Ethiopia: Young Dire native’s first MLS goal a “great debut”
Jimma Times
Dire Dawa born 16 years-old Abdus Ibrahim from Ethiopia did not need to wait for his second game to score a goal. After just joining his team Toronto FC last month, Abdus scored the only goal for his team in the 62nd minute of his first game played.
The opponent, the Major League Soccer (MLS) Chicago FC, was a tough match up for Abdus’s team and they eventually lost the game 2-1. But Abdus’s incredible goal left a lasting impression on observers and fans, as well as on coaches who have been reluctant to risk giving the young star long playing time.
Abdus, who also goes with the name Abdusalem, was the second youngest player ever to be selected by MLS, the premier men’s professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. He was originally drafted 14th overall to professional soccer by FC Dallas. Previously, he was a member of the United States U-20 men’s national team and America’s U-17 FIFA World Cup team in 2007.
After being inserted into the game during the second half and playing at the forward position this week, Abdus almost scored his second goal at the 79th minute using a hesitation move to freeze the tight defense before settling for a long range strike that nearly went in. A second goal would have allowed his team to end up tied with Chicago.
Abdus also made an incredible defensive play at the 86th minute, making a clean tackle from the back of Chicago’s defender only a couple of meters away from the opposition’s penalty area. He was quickly tackled by Chicago’s defenders but couldn’t produce a penalty kick, missing the box by a few centimeters. Despite the young player’s effort, his team was mostly dominated by the opposition side through out the game, mainly due to the “horrendous defending,” according to Coach John Carver. The Coach said Abdus had a “great debut, great goal” however his remarkable performance is unlikely to translate to more minutes, as Abdus has yet to start a game for Toronto FC.
RELATED LINKS
- UPDATE: Dozens of bodies found, Names of Ethiopians Aboard
- Ethiopia: OLF says defections will not affect struggle
- Oromo nationalists are "like a chick that had not broken out of its shell" says Dr Negasso
- Poll: Which is most likely to happen in Ethiopia in 2010?
- Oromo opposition candidates and Tigray farmers arrested in Ethiopia
- (UPDATE) Diplomat says racist comments won't affect Ethio-US relations
- Ethiopia's Ogaden and Oromo dissidents demonstrate against Meles in Copenhagen
- Oromo Ethiopian man reportedly killed in Minnesota
- Eritrea to start another war with Ethiopia?
- Ethiopia Remains a Police State under Meles Zenawi - FPIF
- UPDATE: Dozens of bodies found, Names of Ethiopians Aboard
- Ethiopia: OLF says defections will not affect struggle
- Oromo nationalists are "like a chick that had not broken out of its shell" says Dr Negasso
- Poll: Which is most likely to happen in Ethiopia in 2010?
- Oromo opposition candidates and Tigray farmers arrested in Ethiopia
- (UPDATE) Diplomat says racist comments won't affect Ethio-US relations
- Ethiopia's Ogaden and Oromo dissidents demonstrate against Meles in Copenhagen
- Oromo Ethiopian man reportedly killed in Minnesota
- Eritrea to start another war with Ethiopia?
- Ethiopia Remains a Police State under Meles Zenawi - FPIF
- Ethiopia: OLF says defections will not affect struggle
- Oromo nationalists are "like a chick that had not broken out of its shell" says Dr Negasso
- (UPDATE) Diplomat says racist comments won't affect Ethio-US relations
- Eritrea to start another war with Ethiopia?
- UPDATE: Dozens of bodies found, Names of Ethiopians Aboard
- OLF says killed 6 Govt troops in Ethiopia
- Poll: Which is most likely to happen in Ethiopia in 2010?
- Over 100 OLF rebels from Kenya surrender
- People of Ethiopia boycotting 2010 election - eyewitness Report
- Ethiopia's Ogaden and Oromo dissidents demonstrate against Meles in Copenhagen
- Back to Africa: A new Haitian homeland?
- Report: OLF Oromo rebellion "on last legs"
- Nigerian Ex-President gets 20,000sqm of land in Oromia
- Distressed Meles insults US Ambassador over Tigrayan hegemony in Ethiopia
- Ethiopia Remains a Police State under Meles Zenawi - FPIF
- Oromo Ethiopian man reportedly killed in Minnesota
- Ethiopia: Meles says he will retire in 2015 "for sure"
- Oromo opposition candidates and Tigray farmers arrested in Ethiopia
- International Actors Factors in Thwarting Ethiopian National Elections
- Ethiopian plane shot down by Hizbullah terrorists?
