Akeem O'Connor-Ward (born January 5, 1996) is an American

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

player who plays as a defender for

USL Championship The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional association football, soccer league in the second tier of the United States soccer league system#Men's leagues, United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) a ...

club

Colorado Springs Switchbacks Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC is a professional soccer team based in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Founded in 2014, the team is a member of the Western Conference in the USL Championship, the second tier of the American soccer pyramid. The fra ...

Career

Ward was selected 14th overall by

D.C. United D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. Domestically, the club has won four MLS Cups (league championships), four Supp ...

in the

2019 MLS SuperDraft The 2019 MLS SuperDraft was the twentieth SuperDraft conducted by Major League Soccer. The SuperDraft is typically held in conjunction with the annual January United Soccer Coaches convention, which in 2019 was held in Chicago, Illinois. The fi ...

, and he signed a professional contract with the club on January 31, 2019. “We had him rated as the best right back in the draft,” said United GM Dave Kasper. “We liked everything about him." He was loaned out to D.C.'s USL affiliate Loudoun United in March 2019. He made his

debut on March 9, 2019, as he played all ninety minutes in a 2–0 away defeat to

Nashville SC Nashville Soccer Club is an American professional soccer club based in Nashville, Tennessee. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The team spent two seasons in the USL Championship before joining ...

. He was waived by DC United on July 24, 2019. Ward joined

side

Birmingham Legion FC Birmingham Legion FC is an American professional soccer club based in Birmingham, Alabama, that competes in the USL Championship, the second division of American soccer. The team was established in August 2013 and played under the name Birming ...

on July 30, 2019. In February 2020, Ward signed with

North Carolina FC North Carolina FC is an American professional association football, soccer team in Cary, North Carolina, a suburb of Raleigh, North Carolina, Raleigh, and member of the USL Championship. Founded in 2006, the team previously was named the Caro ...

. He scored the first goal of his professional career on August 8, 2020, the lone tally in a 1–0 NCFC win over

Memphis 901 FC Memphis 901 FC was an American professional soccer team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2018, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. On November 13, 2024, it was announced that the team would be folding after they wer ...

. He was later suspended for two games by the USL Championship for kicking

Charlotte Independence Charlotte Independence is an American soccer team based in Charlotte, North Carolina, that plays in the USL League One, the third tier of the American soccer pyramid. The Independence currently play their home games at American Legion Memoria ...

player Clay Dimick in the neck during a game on August 26, 2020. Ward apologized in a tweet, saying he "lashed out" without intending to hit Dimick. On January 13, 2021, Ward signed with

Oakland Roots Oakland Roots Sports Club is an American professional soccer club based in Oakland, California. The club competes in the USL Championship (USLC) as a member of the Western Conference. Founded in 2018 by Edreece Arghandiwal and Benno Nagel, the c ...

ahead of their inaugural

season. On July 8, 2022, Ward was loaned to USL Championship side

Rio Grande Valley FC Rio Grande Valley FC, also known as RGVFC or Rio Grande Valley FC Toros, was an American professional soccer team based in Edinburg, Texas operated by Lone Star, LLC. They joined the USL Championship in the 2016 season. The team served as a hy ...

for the remainder of the season. He left Oakland following their 2022 season. Ward joined

Memphis 901 Memphis 901 FC was an American professional association football, soccer team based in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 2018, the team made its debut in the USL Championship in 2019. On November 13, 2024, it was announced that the team would be ...

on January 18, 2023. Memphis 901 folded following the 2024 season, and Ward subsequently signed with

on January 1, 2025.

References

External links

D.C. United profileCreighton profile
Living people 1996 births American men's soccer players Soccer players from Virginia Sportspeople from Vienna, Virginia Men's association football defenders Creighton Bluejays men's soccer players Lane United FC players Chicago FC United players D.C. United draft picks D.C. United players Loudoun United FC players Birmingham Legion FC players North Carolina FC players Oakland Roots SC players Rio Grande Valley FC Toros players Memphis 901 FC players USL League Two players Major League Soccer players USL Championship players Hastings College alumni 21st-century American sportsmen Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC players {{US-footy-defender-1990s-stub