Stuart Holden

Football player infobox| playername= Stuart Holden
fullname = Stuart Holden


dateofbirth = birth date and age|1985|8|1
cityofbirth = Aberdeen
countryofbirth = Scotland
height = height|ft=5|in=10
currentclub = Houston Dynamo
clubnumber = 22
position = Midfielder
youthyears = 2003-04
youthclubs = Clemson
years = 2005
2006-
clubs = Sunderland
Houston Dynamo
caps(goals) = 00 0(0)
54 0(7)
nationalyears =
2007-08
nationalteam = United States U-20
Untied States U-23
nationalcaps(goals) = 11 (1)
7 (1)
pcupdate = 24 August 2008
ntupdate = 23 March 2008

Stuart Holden (born August 1, 1985 in Aberdeen, Scotland) is a Scottish/American football player who currently plays midfielder for the Houston Dynamo in Major League Soccer.

Professional career

After playing two years at Clemson University, Holden signed with English club Sunderland in March 2005. Shortly after, Holden suffered a brutal attack [http://www.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-13315084,00.html] in which his left eye socket was fractured outside a bar in Newcastle March 12, 2005.

Holden returned to the U.S. to play in MLS with hometown team Houston for the 2006 season and made his MLS debut May 27, 2006. Holden scored his first professional goal July 22, 2006 in a 1-1 home draw against New England. He appeared thirteen times in the 2006 regular season and twice as a substitute in Houston's run to the MLS Cup 2006 championship. In the championship penalty shootout, Holden took the Dynamo's second shot and scored to the top right corner.

Holden's playing time increased in 2007, and he made the most of it as an outside midfielder, starting on the left when teammate Brad Davis went down with injury. In July, Holden scored goals on consecutive Thursday night games televised by ESPN2 and added three assists in league play and another in SuperLiga play, as of July 25.

International career

Capped eleven times as a United States youth international at the U-20 level. Early in 2007, Holden was called in to the U.S. U-23 squad for a camp in California and in December for a camp and trip to China to play matches against the China U-23 team. In July 2008 Holden was named to the U.S. squad competing in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. On August 7 he scored in the USA's opening match, a 1-0 victory against Japan.

ee also

* List of current MLS players