Danny Szetela

MLS Experience

2009: On 7/15, United acquired Danny Szetela via allocation. The midfielder made four appearances in League play, earning his sole start in the final game of the season at Kansas City on 10/24. He also played in five Champions League games (three starts) during the campaign.

2007: Szetela played six games for the Crew (four starts) during the 2007 campaign before signing with Racing Santander of La Liga in August.

2006: Though he missed most of the season due to a knee injury, Szetela still found time to play in four matches and notch his third career assist.

2005: Szetela started 13 games for the Crew, appearing in 16 contests total. He tallied one assist on the year, playing a career-high 1,117 minutes.

2004: After signing with MLS, Szetela was awarded to the Columbus Crew in a weighted lottery. He started four matches as a rookie, appearing in eight games total. Szetela earned his first career assist in the regular-season finale against Colorado and also logged minutes in a pair of playoff contests for the Crew.

Other Experience

2008: Szetela was loaned to Brescia Calcio of Italy’s Serie B in February 2008. After Szetela logged significant minutes for the Italian club, Racing Santander extended his loan to Brescia in July. He scored his first professional goal in league play on 10/18 against Triestina. Although a midseason coaching change saw Szetela lose his grip on a spot in the Brescia starting 11, the New Jersey native still managed to appear in a total of 26 Serie B games during his stint with the team.

2007: Szetela signed with Racing Santander of La Liga in August 2007. Although he never found the pitch in a La Liga match, the crafty midfielder did play in the Copa del Rey, making his first start on 11/14 against Malaga CF.

International Experience

2008: Szetela received his second cap and first-ever start in World Cup Qualifying in June, playing the second leg in a 9-0 aggregate win for the U.S. over Barbados. Later that summer, he was selected to the U.S. U-23 side that represented the country at the 2008 Olympic Games. Szetela played two matches in Beijing, making one start for the Americans.

2007: Szetela scored three goals in the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Canada, starting each of the U.S. team’s five games. Two of his goals came in an emotional 6-1 triumph over Poland, his parents’ home nation and a country he was previously eligible to play for. In addition, Szetela earned his first cap with the full Men’s National Team on 10/17 against Switzerland, assisting Michael Bradley’s game-winning goal in the 88th minute.

2005: Szetela was the second-youngest player on the 2005 U-17 World Championship roster, starting all four matches while helping the U.S. to a fifth-place finish. He also played two games with the U-20s at the FIFA World Youth Championship in Holland.

Acquired

Acquired via allocation on July 15, 2009.