Chris Konopka

Chris Konopka

Konopka lifts the 2016 Scottish League Cup at Hampden Park as a member of Ross County
Personal information
Full name	Christopher Konopka
Date of birth	(1985-04-14) April 14, 1985 (age 39)
Place of birth	Toms River, New Jersey, U.S.
Height	6 ft 5 in (1.96 m)
Position(s)	Goalkeeper
Youth career
1994–2003	Jersey Shore Boca
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2003–2006	Providence Friars
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2004	Jersey Falcons	8	(0)
2007	Kansas City Wizards	0	(0)
2008	Bohemian FC	0	(0)
2009	Sporting Fingal	3	(0)
2010	Waterford United	12	(0)
2011	MLS Pool	–	(–)
2011	→ Columbus Crew (loan)	0	(0)
2011	→ New York Red Bulls (loan)	1	(0)
2012–2013	Philadelphia Union	1	(0)
2013–2015	Toronto FC	21	(0)
2015	→ Toronto FC II	1	(0)
2016	Ross County	0	(0)
2016	Portland Timbers	0	(0)
2017	FC Edmonton	9	(0)
2018	Cardiff City	0	(0)
2018	Minnesota United	0	(0)
2019	Tampa Bay Rowdies	0	(0)
Managerial career
2012–2013	Penn Quakers (Assistant)
2020–2022	UCF Knights (Assistant)
2020–	Orlando City (Academy Goalkeeper Director)
2022–	United States U15 (Assistant)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of February 27, 2019

Christopher Konopka (born April 14, 1985) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper.

Konopka played for Toronto FC in Major League Soccer from 2013 to 2015 bringing the team to their first ever playoff appearance in club history in 2015. During 2015 he set TFC records for most regular single-season game wins (11) and highest regular single-season win percentage (59.5%) by any Toronto FC goalkeeper in the club's tenure.

During 2016 Konopka signed with Ross County in the Scottish Premiership until the end of the 2015–2016 season. He won the 2015–16 Scottish League Cup on March 16, 2016, while at Ross County. In July 2016, he joined the Portland Timbers of Major League Soccer until the end of 2016.

In 2017, he played for FC Edmonton in the North American Soccer League.

In 2018, Konopka signed a deal with EFL Championship side Cardiff City until the end of the 2017–18 season. In October 2018 he joined Minnesota United on a short-term deal as an emergency goalkeeper for the remainder of the MLS season.

Konopka is the first American born soccer player to ever win the Irish Double and also the first to win back-to-back FAI Cup medals. ^{[1] [2]}

Personal life

Konopka grew up in Toms River, New Jersey ^[3] and played both basketball and soccer at Toms River High School East. ^[4] He holds both American and Polish citizenship. ^[5] He is married to Maria Papadakis. ^{[6] [7]}

Amateur and college

Konopka came through the youth system of the Jersey Shore Boca soccer club in South Jersey. In the summer of 2003 he played for the club's Premier Development League team. In the summer of 2004 he made 8 appearances for the Jersey Falcons in the same league. ^[8]

Providence College

He played NCAA Division I collegiate soccer in the Big East Conference at Providence College from 2003 to 2006. ^[9] Konopka earned himself trials in England after his senior season with Charlton Athletic, ^[10] Cardiff City, ^[11] and Walsall FC. ^[12] However, he was unable to sign in the United Kingdom as his attempted acquisition of a Polish passport through ancestry had not yet been completed.

Club career

Kansas City Wizards

Konopka was drafted in the third round, 29th overall, by the Kansas City Wizards in 2007 MLS Supplemental Draft. He became the first player in the history of Providence College to be drafted by an MLS team. Konopka was released by the Wizards at the end of the 2007 season without making an appearance. ^[13]

In December 2007, Konopka was named to the United States U-23 National Team player pool by head coach Piotr Nowak.

Bohemians

In March 2008 Konopka signed a one-year contract with Bohemian FC following a successful trial. He made his debut on July 1, 2008, against Derry City in the League Cup.

As a member of Bohs, Konopka won the League of Ireland championship and the FAI Cup in 2008. He also impressed with the Bohemians' A-Side in the inaugural A Championship, leading Bohemians to the Grand Final.

Sporting Fingal

On July 28, 2009, Konopka signed a short-term contract with then League of Ireland First Division side Sporting Fingal. ^[14]

He made his debut on October 2, 2009, in a 2–2 draw against Monaghan United. Konopka went on to make 3 more appearances for Fingal including a 4–2 win over Bray Wanderers in the 2009 FAI Cup semi-final on October 25. Konopka helped the club win the 2009 FAI Cup and promotion to the League of Ireland Premier Division for 2010.

Waterford United

Konopka signed with Waterford United on December 18, 2009, for the 2010 season. ^[15] He made his debut on March 5, 2010, in a 3–0 victory over Wexford Youths.

Konopka received "man of the match" honours from extratime.ie for his performance in a 1–0 victory over Shelbourne on May 7, 2010. It was Waterford's first win over Shelbourne at Tolka Park in 11 years. ^[16]

Columbus Crew

Konopka was signed by the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer from the MLS Goalkeeper Pool on July 26, 2011. Despite featuring in an international friendly that evening against Newcastle United and being re-called for 4 future matches he would not make a professional appearance for the club. ^{[13] [17]}

New York Red Bulls

Konopka was signed by New York Red Bulls from the MLS Goalkeeper Pool on August 13, 2011. He made his league debut that evening in a 2–2 draw against the Chicago Fire. ^[18] His emergency loan ended after the match and he returned to the MLS Goalkeeper Pool.

Philadelphia Union

On March 2, 2012, Konopka signed with the Philadelphia Union. ^[19]

He made his debut on May 26, 2012, in a 1–0 loss against Toronto FC. ^[20] Three days later he featured in Philadelphia's first US Open Cup victory against the Rochester Rhinos. ^[21]

Toronto FC

On September 13, 2013, the Philadelphia Union traded Konopka to Toronto FC . ^[22]

Konopka made his debut on May 2, 2015, in a 1–0 victory against his former club the Philadelphia Union. ^{[13] [23]}

He was named to the MLS Team of the Week on May 18, 2015, for his seven save effort in a 1–1 draw against the New England Revolution. ^[24]

Konopka finished 2015 with a break-out season for TFC setting the all-time single season Toronto goalkeeper league win record with 11 and his 59.5 win percentage is the best ever in Toronto goalkeeping history. ^[25]

Ross County

On March 8, 2016, Konopka joined Ross County in the Scottish Premiership until the end of the 2015–16 season. ^[26] On March 13, 2016, Konopka was a substitute for Ross County who won the 2015–16 Scottish League Cup 2–1 against Hibernian. ^[27]

Portland Timbers

Konopka returned to Major League Soccer and signed for the Timbers on July 28, 2016. ^[28]

FC Edmonton

On February 15, 2017, Konopka signed with North American Soccer League side FC Edmonton. ^[29]

Cardiff City

On March 8, 2018, Konopka signed a short-term deal with EFL Championship side Cardiff City until the end of the 2017–18 season as cover for Neil Etheridge and Brian Murphy. ^[30]

Minnesota United

Konopka joined Minnesota United on a short-term deal as emergency goalkeeper cover. ^[31] He appeared as an unused substitute in Minnesota's match against Columbus Crew on October 28, 2018. ^[32]

Tampa Bay Rowdies

Konopka was signed by the USL Championship's Tampa Bay Rowdies on February 27, 2019. ^[33]

Post-playing career

In June 2023, Konopka played in the inaugural The Soccer Tournament for Conrad & Beasley United, where they advanced to the quarter-finals.^{[ citation needed ]}

Career statistics

As of matches played March 8, 2018

Club	Season	League			Cup [a]		League Cup [b]		Continental		Total
		Division	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals	Apps	Goals
Kansas City Wizards	2007 [13]	MLS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Bohemians	2008	League of Ireland Premier Division	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0
Sporting Fingal	2009	League of Ireland First Division	3	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	4	0
Waterford United	2010	League of Ireland First Division	12	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	15	0
Columbus Crew	2011 [13]	MLS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
New York Red Bulls	2011 [13]	MLS	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Philadelphia Union	2012 [13] [34]	MLS	1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
	2013 [13]		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	Total		1	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	2	0
Toronto	2013 [13]	MLS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2014 [13]		0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
	2015 [13] [34]		21	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	24	0
Toronto FC II (loan)	2015 [34]	USL	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Toronto	Total		22	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	25	0
Ross County	2015–2016	Scottish Premiership	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Portland Timbers	2016	MLS	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
FC Edmonton	2017	NASL	9	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	9	0
Cardiff City F.C.	2017–2018	EFL Championship	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
Career total			48	0	5	0	4	0	0	0	57	0

1. Includes FAI Cup, Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and Canadian Championship matches.
2. Includes League of Ireland Cup and MLS Playoffs matches.

Honors

Club

Bohemians

• League of Ireland Champions: 2008
• FAI Cup Winners: 2008

Sporting Fingal

• FAI Cup Winners: 2009

Waterford United

• Munster Senior Cup Winners: 2010

Ross County

• Scottish League Cup: 2015–16 ^[27]

References

1. O'Kelly, Declan."American Wins Irish Double at Bohs", Irish Voice, December 17, 2008.
2. Seltzer, Greg."American Exports: Notepad", MLSsoccer.com, May 5, 2011.
3. Edelson, Steve. "Konopka right at home, in Ireland" ^{[ permanent dead link ‍]}, Asbury Park Press , March 12, 2008
4. Chris Konopka Archived May 22, 2008, at the Wayback Machine , Providence Friars. Accessed April 8, 2008.
5. "American Exports: Konopka invited to Polish club". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
6. "Just Who Is Maria Papadakis? – Philadelphia Magazine". October 25, 2013. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
7. "Maria Papadakis and Chris Konopka Get Married – Philly Chit Chat". January 27, 2017. Archived from the original on February 3, 2017. Retrieved February 5, 2017.
8. "2004 Jersey Falcons". Pdl.uslsoccer.com. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
9. "Chris Konopka Named to the US Soccer Region I Under-19 Men's Olympic Development Team – FRIARS.COM – The Providence College Official Athletic Site". Friars.Com. December 12, 2003. Archived from the original on March 6, 2018. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
10. "Charlton take American goalkeeper Chris Konopka on trial| Soccer Blog|Football News, Reviews, Quizzes". Soccer-blogger.com. February 6, 2007. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
11. Archived July 13, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
12. "Big Apple Soccer". Big Apple Soccer. Archived from the original on September 28, 2011. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
13. "Chris Konopka Player Profile". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
14. "Sporting Move For Keeps", Fingal Independent, September 2, 2009.
15. "Konopka joins Waterford from Fingal' Archived June 5, 2011, at the Wayback Machine , RTE.ie, December 19, 2009.
16. , extratime.ie, May 7, 2010
17. King, Andrew."Newcastle proves too much for Crew" Archived April 25, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , Columbus Sports Network, July 26, 2011
18. Kristian Dyer (August 14, 2011). "Konopka makes "dream" first MLS start". New York Red Bulls. Retrieved September 13, 2013.
19. Philadelphia Union Communications."Union sign goalkeeper Chris Konopka" Archived August 30, 2012, at the Wayback Machine , March 2, 2012.
20. "Recap: Late goal vaults TFC past Philly, ends losing streak". MLSsoccer.com. Archived from the original on September 25, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2015.
21. Comcast Sportsnet."Union Take Cup Opener", May 29, 2012.
22. Toronto FC press release."Reds Acquire Chris Konopka" Archived September 15, 2013, at the Wayback Machine September 13, 2013.
23. "Philadelphia Union 0, Toronto FC 1 MLS Match Recap". MLSsoccer.com. May 2, 2015. Retrieved September 23, 2013.
24. MLSsoccer.com "Team of the Week – WK 11" Archived May 18, 2015, at the Wayback Machine May 18, 2015.
25. TorontoFC.CA 2015 TFC Player Stats
26. Durent, Jamie (March 8, 2016). "Ross County agree deal with goalkeeper Chris Konopka". The Inverness Courier. Archived from the original on March 12, 2016. Retrieved March 8, 2016.
27. Wilson, Richard (March 13, 2016). "Scottish League Cup Final". BBC Scotland. Retrieved March 13, 2016.
28. "Portland Timbers sign goalkeeper Chris Konopka". Portland Timbers (Press release). July 28, 2016. Retrieved May 31, 2021.
29. "FC Edmonton Adds Veteran Goalkeeper Chris Konopka".
30. Dominic Booth (March 27, 2018). "The unknown goalkeeper nobody realised had signed for Cardiff City this month". WalesOnline. Retrieved March 27, 2018.
31. "Loons likely to use Konopka as emergency backup goalkeeper". Star Tribune. October 23, 2018. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
32. "Chris Konopka". ESPN. Retrieved December 7, 2018.
33. "Rowdies Complete Roster With Addition of Chris Konopka". RowdiesSoccer.com. Archived from the original on February 28, 2019. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
34. "C. Konopka Summary". Soccerway. Retrieved September 23, 2015.

External links

• Chris Konopka at Major League Soccer
• Chris Konopka – Providence College Profile
• Chris Konopka on Twitter