At 15, soccer standout turns pro

The former Richfield High forward is the second-youngest player ever taken in MLS draft.

By Roman Augustoviz, Star Tribune

Last update: January 13, 2007 - 7:22 AM

Abdusalam Ibrahim, 15, is not a well-known name in the soccer world, but that could change in a few years.

On Friday, the former Richfield High School standout was the 14th player taken in the Major League Soccer draft in Indianapolis by FC Dallas. I think he is a great talent, with a wonderful, exciting future, said Steve Morrow, the coach of FC Dallas, which took him in the second round.

Ibrahim actually signed an MLS contract on Jan. 1; he said it was for six figures. Mike Harris, his high school coach, said it was a five-year, $100,000-a-year deal.

The money will come from a program called Generation Adidas.

Its a type of contract for young players we have identified as ones we want to nurture, said Evan Wiener, public relations manager for Adidas America, and ones we feel have the potential to become icons for the league and U.S. soccer.

There were eight GenA players in this draft.

Ibrahim, who was born in August 1991 in Ethiopia, is the second-youngest player taken in the 12-year history of the MLS draft. Freddy Adu was 14 in 2004.

It was a dream of mine to be a pro soccer player, said Ibrahim.

Of his contract, he said: Im going to help my family and save some money. In soccer, you never know what is going to happen.

In the fall of 2005, Ibrahim led Richfield to the Classic Suburban Conference title, then followed his soccer dreams.

In January 2006, he moved to Bradenton, Fla., after being selected to join the under-17 U.S. national team that trains there.

I knew about him for some time, Morrow said, and went down to Bradenton to see him play a couple times. He definitely has the potential to be a big star.

Harris always knew Ibrahim was special: Hes the whole package. Hes got speed, agility, hes driven and hes a humble athlete. He never was a ballhog. And his work ethic was second to none. [Soccer] was all he wanted to do.

Ibrahim, whose parents, three brothers and a sister still live in the Twin Cities, started playing soccer at about age 5 in Ethiopia. Wed play pickup games in the street, he said. Wed make our own balls out of plastic. They were smaller, but we learned on those kind of balls.

After other family members arrived in Minnesota first, Ibrahim followed in 2003.

When he joined the Richfield varsity team, Ibrahim was maybe 5 foot 3, 90 pounds and only 12, Harris said, but was placed in the ninth grade because of an age mixup.

I was little until I moved to Florida, said Ibrahim, who now stands 6 foot 1 and weighs 165 pounds.

He will graduate from high school at Edison Academy Center in Bradenton in May, and then will split time between the FC Dallas developmental team and his U.S. team, which plays in the under-17 FIFA World Cup starting Aug. 18 in South Korea.

Morrow said Ibrahim, a forward, will get to train with FC Dallas first-team roster.

We think he will progress quickly, Morrow said. Hell get to play some this season and could be a full-time player in two years.

Hes got the all-around ability and talent, the right character and attitude. It was not much of a risk drafting him.