Michael Farfan
American soccer player (born 1988)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Michael Farfán Stopani (born June 23, 1988) is an American former professional soccer player.
|
Farfan at 2011 preseason training with the Union | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Michael Farfán Stopani | ||
| Date of birth | June 23, 1988[1] | ||
| Place of birth | San Diego, California, United States | ||
| Height | 5 ft 9 in (1.75 m) | ||
| Position | Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2003–2005 | IMG Soccer Academy | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006–2007 | Cal State Fullerton Titans | 35 | (8) |
| 2009–2010 | North Carolina Tar Heels | 41 | (10) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006 | Orange County Blue Star | 1 | (1) |
| 2007–2008 | Ventura County Fusion | 21 | (3) |
| 2009 | Los Angeles Legends | 8 | (3) |
| 2010 | Ogden Outlaws | 4 | (0) |
| 2011–2013 | Philadelphia Union | 82 | (4) |
| 2014 | Cruz Azul | 1 | (1) |
| 2015 | D.C. United | 17 | (0) |
| 2016 | Seattle Sounders FC | 1 | (0) |
| 2016 | → Seattle Sounders FC 2 (loan) | 7 | (0) |
| Total | 142 | (12) | |
| International career‡ | |||
| 2003–2005 | United States U17 | 13 | (0) |
|
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of December 24, 2016 ‡ National team caps and goals as of January 17, 2011 | |||
Career
Youth and college
Played youth club soccer in Southern California where he captured numerous team titles, including the 2002 national championship.[2] He also played in the Youth World Championships in Japan in 2000 representing a Mexican youth national team.[3]
Farfan played for Castle Park High School in Chula Vista, California where he won All-CIF honors as an underclassman. He later played for Edison Academic Center in Bradenton, Florida while training for the United States U-17 team. As a member of the U-17 team, Farfan played in the 2005 Youth World Cup. After a two-year residency on the United States U-17 team, he enrolled at Fullerton State in the Spring of 2006.[3][4]
Farfan enrolled in the University of North Carolina in January 2009.[2] He scored five goals with the Tar Heels, with three coming in the first four games, and had four assists. While at North Carolina, he was named NSCAA First Team All-America and All-ACC First Team.[5]
During his college years Farfan also played extensively in the USL Premier Development League, for Orange County Blue Star,[6] Ventura County Fusion,[7][8] the Los Angeles Legends,[9] and the Ogden Outlaws.[10]
Professional
On January 13, 2011, Farfan was drafted in the second round (23rd overall) in the 2011 MLS SuperDraft by the Philadelphia Union.[2][11] He made his professional debut on April 6, 2011, in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup game against D.C. United[12] and scored his first professional goal – a 25-yard drive from outside the box – on May 21, 2011, in a 2–1 win over Chicago Fire.[13] He was part of the MLS Team of Week 10 for this performance.[14]
After three seasons in Philadelphia, Farfan was sold to Cruz Azul of Liga MX ahead of the 2014 Clasura.[15] He scored in his debut with Cruz Azul against Pachuca. Farfan was released by Cruz Azul just 6-months into his 3-year deal.[16]
Farfan was signed by D.C. United on February 10, 2015.[17]
Farfan signed with Seattle Sounders FC on January 20, 2016.[18]
On February 24, 2017, Farfan announced his retirement via Facebook.[19]
Personal life
Michael's brother, Gabriel Farfán, was also a professional soccer player for before retiring in 2018.
Career statistics
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Club
| Club | Season | League | National cup[a] | League cup | North America | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Philadelphia Union | 2011 | Major League Soccer | 21 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 24 | 2 |
| 2012 | 32 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | ||
| 2013 | 29 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||
| Total | 82 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 91 | 4 | ||
| Cruz Azul | 2014 | Liga MX | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| D.C. United | 2015 | Major League Soccer | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Career total | 84 | 5 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 95 | 5 | ||