Oumar Ballo (footballer)

Oumar Ballo
Personal information
Date of birth (1991-04-02) April 2, 1991 (age 33)
Place of birth Bamako, Mali
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
Baltimore Boys
College career
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2011 CCBC-Essex Knights 15 (2)
2012–2014 UMBC Retrievers 65 (5)
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2012–2013 Baltimore Bohemians 21 (0)
2014 Reading United 7 (1)
2015 Houston Dynamo 0 (0)
2015Charleston Battery (loan) 0 (0)
2016–2017 Swope Park Rangers 41 (1)
2018 Northern Virginia United 2 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 16 May 2018

Oumar Ballo (born 2 April 1991) is a Malian footballer.

Career

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College and amateur

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Ballo began his college soccer career at Community College of Baltimore County in 2011, before transferring to University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2012.[1]

Ballo also played in the Premier Development League for Baltimore Bohemians in 2012 and 2013, and Reading United A.C. in 2014.[2][3]

Professional

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On January 15, 2015, Ballo was selected in the second round (30th overall) in the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by Houston Dynamo and signed a professional contract with the club on February 23, 2015.[4][5]

Ballo signed on loan with United Soccer League side Charleston Battery on March 24, 2015.[6] However, Ballo was waived by Houston on April 23, 2015 without having made a first team appearance for either club.[7] He trialled with D.C. United following his release, but wasn't signed by the Major League Soccer club.[8]

On January 11, 2016, Ballo was signed by United Soccer League side Swope Park Rangers.[9]

On November 30, 2017, Ballo was announced as one of Nashville SC's first signings ahead of their inaugural 2018 United Soccer League season.[10] However, the team later announced that Ballo would not be joining the team due to visa issues.[11]

Ballo spent 2018 with National Premier Soccer League side Northern Virginia United FC, making two regular season appearances and a single play-off appearance for the club.[12]

Personal

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Ballo moved to the United States from Mali when he was nine-years-old, settling with his father and step-mother in Baltimore, Maryland. His father's wife at the time, Audrey Haskins, was instrumental in guiding Oumar's education and introduction to soccer in America[13]

References

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  1. ^ 18 Oumar Ballo (1991-04-02). "Oumar Ballo - UMBC". Umbcretrievers.com. Retrieved 2016-05-09.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Oumar Ballo". SoccerStats.us. 2014-05-24. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  3. ^ "Player Stats". Uslpdl.com. 2011-07-13. Archived from the original on 2016-03-28. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  4. ^ "Former Curley and UMBC soccer star Oumar Ballo selected in the MLS SuperDraft". Baltimore Sun. 2015-01-15. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  5. ^ "sign 2015 MLS SuperDraft selections Oumar Ballo, Rob Lovejoy and Taylor Hunter". Houston Dynamo. 2015-02-23. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  6. ^ "loan Oumar Ballo, Memo Rodriguez to Charleston Battery". Houston Dynamo. 2014-12-04. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  7. ^ "waive defender Oumar Ballo". Houston Dynamo. 2015-04-23. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  8. ^ "D.C. United transfer news and rumors: UMBC product Oumar Ballo on trial with the Black-and-Red". Black And Red United. 6 May 2015. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  9. ^ "Swope Park Rangers add Oumar Ballo and Ualefi Rodrigues dos Reis | Sporting Kansas City". Sportingkc.com. 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
  10. ^ SC, Nashville (2017-11-30). "Nashville SC Signs MLS Cup Champion Matt Pickens As First-Ever Player". Nashville SC. Archived from the original on 2017-12-01. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  11. ^ SC, Nashville (2018-01-23). "Former Nashville SC Developmental Player, Two Midfielders Round Out Initial 2018 Roster". Nashville SC. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  12. ^ "National Premier Soccer League".
  13. ^ "Video: SPR defender Oumar Ballo drafted from UMBC in 2015 MLS SuperDraft | Sporting Kansas City". Sportingkc.com. 2016-04-27. Retrieved 2016-05-09.
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