Soony Saad

Hassan "Soony" Ali Saad (; , ; born August 17, 1992) is a professional association football player who plays as a forward for  club Ansar and the Lebanon national team. 

Born in the United States, Soony Saad also holds Lebanese citizenship due to his origins.  Indeed, while he represented his native country at youth level until 2010, Saad switched allegiance to Lebanon in 2013. 

Early life
American at birth, Saad also holds Lebanese citizenship due to his origins.  His father emigrated from Lebanon to the United States in the 1980s to escape the Lebanese Civil War. 

Club career

Youth and college
Saad set a state single-season record with 76 goals in his 2009 season while concluding his high school career with a state record 172 goals, plus 51 assists; breaking previous state high school single-season goals record of 69 set in 2000, and previous state high school career goals record of 169 set in 1995.  He also earned the 2009 Michigan Soccer Coaches Association "Mr. Soccer" Title and was named the 2009–10 Gatorade National Player of the Year. 

Saad had a very successful freshman season with the Michigan Wolverines, scoring 19 goals in 24 games, smashing the previous record of 14 for most goals by a freshman at the University of Michigan, while setting records for shots and overall points.  He helped the team win their first Big Ten Tournament Championship and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.  Saad left school after his freshman year to seek a professional contract with a European team. 

Sporting Kansas
In June 2011, Saad signed a professional contract with Major League Soccer.  On July 5, 2011, Sporting Kansas City won his services in a weighted lottery system utilized by the league to distribute players who sign with the league after the MLS SuperDraft. 

Saad made his MLS debut on August 17, 2011, during his 19th birthday.  He scored a debut goal in the 72nd minute, just nine minutes after he came on.  Soony also netted two more goals for Sporting in reserve games against Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas, and scored once in a friendly against Guadalajara on October 12, 2011.  During his three year stay, Saad scored eight league goals in 58 appearances. 

Thailand
On December 8, 2014, Saad signed with BEC Tero Sasana and then went out on loan to Pattaya United, where he scored nine goals in 28 league appearances during the 2016 Thai League season. 

Return to Sporting Kansas
Sporting Kansas City announced the re-acquisition of Soony Saad in a two-year contract for the 2018 season, with an option to extend it for the 2019 season.  After being sent on loan to Swope Park Rangers, a USL Championship club affiliated with Sporting Kansas, Saad was waived during the 2018 preseason. 

Indy Eleven
On February 21, 2018, Saad joined the Indy Eleven of the United Soccer League: he scored five league goals in 29 appearances. 

Ansar

2018–19 season 
On January 18, 2019, Lebanese club Ansar announced the signing of Soony Saad.  On his debut game in the 2018–19 Lebanese Premier League, played on January 27, 2019, he scored and assisted once against Safa.  On February 15, 2019, Saad scored a long-distance shot from 30 meters, finding the back of the net in a 4–0 win against Salam Zgharta.  This would be the first time in more than two years that the Beirut Municipal Stadium had hosted a game.  On May 10, 2019, Saad scored in the quarter-finals of the Lebanese FA Cup, helping his side defeat Nejmeh in the Beirut derby. 

In his first year at the club Saad scored six league goals in 10 games with Ansar, as well as one cup goal, finishing second in both the league and the cup.  On May 29, 2019, Ansar renewed Saad's contract for two seasons. 

2019–20 season 
Saad's first goal of the season came on August 18, 2019, when he scored his first brace for Ansar in a 5–0 win over Chabab Ghazieh at the 2019 Lebanese Elite Cup semi-final. 

International career
Saad received his first call up to join the United States national under-20 team in December 2010, and played in one game against Canada, scoring once.  

In May 2013, Saad became eligible to join the Lebanon national football team and he accepted a call-up for a friendly against Oman scheduled for May 29.  In the process, Saad became the first Major League Soccer player to join the Lebanon national team.  With the start, Saad made his international debut in the match and scored Lebanon's only goal in an eventual 1–1 draw in the 62nd minute.  In March 2013, he scored Lebanon's third goal against Thailand in their 5–2 victory in the 2015 Asian Cup qualification and, two years later on September 2016, he scored his third for Lebanon against Afghanistan in a friendly. 

Career statistics

International

International goals

Scores and results list Lebanon's goal tally first. 

Honors and achievements

Club
Sporting Kansas City
U.S. Open Cup: 2012, 2017
MLS Cup: 2013
MLS Eastern Conference: 2013

Individual
Awards
 Gatorade National Soccer Player of the Year: 2010

References

External links

 
  (2018–present)
  (2011–2018)
 
 
 
 Soony Saad at TopDrawerSoccer.com
 Soony Saad at Michigan
 Soony Saad at US Soccer

Category:1992 births
Category:Living people
Category:Al Ansar FC players
Category:American Muslims
Category:American people of Lebanese descent
Category:American soccer players
Category:Association football forwards
Category:Police Tero F.C. players
Category:Indy Eleven players
Category:Lebanese Premier League players
Category:Lebanese footballers
Category:Lebanon international footballers
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:Michigan Wolverines men's soccer players
Category:Soccer players from Michigan
Category:Sporting Kansas City players
Category:Sportspeople from Dearborn, Michigan
Category:Sporting Kansas City II players
Category:United States men's under-20 international soccer players
Category:United States men's youth international soccer players
Category:USL Championship players