Graham_Smith_(soccer,_born_1995)
Graham Smith (soccer, born 1995)
American soccer player
Graham Smith (born November 25, 1995) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Charleston Battery in the USL Championship.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Graham Smith | ||
| Date of birth | (1995-11-25) November 25, 1995 (age 28) | ||
| Place of birth | Highlands Ranch, Colorado, United States | ||
| Height | 1.90 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defender, Defensive midfielder | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Charleston Battery | ||
| Number | 16 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| Real Colorado | |||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2014–2015 | Oregon State Beavers | 38 | (0) |
| 2016–2017 | Denver Pioneers | 42 | (6) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2017 | Colorado Rapids U-23 | 6 | (2) |
| 2018–2021 | Sporting Kansas City | 17 | (1) |
| 2018–2021 | Sporting Kansas City II | 64 | (0) |
| 2022–2023 | Memphis 901 | 61 | (5) |
| 2024– | Charleston Battery | 4 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of April 3, 2024 | |||
Smith grew up in Colorado where he played soccer while attending Mountain Vista High School.[1] He played two years of college soccer at Oregon State University between 2014 and 2015, before transferring to the University of Denver in 2016.[2]
Smith appeared for Premier Development League side Colorado Rapids U-23 in 2017.[3]
On January 19, 2018, Smith was drafted in the first-round (18th overall) during the 2018 MLS SuperDraft by Sporting Kansas City.[4] Smith signed with Sporting KC on February 15, 2018.[5]
Smith made his professional debut with Kansas City's United Soccer League affiliate Swope Park Rangers, on March 17, 2018, where Swope Park Rangers finished 4–3 winners against Reno 1868.[6]
Smith made his Major League Soccer debut with Sporting Kansas City on June 23, 2018, where he started in a 3–2 victory over Houston Dynamo. Smith made two appearances in his first season with SKC, before seeing an expanded role in 2019. Smith logged his first MLS goal on August 17, 2019, in a 2–1 victory at home against San Jose Earthquakes.[7] He would also log his first MLS assist on the lone goal in a 1–0 victory over Houston Dynamo on August 31, 2019.[8] He finished the season with ten starts in eleven total appearances, including a pair of clean sheets.
Following the 2021 season, Smith's contract with Kansas City expired.[9]
On February 18, 2022, Smith signed with USL Championship side Memphis 901 ahead of their upcoming 2022 season.[10] He left Memphis following the 2023 season.[11] He subsequently joined Charleston Battery ahead of their 2024 season on a multi-year deal.[12]
Individual
- USL Championship All League Second Team: 2022[13]
- "Graham Smith - Men's Soccer". denverpioneers.com. University of Denver Athletics. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
- "Colorado Rapids U23 - 2017 Regular Season - Roster - Graham Smith". USL Premier Development League. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- "Smith Taken No. 18 Overall by Sporting KC in MLS SuperDraft". denverpioneers.com. University of Denver Athletics. January 19, 2018. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
- "Sporting KC signs first-round draft picks Eric Dick and Graham Smith to MLS contracts". Sporting Kansas City. February 15, 2018. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- "Reno 1868 FC vs Swope Park Rangers". United Soccer League. Archived from the original on March 19, 2018. Retrieved March 18, 2018.
- "Sporting KC rallies to defeat Earthquakes". ESPN. Reuters. August 18, 2019. Retrieved March 26, 2020 – via KGO-TV - San Francisco.
- "Sporting defender Graham Smith selected to MLS Team of the Week". sportingkc.com. Sporting Kansas City. August 31, 2019. Retrieved June 4, 2020.
- "Roster decision deadline: Sporting KC, FC Dallas, Austin FC announce moves". Major League Soccer.
- [email protected], NICHOLAS MURRAY- (December 11, 2023). "Charleston Battery ink veteran defender Graham Smith". USL Championship.
- "USL Championship Announces 2022 All-League Teams". www.uslchampionship.com. Tampa, FL: USL. November 1, 2022. Archived from the original on November 1, 2022. Retrieved November 1, 2022.
- Graham Smith at Major League Soccer
- Graham Smith at Soccerway
