Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Nkosi Tafari Burgess | ||
Date of birth | March 23, 1997 | ||
Place of birth | Manhattan, New York, United States | ||
Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) [1] | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | FC Dallas | ||
Number | 17 | ||
College career | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2015–2018 | UConn Huskies | 46 | (1) |
2019 | Seattle Redhawks | 20 | (1) |
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2020– | FC Dallas | 83 | (4) |
2020–2021 | North Texas SC | 8 | (2) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of March 16, 2024 |
Nkosi Tafari Burgess (born March 23, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club FC Dallas.
Tafari began playing college soccer at the University of Connecticut in 2015. He redshirted his Freshman season, before going on to make 46 appearances for the Huskies, scoring 1 goal and tallying 1 assist between 2016 and 2018. [2] In 2019, Tafari played his senior season at Seattle University, making 20 appearances and again tallying a single goal and an assist on his way to been named WAC Defensive Player of the Year and United Soccer Coaches All-Region First Team. [3] [4]
On January 9, 2020, Tafari was selected 14th overall in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft by FC Dallas. [5] He signed with the club on February 18, 2020. [6]
He made his professional debut on October 3, 2020, starting for Dallas' USL League One affiliate side North Texas SC in a fixture against Fort Lauderdale CF. [7]
He scored his first professional goal with FC Dallas on August 21, 2021, against the Houston Dynamo. On August 26, 2023, Tafari scored the game-winning goal in a 1–0 game against rivals. The goal came at 96:49 the latest game-winning goal in club history. [8]
In 2021, Tafari announced he would go by his middle name Tafari instead of Burgess, choosing to distance himself from the name that been "passed down from master to slave" and saying "I want to get back to my own roots and be proud of being African". [9] He is of Ethiopian descent through his mother. [10]
Jeff Cunningham is an American former professional soccer player who played as a forward. He is Major League Soccer's third-all-time leader in regular-season goals scored with 134.
Kenneth Scott Cooper Jr. is an American former soccer player who played as a forward. He began his soccer career with Manchester United but failed to break through to the first team. He went on to play for clubs in Portugal, Germany, England, the United States, and Canada.
George John is a former American soccer player.
Jalil Anibaba is an American former professional soccer player who last played in Major League Soccer for Columbus Crew. He is currently a club ambassador for Nashville SC.
Justin Meram is a professional footballer who plays as a winger for National Independent Soccer Association club Michigan Stars. Born in the United States, he plays for the Iraq national team.
Joshua Ford is a retired American soccer player. He is currently an assistant coach for Tacoma Defiance of the USL Championship.
Walker Dwain Zimmerman is an American professional soccer player who plays as a center-back for Major League Soccer club Nashville SC and the United States national team.
Oniel David Fisher is a Jamaican professional footballer who plays as a right-back and midfielder for the Jamaica national team.
Dominique Joel Badji is a Senegalese professional footballer who plays as a forward for Turkish TFF First League club Bandırmaspor.
Cristian Roldan is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Seattle Sounders FC and the United States national team.
Jakob Maling Nerwinski is an American professional soccer player who plays as a right-back for Major League Soccer club St. Louis City SC.
Nikolaj Hansen is a Danish footballer who plays as a winger or forward for USL Championship club San Antonio FC. He previously appeared at the semi-professional level for Seattle Sounders FC U-23 and professionally with Columbus Crew SC, Houston Dynamo, and Minnesota United.
The 2020 FC Dallas season was the club's 25th season in Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. FC Dallas was also to participate in the U.S. Open Cup before its cancelation due to the COVID-19 pandemic in North America.
Dominick "Nicky" Gilbert Hernandez is an American professional soccer player who currently plays for New Mexico United in the USL Championship.
Thibaut Jacquel is a French footballer who plays as a forward for US Thionville Lusitanos.
Nicholas Markanich is a Filipino-American professional soccer player who plays as a forward for USL Championship club Charleston Battery.
Kendall Burks is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for San Antonio FC.
Anthony Charles Markanich Jr. is an American professional soccer player who plays for Major League Soccer club St. Louis City SC.
Lucas Allen Bartlett is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club D.C. United.
Charlie Ostrem is an American professional soccer player who plays as a left-back for Western Suburbs in the New Zealand Central League.