 1980
Place of birth Jordan
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Striker
Youth career
2002–2003 Robert Morris Colonials
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2004 Pittsburgh Riverhounds 18 (15)
2005 Vancouver Whitecaps FC 5 (0)
2005 Toronto Lynx 15 (0)
2008 Serbian White Eagles
2010 Hamilton Croatia 13 (1)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Playing career

College soccer

Ali began playing soccer at the college level in 2002 while attending Robert Morris University.[3] In his first season with Robert Morris he was named to the All-Northeast Conference first team after contributing 11 goals and 3 assists. The following season he netted in 13 goals and recorded four assists, and for the second consecutive year was named to the All-Northeast Conference first team.[3]

Professional career

In 2004, he transitioned to the professional realm after signing with Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Pro Soccer League.[4] Where in his rookie season he finished as the team's top goalscorer with 15 goals, and finished second in league scoring.[5][6] He helped Pittsburgh win their first Conference title, but were eliminated in the semifinals by the Charlotte Eagles. Once the season came to a conclusion Ali was named the USL Pro Soccer League Rookie of the Year, and throughout the season he was also named to the PSL Team of the Week eight times including Player of the Week once.[7] On February 8, 2005 the Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced the signing of Ali to a one-year deal with an option.[8] Throughout the season he made minimal appearances, and as a result was traded midway through the season to the Toronto Lynx in return for Josue Mayard.[9]

During his tenure in Toronto he featured in 15 matches, and recorded an assist.[10] In 2008, he featured in the Canadian Soccer League with the Serbian White Eagles FC.[11] He contributed by assisting the White Eagles in claiming their first CSL Championship by defeating the Trois-Rivières Attak 2-1 on penalties.[12] In 2010, he played with Hamilton Croatia, and made his debut for the club on May 15, 2010 in a match against TFC Academy.[13] He recorded his first goal for the club on June 25, 2010 in 6-1 victory over St. Catharines Wolves.[14]

Personal life

Ali was born in Jordan, and played with the Jordan national under-16 football team from 1994 till 1995.[3] He immigrated to Canada in 1996 where he settled in Hamilton, Ontario, and became a citizen in 1998.[3][15]

Honors

Player
Serbian White Eagles
2008

References
  1. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". web.archive.org. 2005-11-09. Archived from the original on November 9, 2005. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  2. "RMU Men's Soccer Player Said Ali Selected in Second Round of MISL Amateur Draft". Northeast Conference. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  3. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". web.archive.org. 2005-11-27. Archived from the original on November 27, 2005. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  4. "Prol Soccer League - Pittsburgh Riverhounds". web.archive.org. 2004-12-31. Archived from the original on December 31, 2004. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  5. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". web.archive.org. 2005-01-03. Archived from the original on January 3, 2005. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  6. "Said Ali | SoccerStats.us". soccerstats.us. Retrieved 2018-05-27.
  7. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". web.archive.org. 2005-01-11. Archived from the original on January 11, 2005. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  8. Whitecaps Sign USL Pro Soccer League Rookie of the Year Archived 2011-06-05 at the Wayback Machine
  9. LYNX CONTINUE SEARCH FOR VICTORY!
  10. "United Soccer Leagues (USL)". web.archive.org. 2005-11-25. Archived from the original on November 25, 2005. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  11. Glover, Robin. "October 11, 2008 CSL Quarterfinal Serbian White Eagles vs North York Astros". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
  12. Glover, Robin. "October 26, 2008 CSL Final Trois-Rivieres Attak vs Serbian White Eagles (by Rocket Robin)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  13. Moko, Larry (May 12, 2010). "Set to tackle CSL season; Hamilton Croatia new to league". The Hamilton Spectator. p. 11.
  14. "June 25, 2010 CSL--summary of Friday games (from CSL website)". www.rocketrobinsoccerintoronto.com. Retrieved 2016-01-17.
  15. "2005 TORONTO LYNX ROSTER". web.archive.org. Archived from the original on October 29, 2005. Retrieved 2019-07-05.
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