Patrick Nyarko

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Patrick Nyarko
Patrick Nyarko Fire.jpg
Personal information
Full name Patrick Nyarko
Date of birth (1986-01-15) January 15, 1986 (age 40)
Place of birth Kumasi, Ghana
Height 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)
Position Winger
Team information
Current team
 Forward Madison (assistant coach)
Youth career
2005 Kaaseman
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2005–2007 Virginia Tech Hokies
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2008–2015 Chicago Fire 196 (19)
2016–2017 D.C. United 40 (5)
Total236(24)
International career‡
2012 Ghana 1 (0)
Managerial career
2021–2022 Chicago Fire Academy (assistant coach)
2022–2024 Chicago Fire II (assistant coach)
2025 Forward Madison (U19 head coach)
2026– Forward Madison (assistant coach)
* Club domestic league appearances and goals as of October 28, 2017
‡ National team caps and goals as of October 24, 2017

Patrick Nyarko (born January 15, 1986) is a Ghanaian football coach and former professional football player. Nyarko is currently an assistant coach for USL League One club Forward Madison.

Contents

Playing career

College

After coming to the United States in 2005, Nyarko was a star forward and three-time All-ACC selection for the Virginia Tech Hokies soccer team, which played in the 2007 Division I Men's College Cup, falling to Wake Forest in the National Semifinals.

Nyarko, who finished his Virginia Tech career with 31 goals, [1] was called by coach Oliver Weiss, "the most incredible player I've ever coached" [2] and he is considered to be the best soccer player in Virginia Tech history. [1] Nyarko first met Weiss when the coach was on a recruiting trip to Ghana.

Jeff Parke of the Seattle Sounders is defending against attacking midfielder Patrick Nyarko of the Chicago Fire (Saturday, April 28, 2012) JeffParke defending Patrick Nyarko.jpg
Jeff Parke of the Seattle Sounders is defending against attacking midfielder Patrick Nyarko of the Chicago Fire (Saturday, April 28, 2012)

In Nyarko's freshman year, he scored the lone goal of his team's marquee win over then-#4 North Carolina. [3] Tech rose as high as #10 in the polls and earned its second trip in school history to the NCAA tournament. Nyarko was named the Atlantic Coast Conference freshman of the year and was named to the all-ACC team.

Following the 2007 season, in which the Hokies finished #8 in the final AP poll and played in the National Semifinals of the 2007 Division I Men's College Cup, Nyarko was named as a finalist for the Hermann Trophy. [4] His accomplishments for the Hokies led to his enshrinement into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2018.

Professional

Nyarko decided to forgo his senior season and enter the 2008 MLS SuperDraft. Widely predicted to be the first pick in the draft, Nyarko was selected 7th overall by the Chicago Fire. [5]

He made his MLS debut on June 15, 2008, against FC Dallas, and scored his first MLS goal on August 2, 2008, against Chivas USA. [6]

After eight seasons with Chicago, Nyarko was traded to D.C. United on January 6, 2016, in exchange for a second round 2016 MLS SuperDraft pick. [7] Nyarko scored his first goal for United on April 2, 2016, scoring against the San Jose Earthquakes. [8] He missed the last 3 months of the season with concussion. [9] He was out of contract with United following the 2017 season [10] and was considering retirement due to brain trauma due to 8 separate concussions he has suffered from. [11]

International career

Nyarko was called up to the Ghana squad to face Chile. [12] Nyarko made his Ghana debut against Chile on February 29, 2012, at the PPL Park in Chester, Pennsylvania.

Coaching career

Nyarko joined the Chicago Fire Academy as an assistant coach in June 2021, and moved to the same role with Chicago Fire II before their inaugural 2022 season. Nyarko left the club for personal reasons following the 2024 season. [13]

Nyarko joined Forward Madison as the head coach of their MLS Next U19 team in May 2025. [14] Nyarko was named as an assistant coach for Forward Madison's senior team prior to their 2026 season. [15]

Personal

Nyarko was granted a U.S. green card in 2011. This status qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes. [16] Nyarko became a United States citizen in 2015.

References

  1. 1 2 Berman, Mark (January 15, 2008). "Nyarko taking kicks to MLS". Roanoke Times. Archived from the original on February 22, 2012. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  2. ↑ Kilgore, Adam (December 14, 2007). "Hokies' First College Cup a Foreign Concept". Washington Post. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  3. ↑ "Tech Topples No. 4 Tar Heels". hokiesports.com. October 8, 2005. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  4. ↑ "Nyarko named MAC Hermann Trophy Finalist". hokiesports.com. December 15, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  5. ↑ "Nyarko, like others, needs time to develop". dailyherald.com. July 8, 2008. Retrieved August 7, 2008.
  6. ↑ Fire get goal scorer in Nyarko Archived February 2, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
  7. ↑ "D.C. United acquire Patrick Nyarko from Chicago Fire". January 6, 2016.
  8. ↑ "HIGHLIGHTS: San Jose Earthquakes vs. D.C. United | April 2, 2016". mlssoccer.com. April 3, 2016. Retrieved June 21, 2020.
  9. ↑ "D.C. United player Chris Rolfe retires 18 months after suffering concussion - The Washington Post". The Washington Post .
  10. ↑ "D.C. United exercise contract options on six players". dcunited.com. November 28, 2017. Retrieved November 30, 2017.
  11. ↑ "Ghana midfielder Patrick Nyarko considers retirement due to persistent brain injury". September 22, 2017.
  12. ↑ "Nyarko Late Addition to Ghana Roster for Wednesday friendly vs. Chile". chicago-fire.com. Chicago Fire Soccer Club. February 28, 2012. Retrieved March 1, 2012.
  13. ↑ "Chicago Fire FC II Assistant Coach Patrick Nyarko Departs Club Due to Personal Reasons". OurSportsCentral.com. OurSports Central. November 27, 2024. Archived from the original on January 22, 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  14. ↑ Forward Madison FC [@forwardmadisonfc]; (May 9, 2025). "Stepping into the role of Academy U17 & U19 Head Coach is former MLS star Forward, Patrick Nyarko. From a decade on the pitch in the MLS to nurturing young talent at the Chicago Fire Academy and Chicago Fire II, and most recently shaping future National Team players with the U.S. U14s, Nyarko brings a wealth of experience to the Forward Madison FC Academy. Follow @forward_madison_fc_academy for more announcements!" . Retrieved January 21, 2026– via Instagram.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  15. ↑ "Forward Madison elevates Academy coach Patrick Nyarko to first team assistant". Madison365.com. Madison365. January 16, 2026. Archived from the original on January 22, 2026. Retrieved January 21, 2026.
  16. ↑ Simon Borg (January 30, 2012). "Chicago's Nyarko would welcome switch to USMNT". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved November 13, 2014.
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