Darlington Nagbe

Darlington Nagbe (born July 19, 1990) is an American soccer player currently playing for the Portland Timbers in Major League Soccer and the United States men's national soccer team.

Early years

Nagbe was born in Liberia but left the country as a five-month-old when his mother fled the country due to a civil war, taking Darlington and his brother with her. They then joined her husband Joe Nagbe, a professional footballer, and his career took the family to France, Greece and Switzerland before they eventually settled in the Cleveland, Ohio area in 2001 when Darlington was 11 years old.

Darlington grew up in Lakewood, Ohio, where he attended Lakewood High School and then St. Edward High School, scoring 18 goals and adding 10 assists as a senior. He was a member of the Region II ODP team, was a 2007 adidas ESP All-Star and was member of the Ohio North ODP team, as well as winning four Ohio state club titles with the Cleveland Internationals.

College and amateur career

Nagbe

K-Moses Nagbe is a prominent Liberian poet, novelist, and critic who has recently begun to garner attention abroad. Also known as Sêntią Muji, his writings include: We Are One, a collection of short stories published in 1986; a travelogue entitled Bulk Challenge (1996); and several novels-- Drum Daddy is Back (1989), Road to Romeo (1992), A Scream in the Storm (published in USA in 2004). He's also done 'Sun at Midnight (2003), 'Wings for the Next Day'(2004), and recently 'One Saturday in August' (2007). Nagbe's novels generally treat upper and middle class cultures. He believes that there is where society's 'salavation' lies, because from such cultures come leaders. Leaders whose conscience is pricked can eventually lead society down a meaningful path. Nagbe's brief literary study, 'Nuggets of the African Novel: Notes on the Liberian Literary Heritage' (2005) shows him yet as an important West African writer of interest.

Notes and references

Portland Timbers

The Portland Timbers are an American professional soccer club based in Portland, Oregon, that competes in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer. The Timbers are the 18th club of Major League Soccer, and the fourth franchise based in Portland to share the legacy of the Timbers name, which originated in the North American Soccer League in 1975.

In the 2013 MLS season, the Timbers finished first in the Western Conference, clinching both their first-ever playoff appearance and CONCACAF Champions League berth. In the 2015 playoffs, Portland won the Western Conference final and advanced to MLS Cup 2015, where they defeated Columbus Crew SC 2–1, winning their first MLS Cup trophy.

History

The announcement of the Timbers' entry into MLS was the culmination of a nearly two-year-long process for Merritt Paulson, dating back at least to May 2007, when Paulson led a group that bought the Portland Beavers and the USL Timbers. The group included former Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson, Meritt Paulson's father. The biggest issue for the city of Portland was that due to league concerns about seating configuration, field surface and scheduling, obtaining an MLS club would require a new stadium.

United States Soccer Federation

Coordinates: 41°51′28″N 87°37′14″W / 41.857768°N 87.620445°W / 41.857768; -87.620445

The United States Soccer Federation (USSF), commonly referred to as U.S. Soccer, is the official governing body of the sport of soccer in the United States. With headquarters in Chicago, Illinois, the FIFA member governs U.S. amateur and professional soccer, including the men's, women's, youth, beach soccer, futsal and Paralympic national teams. U.S. Soccer sanctions referees and soccer tournaments for most soccer leagues in the United States. The U.S. Soccer Federation also administers and operates the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, which was first held in 1914.

Organization and governance

U.S. Soccer is governed by a Board of Directors, led by President Sunil Gulati and Executive Vice President Mike Edwards. Dan Flynn is the CEO and Secretary General. The Board administers the affairs of U.S. Soccer.

U.S. Soccer is a member of international soccer bodies FIFA and CONCACAF, and also has a relationship with the U.S. Olympic Committee and the International Olympic Committee.

Darlington

Coordinates: 54°31′37″N 1°33′09″W / 54.5270°N 1.5526°W / 54.5270; -1.5526

Darlington is a market town in County Durham, in the North East of England and is also part of the Tees Valley region. It is the major settlement in the unitary authority and borough of Darlington, with a resident population of 106,000 in 2011. The town lies on the small River Skerne, a tributary of the River Tees, not far from the main river. The town owes much of its development to the influence of local Quaker families during the Victorian era, and it is famous as the terminus of the world's first passenger railway. Darlington railway station is a stop on the East Coast Main Line. Darlington is currently represented at the UK Parliament by Jenny Chapman MP.

History

Early history

Darlington started life as an Anglo-Saxon settlement. The name Darlington derives from the Anglo-Saxon Dearthington, which seemingly meant 'the settlement of Deornoth's people' but by Norman times the name had changed to Derlinton. During the 17th and 18th centuries the town was generally known by the name of Darnton.