Matthew O'Connor (born April 29, 1984) is a Canadian former

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player who played in the Canadian Professional Soccer League,

USL A-League The USL First Division (USL-1) was a professional men's soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It was organized by the United Soccer League as its premier league for men from 1996 to 2010, above the USL Second Di ...

Dhivehi League Dhivehi League was a Maldives, Maldivian football (soccer), football league organized by the Football Association of Maldives. 8 clubs competed in the league, which was the top level of the Football in Maldives, Maldivian football league system. ...

Nemzeti Bajnokság II The NB II, currently known as the Merkantil Bank Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of Hungarian football. At the end of the 2004–05 season, the tournament format was changed from one division of 14 teams to two divisions: ''Ke ...

, and the

USL Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States, forming part of the United States soccer league system. The league will featu ...

Career

O'Connor began his college career with the

Ottawa Gee-Gees The Ottawa Gee-Gees () are the athletic teams that represent the University of Ottawa in Ottawa, Ontario. The Gee-Gees won the national football championship, the Vanier Cup, in 1975 and 2000, while also appearing in the game in the 1970, 1980 ...

, before joining Erin Mills SC. He began his professional career in 2001 with

Glen Shields Sun Devils The Glen Shields Sun Devils were a soccer team which played in the Canadian Professional Soccer League from 1998 to 2002. They played their home matches in Thornhill, Ontario. The franchise was one of the original teams of the CPSL. Originally ...

in the Canadian Professional Soccer League. In 2002, he signed a contract with Hamilton Thunder. On June 29, 2002 he was loaned to the

Calgary Storm The Calgary Mustangs (formerly the Calgary Storm and Team Calgary) were a soccer team in Calgary, Alberta, that played in the semi-professional Premier Development League, USL Premier Development League in 2001 and the professional A-League (199 ...

of the

. In 2003, he helped Hamilton clinch their first Western Conference title, and secured a postseason berth. On July 30, 2004, marked his return to the USL being loaned out to the

Toronto Lynx Toronto Lynx was a Canadian soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1997, the team last played in the 2014 season of the Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Great Lakes D ...

where he appeared in six matches. In 2005, he went abroad to Maldives to sign with

Club Valencia Club Valencia is a Republic of the Maldives, Maldivian professional football (soccer), football club based in Malé. Nicknamed ''The Sunrisers'', the club most recently competed in the Dhivehi Premier League, the top tier of Football in Maldives ...

of the

. The following season he returned to the CSL to sign with the Oakville Blue Devils. During his tenure with Oakville he secured the National Division title. In 2007, he was transferred to the

Italia Shooters York Region Shooters is a Canadian soccer team, that plays in the Canadian Soccer League. The Shooters played their home games at the St. Joan of Arc Turf Field in the City of Vaughan, Ontario. The team's colours were blue and white, mirroring t ...

, and played briefly with Brampton Lions in 2008. In July 2008, he joined Royal Racing FC Montegnee, playing his first match on 24 August 2008. On 24 July 2009, he signed a contract with Integrál-DAC. In 2010, he returned to North America to play with

Palm Beach SC Palm Beach Soccer Club is an Australian amateur soccer club based in Palm Beach, Queensland. The club was formed in 1966. The club plays in the Football Queensland Premier League 3 − South Coast, the top flight of the Football Queensland Sou ...

, and the

York Region Shooters York Region Shooters is a Canadian association football, soccer team, that plays in the Canadian Soccer League. The Shooters played their home games at the St. Joan of Arc Turf Field in the City of Vaughan, Ontario. The team's colours were blue ...

. His brother Miles O'Connor also plays football.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Oconnor, Matthew 1984 births Living people Men's association football defenders Brampton City United FC players Calgary Mustangs (USL) players Canada men's youth international soccer players Canadian expatriate men's soccer players Canadian expatriate sportspeople in Hungary Canadian Soccer League (1998–present) players Canadian men's soccer players Club Valencia players Expatriate men's footballers in Hungary Expatriate men's footballers in the Maldives Hamilton Thunder players DAC Nádorváros footballers Nemzeti Bajnokság II players Soccer players from Mississauga Toronto Lynx players York Region Shooters players 21st-century Canadian sportsmen