Danny Califf

Danny Califf

Califf with the Union in September 2010
Personal information
Full name Daniel Benjamin Califf
Date of birth (1980-03-17) March 17, 1980
Place of birth Montclair, California, United States
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Playing position Defender
Youth career
1998–1999 Maryland Terrapins
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2000–2004 Los Angeles Galaxy 103 (5)
2000 → MLS Pro-40 (loan) 2 (0)
2005 San Jose Earthquakes 20 (2)
2006–2008 AaB 69 (2)
2008–2009 Midtjylland 31 (1)
2010–2012 Philadelphia Union 65 (1)
2012 Chivas USA 19 (1)
2013 Toronto FC 4 (0)
Total 313 (12)
National team‡
1997 United States U17 3 (0)
1999 United States U20 4 (1)
2000 United States U23 6 (1)
2002–2009 United States 23 (1)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of March 30, 2013.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of April 4, 2010

Daniel Benjamin "Danny" Califf (born March 17, 1980 in Montclair, California) is a retired American soccer player.

Career

Youth and College

Califf (pronounced kāl'ĭ-f) started his youth career in soccer for Canyon Hills Soccer Association, playing on the Canyon Classic team coached by his father. He played college soccer at the University of Maryland from 1998 to 2000. As a freshman, he started all 24 of the team's games, and was named to the Soccer America All-Freshman team for helping to lead the Terrapins to the Final Four. In his second year of college, he started 20 games, and was named an NSCAA third-team All-American.

Professional

After his sophomore season, Califf signed a Project-40 contract with MLS and entered the 2000 MLS SuperDraft, where he was selected sixth overall by the Los Angeles Galaxy. Califf was immediately slotted into the Galaxy's starting line up, appearing in 18 games, 16 of them starts, as a rookie. Over the next three years, Califf would establish himself as one of the best central defenders in the league, starting 69 games for the Galaxy while helping the team to win a U.S. Open Cup in 2001 and a MLS Cup in 2002. Califf struggled with injuries in 2004, and was able to make only 10 starts, playing 855 minutes.

Califf was traded to the San Jose Earthquakes for an allocation prior to the 2005 season.[1] He then regained his old form and even improved, being named to the MLS Best XI for the first time. Califf has scored seven league goals and four assists in six years in MLS.

He left the Quakes after just one season to sign with Aalborg in the Danish Superliga.[2] In his first full season at Aalborg, Califf played 30 of 33 games, and helped the team win bronze medals in the 2006–07 Superliga season. Califf scored his first Aalborg goal on the last match day of the season, as bronze medal contenders Odense BK were defeated 3–1. After the season, during AaB's Intertoto Cup campaign, Califf was named club captain. In the 2007–08 Superliga season he helped Aalborg to a gold medal but after the season he could not agree with Aalborg on a new contract. He eventually signed with Danish Superliga rivals Midtjylland.

On December 3, 2009, the Philadelphia Union announced that they had acquired Califf's MLS rights from Houston Dynamo and that he would join the team for their inaugural 2010 season.[3] Before the Union's first game against Seattle Sounders FC he was announced as the team's captain. Califf scored his first goal for the Union in the 2011 MLS season opener win against Houston Dynamo on March 19, 2011.[4] He was named to the MLS Team of the week for this performance that match also.[5] On June 8, Califf was named a nominee for the MLS All-Star Game.[6] It was announced that he was fifth in defender voting for the All-Star Game.[7]

On May 17, 2012, Califf was traded to Chivas USA for Michael Lahoud and allocation money.[8] At the end of the 2012 season, Chivas USA declined Califf's contract option and he entered the 2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft. On December 14, 2012, Califf was selected by Toronto FC with the first pick of stage two of the draft and that day signed a contract with Toronto for the 2013 season.[9]

Retirement

Califf announced his retirement from soccer on July 12, 2013.[10]

Danny is now part of the Leadership team at ProConnect Sports (www.proconnectsports.net). He is currently the player/coach for Bearfight FC of Wilmington, a USASA club based in Wilmington, Delaware.

International

Califf has played for the United States national team at every level from the U-17's to the senior team. He has appeared in the 1997 FIFA U-17 World Championship, the 1999 World Youth Championship, and the 2000 Olympic team. Additionally, he has appeared in 20 games for the full national team, getting his first cap against South Korea on January 19, 2002.

Califf played in the 2003 Confederations Cup, the 2002 and 2003 Gold Cups and the 2007 Copa America. He scored his only international goal against Haiti on March 16, 2004. He served as captain for the team on July 5, 2007, when the United States lost 1–0 to Colombia during their final group game in Venezuela (2007 Copa America).

International goals

# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition
1. March 16, 2004 Miami, Florida  Haiti 0–1 1–1 Friendly match

Honors

United States

Los Angeles Galaxy

San Jose Earthquakes

Aalborg

Individual

Career statistics

Updated July 12, 2013

Season United StatesCanada MLS U.S. Open Cup MLS Cup Playoffs North America Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Los Angeles Galaxy 2000 18 1 4 0 2 1 0 0 24 2
2001 24 3 5 0 6 1 - - 35 4
2002 25 1 3 0 6 1 - - 34 2
2003 23 0 3 0 2 0 ? ? 28 0
2004 13 0 0 0 3 0 - - 16 2
Club Total 103 5 15 0 19 3 0 0 137 8
San Jose Earthquakes
 2005 20 2 2 0 1 0 - - 23 2
Club Total 20 2 2 0 1 0 0 0 23 2
Season Denmark Superliga Danish Cup various[11] Europe Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Aalborg BK 2005–06 9 0 ? ? - - - - ? ?
2006–07 30 1 ? ? - - - - ? ?
2007–08 30 1 ? ? - - ? ? ? ?
Club Total 69 2 5 0 10 0 11 1 95 3
FC Midtjylland 2008–09 26 1 0 0 - - 3 0 29 1
2009–10 5 0 0 0 - - 0 0 5 0
Club Total 31 1 0 0 0 0 3 0 34 1
Season United StatesCanada MLS U.S. Open Cup MLS Cup Playoffs North America Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Philadelphia Union 2010 28 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 29 0
2011 33 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 36 1
2012 4 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 4 0
Club Total 65 1 2 0 2 0 0 0 69 1
Chivas USA
 2012 19 1 3 0 0 0 - - 22 1
Club Total 19 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 22 1
Season United StatesCanada MLS Canadian Championship MLS Cup Playoffs North America Total
App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals App Goals
Toronto FC
 2013 4 0 2 0 - - - - 6 0
Club Total 4 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 6 0
Career Total 311 12 29 0 32 3 14 1 386 16

References

Sporting positions
Preceded by
N/A		 Philadelphia Union captain
2010 		Succeeded by
Faryd Mondragón
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