Dearborn Native, Soccer Star Soony Saad Goes Pro

soccer forward Soony Saad may have been named the Gatorade National Soccer Player of the Year in 2009, but the 18-year-old didn’t stop chasing his dreams there–not by a long shot.

The former University of Michigan star debuted for Major League Soccer’s Sporting Kansas City club on July 20 following a phenomenal freshman season in which he was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Saad left after just one year in Ann Arbor to play professionally, landing with Kansas City in the MLS lottery draft. Manager Peter Vermes, Saad’s new coach, told the team’s website that the young forward was an unexpected but highly anticipated draft pickup.

“I almost look at this one as one that just sort of fell out of the sky,” Vermes said.

The 2010 Dearborn High graduate led the NCAA with 19 goals in 2010, with brother and fellow Pioneer Hamoody to lead the Wolverines all the way to the College Cup semifinals in December.

That same month, Saad scored the match-winning goal in an international friendly against Canada for the United States’ Under-20 squad. 

During his high school days, all Saad did was score. He netted a state-record 76 goals during his senior season on his way to a career mark of 172–also a Michigan record. The performance earned him national attention and garnered interest from top-tier programs such as UM-Ann Arbor, Akron and UCLA.

Despite the early success in his soccer career, however, Saad said there’s a long way to go.

"Winning an ESPY award or Gatorade player; it's not my ultimate goal," Soony in January. "I have a lot to work toward … there are also better things to achieve and I haven't really done anything yet."