Conor Casey had a career year in 2009 posting a MVP campaign setting a new Rapids single season scoring record with 16 goals to finish 2nd in the league's Golden Boot race only one goal behind FC Dallas' Jeff Cunnningham. Casey was named to the MLS Best XI squad for the first time in his career and also garnered MLS All-Star honors. A hometown favorite, Casey has 16 career caps with the U.S. Men's National Team and scored his first two international goals in the U.S.’s 2010 World Cup qualifying win against Honduras on October 10, 2009 that clinched a trip to South Africa for the Americans.

 

MLS CAREER
2009: Registered one of the best seasons in Rapids history…Started 24 games, playing in 2,087 minutes and led the team with 16 goals. Also added an assist…Set a new Rapids single season scoring record with 16 goals…2nd in MLS in scoring, 1st in hat tricks (2), T-2nd in multi-goal games (3), 5th in shots (73), 8th in shots on goal (31), 1st in fouls committed (62), T-10th in fouls suffered (41), T-2nd in cautions (9)…Named to MLS Best XI for the first time of his career…Named MLS Player of the Week for Week 3, Week 11 and Week 21…Won MLS Player of the Month for May…Voted 2009 MLS All-Star First XI for the first time of his career…Won Rapids 2009 Budweiser Golden Boot...Scored in four straight matches (9/5, 9/12, 9/18, 9/23)…Converted PKs in 95+ and 93+ against SJ (9/18) and (9/23)…Scored game winning header vs. Toronto FC (9/5). Score was nominated for MLS Goal of the Week…Named MLS Player of the Week for Week 21 claiming the honor for the third time this season…Recorded his second hat trick of the season vs. Chivas USA (8/8) scoring all three goals in the first half. First goal was nominated for MLS Goal of the Week…Played all 90 minutes in first-career MLS All-Star game and recorded an assist and scored on PK attempt in shootout...Won MLS Player of the Week for Week 11, earning award for second time this season, after scoring two goals at New York (5/30) giving him 5 goals against the Red Bulls in his last two matches at Giants Stadium. First goal was nominated for MLS Goal of the Week…Tallied first assist of the season vs. Real Salt Lake (5/2)…Won MLS Player of the Week for Week 3 following his hat trick performance at LA (4/4) in 3-2 victory. Scored the second fastest goal in MLS history recording his first score in 16 seconds against the Galaxy. Marked the second hat trick of his Rapids career. First goal was nominated for MLS Goal of the Week...2008: Despite entering the season rehabbing an off-season ACL injury missing the team’s first nine games while on the disabled list, Casey produced his best MLS season finishing as the Rapids team leader with 11 goals (sixth best in MLS)-the highest by a Rapids player since 2005…He registered two game-winners and two game-tying scores on the season…Added two assists and finished the year playing in 21 games with 16 starts…Three-times in 2008 he had one of his scores nominated for MLS Goal of the Week…Conor’s crowning moment on the season came in the Rapids’ 5-4 win over New York on 9/27, in which he recorded a hat-trick that included a 90th minute game winning goal, earning him his first MLS Player of the Week honor…His scoring touch was not limited to the regular season, though, as he added a goal in a Rapids Reserve match, a goal in a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play-in match, and a goal in the Rapids' exhibition match vs. Everton FC…2007: Made his Rapids debut playing nine minutes on April 22 at Dallas…Recorded his first assist on June 2 at Toronto…Scored his first goal on Aug. 26 vs. Los Angeles…Scored his second goal on Sept. 2 at Columbus…Recorded his second assist on Sept. 16 vs. Chvias USA; Recorded his second assist on Oct. 14 at Chivas USA…Toronto FC used their top allocation to bring Casey over from club FSV Mainz 05 of the German Bundesliga. During his brief stint with Toronto FC, Casey came on as a substitute in both of the club’s games and played a total of 58 minutes for the Canadian side before joining the Rapids.

 

NATIONAL TEAM
Conor Casey has 19 caps with the U.S. Men’s National Team and has two career international goals and one assist…2010: Participated in the National Team’s January training camp…Played 30 minutes against Honduras (1/23)...2009: Made eight appearances…After sitting out the opening match against Italy, he appeared in the next four matches-Brazil (6/18), Egypt (6/21), Spain (6/24) and Brazil (6/28)-in the Confederations Cup in South Africa, including the final…Started in the 2-1 win in qualifying against Honduras (6/6) in Chicago…Called into the USNT for World Cup Qualifier vs. Mexico (8/12) but did not dress for the match…Scored his first two international goals in the U.S.’s 2010 World Cup qualifying win against Honduras (10/10) that clinched a trip to South Africa for the Americans…Casey is the only player in U.S. soccer history to score two goals in a road qualifier in Central America…Earned ussoccer.com Man of the Match honors for his efforts in San Pedro Sula…Nominated for U.S. Soccer’s 2009 Best Performance and Best Clutch Moment for efforts against Honduras on October 10...Started in friendly against Slovakia (11/14)…2008: Returned to the squad after nearly three years, playing the final 14 minutes in the 2-0 semifinal round qualifying win against Guatemala (11/19), in front of his hometown fans in Colorado at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park…Participated in training camp with the U.S. Men’s National team in November…2005: Appeared in two matches before an injury ended his year…Started in the 4-1 win against Cuba to open the USA’s championship run in the 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup, suffering a torn ACL in the match…Came on as a sub in the 201 loss to England (5/28) in Chicago…2004: Played in six matches in his debut year with the full team…Made four straight starts, beginning with the 1-0 win in Poland (3/31) earning him his first-ever cap…Started three qualifiers, including the 3-0 win against Grenada (6/13), to open 2006 World Cup qualifying…Also started in the 2-0 win against El Salvador (9/4) and the 1-1 draw in Panama (9/8)...Under-23s: played in three of four Olympic qualifying games in, starting two…Was on the U.S. Olympic team that finished in fourth place in Sydney, starting all six games…Under-20s: Member of squad that advanced to the knockout phase of the Under-20 World Youth Championships in Argentina…Helped the U.S. qualify for the summer tournament, scoring in the opening game against Guatemala.

 

OTHER PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS
2005-06: Played in ten games with FSV Mainz after suffering a knee injury while playing with the U.S. National team…Underwent surgery in June 2006 to remove growths in his knee…2004-05: Joined Bundesliga club FSV Mainz in a transfer from German Second Division side Karlsruher SC…In his first season he played in 28 games and scored two goals…FSV Mainz broke their previous transfer fee record when he signed…2002-03: Was hampered by injuries and restricted to play in just four games while scoring one goal…2001-02: Was loaned out to Hannover 96 during the during the 2001-02 season…He was part of the team’s rise back to the Bundesliga…Scored seven goals in 19 matches…2000-01: Played his first season in Germany with Dortmund in the Regionalliga Nord, scoring two goals in 10 games.

 

COLLEGE
Named West Coast Conference Co-Player of the Year in 2000…Led the nation in scoring with twenty-three goals, and seven assists, for fifty-three points…Soccer America magazine named him Freshman of the Year in 1999.

 

PERSONAL
Was awarded the Budweiser Rapids Golden Boot Award in 2008 after scoring a team-high 11 goals…Took home the Rapids’ 2007 Comeback Player of the Year Award as the Rapids player who had overcome setback or injury to rebound and make himself a better player over the course of the last year, for rebounding from a knee injury suffered with the U.S. National Team to regain his form and regain his starting spot with the Rapids…Was born in New Hampshire, but moved to Colorado as a child, and considers Denver his hometown…Played his high school soccer at Denver’s South High School…Parents are Terry and Susan, and his sister is Jennifer…Enjoys listening to Classic Rock, Hip Hop and Oldies…Favorite foods are sushi and meat…Enjoys in his spare time are reading, card games, chess, and playing the guitar…Lists favorite sports besides soccer as basketball and football…Favorite book is “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand.