Daniel Howard Steres (born November 11, 1990) is an American professional
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 ...
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...
club
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
and
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
, and LA Galaxy II Defender of the Year in 2014 and 2015.
Early and personal life
Steres was born in
Burbank, California
Burbank is a city in the southeastern end of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located northwest of downtown Los Angeles, Burbank had a Census-estimated population of 102,755 as of 2023. The city was ...
, to Suzie and Mark Steres. He grew up in
Calabasas, California
Calabasas (, ; Spanish language in California, Spanish for "winter squash, squashes") is a city in the southwestern region of the San Fernando Valley in Los Angeles County, California, United States. He has a younger brother named Andrew; their family is
Jewish
Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
. His maternal grandmother is Jo Seligman, and his paternal grandparents are Bob and Rochelle Steres. Daniel Steres grew up a fan of the
LA Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Gal ...
, with his favorite players being stars Cobi Jones and
Mauricio Cienfuegos
José Mauricio Cienfuegos (born 12 February 1968) is a Salvadoran former professional footballer who played as an attacking midfielder. and is the current assistant coach to the El Salvador national football team under the coaching staff of Hug ...
. He is also a fan of English club
Tottenham
Tottenham (, , , ) is a district in north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is located in the Ceremonial counties of England, ceremonial county of Greater London. Tottenham is centred north-northeast of Charing Cross, ...
.
Career
College and amateur
Steres started playing soccer with the DMS11 U-11 team and played with the same team to U-19, during which the club won a Dallas Cup championship.
He played four years for the Calabasas High School Coyotes soccer team. He twice was a Maramonte League selection, and was all-
California Interscholastic Federation
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) is the governing body for high school sports in the U.S. state of California. CIF membership includes both public and private high schools. Unlike most other state organizations, it does not have s ...
.
Steres played four years of college soccer on scholarship at
San Diego State University
San Diego State University (SDSU) is a Public university, public research university in San Diego, California, United States. Founded in 1897, it is the third-oldest university and southernmost in the 23-member California State University (CS ...
for the San Diego State Aztecs men's soccer team between 2008 and 2011. As a freshman, Steres was named the Aztecs' Top Newcomer. In 2008, he was named to the 2008 ''
Jewish Sports Review
''Jewish Sports Review'' (JSR) was a bi-monthly magazine that operated from 1997 to 2022. Its editors were Ephraim Moxson and Shel Wallman.
The magazine identified Jewish athletes, including professionals, college players, athletes in internati ...
'' All-America First-Team, along with Zac MacMath. In 2009, he was an honorable mention for the All-
Pac-10
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference in the Western United States. It participates at the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level for all sports, and its football teams compete in the Football Bowl ...
Team and honorable mention Pac-10 All-Academic Team. In 2010, Steres was named to the All-Pac-10 Second Team as a junior. In 2011, he was
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 ...
All-Far West Region First Team, All- Pac-12 First Team, Pac-12 All-Academic Team honorable mention, and was named the Aztecs' Team MVP, for his senior season.
Chivas USA
Chivas USA (pronounced ''CHEE-vahs'') was an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competed in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conf ...
, but did not sign a contract with the team.
Following his brief stint with Chivas USA, Steres played for amateur side Ventura County Fusion in the USL PDL, who he had previously played with in 2011 during the college offseason.
On June 6, 2012, Steres was selected by
Seattle Sounders FC
Seattle Sounders FC is an American professional association football, soccer club based in Seattle. The Sounders compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The club was established on ...
in the 2012 MLS Waiver Draft. He signed with the sounders on June 22. He was released following the 2012 season, having made no first team appearances.
Wilmington Hammerheads
Steres signed with
USL Pro
The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) as its premier league for men above USL League One. Operating under a f ...
side Wilmington Hammerheads for the 2013 season. On April 20, he made his Hammerheads debut, playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–0 win over Antigua Barracuda. Steres scored his first goal for Wilmington on May 18 to give the Hammerheads a 2–1 win against the Los Angeles Blues. He ended the season with 25 appearances, 7 goals, and 3 assists in league play, leading the team in goals despite primarily playing as a centerback. Steres was named to the USL Pro All-League Second Team and was named team MVP. Despite a good season from Steres, the Hammerheads missed out on the playoffs, finishing 9th in the table, 1 spot and 1 point below the last playoff spot.
LA Galaxy II
For the 2014 season, Steres signed with LA Galaxy II in
USL Pro
The USL Championship (USLC) is a men's professional soccer league in the second tier of the United States league system. It is organized by the United Soccer League (USL) as its premier league for men above USL League One. Operating under a f ...
. He made his debut for ''Los Dos'' on March 22, scoring once in a 3–1 win over Orange County Blues FC. Steres finished the regular season with 3 goals in 24 appearances, helping Galaxy II finish 3rd, qualifying for the playoffs. He started both of ''Los Dos's'' playoff games as they reached the semifinal, losing 3–2 to eventual champions Sacramento Republic. Steres was named to the USL Pro All-League Second Team for the second straight year and was named LA Galaxy II Defender of the Year.
Steres enjoyed another strong season with ''Los Dos'' in 2015, making 25 appearances and scoring 2 goals in the regular season. He served as the team captain, leading Galaxy II to a 5th-place finish in the conference. Steres played every minute of Galaxy II's 4 playoff games as they reached the USL Championship, losing 2–1 in extra time to the Rochester Rhinos. He was named to the USL All-League First Team and was the Galaxy II Defender of the Year for the second straight year.
LA Galaxy
On December 17, 2015, Steres signed a first team contract with the
LA Galaxy
The Los Angeles Galaxy are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Greater Los Angeles area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The Gal ...
. On March 6, in the opening match of the 2016 season, Steres made his Galaxy and MLS debut, scoring once in a 4–1 win over D.C. United. He ended the regular season with 1 goal and 1 assist in 31 appearances, helping the Galaxy to a 3rd-place finish in the Western Conference. Steres played every minute of LA's 3 playoff games as they lost on penalties to the
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Founded in ...
in leg 2 of the Conference Semifinals. He also made an appearance in the
CONCACAF Champions League
The CONCACAF Champions Cup, formerly known as CONCACAF Champions League (2008–2023), is an international association football competition organized by CONCACAF as its top continental tournament for clubs from North America, Central America, ...
and U.S. Open Cup during the season.
After starting the first 12 games of the 2017 season, Steres missed 9 games (6 MLS, 3 Open Cup) with a hamstring injury. He returned to action on July 17, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 loss to
Vancouver Whitecaps FC
Vancouver Whitecaps Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Vancouver. The Whitecaps compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. The MLS ite ...
. On July 22, Steres scored twice in a 4–3 loss to the New England Revolution. He missed the final 6 matches of the year due to a stress fracture in his back. Steres ended the season with 3 goals in 21 appearances as the Galaxy finished last in the West.
Steres made his first start of the 2018 season on March 24, helping the Galaxy to a 3–0 win over Vancouver and earning a spot in the MLS Team of the Week. On March 31, Steres picked up an assist to help the Galaxy come back from a 3-goal deficit to defeat rivals
LAFC
Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) is an American professional soccer club based in Los Angeles. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. It was established on October 30, 2014, and began play in the ...
4–3 in the first ever El Tráfico matchup. He ended the regular season with 20 appearances and 1 assist as the Galaxy finished 7th in the Western Conference, 1 place and 1 point out of the playoffs.
Steres and the Galaxy opened the 2019 season on March 2, with Steres scoring to help the Galaxy beat the Chicago Fire 2–1. On April 5, Steres scored in a 2–0 win against the Whitecaps, a performance that saw him named to the MLS Team of the Week. Steres made 30 appearances and scored 3 goals in the regular season, helping LA finish 5th in the West, returning to the playoffs following a 2-year absence. Steres played the full match in both of the Galaxy's playoff games as they reached the Conference Semifinals, where they lost 5–3 to LAFC. On December 12, 2019, Steres signed a new contract with the Galaxy.
On August 29, 2020, Steres scored to help give the Galaxy a 3–2 win over
California Clásico
The California Clásico is the name given to the soccer rivalry between the LA Galaxy and the San Jose Earthquakes. This Major League Soccer rivalry reached its zenith from 2001 to 2005, during which time the Earthquakes and the Galaxy combined ...
rivals
San Jose Earthquakes
The San Jose Earthquakes are an American professional association football, soccer club based in San Jose, California. The Earthquakes compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Origin ...
. In a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Steres appeared in 20 out of a possible 23 games (all starts) and scored once. The Galaxy finished the season 10th in the Western Conference, missing out on the playoffs.
Steres started the first 8 games of the 2021 season, but had to be subbed off due to a leg injury on June 19 in the first 10 minutes of a 2–1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC. He returned to the field on July 17, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–2 loss to Vancouver. Steres made the Team of the Week following his performance on September 11, where he picked up an assist and made multiple big plays defensively in a 1–1 draw against the Rapids. He ended the season with 18 appearances and 2 assists as the Galaxy finished 8th in the West, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight season.
Houston Dynamo
On December 12, 2021, Steres was traded to the
Houston Dynamo
Houston Dynamo Football Club is an American professional soccer club based in Houston. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference. Established on December 15, 2005, the club was founded after their fo ...
in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He made his Dynamo debut on February 27, 2022, playing the full 90 in a 0–0 draw against
Real Salt Lake
Real Salt Lake (RSL) is an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Fou ...
. He scored his first goal for the Dynamo on August 13 in a 3–2 loss to
CF Montréal
Club de Foot Montréal () is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Montreal. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. Founded in 1992 as the Mo ...
. The following week he picked up his first assist for Houston, laying the ball off for Sebastián Ferreira 5 minutes into stoppage time to salvage a 1–1 draw against the
Colorado Rapids
The Colorado Rapids are an American professional Association football, soccer club based in the Denver metropolitan area. The Rapids compete in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Western Conference (MLS), Western Conference. Founded in ...
. Steres ended the regular season with 18 appearances, 2 goals, and 1 assist as Houston finished 13th in the Western Conference, failing to qualify for the playoffs. On November 3, Steres and the Dynamo agreed to a contract through 2024, with an option for 2025.
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
2023
Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...
2013
2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years).
2013 was designated as:
*International Year of Water Cooperation
*International Year of Quinoa
Events
January
* January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...
,
2014
The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...
2015
2015 was designated by the United Nations as:
* International Year of Light
* International Year of Soil __TOC__
Events
January
* January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...
* LA Galaxy II Defender of the Year: 2014, 2015
*In 2018 Steres was inducted into the
Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame
The Southern California Jewish Sports Hall of Fame, in Beverly Hills, California, is a hall of fame dedicated to honoring American Jews, American Jewish athletes, other sports personalities, and teams from Southern California who have distingui ...