Roger Espinoza (Honduras Midfielder)

[Emperor Brutus]

Espinoza enters draft - Sports
Returning for another shot at a National Championship was little opposition to the lure of the professional life - at least for Roger Espinoza.

Ohio State's junior midfielder signed with Generation adidas Wednesday, waiving his remaining year of eligibility to enter Friday's MLS SuperDraft.

"This is something I have been waiting for my whole life," Espinoza told the university. "When I got the opportunity to sign with Generation adidas, I talked to coach (John) Bluem and he said go for it."

Espinoza joined teammates Eric Brunner, Xavier Balc and Casey Latchem at the MLS combine last week.

 

[Emperor Brutus]

Men?s Soccer: Espinoza and Brunner Selected Early in MLS SuperDraft - The Ohio State Buckeyes Official Athletics Site - OhioStateBuckeyes.com
COLUMBUS, Ohio ? Ohio State junior Roger Espinoza was the 11th overall pick in the first round by Kansas City and senior Eric Brunner went in the second round to New York as the 16th overall selection in the Major League Soccer SuperDraft Friday in Baltimore, Md. They are the ninth Buckeyes drafted in program history, all this decade, and are also the highest draft picks, topping the pair of third-round picks from Ohio State in 2005 (Kyle Veris, Ray Burse Jr.).
Last season Espinoza and Brunner helped lead Ohio State to a Big Ten title and the national championship game as the Buckeyes tallied the program?s most wins in a season, ending with a 17-4-5 ledger. Espinoza, who signed with Generation adidas last week, guaranteeing him an MLS contract for three years, scored the Buckeyes? goal in the title game against Wake Forest, while Brunner and classmate Xavier Balc became the first Buckeyes to be named first-team All-Americans.

 

[Buckskin86]

Global talent
Ex-Buckeye Espinoza has spot in Honduras' lineup at World Cup
Sunday, June 20, 2010
By Shawn Mitchell
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Bernat Armangue | Associated Press
Honduras' Roger Espinoza, right, battles Chile's Mauricio Isla during the teams' World Cup opener.

When Roger Espinoza arrived on the Ohio State campus in the summer of 2007 to play soccer for the Buckeyes, coach John Bluem knew he had bagged a talented transfer.

Espinoza didn't take long to impress his new teammates.

"When Roger came to a preseason captain's practice, from day one, we knew he was special," said former OSU goalkeeper Casey Latchem.

Special? Try world-class. Espinoza, 23, a native of Honduras, is playing for his home country in the World Cup. The first former Ohio State player to make a World Cup roster, Espinoza played all 90 minutes and had a shot in Honduras' 1-0 loss to Chile on Wednesday. Honduras plays its second game on Monday against Spain.

"I've dreamed about this since I was little," Espinoza said before the tournament. "My top goal was to go to the World Cup, and I'm glad I got called up. It's where every player in the world wants to be."

World Cup: Ex-Buckeye Espinoza has spot in Honduras' lineup at World Cup | BuckeyeXtra

 

[Buckskin86]

From Scarlet to Gold- Roger Espinoza

 

[VBSJ]

Heading to Wigan.

Good for him. I pretty sure the first former Buckeye to play in the Barclays Premier League.

http://www.kansascity.com/2012/11/26/3935735/sporting-kcs-roger-espinoza-heading.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Former Buckeye Espinoza Debuts in Barclays Premier League
By Big Ten Conference on January 23, 2013

Former Ohio State men's soccer standout Roger Espinoza made his Barclays Premier League debut with the Wigan Athletic last week and the midfielder was impressive in his first game against Sunderland.

"I was very pleased with his role," said Wigan manager Roberto Martinez. "Roger had a massive impact when he came off the bench, getting involved in all the good things we produced going forward."

The former Buckeye made headlines this past summer as an Olympian on Honduras' national team. Espinoza received a standing ovation from the English crowd when leaving the field due to a red card in the 90th minute. He had been the heart and soul of a relentless Honduran side in their quarterfinal match against Brazil, as he helped set up the Hondurans' first goal and scored the second.

During his time at Ohio State he led the Buckeyes to the 2007 Big Ten Tournament Championship and the NCAA title game as a first-team All-Big Ten selection.

http://www.bigten.org/blog/2013/01/former-buckeye-espinoza-debuts-in-barclays-premier-league.html

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9cWwCu5LERw"]Roger Espinoza Comments - YouTube[/ame]

 

[Buckskin86]

Espinoza living the Honduran dream
(FIFA.com) Wednesday 20 March 2013

Espinoza living the Honduran dream
? AFP

Roger Espinoza, his long, dark hair bouncing in the breeze, was a whirling, scampering sensation for Honduras in their opening Hexagonal victory. Collecting the ball near the edge of his own penalty area time and again, he burst forward into space, or sent an inch-perfect pass up the pitch, always moving the Catrachos forward in the now-famous 2-1 victory over USA that puts them top the CONCACAF qualifying standings.

?I didn?t really notice that I had a lot of possession,? the 26-year-old Wigan Athletic midfielder told FIFA.com about that day last month, when his many touches were purposeful, pointed, and cheered wildly by the home crowd. He added an understatement: ?but I do like to be a part of the game and I think the best team won.?

With his tireless running and overall panache, Espinoza ran rings around an American midfield that struggled to keep hold of the ball, and a grip on the game. And were it not for a twist of fate, the midfielder could well have been playing in a USA jersey that mid-day in San Pedro Sula.

?I could write a whole book about how I came to live in the States,? Espinoza laughed in his American-accented English. A year after his birth, Espinoza?s father made a decision: to move his young family to the United States for a chance at a better life, to find the American dream.

?It took 11 years for us to be reunited again,? Espinoza explained. His father, Anibal, went on his own to the States to find work in 1986, leaving the rest of the family behind in Honduras. They kept in touch through photos and phone calls. Anibal visited once when his son was four, bringing him a football, but Espinoza has no memory of it. Finally, in 1998, the green cards came through and the Espinozas were a family again, this time in Denver, Colorado, a mile high in the iconic Rocky Mountains.

cont...

http://www.fifa.com/worldcup/preliminaries/news/newsid=2034632/

 

[Buckskin86]

Ex-MLS midfielder Roger Espinoza wins FA Cup with Wigan just months after US Open Cup triumph
MLS ?

Ex-MLS midfielder Roger Espinoza wins FA Cup with Wigan just months after US Open Cup triumph

Just nine months after claiming the US Open Cup with Sporting Kansas City, former MLS midfielder Roger Espinoza won the FA Cup on Saturday as Wigan Athletic upset Manchester City at Wembley Stadium.

The dramatic game-winner came in the 90th minute as Ben Watson headed home the only goal of the game. It's the first FA Cup in Wigan's history.

Espinoza, who for years was a driving force behind Sporting KC's MLS success, is believed to be one of the few players to have won the domestic trophy in the USA and England inside 12 months.

In August 2012, Sporting KC defeated the Seattle Sounders on penalty kicks in the final of the 2012 US Open Cup in a controversial title match.

Espinoza moved to Wigan in the January 2013 transfer window following the expiration of his MLS contract. The Honduran international played five seasons and made 113 career appearances for Kansas City.

Wigan and Espinoza are still involved in a desperate battle for survival in the English Premier League with two league matches remaining at Arsenal (Tues., May 14) and vs. Aston Villa (Sun., May 19). They are currently third-from-bottom in the EPL, three points from safety.

http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/S...om/en_US/Sports/MLSSoccer/espinoza_trophy.jpg

 

[Buckskin86]

Honduras' Roger Espinoza (15) defends as United States' Omar Gonzalez (3) clears the ball in the first half during a World Cup qualifying soccer match at Rio Tinto Stadium on Tuesday, June 18, 2013, in Sandy, Utah. (AP Photo/Rick Bowmer)

http://photos.mercurynews.com/2013/06/19/photos-u-s-beats-honduras-1-0/#11

Honduras' Espinoza continues to grow
by Michael Lewis

CONCACAF.com NEW YORK (June 7, 2013) - Few Honduran players have enjoyed the amazing journey that Roger Espinoza has taken in the past 10 months.

Just look at his resume and itinerary:

* He was a standout in the Olympics, being a vital player in Honduras' march to the quarterfinals, where it was eliminated by eventual silver-medal Brazil.

* He played for Sporting Kansas City, which captured the Lamar Hunt/U.S. Open Cup, the United States' association cup competition.

* He transferred to Wigan Athletic in the English Premier League.

* He helped Wigan capture its first English F.A. Cup in the club's 81-year history.

* And a week later, Wigan was relegated to the English Championship.

Whew! What a ride, a ride that Espinoza admitted he hasn't been able to fathom just yet.

"It's been crazy," Espinoza said earlier this week. "It's stuff you never imagine. You just dream about. It just happened so quick I haven't been able to think anything about [it]. I'm happy where it's going. It looks like there's more coming up. You've got to be ready for it."

Next on tap for the talented midfielder is three important World Cup qualifiers over a span of 12 days. It starts Friday, when fourth-place Honduras (1-1-1, four points) plays at second-place Costa Rica (1-1-1, four) in San Jose on Friday, followed by a June 11 home encounter in Tegucigalpa against last-place Jamaica (0-2-2, two) on June 11, before ending with a trip to Sandy, Utah, to play the third-place United States (1-1-1, four) on June 18. The top three teams will clinch a berth to Brazil next year with the fourth-place side taking on the Oceania champion in a special playoff in November.

"I want to go for the nine points," Espinoza said after the Hondurans' final tune-up, a 2-0 loss to Israel on Sunday. "It's going to be very tough. We've got to get as many points as we can. Two of those nine games are away games. That's obviously going to be very tough for us. We've got to worry about the first game."

The U.S. game will be a homecoming of sorts for Espinoza, who expects many of his family members living in Denver, Colorado, to attend.

"I know I'm going to have the support from my family and Honduran people," he said. "It's going to be very exciting. It's going to be an exciting game not just because my family is going to be there but I'm playing close to home. A lot of American people who know me, too, who come from around the area. It's going to be an honor to play in front of them."

cont...

http://boxscorenews.com/honduras-espinoza-continues-to-grow-p56894-68.htm

 

[Buckskin86]

Espinoza Makes Triumphant Return
Former Buckeye helps lead Wigan over Columbus Crew in international friendly
July 15, 2013

COLUMBUS, Ohio - Hanging up his Buckeye jersey for the final time following a loss in the 2007 NCAA College Cup final, Roger Espinoza could not have predicted the historic path he was about to embark. From becoming Ohio State?s first World Cup and men?s soccer Olympic product to helping Wigan Athletic to the 2013 Football Association Challenge Cup, many illustrious moments have transpired since Espinoza?s collegiate days in Columbus.

Playing alongside Wigan, Espinoza returned to the Buckeye state to take on Major League Soccer?s Columbus Crew in an exhibition game Saturday evening. Reminiscent to his playing days at Ohio State, Espinoza provided an immediate spark, entering the match at the start of the second half and promptly serving a cross to teammate James McCarthy who posted Wigan?s first goal in the 46th minute. Overall, the match concluded in a 2-1 Wigan victory, marking a solid homecoming for the Buckeye native.

?It is very gratifying every time I think of Columbus,? Espinoza said. ?I scored my first professional goal here [in 2008, with MLS? Kansas City], so it definitely brings a lot of memories. And obviously with Ohio State as well. I have a lot of great memories from there. Every time I somehow end up here and it makes me very happy.?

One notable figure in the stands to watch the matchup was Ohio State head coach John Bluem.

Bluem initially took notice of Espinoza?s energetic style of play when he was recruiting him from the junior college ranks. After two seasons with Yavapai College in Phoenix, Espinoza transferred to Ohio State for a season of direction under the Buckeye head coach.

?We only had him for the one season at Ohio State, but he touched all of us,? Bluem said. ?To see what he has accomplished and how far he has gone is tremendous.?

cont...

http://www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/071513aaa.html

 

[Buckskin86]

Espinoza Follows OSU Path To Stardom