Ricardo "Ricky" Garbanzo (born August 26, 1992) is a Costa Rican-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 last played for

Charleston Battery The Charleston Battery are an American professional association football, soccer club based in Charleston, South Carolina, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 1993, the Battery are one of the oldest continuously operating professiona ...

in the

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 ...

Career

College and Amateur

Garbanzo moved to United States at age 7 and grew up in

Rock Hill, South Carolina Rock Hill is the largest city in York County, South Carolina and the fifth-largest city in the state. It is also the fourth-largest city of the Charlotte metropolitan area, behind Charlotte, Concord, and Gastonia (all located in North Carolina, ...

. Garbanzo played soccer at Northwestern High School with future Battery teammate

Shawn Ferguson Shawn Ferguson (born January 21, 1991, in Rock Hill, South Carolina) is a retired American soccer player who formerly played for Charleston Battery in the United Soccer League. Career Born in Rock Hill, South Carolina, Ferguson started his caree ...

. Garbanzo played

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 ...

Coastal Carolina University Coastal Carolina University (CCU or Coastal) is a public university in Conway, South Carolina. Founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, and later joining the University of South Carolina System as USC Coastal Carolina, it became an in ...

, making a total of 94 appearances for the Chanticleers and tallying 40 goals and 21 assists. Garbanzo also played for

K-W United FC The Kennedy K-W is an American high-wing, strut-braced, single-seat glider that was designed by Harold Kennedy of Dodge City, Kansas, with assistance from Floyd Watson. The aircraft is notable for being assembled from certified powered airc ...

in the

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

Professional

On December 31, 2014, it was announced that Garbanzo would take part in

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 ...

's player combine. However, he went undrafted in the

2015 MLS SuperDraft The 2015 MLS SuperDraft was the sixteenth SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. The SuperDraft is held each year in conjunction with the annual National Soccer Coaches Association of America convention. The 2015 convention was held Januar ...

. Following the draft he joined his hometown club

for training camp and earned a professional contract in March. On March 21, 2015, he made his professional debut for the Battery in a 3–2 victory over

Toronto FC II Toronto FC II is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, who play in MLS Next Pro, a third tier league of the United States soccer league system. It is the reserve team and minor league affiliate of Toronto FC as well as i ...

. During his rookie season Garbanzo became a first choice starter as a second striker behind teammate

Dane Kelly Dane Kelly (born 9 February 1991) is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a striker for Pittsburgh Riverhounds SC. With 85 regular season goals, Kelly is the all-time leading scorer in the USL Championship. Professional career Ti ...

, tallying 5 goals and 5 assists in 27 league appearances. Garbanzo plays as a defensive forward and is known for his hard-working and aggressive style of play, with manager Mike Anhaeuser nicknaming Garbanzo "Tricky Ricky" for his clever running and ability to provoke opponents. Following the season he was voted the club's newcomer of the year by fans. His contract was not renewed following the 2017 season.

References

External links

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Garbanzo, Ricky 1992 births Living people American men's soccer players American expatriate men's soccer players American people of Costa Rican descent Coastal Carolina Chanticleers men's soccer players Costa Rican men's footballers K–W United FC players Charleston Battery players Men's association football forwards Soccer players from South Carolina Expatriate men's soccer players in Canada USL League Two players USL Championship players