Sam Junqua
Samuel Junqua (born November 9, 1996) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club Houston Dynamo. Career. Youth & College. Junqua attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he played college soccer for four years between 2015 and 2018, making 68 appearances and tallying 3 assists. He was named to the 2018 All-Pac-12 third team. While in college, Junqua played in the PDL with FC Golden State Force and San Francisco Glens. Professional career. On January 11, 2019, Junqua was drafted 8th overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft by the  Houston Dynamo and was signed by the club on January 22, 2019. Junqua made his Dynamo debut on June 18, getting the start in a 3–2 loss to Minnesota United in a US Open Cup match. He made his first appearance in a continental competition and his second overall appearance with the Dynamo on July 24, coming on as a sub in a Leagues Cup match with Club America. Junqua spent most of the 2019 season on loan with the Dynamo's USL Championship affiliate Rio Grande Valley FC. He made his first appearance for the Toros on March 16 , playing the full 90 in a 2–0 loss to Fresno FC. He would go on to make 17 appearances with RGVFC in his first pro season. On July 13, 2020, Junqua made his first appearance of the season and first MLS appearance of his career, coming on as a substitute in a 3–3 draw with LAFC. He scored his first goal for the Dynamo on October 3 in a 2–1 loss to Sporting Kansas City. He made his first career MLS start on October 7 in a 2–0 win over FC Dallas. Junqua finished the year with 9 appearances and  1 goal in a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a poor season for Houston as a team, finishing last in the Western Conference and missing out on the playoffs again. Junqua missed the first 8 games of the 2021 season after suffering a concussion in the final preseason match. He made his first appearance of the season on June 19, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–1 draw against LAFC. On July 3, Junqua picked up his first career MLS assist in a 1–1 draw with FC Cincinnati. He ended the season with 22 appearances , 18 of them starts, and 1 assist, splitting time playing as both a left-back and as a center-back. The season was another disappointing one for Houston, with the Dynamo finishing last in the West for 2nd straight season and failing to qualify for the playoffs once again.