Kirk Urso
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Kirk Jon Urso (March 6, 1990 – August 5, 2012) was an American professional
soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 players who primarily use their feet to propel the ball around a rectangular field called a pitch. The objective of the game is ...
player who played as a
midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
. A product of
Glenbard East High School Glenbard East High School, or GBE, is a public four-year high school located in Lombard, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, in the United States. It is part of Glenbard Township High School District 87. East, on average, draws around 2,500 ...
and the
IMG Soccer Academy IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...
, Urso played four years of college soccer at
North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...
. He helped the Tar Heels win three
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
titles, reach four consecutive College Cups, and claim a national championship in
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
. Upon his graduation, Urso's 91 appearances for North Carolina were the most in program history. Urso appeared during the collegiate offseason with Carolina Dynamo and Chicago Fire Premier. He was selected by Columbus Crew in the first round of the
2012 MLS Supplemental Draft The 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft was a secondary Draft (sports), draft that was held by Major League Soccer via conference call on January 17, 2012. The draft was four rounds and all 19 MLS clubs participated. Changes from 2011 *As an expansion c ...
and went on to appear in six matches for the Crew. At international level, Urso appeared for the United States at under-17 and under-20 level after coming up through various boys' national teams. He appeared for the U17s at the
2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007, the twelfth edition of the tournament, was held in South Korea between 18 August and 9 September 2007. For this event, the number of teams had been expanded from 16 to 24, with the top two of each group and the four ...
and was with the U20s at the 2008
Milk Cup SuperCupNI, formerly called the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament and the Dale Farm Milk Cup, is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of ...
. Urso died at the
Grant Medical Center Grant Medical Center was established in 1900 in downtown Columbus, Ohio as the second member hospital of OhioHealth, a not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare system. Grant Medical Center is a Level I Trauma Center. According to '' U.S. News & Wo ...
on August 5, 2012 from
arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), most commonly is an inherited heart disease. ACM is caused by genetic defects of the parts of hea ...
. The student section at North Carolina's
UNC Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium Dorrance Field is the on-campus soccer and lacrosse stadium at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The stadium was constructed on the site of the old Fetzer Field. Construction on the new field began in May 2017 and ...
is named after Urso, and both the Tar Heels and Crew give out the annual Kirk Urso Heart Award in his honor. The Kirk Urso Memorial Fund was also created in his memory, to advance research and programming on
congenital heart defect A congenital heart defect (CHD), also known as a congenital heart anomaly and congenital heart disease, is a defect in the structure of the heart or great vessels that is present at birth. A congenital heart defect is classed as a cardiovascular ...
s.


Early life

Urso was born in
Downers Grove, Illinois Downers Grove is a village in DuPage County, Illinois, United States. It was founded in 1832 by Pierce Downer, whose surname serves as the eponym for the village. It is a south-west suburb of Chicago. The village is located between I-88 and I-55. ...
, the younger of two sons to his parents Michael and Sandra Urso. He attended
Glenbard East High School Glenbard East High School, or GBE, is a public four-year high school located in Lombard, Illinois, a western suburb of Chicago, in the United States. It is part of Glenbard Township High School District 87. East, on average, draws around 2,500 ...
and played in the
Illinois Illinois ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern United States. Its largest metropolitan areas include the Chicago metropolitan area, and the Metro East section, of Greater St. Louis. Other smaller metropolita ...
Olympic Development Program (ODP) as a freshman before spending two years in the under-17 national team residency program at the
IMG Soccer Academy IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...
. He was named to the 2006
NSCAA The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than 30 ...
/
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Youth All-America Team and the 2007
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High School All-America squad. At club level, Urso spent eight years in the
Chicago Sockers The Chicago Sockers were an American soccer team that were founded in 1995 as the Chicago Stingers. The team was a member of the United Soccer Leagues (USL) and played at the professional level in the USISL Pro League, USISL Select League and US ...
youth setup before joining the residency program; with the Sockers, he played alongside Michael Bradley,
David Meves David Meves (born July 20, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a goalkeeper, most recently for Puerto Rico FC of the North American Soccer League. Career College and Youth Meves played four years of college soccer at th ...
,
Greg Jordan Gregory Jordan (born April 5, 1990, Naperville, Illinois, United States) is a former American Association football, soccer player. Career College Jordan played college soccer at Creighton University between 2008 and 2011. During his time at Cre ...
, and
Andy Rose Andrew Patrick Rose (born 13 February 1990) is an English football coach and former professional player who played as a midfielder. Born in Australia, Rose played for the youth teams of Bristol City in England before moving to the United States ...
. Urso committed to play
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for head coach Elmar Bolowich at the
University of North Carolina The University of North Carolina is the multi-campus public university system for the state of North Carolina. Overseeing the state's 16 public universities and the NC School of Science and Mathematics, it is commonly referred to as the UNC Sy ...
, part of a recruiting class that also included
Jordan Gafa ..Picture, Jordan C. Gafa (born June 19, 1990) is an American soccer player who most recently played for Jacksonville Armada FC. Career College and Amateur Gafa spent his entire collegiate career at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. ...
,
Billy Schuler William Jason Schuler (born April 27, 1990) is an American soccer player. Career Youth and college A resident of Allentown, New Jersey, Schuler attended Peddie School. Schuler played three seasons over four years (redshirting his junior year ...
, and
Sheanon Williams Sheanon Antoine Williams (born March 17, 1990) is an American soccer player. Career College and amateur Williams attended The Rivers School in Weston, Massachusetts and played club soccer for FC Greater Boston Bolts before being offered a pla ...
.


College and amateur

After enrolling a semester early and training with North Carolina during the spring of 2008, Urso made his collegiate debut for the Tar Heels on August 29, 2008; he started and provided an
assist Assist or ASSIST may refer to: Sports Several sports have a statistic known as an "assist", generally relating to action by a player leading to a score by another player on their team: *Assist (basketball), a pass by a player that facilitates a ba ...
in a 3–0 victory against Florida International as part of the Carolina
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Classic. His first goal for North Carolina came slightly more than a week later, helping the Tar Heels earn a 1–1 draw against nationally ranked
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
on September 7. Urso missed the ACC Men's Soccer Tournament and the second round of the NCAA tournament due to a
stress fracture A stress fracture is a fatigue-induced bone fracture caused by repeated stress over time. Instead of resulting from a single severe impact, stress fractures are the result of accumulated injury from repeated submaximal loading, such as running or ...
in his shin, but returned in the third round against UIC and scored North Carolina's first goal in a 3–2 victory; he also scored the only goal of a 1–0 win over Northwestern that sent Carolina to the College Cup. Although the Tar Heels lost to
Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...
in the national championship game, Urso was named as a
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Second Team Freshman All-American after tallying three goals and six assists in 19 appearances. As a sophomore, Urso tallied four goals and led the Tar Heels with six assists in 22 matches. He scored twice in the season opener against UNC Asheville, helping North Carolina to a 5–0 victory. He helped the Tar Heels claim a share of the
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
(ACC) regular season title, then scored a goal in the NCAA Tournament for the second straight season; his strike helped North Carolina defeat
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and secure a spot in the College Cup. Following the season, Urso was honored with the Tar Heels' Nicholas Douglass Potter Coaches Award. His best statistical season came as a junior, when Urso notched five goals and five assists in 24 appearances on his way to being named All-ACC Second Team; he also earned a spot on the ACC All-Tournament Team. He twice tallied game-winning goals, coming through an
overtime Overtime is the amount of time someone works beyond normal working hours. The term is also used for the pay received for this time. Normal hours may be determined in several ways: *by custom (what is considered healthy or reasonable by society), ...
free kick against Wofford and directly off a
corner kick A corner kick is the method of restarting play in a game of association football when the ball goes out of play over the goal line, without a goal being scored and having last been touched by a member of the defending team. The kick is taken ...
against
Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
. For a third consecutive season, Urso scored in the NCAA Tournament; this time, he tallied in regulation and scored during the penalty shootout as North Carolina advanced to the College Cup by defeating SMU. Urso was named as the team captain for his senior season; he was the only player remaining on the roster who had played in each of North Carolina's previous three trips to the College Cup. During the 2011 season, the Tar Heels claimed the ACC regular season and
tournament A tournament is a competition involving at least three competitors, all participating in a sport or game. More specifically, the term may be used in either of two overlapping senses: # One or more competitions held at a single venue and concentr ...
titles with Urso chipping in two goals and six assists. He added a goal and an assist in the NCAA Tournament, scoring in the second round against
Coastal Carolina Coastal Carolina University (CCU or Coastal) is a public university in Conway, South Carolina. Founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, and later joining the University of South Carolina System as USC Coastal Carolina, it became an in ...
as North Carolina returned to the College Cup for the fourth year running. In the College Cup semifinals against
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...
, he scored in the penalty shootout; he then played the entire national championship game as North Carolina claimed the national title with a 1–0 victory over
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont (United States), Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Meckl ...
. Urso finished his collegiate career with 15 goals and 24 assists in 91 appearances; he played more games than any player in Tar Heel history. Following his senior season, Urso was invited to the 2012
MLS Combine The Major League Soccer Player Combine used to be a four-day annual showcase, occurring every January. For 2020 it will not happen. It seems that individual teams will be doing their own trials instead. Format The present Player Combine featur ...
.


Carolina Dynamo

Urso spent the 2008 and 2009
Premier Development League USL League Two (USL2), formerly the Premier Development League (PDL), is a semi-professional developmental association football, soccer league sponsored by United Soccer Leagues in the United States and Canada, forming part of the United Stat ...
(PDL) seasons with
Carolina Dynamo North Carolina Fusion U-23, formerly known as Carolina Dynamo, is an American soccer team based in Greensboro, North Carolina, United States. Founded in 1993, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The ...
, appearing for the Dynamo ahead of his freshman and sophomore years at North Carolina. In his first season with the Dynamo, he provided a goal and an assist in 15 appearances; he then added three goals and an assist during the 2009 regular season to help Carolina qualify for the PDL playoffs. Urso played the full 90 minutes in the first round of the divisional playoffs, but the Dynamo fell to
Cary Clarets North Carolina FC U23 is an American soccer team based in Cary, North Carolina. It was founded in 2002 as the Raleigh Elite, and the current affiliate of North Carolina FC, a third division club in the United Soccer League. The team plays in ...
by a 3–1 scoreline. In total, he played 26 matches and scored four goals during his time with the Dynamo.


Chicago Fire Premier

Ahead of his junior collegiate season, Urso moved within the PDL and joined
Chicago Fire Premier Chicago Fire U-23 was an American soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Founded in 2001, the team last played in the PDL, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. They last played in 2016, choosing to leave the PDL. Th ...
, the affiliate club of
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
's Chicago Fire. He spent just one season with Fire Premier, scoring five goals and providing four assists in 16 appearances. Urso scored twice in a 5–0 victory over
Kalamazoo Outrage Kalamazoo Outrage was an American soccer team based in Kalamazoo, Michigan, United States. Founded in 2007, the team played in the USL Premier Development League (PDL), the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The franchise folded at the ...
in early June, then scored on a free kick in a 2–1 defeat against
Michigan Bucks Flint City Bucks is an American association football, soccer team based in Flint, Michigan, United States. Founded in 1995, the team plays in USL League Two, the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid. The club was founded in 1995 as the Mi ...
in mid-July. Although he had played for the Fire's PDL affiliate, Urso was not eligible to sign with the club as a homegrown player since he did not meet league requirements.


Club career

Out of college, Urso was selected with the 10th overall pick of the
2012 MLS Supplemental Draft The 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft was a secondary Draft (sports), draft that was held by Major League Soccer via conference call on January 17, 2012. The draft was four rounds and all 19 MLS clubs participated. Changes from 2011 *As an expansion c ...
by
Columbus Crew The Columbus Crew, formerly known as Columbus Crew SC, is an American professional soccer club based in Columbus, Ohio. The Crew competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference and began play in 1996 as one ...
; he joined North Carolina teammate
Ben Speas Benjamin Vance Speas (born January 17, 1991) is a former American soccer player who previously played as a forward. Speas played for Columbus Crew, Minnesota United, Indy Eleven and North Carolina FC, before retiring on November 10, 2020. Car ...
in Columbus after Speas had signed with the club as a homegrown player a week earlier. After taking part in preseason with the Crew, Urso signed with the club on March 1, 2012. With starting
defensive midfielder A midfielder is an outfield position in association football. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. As central midfielders often go across boundarie ...
Danny O'Rourke sidelined by injury to begin the season, Urso made his club and professional debut in the
season A season is a division of the year based on changes in weather, ecology, and the number of daylight hours in a given region. On Earth, seasons are the result of the axial parallelism of Earth's tilted orbit around the Sun. In temperate and pol ...
opener against
Colorado Rapids The Colorado Rapids are an American professional soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 1995, as part of the Anschutz Corporation, la ...
on March 10. He played the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 defeat for Columbus. Urso tallied his first point for the Crew in just his fourth match, albeit in a 4–1 defeat against
New York Red Bulls The New York Red Bulls are an American professional soccer club based in the New York metropolitan area. The Red Bulls compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The club was established in October 1994 and be ...
on April 7. His corner kick in the 89th minute was headed home by club captain
Chad Marshall Chad Marshall (born August 22, 1984) is an American former professional soccer player. During his 16-year career, he played for Columbus Crew and Seattle Sounders FC in Major League Soccer. He was a three-time MLS Defender of the Year Award wi ...
, briefly cutting the Columbus deficit to 3–1. Urso started each of Columbus' first five games, but dropped out of the lineup following O'Rourke's return; he would make his sixth and final appearance for the Crew as a substitute against
Vancouver Whitecaps FC Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional soccer team based in Vancouver. They compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The MLS iteration of the club was established on Marc ...
on April 28. Urso missed the month of May after suffering a
groin In human anatomy, the groin (the adjective is ''inguinal'', as in inguinal canal) is the junctional area (also known as the inguinal region) between the abdomen and the thigh on either side of the pubic bone. This is also known as the medial comp ...
injury, then underwent surgery in June for what was confirmed to be right adductor
tendonitis Tendinopathy, a type of tendon disorder that results in pain, swelling, and impaired function. The pain is typically worse with movement. It most commonly occurs around the shoulder (rotator cuff tendinitis, biceps tendinitis), elbow (tennis elb ...
. The day before Urso's death, the Crew had suffered a 1–0 defeat on the road against
D.C. United D.C. United is a professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. that competes in the Eastern Conference of Major League Soccer, the top tier of American soccer. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Supp ...
. Due to his injury, Urso had not traveled with the team to
Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...
but had instead remained behind in Columbus.


International career

After rising through the ranks with the United States under-15 and under-16 national teams, Urso was admitted to the under-17 national team residency program at the
IMG Soccer Academy IMG Academy is a preparatory boarding school and sports training destination in Bradenton, Florida, United States. IMG Academy is set across over 600 acres and features programs consisting of sport camps for youth athletes, adult camps, a board ...
in 2005. From there, he was named as part of the American roster for the
2007 FIFA U-17 World Cup The FIFA U-17 World Cup 2007, the twelfth edition of the tournament, was held in South Korea between 18 August and 9 September 2007. For this event, the number of teams had been expanded from 16 to 24, with the top two of each group and the four ...
, held in
South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. In the Americans' final group stage game, against
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
, Urso scored the match-winning goal in the 63rd minute, helping the United States place second in their group and advance to the knockout stages. He would later be called up by the under-20s for the 2008
Milk Cup SuperCupNI, formerly called the Northern Ireland Youth Soccer Tournament and the Dale Farm Milk Cup, is an international youth football tournament held annually in Northern Ireland. The cup matches are mainly played in the North Coast area of ...
and for a training camp in December of that year.


Personal life

Urso supported English club
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
and played
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...
as a child before committing to soccer full-time; he was a fan of the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January 1 ...
. He majored in
economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
while at North Carolina. Prior to college, Urso had trained with Spanish club
Real Madrid Real Madrid Club de Fútbol (, meaning ''Royal Madrid Football Club''), commonly referred to as Real Madrid, is a Spanish professional football club based in Madrid. Founded in 1902 as Madrid Football Club, the club has traditionally wor ...
; while in school, he spent a semester in Europe training with
Bolton Wanderers Bolton Wanderers Football Club () is a professional football club based in Horwich, Bolton, Greater Manchester, England, which competes in . The club played at Burnden Park for 102 years from 1895 after moving from their original home at Pike's ...
and
Borussia Dortmund Ballspielverein Borussia 09 e. V. Dortmund, commonly known as Borussia Dortmund (), BVB (), or simply Dortmund (), is a German professional sports club based in Dortmund, North Rhine-Westphalia. It is best known for its men's professional footb ...
. Urso's older brother, Kyle, played college soccer at
New Hampshire New Hampshire is a U.S. state, state in the New England region of the northeastern United States. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Gulf of Maine to the east, and the Canadian province of Quebec t ...
and in the
National Premier Soccer League The National Premier Soccer League (NPSL) is an American men's association football, soccer league. The NPSL is a semi-professional league, comprising some teams that have paid players and some that are entirely amateur. The league is officially ...
with
Seacoast United Phantoms The Seacoast United Phantoms (formerly the New Hampshire Phantoms) are an American soccer team based in the coastal region of southeastern New Hampshire and northeastern Massachusetts. The team is based in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where it p ...
.


Death and legacy

Early in the morning on August 5, 2012, Urso collapsed and fell unconscious at a bar in Columbus. He was taken by police officers to nearby
Grant Medical Center Grant Medical Center was established in 1900 in downtown Columbus, Ohio as the second member hospital of OhioHealth, a not-for-profit, faith-based healthcare system. Grant Medical Center is a Level I Trauma Center. According to '' U.S. News & Wo ...
, where he was pronounced dead at 1:51 a.m.
local time Local time is the time observed in a specific locality. There is no canonical definition. Originally it was mean solar time, but since the introduction of time zones it is generally the time as determined by the time zone in effect, with daylight s ...
at the age of 22. Autopsy results revealed that Urso died from
arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy Arrhythmogenic cardiomyopathy (ACM), arrhythmogenic right ventricular dysplasia (ARVD), or arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC), most commonly is an inherited heart disease. ACM is caused by genetic defects of the parts of hea ...
, a preexisting heart condition that he "likely did not know he had", according to the Franklin County coroner. In the immediate wake of Urso's death, tributes poured in on social media from his North Carolina and Crew teammates, fellow
Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a men's professional soccer league sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation, which represents the sport's highest level in the United States. The league comprises 29 teams—26 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada ...
rookies, and other members of the American soccer community. The Crew announced that Urso's number 15 jersey would hang in the locker room at
Columbus Crew Stadium Historic Crew Stadium, previously known as Columbus Crew Stadium and Mapfre Stadium, is a soccer-specific stadium in Columbus, Ohio, United States. It primarily served as the home stadium of the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer from 1999 u ...
and that memorial patches would be worn on the club's jerseys for the remainder of the 2012 season; a plaque and oak tree were dedicated to Urso outside the stadium in October. Crew supporters in the Nordecke honored Urso with banners and Major League Soccer held a moment of silence before league matches on August 5. Black armbands with Urso's name and number on them were worn by some clubs, including
LA Galaxy LA Galaxy, also known as the Los Angeles Galaxy, are an American professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Galaxy competes in Major League Soccer (MLS), as a member of the Western Conference. The club began pl ...
. Some former teammates, including Stephen McCarthy and
Rob Lovejoy Robert Lionell Lovejoy III (born October 23, 1991) is a retired American soccer player. Career Highschool Lovejoy went to Walter Hines Page High School in Greensboro, North Carolina where he played varsity for 4 years, winning 1 state champion ...
, would later change their kit numbers to honor Urso. On March 24, 2013, Columbus played their first game at D.C. United since learning of Urso's death while the club was in Washington, D.C. The Crew claimed a 2–1 victory in that game, with the winning goal being scored by Urso's college teammate Ben Speas; it marked Speas' first professional goal. He dedicated the goal to Urso, saying "This is the place we found out about Kirk, so it was pretty emotional. I thought about that yesterday and I knew my first goal was going to be to him and I wanted to get it today. It's just special.”


Kirk Urso Memorial Fund

The Crew Soccer Foundation created the Kirk Urso Memorial Fund in October 2012, to honor Urso's memory and advance research and programming on
congenital heart defect A congenital heart defect (CHD), also known as a congenital heart anomaly and congenital heart disease, is a defect in the structure of the heart or great vessels that is present at birth. A congenital heart defect is classed as a cardiovascular ...
s. The fund raised more than $100,000 in its first year, partially through an initiative started by retired defender
Eddie Pope George Edward Pope (born December 24, 1973) is an American former soccer player who last played for Real Salt Lake of Major League Soccer and spent eleven years as a defender for the United States national team. He spent most of his career pla ...
that saw players' fines from the 2012 season donated to the fund. In October 2013,
United States national team The United States national team or Team USA may refer to any of a number of sports team representing the United States in international competitions. Olympic teams Additionally, these teams may compete in other international competitions such as ...
striker
Jozy Altidore Josmer Volmy "Jozy" Altidore ( ; born November 6, 1989) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a striker for Major League Soccer club New England Revolution. Altidore made his professional debut in 2006, at the age of 16, with ...
wore a customized pair of
cleats Cleat may refer to: * Cleat (nautical), a fitting on ships, boats, and docks to which ropes are tied * Cleat, Orkney, a place in Scotland * Cleat (shoe), a type or part of a shoe * ''Cleats'' (comic strip), a comic strip by Bill Hinds * Grouser, ...
for a
World Cup qualifier The FIFA World Cup qualification is a competitive match that a national association football team takes in order to qualify for one of the available berths at the final tournament of the (men's) FIFA World Cup. Qualifying tournaments are hel ...
against
Jamaica Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
; a quote from Urso and both players' initials and numbers were featured on the cleats. They were raffled off during the game, with proceeds going to the Urso Memorial Fund. Former Crew athletic trainer Dave Lagow ran the 2018
Marine Corps Marathon The Marine Corps Marathon (MCM) is an annual marathon held in Washington, D.C. and Arlington, Virginia. The mission of the MCM is to promote physical fitness, generate community goodwill, and showcase the organizational skills of the United State ...
in memory of Urso; he started a
GoFundMe GoFundMe is an American for-profit crowdfunding platform that allows people to raise money for events ranging from life events such as celebrations and graduations to challenging circumstances like accidents and illnesses. From 2010 to the b ...
campaign to raise money for the fund. Lagow opened the campaign a month before the race with a goal of $1,500, reflecting Urso's number with the Crew, but later changed the goal to $3,000 to reflect his number at North Carolina. During the 2019 season, Crew fans began offering free tickets to home matches in exchange for a donation to the Urso Memorial Fund.


Later memorials

Both North Carolina and Columbus created a Kirk Urso Heart Award, although the inspiration behind the award was different for each team. The North Carolina award was given to "the most competitive player" on the team; senior midfielder Jordan Gafa was the first winner of that award following the 2012 season. For the Crew, the award was given to the "player who best exemplifies Urso's leadership characteristics." Urso was posthumously announced as the first winner of the award, with defender
Eric Gehrig Eric Otto Gehrig (born December 25, 1987) is an American former soccer player who was most recently an assistant coach for Chicago Fire of MLS. Career College and amateur Gehrig played for Ajax FC Chicago then Loyola University Chicago from ...
earning the honor in
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
. In subsequent years, the award would be given to "the player that best exemplified the qualities in a teammate and became 'the heart' in the club's locker room." Beginning in 2013, North Carolina men's soccer started the Kirk Urso Memorial Match to contribute to the memorial fund. The inaugural edition featured the Tar Heels and Crew facing off, and in future years was held as a tournament between
college soccer College soccer is played by teams composed of soccer players who are enrolled in colleges and universities. It is very prominent in United States, Japan, South Korea, Canada, and as well as in South Africa and the Philippines. The United Kingd ...
programs in North Carolina. Upon completion of the
UNC Soccer and Lacrosse Stadium Dorrance Field is the on-campus soccer and lacrosse stadium at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The stadium was constructed on the site of the old Fetzer Field. Construction on the new field began in May 2017 and ...
, which replaced
Fetzer Field Robert Fetzer Field was a sports field located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and was the home of the lacrosse and soccer teams of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the North Carolina Tar Heels. The four teams that called Fetzer ...
ahead of the Tar Heels' 2019 season, sections three and four were unveiled as the Kirk Urso Student Section. Rob Lovejoy, who had played alongside Urso for two seasons at North Carolina, spearheaded an effort through the
Rams Club The Educational Foundation, Inc., better known as The Rams Club is the athletic booster club and scholarship organization of the North Carolina Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill A university () is an institution ...
to raise $50,000: to help offset the cost of building the stadium and to name the student section in Urso's honor. The section was dedicated at halftime of an August 30 game against Creighton; Urso's number three jersey was also informally retired by the Tar Heels.


Career statistics


Honors

;North Carolina Tar Heels *
Atlantic Coast Conference The Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) is a collegiate athletic conference located in the eastern United States. Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, the ACC's fifteen member universities compete in the National Collegiate Athletic Associa ...
(regular season): 2009,
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
* ACC Men's Soccer Tournament:
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
* College Cup:
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrate ...
Individual *
NSCAA The United Soccer Coaches (formerly known as the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA)) is an organization of American soccer coaches founded in 1941. It is the largest soccer coaches organization in the world, with more than 30 ...
/
adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
Youth All-America: 2006 *
Parade A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, float (parade), floats, or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually ce ...
High School All-America: 2007 *
Soccer America ''Soccer America'', the oldest soccer-specific media publisher in the US, was founded in 1971 by Clay Berling in Albany, California. The magazine is headquartered in Oakland, California. History and profile The magazine was founded by Clay Ber ...
Second Team Freshman All-America: 2008 * ACC All-Tournament Team: 2010 * All-ACC Second Team: 2010, 2011 * Kirk Urso Heart Award:
2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gather ...


References


External links


North Carolina profile

Columbus profile
* {{DEFAULTSORT:Urso, Kirk 1990 births 2012 deaths American soccer players Soccer players from Illinois Sportspeople from DuPage County, Illinois People from Downers Grove, Illinois Men's association football midfielders IMG Academy alumni North Carolina Tar Heels men's soccer players North Carolina Fusion U23 players Chicago Fire U-23 players Columbus Crew draft picks Columbus Crew players USL League Two players Major League Soccer players United States men's youth international soccer players United States men's under-20 international soccer players Parade High School All-Americans (boys' soccer) People with congenital heart defects Deaths from cardiomyopathy