Diego Alejandro Restrepo Garcia (born February 25, 1988) is a Colombian-American football coach and former

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

player who played as a goalkeeper. Currently, he is the Head of Goalkeeping for

D.C. United D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Suppo ...

, a

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...

franchise.

Playing career

College and amateur

Restrepo lived in Colombia until he was 11 before moving to

West Palm Beach, Florida West Palm Beach is a city in and the county seat of Palm Beach County, Florida, United States. It is located immediately to the west of the adjacent Palm Beach, which is situated on a barrier island across the Lake Worth Lagoon. The populati ...

with his family. He attended American Heritage School, and spent time at the

IMG Soccer Academy IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...

Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698. History Late 18th and early 19th centuries ...

, before going on to play three years of

college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...

at the

University of South Florida The University of South Florida (USF) is a public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, and other campuses in St. Petersburg and Sarasota. It is one of 12 members of the State University System of Florida. USF is ...

. He transferred to the

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia. Founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson, the university is ranked among the top academic institutions in the United S ...

prior to his junior year, and quickly installed himself as the team's starting goalkeeper for Virginia, with whom he won the ACC Championship and the NCAA National Championship in 2009. During his championship season, Restrepo broke school records previously held by

Tony Meola Antonio Michael "Tony" Meola (; ; born February 21, 1969) is an American former professional soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He represented the United States national team at the 1990, 1994, and 2002 World Cups. From 1996 to 2006, he p ...

for games played (25), minutes played (2348), shutouts (16), consecutive shutouts (11) and consecutive scoreless minutes (1176). He was named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the ACC Tournament and Defensive Most Valuable Player of the NCAA Tournament. During his college years Restrepo also played for the

Bradenton Academics IMG Academy Bradenton is an American soccer team based in Bradenton, Florida, United States. Founded in 1998, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The team is associated with IMG Academy and the ...

in the

USL Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United States soccer league syste ...

Professional

In January 2011, Restrepo signed a professional contract with Colombian soccer club

América de Cali América de Cali S. A., best known as América de Cali or América, is a Colombian professional football club based in Cali. It competes in the Categoría Primera A, the top-flight league of Colombian football. The team plays its home games at ...

. He made his professional debut on Wednesday, August 31, 2011, in America's 1-1 tie vs. Pereira. Restrepo moved to Venezuelan club

Deportivo Táchira ''Deportivo'' (Spanish, 'sporting') may refer to: * Deportivo de La Coruña, commonly known as simply Deportivo, a Spanish football club * Déportivo, a French rock band * Deportivo (Mexicable), an aerial lift station in Ecatepec, Mexico * Deport ...

on December 30, 2011. He played 8 competitive matches for Tachira, 4 in the Venezuelan Cup, and 4 in the Venezuelan First Division. He finished the season as Tachira's starter. On March 20, 2013 the Tampa Bay Rowdies announced that Restrepo had signed a two-year contract with the club. He excelled after being named the Rowdies starting goalkeeper, playing in 26 matches in all competitions. He was named the "NASL Player Of The Week" 3 times and to the "NASL Team Of the Week" 7 times in 2013. During the Rowdies' 2014 preseason training, Restrepo tore his

Achilles tendon The Achilles tendon or heel cord, also known as the calcaneal tendon, is a tendon at the back of the lower leg, and is the thickest in the human body. It serves to attach the plantaris, gastrocnemius (calf) and soleus muscles to the calcaneus (h ...

and was sidelined for the entirety of the 2014 season. On November 6, Restrepo announced he would be moving on from Tampa Bay. Restrepo signed with

USL The USL Championship (USLC) is a professional men's soccer league in the United States that began its inaugural season in 2011. The USL is sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation (U.S. Soccer) as a Division II league since 2017, p ...

club

Charlotte Independence Charlotte Independence is an American soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina that plays in the USL League One, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid. The Independence currently play their home games at American Legion Memorial ...

on February 24, 2015. During his short stay with Charlotte, he played in 3 matches, 2 in the U.S. Open Cup and 1 in USL league play. In June 2015, Restrepo is transferred to

Metropolitanos FC Metropolitanos Fútbol Club is a Venezuelan professional football club based in Caracas. Founded in 2012, they play in the Venezuelan Primera División, holding home matches at the Estadio Olímpico de la UCV. History Founded on 3 August 2012 ...

, returning to the Venezuelan First Division. On August 1, 2015, Restrepo takes over the starting role at Metropolitanos, helping the team snap a 3-game losing streak. Restrepo stays as Metropolitanos starting goalkeeper, making 16 starts in all competitions, including 12 league starts. Restrepo joined NASL side

Fort Lauderdale Strikers Fort Lauderdale Strikers may refer to: *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1977–1983), member of North American Soccer League from 1977 to 1983 *Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1988–1994), member of American Soccer League from 1988 to 1989 and American Profes ...

on December 31, 2015. He helped the Strikers earn their first win of the season, on the road in his club debut on May 7, 2016, 3-1 vs. the league leading Carolina Railhawks. The following week, he cemented his starting role with his first shutout of the season, in a 0-0 draw vs. the Indy Eleven. With Restrepo in goal, the Strikers improved from 9th place in the league standings, to 1 point away from the Spring Season title. Restrepo helped the Strikers reach the final 8 of the 2016 US Open Cup, and for his heroics is named lower division player of the tournament. Due to the dire financial situation of the Strikers, Restrepo was transferred briefly back to the

Tampa Bay Rowdies The Tampa Bay Rowdies are an American professional Association football, soccer team based in St. Petersburg, Florida. The club was founded in 2008 and first took the pitch in 2010. Since 2017, the Rowdies have been members of the USL Champions ...

to finish the 2016

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League may refer to: *North American Soccer League (1968–1984), a former Division I league *North American Soccer League (2011–2017) The North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional men's soccer league b ...

season. He served as the backup goalkeeper for the last month of the Rowdies season. On March 9, 2017,

San Antonio FC San Antonio FC is a professional soccer club based in San Antonio, Texas. It competes in the USL Championship, the second-highest level of the United States soccer league system, as a member of the Western Conference. History San Antonio F ...

of the

announces the signing of Restrepo for the 2017 season. After week 5, when starting keeper

Matt Cardone Matt Cardone (born June 18, 1993) is an American former soccer player who played for San Antonio FC in the USL Championship. Early life and education Cardone was born in San Antonio, Texas. He played college soccer at Trinity University betwee ...

was lost for the season due to injury, Restrepo establishes himself as SAFC's starter and goes on to have a record breaking season, leading the club to the best collective defensive performance in the league, recording just four losses and conceding 24 goals (21 individually). Restrepo led the USL with 12 clean sheets, recording 69 saves, posting a 76.7 percent save success rate, and finishing as runner-up in the race for the USL Golden Glove with a 0.80 goals against average. For his performance, Restrepo was named the 2017 United Soccer League Goalkeeper Of The Year, and to the 2017 United Soccer League Best Eleven. In 2018 Restrepo lost his starting role due to injury, and he signed with

Austin Bold FC Austin Bold FC was an American professional soccer team located in Austin, Texas. Founded in 2017, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. In 2021, Austin Bold FC announced it would be moving to Fort Worth, Texas leaving Circuit ...

on 17 January 2019.

U.S. Open Cup

Restrepo has had much success in the

Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, commonly known as the U.S. Open Cup (USOC), is a Single-elimination tournament, knockout cup competition in men's Soccer in the United States, soccer in the United States of America. It is the oldest ongoing nati ...

throughout his career. In 2013, he helped the

knock out

Seattle Sounders FC Seattle Sounders Football Club is an American professional men's soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete as a member of the Western Conference of Major League Soccer (MLS). The club was established on November 13, 2007, and began ...

, saving an

Obafemi Martins Obafemi Akinwunmi Martins (born 28 October 1984) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is known for his speed on the ball. After leaving Nigeria for Italy at age 16, he has since played for a number of top-di ...

penalty kick in the 84th minute to preserve the 1-0 result. In 2015, Restrepo helped the

attain their first win versus a higher division opponent, coming on in the 40th minute to preserve the shutout and 1-0 victory versus the NASL's

Carolina Railhawks North Carolina FC is an American professional soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh. Founded in 2006, the team plays in USL League One, the third tier of the American league system. The team has played its home games a ...

. In 2016, Restrepo was the star of the

run to the Open Cup's final 8. He tallied a shutout and stopped 3 penalty kicks during the shootout win vs. the

Richmond Kickers Richmond Kickers is an American professional soccer club based in Richmond, Virginia. The Kickers compete as a member of USL League One (USL-1). The club was established in 1993, and began play that same year as a United States Interregional S ...

, earning U.S. Open Cup player of the round. In the round of 36, he held

scoreless during 120 minutes of play, and stopped a penalty kick during the shootout, helping the Strikers advance to the round of 16. Restrepo was also a key performer in the Strikers 2-1 win vs.

Orlando City SC Orlando City SC is an American professional soccer club in Orlando, Florida, that competes as a member of the Eastern Conference in Major League Soccer (MLS). Orlando City SC began play in 2015 as the 21st franchise in MLS, succeeding the USL ...

making several vital saves in the match, and earning a reputation as an "MLS killer" in the tournament. For his impressive performances in the 2016 Tournament, Restrepo was the "U.S. Open Cup Lower Division Player of the Tournament".

International

Despite being born in Venezuela, Restrepo has represented the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

at the youth level. He is a graduate of the USA U-17 Residency Program. In 2005, he was a member of the USA U-17 World Cup squad that participated in the 2005 Youth World Cup in Peru. He has also been a member of the USA U-20 National Team.

Honors

University of Virginia

NCAA Men's Division I Soccer Championship The NCAA Division I men's soccer tournament, sometimes known as the College Cup, is an American intercollegiate College soccer, soccer tournament conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), and determines the NCAA Division I, ...

(1):

2009 File:2009 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The vertical stabilizer of Air France Flight 447 is pulled out from the Atlantic Ocean; Barack Obama becomes the first African American to become President of the United States; 2009 Iran ...

América de Cali

Copa Cafam The Copa Internacional Cafam is a football tournament that serves as a pre-season for Colombian teams. The whole tournament is played in Bogotá on late January. The tournament is organized by Millonarios and Caja de Compensacion Familiar (Cafam). ...

(1):

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...

San Antonio FC

2017 USL Goalkeeper Of The Year2017 USL Best Eleven

References

External links

University of Virginia Bio
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Restrepo, Diego 1988 births Living people Venezuelan footballers American soccer players Colombian footballers South Florida Bulls men's soccer players Virginia Cavaliers men's soccer players IMG Academy Bradenton players América de Cali footballers Deportivo Táchira F.C. players Tampa Bay Rowdies players Charlotte Independence players Metropolitanos FC players Fort Lauderdale Strikers players San Antonio FC players Austin Bold FC players Categoría Primera A players USL League Two players North American Soccer League players USL Championship players United States men's youth international soccer players United States men's under-20 international soccer players Colombian emigrants to the United States American sportspeople of Colombian descent Association football goalkeepers NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Tournament Most Outstanding Player winners People from Mérida, Mérida D.C. United non-playing staff