GREENVILLE
-- Furman men's soccer standout Ricardo Clark announced on Wednesday that he
will forego his final two seasons of eligibility at Furman University and enter
the Major League Soccer Draft. January 8, 2003
GREENVILLE
-- Furman men's soccer standout Ricardo Clark announced on Wednesday that he
will forego his final two seasons of eligibility at Furman University and enter
the Major League Soccer Draft.
Clark signed a contract with Major League Soccer (MLS) last weekend as part of MLS' Project-40 program. The MLS SuperDraft will be held on January 17, at the Kansas City Convention Center beginning at 3:30 p.m. ET as part of the annual NSCAA Convention.
Clark,
from Jonesboro, Ga., anchored Furman's midfield over the past two seasons as
he scored three goals and recorded four assists for ten points in his career.
He was selected to the NSCAA and College Soccer News First Team All-America
squads in 2002 and was a first team All-Southern Conference selection and a
first team NSCAA All-South region choice as a sophomore.
"I really enjoyed my experience at Furman over the past two seasons," said Clark from his home in Jonesboro, Ga. "I feel like I really developed as a player and I had an opportunity to be a part of two great teams, especially this year's team that advanced to the Sweet 16. I just felt like it was time to move on, even though I really enjoyed everything Furman had to offer, both as a soccer player and as a student."
"I am looking forward to making a career out of soccer," added Clark. "Hopefully I can prove myself and display my talent on the field. I think that going to MLS will further my development as a player."
Clark is also a starter on the United States Under-20 National team and has been in the national team program for a number of years. In addition to making a splash on the professional soccer scene, Clark also hopes to further his international playing experience.
He will join with his Under-20 National Team teammates in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on January 11-14 as part of the adidas MLS Player Combine. The top 40 seniors in the country have been split into three teams (East, Central, and West) and those three teams along with the Under-20's will compete in the three day combine. The combine will be the final chance for players to compete in front of MLS coaches and scouts.
"Ricardo has meant a lot to this program over the past two years," said Furman head coach Doug Allison. "We are obviosly going to miss him, but we wish him the best as he continues his soccer career at the next level."
Clark, who did have some options overseas, chose to stay in the United States to compete with MLS and its Project-40 program. Members of the Project-40 team train together and travel overseas together to compete and train. Its members are each on a respective Major League Soccer team's roster and are full members of those teams. Another benefit of the Project-40 program, geared towards underclassmen who turn pro before graduation and high school seniors who elect not to go to college, is that MLS will pay tuition costs for those players who desire to complete their college education.