 Hendrickson playing forD.C. United in 2004 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Ezra Hendrickson | ||
| Date of birth | (1972-01-16)16 January 1972 (age 53) | ||
| Place of birth | Layou, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | ||
| Height | 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in) | ||
| Position | Defender | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1990–1993 | Drake Bulldogs | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1994 | Des Moines Menace | ||
| 1995–1996 | New Orleans Riverboat Gamblers | 30 | (9) |
| 1997 | NY/NJ MetroStars | 8 | (0) |
| 1997–2003 | Los Angeles Galaxy | 139 | (17) |
| 2003 | Dallas Burn | 16 | (1) |
| 2004 | Charleston Battery | 5 | (0) |
| 2004 | D.C. United | 12 | (0) |
| 2005–2006 | Chivas USA | 31 | (3) |
| 2006–2008 | Columbus Crew | 60 | (1) |
| Total | 301 | (32) | |
| International career | |||
| 1995–2008 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 36 | (2) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2009–2014 | Seattle Sounders FC (assistant) | ||
| 2015–2018 | Seattle Sounders FC 2 | ||
| 2015–2018 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (assistant) | ||
| 2018 | LA Galaxy (assistant) | ||
| 2019–2021 | Columbus Crew (assistant) | ||
| 2022–2023 | Chicago Fire | ||
| 2024– | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | ||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Ezra Hendrickson (born 16 January 1972) is aVincentian professionalfootballcoach and former player. He was the head coach ofMajor League Soccer clubChicago Fire FC from November 24, 2021, until his dismissal on May 8, 2023[1] and is now the manager of theVincentian national team.
Born inLayou, Hendrickson moved with his family to the United States at a young age and playedcollege soccer with theDrake Bulldogs. Adefender, he began his senior career with semi-professional clubsDes Moines Menace andNew Orleans Riverboat Gamblers before being drafted in the1997 MLS Supplemental Draft by theNY/NJ MetroStars. He was cut midseason by the MetroStars before joining theLos Angeles Galaxy. While with the Galaxy, Hendrickson formed part of the defense that would go on to win theSupporters' Shield in1998 and then both the Shield andMLS Cup in2002. In 2003, Hendrickson was traded by the Galaxy to theDallas Burn.
Following the2003 season, Hendrickson joinedA-League clubCharleston Battery before quickly moving back to Major League Soccer, joiningD.C. United. With D.C. United, Hendrickson won his second MLS Cup but was an unused substitute during thematch. He then moved toChivas USA before joining theColumbus Crew in 2006. Hendrickson ended his playing career in 2008, winning both his thirdMLS Cup and second Supporters' Shield. He was also capped 36 times for theSaint Vincent and the Grenadines national team, scoring two goals internationally.
In 2009, Hendrickson began his coaching career, joining Major League Soccer expansion clubSeattle Sounders FC as an assistant to his former head coach,Sigi Schmid. While an assistant, he would often coach the club's reserve side, finally becoming the first head coach of their professional reserve affiliate,Seattle Sounders FC 2, in 2015. While coaching with Sounders FC 2, Hendrickson was also an assistant with the Vincentian national team. He left both roles in 2018, returning as an assistant to Sigi Schmid with theLA Galaxy. From 2019 to 2021, he joined theColumbus Crew as an assistant toCaleb Porter before being announced as the head coach of theChicago Fire for the2022 season.
Hendrickson was born inLayou,St. Vincent. He played club soccer and varsity basketball atWestern High School inRussiaville, Indiana. He then playedcollege soccer atDrake University from 1990 to 1993, where he was named all-Missouri Valley Conference three times, and was named anNSCAA third team All-American as a senior.
Upon graduating, Hendrickson joined the amateurDes Moines Menace in 1994, where he playedstriker, scoring 13 goals in his first year. After a season with the Menace, Hendrickson was signed to a professional contract by theNew Orleans Riverboat Gamblers of theUSISL. Hendrickson played for the Riverboat Gamblers, and was named Select League Defender of the Year in 1996.
After his exceptional 1996 season, Hendrickson was drafted 5th overall in the1997 MLS Supplemental Draft by theNew York/New Jersey MetroStars, for whom he played eight matches in 1997. During his time with NY/NJ, fans gave him the nickname 'The Caribbean Beckenbauer'. Midseason, Hendrickson was cut and picked up by theLos Angeles Galaxy, where he solidified his role as a starter, and earn a reputation as one of the best wing backs in MLS. After seven seasons with the Galaxy, Hendrickson was traded to theDallas Burn in 2003.
When the Burn reorganised the team following their 2003 campaign, Hendrickson found himself without a team in MLS, and briefly signed with theCharleston Battery of theA-League. However, not long into the 2004 season,D.C. United acquired him to play a backup role in their central defence. Hendrickson was selected fifth overall byC.D. Chivas USA in theExpansion Draft after the season. After a year with Chivas, he was on a move again, sent to Columbus early in the 2006 season. He retired after helping the Crew to its first MLS title during the 2008 season.[2]
Hendrickson also spent time as the captain of theSaint Vincent and the Grenadines national team, and was one of the team's best players since earning his first cap in 1995 againstBarbados. He made 24 appearances for Saint Vincent and the Grenadines in the 1998, 2002, and 2006World Cup qualifiers[3] and 123 overall,[2] scoring twice during a1996 Caribbean Cup match againstHaiti on 27 May 1996.[4]
| No. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 27 May 1996 | Manny Ramjohn Stadium,San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago |  Haiti | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1996 Caribbean Cup | [5] |
| 2 | 2–2 |
After retiring, Hendrickson joined the staff ofSeattle Sounders FC, working as an assistant to his former coach,Sigi Schmid. After managing the Sounders reserves for several seasons, he was named head coach forSeattle Sounders FC 2 upon the club's entry into theUnited Soccer League.[6]
On 24 November 2021, Hendrickson was appointed head coach atMajor League Soccer clubChicago Fire from the2022 season.[7]
On May 8, 2023, with the club in second-to-last place in the Eastern Conference through 10 matches, the Fire announced that Hendrickson had been relieved of his duties, along with assistant coachJunior Gonzalez.
| Team | From | To | Record | Ref | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| G | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | ||||
| Chicago Fire | 24 November 2021 | 8 May 2023 | 46 | 13 | 15 | 18 | 57 | 66 | −9 | 028.26 | |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 15 August 2024 | Present | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 39 | 19 | +20 | 055.56 | [8] |
| Total | 64 | 23 | 19 | 22 | 96 | 85 | +11 | 035.94 | — | ||
Los Angeles Galaxy
D.C. United
Columbus Crew
Individual
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