Kalen Ryden
American soccer player (born 1991)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kalen Ryden (born April 12, 1991) is a former professional soccer player who spent much of his professional career with New Mexico United in the USL Championship.
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | April 12, 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Norman, Oklahoma, United States | ||
| Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2009–2010 | Oral Roberts Golden Eagles | ||
| 2012–2014 | Midwestern State Mustangs | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010 | Des Moines Menace | 11 | (0) |
| 2013 | Midland/Odessa Sockers | 2 | (0) |
| 2014 | Austin Aztex | 14 | (3) |
| 2015 | Columbus Crew SC | 0 | (0) |
| 2015 | → Austin Aztex (loan) | 9 | (1) |
| 2015–2016 | Oklahoma City Energy | 26 | (1) |
| 2017 | Jacksonville Armada | 31 | (1) |
| 2018–2019 | Real Monarchs | 62 | (8) |
| 2020–2025 | New Mexico United | 139 | (4) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 30, 2025 | |||
Career
College and amateur
Ryden began his college career at Oral Roberts University where he played from 2009 to 2010. In his two seasons with the Golden Eagles, he made 35 appearances and tallied three goals and two assists. After the 2010 season, he left the Golden Eagles soccer program due to injury. However, he remained a student at Oral Roberts during the school year.[1]
In 2012, Ryden transferred to Midwestern State University and redshirted his first season there due to transfer rules. During his time with the Mustangs, he made 28 appearances and tallied one goal and two assists.
Ryden also played in the Premier Development League for Des Moines Menace, Midland-Odessa Sockers and Austin Aztex.[2][3][4]
Club career
On January 20, 2015, Ryden was selected in the fourth round (69th overall) of the 2015 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew SC.[1][5] He signed a professional contract with the club on March 2.[6]
On March 26, Ryden re-joined the Aztex, who moved up to the USL. Columbus sent him on loan to the club as part of the affiliation agreement.[7][8] He made his professional debut three days later in a 2–0 victory over Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC.[9]
On August 6, Ryden was waived by Crew SC.[10]
Ryden signed with USL side Oklahoma City Energy on August 27, 2015.[11]
On January 20, 2017, Ryden signed with NASL side Jacksonville Armada.[12]
New Mexico United
After two seasons in the USL Championship with Real Monarchs, Ryden moved to USL side New Mexico United ahead of their 2020 season.[13]
Ryden was named New Mexico United's Defensive Player of the Year following the 2020 season.[14]
In October of 2025, Ryden announced he would retire at the end of the 2025 USL Championship season. A mainstay in New Mexico back-line since his arrival in 2020, Ryden appeared in 153 matches for the club across all competitions.
Career statistics
- As of match played July 30, 2024[15]
| Club | Season | League | Domestic Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Des Moines Menace | 2010 | USL PDL | 11 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 11 | 0 | |
| Midland-Odessa Sockers | 2013 | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 0 | |||
| Austin Aztex | 2014 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 3 | |
| Columbus Crew SC | 2015 | MLS | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Austin Aztex (loan) | 2015 | USL | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 9 | 1 | |
| OKC Energy | 2015 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 10 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 25 | 1 | 2[b] | 0 | 2[a] | 0 | 29 | 1 | ||
| Total | 37 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 43 | 1 | ||
| Jacksonville Armada | 2017 | NASL | 31 | 1 | 1[b] | 0 | — | 32 | 1 | |
| Real Monarchs | 2018 | USL | 34 | 5 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 35 | 5 | |
| 2019 | USL Championship | 28 | 3 | — | 4[c] | 1 | 32 | 4 | ||
| Total | 62 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 67 | 9 | ||
| New Mexico United | 2020 | USL Championship | 15 | 1 | — | 2[c] | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| 2021 | 29 | 1 | — | — | 29 | 1 | ||||
| 2022 | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 29 | 0 | ||
| 2023 | 33 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2024 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Total | 113 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 119 | 3 | ||
| Career total | 270 | 17 | 6 | 0 | 11 | 1 | 287 | 18 | ||
- Appearance(s) in the USL Cup Playoffs
- Appearance(s) in the US Open Cup
- Appearance(s) in USL Championship playoffs
Honors
Real Monarchs
- USL Championship Champions: 2019