Ikenna Martin "Ike" Opara (;born February 21, 1989) is an American former soccer player who is currently an assistant coach for

Sporting Kansas City II Sporting Kansas City II is a MLS Next Pro club affiliated with Sporting Kansas City of Major League Soccer. For the 2022 season they will play their home games at Rock Chalk Park at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, Kansas, as well as Swope ...

MLS Next Pro MLS Next Pro is a men's professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that is affiliated with Major League Soccer. It launched in 2022 with 21 teams and will expand to 28 in 2023. The league comprises 27 reserve sides for MLS clubs ...

Career

College and amateur

Opara played college soccer at

Wake Forest University Wake Forest University is a private research university in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Founded in 1834, the university received its name from its original location in Wake Forest, north of Raleigh, North Carolina. The Reynolda Campus, the un ...

from 2007 to 2009 where he appeared in 65 games scoring nine goals and adding three assists. He was a member of Wake Forest's 2007 NCAA College Cup Championship team. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the year in 2008 and 2009. During his college years Opara also played two seasons for

Cary Clarets North Carolina FC U23 is an American soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina. It was founded in 2002 as the Raleigh Elite, and the current affiliate of North Carolina FC, a third division club in the United Soccer League. The team plays in ...

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 syst ...

Professional

San Jose Earthquakes

Opara was drafted in the first round (3rd overall) of the 2010 MLS SuperDraft by San Jose Earthquakes.2010 MLS SuperDraft
He made his professional debut on March 27, 2010, in San Jose's opening game of the 2010 MLS season against

Real Salt Lake Real Salt Lake, often shortened to RSL, is an American professional soccer franchise based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes as a member club of Major League Soccer (MLS) in the Western Conference. RSL began play in 2 ...

, and scored his first professional career goal - an away match winner - against Chicago Fire on April 10, 2010. His time with the Earthquakes was plagued by repeated foot injuries.

Sporting Kansas City

Opara was traded to Sporting Kansas City from San Jose on December 12, 2012, for Kansas City's natural second-round selection in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. Opara made his league debut for SKC on March 23, 2013, in a 0-0 away draw with the

New England Revolution The New England Revolution is an American professional soccer club based in the Greater Boston area that competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), in the Eastern Conference of the league. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having compe ...

. He scored his first league goal for the club about four months after his debut, in a 2-1 away win over

on July 20, 2013. His goal, scored in the 96th minute, won the match for Sporting. Although he was on the bench, Opara and SKC won the 2013 MLS Cup over

on penalties. Opara logged 21 appearances and was named Sporting KC Newcomer of the Year for 2013. Opara would go on to establish himself as a regular, solidifying one of the top defenses in MLS over the next few seasons, alongside his central back partner

Matt Besler Matthew Scott "Matt" Besler (; born February 11, 1987) is an American former professional soccer player. A left-sided central defender with the ability to play left-back. Besler spent the majority of his career in MLS with Sporting Kansas City ...

, converted right back

Graham Zusi Graham Jonathan Zusi (; born August 18, 1986) is an American professional soccer player who currently plays as a midfielder or defender for Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City. From 2012 to 2017, Zusi represented the United States n ...

and left back

Seth Sinovic Seth Sinovic (; born January 28, 1987) is an American former soccer player. He most recently played as a left back for the New England Revolution in Major League Soccer. Career College and amateur Sinovic grew up in Leawood, Kansas to paren ...

. This group won the 2015 and

2017 File:2017 Events Collage V2.png, From top left, clockwise: The War Against ISIS at the Battle of Mosul (2016-2017); aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing; The Solar eclipse of August 21, 2017 ("Great American Eclipse"); North Korea tests a s ...

U.S. Open Cups alongside their stellar keeper,

Tim Melia Timothy Melia (; born May 15, 1986) is an American professional Association football, soccer player who plays as a Goalkeeper (association football), goalkeeper for Major League Soccer club Sporting Kansas City. Youth and college Melia was born i ...

. On November 10, 2017, Opara was awarded the

MLS Defender of the Year Award Major League Soccer — the highest professional soccer league in the United States and Canada — has handed out a Defender of the Year award since the league's inception in 1996.

and was selected to the

MLS Best XI The MLS Best XI is an annual acknowledgment of the best eleven players in Major League Soccer. Winners *Players in bold were awarded the Landon Donovan MVP Award for that season. Most appearances by a player The following players have appeared ...

for his spectacular performances during the

2017 MLS season The 2017 Major League Soccer season was the 22nd season of Major League Soccer, top division of soccer in the United States and Canada. The regular season began on March 3, 2017 and concluded on October 22, 2017. The 2017 MLS Cup Playoffs, MLS C ...

, joining his fellow SKC player, goalie

, on the list.

Minnesota United FC

On January 28, 2019

Sporting KC Sporting Kansas City, often shortened to Sporting KC, is an American men's professional soccer club based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The administrative offices are located in Downtown Kansas City, Missouri, and the team clubhouse a ...

traded Opara to Minnesota United FC for $900,000 of TAM and an additional $100,000 contingent upon Minnesota qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in its brief franchise history. He scored his first goal for Minnesota against the Seattle Sounders off a set piece in a 1-1 home draw on May 4, 2019. He was awarded the MLS Defender of the Year Award for 2019 On August 5, 2021, Minnesota opted to buyout Opara's contract.

National Team

Opara was selected to the United States Men's National Team on January 8, 2018. After attending the January camp for the national team, he played the full 90 minutes in a friendly versus

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and H ...

, his only cap to date.

Coaching

Sporting Kansas City II

After departing Minnesota United, Opara served as a scout for

Nashville SC Nashville Soccer Club is a Major League Soccer team based in Nashville, Tennessee. The team began play in the league in 2020 as a continuation of the USL club of the same name and plays its home matches at Geodis Park. It is principally owned ...

. Opara returned to Sporting Kansas City in January 2022, being named assistant coach for the club's

side

Career statistics

Club

International

Honors

Sporting Kansas City *

MLS Cup The MLS Cup is the annual championship game of Major League Soccer (MLS) and the culmination of the MLS Cup Playoffs. The game is held in November and pits the winner of the Eastern Conference Final against the winner of the Western Conferen ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

* Eastern Conference Championship (Playoffs):

* U.S. Open Cup: 2015,

Individual *

2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...

MLS Defender of the Year 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 th ...

: 2017, 2019

References

External links

* * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Opara, Ike 1989 births Living people American sportspeople of Nigerian descent Sportspeople from Durham, North Carolina Soccer players from North Carolina African-American soccer players American soccer players Association football central defenders Wake Forest Demon Deacons men's soccer players All-American men's college soccer players Cary Clarets players San Jose Earthquakes draft picks San Jose Earthquakes players Sporting Kansas City players Minnesota United FC players USL League Two players Major League Soccer players United States men's under-20 international soccer players United States men's under-23 international soccer players United States men's international soccer players 21st-century African-American sportspeople 20th-century African-American people Sporting Kansas City II coaches Nashville SC non-playing staff