Former University of Connecticut men’s soccer standout Damani Ralph has agreed
to a contract with Russian Premier Liga side FC Rubin Kazan that will result in
Ralph’s immediate departure from the MLS, the Chicago Fire announced.
To compensate for the loss of Ralph, the 2004 Fire/Budweiser Scoring Champion
and 2003 Gatorade MLS Rookie of the Year, the Fire will receive a major player
allocation from the MLS. Ralph had agreed to a multi-year deal with the Fire
last April. The terms of the transfer deal were not made available, per MLS
policy.
"Damani is starting to achieve some of the goals we set for him at UConn. During
Damani’s time at UConn, it was obvious that he had the potential to play at a
very high level," said University of Connecticut head coach Ray Reid, "It is a
testament to Damani that he was able to acquire the proper mentality to get
where he is today. We are extremely proud of his accomplishments and know there
will be more to come."
The two-year UConn starter rewrote both the Fire and MLS record books during
his two-year stay in Chicago. The 18th overall pick in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft
shattered the League’s rookie scoring record in 2003, when he recorded 11 goals
to go along with six assists, on his way to Rookie of the Year honors. Those
marks also gave the Ralph the fifth-highest single-season point total in Fire
history, while he helped lead the Fire to its first Eastern Conference
Championship and MLS Supporters Shield and a third appearance in MLS Cup.
Ralph’s success continued in 2004, when he became just the third different
player in team history to capture the Fire/Budweiser Scoring crown after
tallying a team-leading 11 goals and three assists. His numbers also placed him
in the League’s top 10 in scoring, in eighth with 25 points. Ralph ended the
2004 season as the MLS leader in shots with 89, 14 more than the next closest
player, while his 11 goals placed him in a four-way tie for the third most in
League. His outstanding performance in 2004 earned him a starting nod for the
Eastern Conference in the MLS-All Star game.
Ralph appeared in 51 matches during his tenure with Chicago, with 47 starts.
He ends his career with the Fire near the top in several of the club’s career
statistical categories with 53 points (6th), 22 goals (T-4th), seven
game-winning goals (4th), 180 shots (2nd) and 72 shots on goal (5th).
At Connecticut, Ralph played and started in 45 games, and notched 28 goals
and 11 assists for 67 points. The 2002 BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Year and
two-time All-BIG EAST First Team member, Ralph led the Huskies in scoring for
two seasons.
