Akeem O'Connor-Ward (born January 5, 1996) is an American

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...

player who plays as a defender for

Memphis 901 Memphis 901 FC is an American professional soccer team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2018, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. Stadium The club currently plays on the grounds of AutoZone Park, a baseball stadiu ...

in the USL Championship.

Career

Ward was selected 14th overall by D.C. United in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft, and he signed a professional contract with the club on January 31, 2019. “We had him rated as the best right back in the draft,” said United GM Dave Kasper. “We liked everything about him." He was loaned out to D.C.'s USL affiliate

Loudoun United Loudoun United FC is an American professional soccer team based in Leesburg, Virginia. The team was founded in 2018 as the reserve team of D.C. United and made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. History On July 18, 2018, the team was offi ...

in March 2019. He made his USL Championship debut on March 9, 2019, as he played all ninety minutes in a 2–0 away defeat to Nashville SC. He was waived by DC United on July 24, 2019. Ward joined USL Championship side Birmingham Legion FC on July 30, 2019. In February 2020, Ward signed with North Carolina FC. He scored the first goal of his professional career on August 8, 2020, the lone tally in a 1–0 NCFC win over Memphis 901 FC. He was later suspended for two games by the USL Championship for kicking Charlotte Independence player

Clay Dimick Clay Everett Bryce Dimick (born December 7, 1994) is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for Charlotte Independence in the USL League One. Career Dimick played college soccer at Belmont Abbey College between 2013 and 20 ...

in the neck during a game on August 26, 2020. Ward apologized in a tweet, saying he "lashed out" without intending to hit Dimick. On January 13, 2021, Ward signed with

Oakland Roots Oakland Roots Sports Club is an American professional soccer team based in Oakland, California. The club was formed in 2018 by a group of Oakland natives, and began play in the National Independent Soccer Association in the fall of 2019. In 2021, ...

ahead of their inaugural USL Championship season. On July 8, 2022, Ward was loaned to USL Championship side

Rio Grande Valley FC Rio Grande Valley FC, also known as RGVFC or Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, is an American semi-professional soccer team based in Edinburg, Texas operated by Lone Star, LLC. They joined the USL Championship in the 2016 season. The team served as a ...

for the remainder of the season. He left Oakland following their 2022 season. Ward joined

on January 18, 2023.

References

External links

D.C. United profileCreighton profile
Living people 1996 births American soccer players Soccer players from Virginia People from Vienna, Virginia Association football defenders Creighton Bluejays men's soccer players Lane United FC players Chicago FC United players D.C. United draft picks D.C. United players Loudoun United FC players Birmingham Legion FC players North Carolina FC players Oakland Roots SC players Rio Grande Valley FC Toros players Memphis 901 FC players USL League Two players Major League Soccer players USL Championship players Hastings College alumni {{US-footy-defender-stub