Kyle Nakazawa
Encyclopedia
Kyle Nakazawa is an American
soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer
.
, and attended Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
from 2002 to 2003, before moving to the Edison Academic Center from 2003-2005 where he was a part of the U.S. U-17 residency program. Nakazawa played college soccer
at UCLA from 2006 to 2009; he was named to the 2006 Soccer America and Top Drawer Soccer All-Freshman first teams and College Soccer News' All-Freshman second team, was a 2007 Second-team All-Pac-10 selection and UCLA Bruins MVP, and was a 2009 First-team NSCAA All-American, an All-Far West selection, a First-team All-Pac-10 selection, and a Pac-10 All-Academic honoree. He played club soccer for Irvine Strikers.
During his college years he also appeared for both the San Fernando Valley Quakes
and the Los Angeles Legends in the USL Premier Development League
.
by Philadelphia Union. Known for providing a steady presence in the midfield and excellent service balls, he made his professional debut on May 1, 2010, in a match at Los Angeles Galaxy
. Nakazawa made his first professional start on May 8, 2010 at Real Salt Lake
, and he scored his first professional goal on May 28, 2011, in the Union's 6-2 victory over Toronto FC
.
alongside several of his UCLA Bruins
teammates.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
soccer player who currently plays for Philadelphia Union in Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
College and Amateur
Nakazawa grew up in Rancho Palos Verdes, CaliforniaRancho Palos Verdes, California
Rancho Palos Verdes is a city in Los Angeles County, California that was incorporated on September 7, 1973. The population was 41,643 at the 2010 census...
, and attended Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School
Palos Verdes Peninsula High School is one of three public high schools on the Palos Verdes Peninsula...
from 2002 to 2003, before moving to the Edison Academic Center from 2003-2005 where he was a part of the U.S. U-17 residency program. Nakazawa played college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
at UCLA from 2006 to 2009; he was named to the 2006 Soccer America and Top Drawer Soccer All-Freshman first teams and College Soccer News' All-Freshman second team, was a 2007 Second-team All-Pac-10 selection and UCLA Bruins MVP, and was a 2009 First-team NSCAA All-American, an All-Far West selection, a First-team All-Pac-10 selection, and a Pac-10 All-Academic honoree. He played club soccer for Irvine Strikers.
During his college years he also appeared for both the San Fernando Valley Quakes
San Fernando Valley Quakes
San Fernando Valley Quakes was an American soccer team based in Calabasas, California, United States. Founded in 2006, the team played in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, until 2008, when the franchise folded and the team left the league.The team...
and the Los Angeles Legends in the USL Premier Development League
USL Premier Development League
The USL Premier Development League is the amateur league of the United Soccer Leagues in the United States, Canada, and Bermuda, forming part of the American Soccer Pyramid...
.
Professional
Nakazawa was drafted in the third round (33rd overall) of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft2010 MLS SuperDraft
The 2010 MLS SuperDraft was the eleventh annual SuperDraft presented by Major League Soccer. It was held on January 14, 2010 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the 2010 NSCAA Convention. The 2010 SuperDraft consisted of four rounds with sixteen selections each, for a total of 64 players...
by Philadelphia Union. Known for providing a steady presence in the midfield and excellent service balls, he made his professional debut on May 1, 2010, in a match at Los Angeles Galaxy
Los Angeles Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional soccer team, based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California, which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, and the league's second...
. Nakazawa made his first professional start on May 8, 2010 at Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake is an American professional soccer club based in Sandy, Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City. The team competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. They currently play their home games at Rio Tinto Stadium. Real Salt Lake won...
, and he scored his first professional goal on May 28, 2011, in the Union's 6-2 victory over Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
.
International
Nakazawa was present at the 2005 FIFA U-17 World Cup at Peru, scoring 2 goals.Personal
Nakazawa has also dabbled in acting, and he was featured in JoJo’s music video for her 2006 hit song, Too Little Too LateToo Little Too Late
"Too Little Too Late" is a song written by Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander, and Ruth-Anne Cunningham for JoJo's second studio album The High Road. It was co-produced by Alexander, Vincent Herbert, and Billy Steinberg. "Too Little Too Late" was released as the album's first single in North America...
alongside several of his UCLA Bruins
UCLA Bruins
The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California, Los Angeles . The Bruin men's and women's teams participate in NCAA Division I as part of the Pacific-12 Conference and the Mountain Pacific Sports Federation . For football, they are in the Football Bowl Subdivision of Division I...
teammates.