 Espinoza withSporting Kansas City in 2018 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Roger Aníbal Espinoza Ramírez[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1986-10-25)25 October 1986 (age 39) | ||
| Place of birth | Puerto Cortés, Honduras | ||
| Height | 5 ft 11 in (1.80 m)[2] | ||
| Position(s) | Midfielder,defender | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2006 | Yavapai Roughriders | ||
| 2007 | Ohio State Buckeyes | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2006 | Arizona Sahuaros | 7 | (1) |
| 2008–2012 | Sporting Kansas City[a] | 113 | (2) |
| 2013–2014 | Wigan Athletic | 42 | (2) |
| 2015–2023 | Sporting Kansas City | 210 | (10) |
| 2019 | →Swope Park Rangers (loan) | 1 | (0) |
| 2024 | Des Moines Menace | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 373 | (15) | |
| International career | |||
| 2012 | Honduras Olympic | 4 | (1) |
| 2009–2017 | Honduras | 52 | (4) |
| Managerial career | |||
| 2021–2024 | Sporting Kansas City (youth) | ||
| 2025– | Sporting Kansas City (assistant) | ||
Medal record | |||
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 17:17, 26 April 2023 (UTC) | |||
Roger Aníbal Espinoza Ramírez (Spanish pronunciation:[ˈroʝeɾespiˈnosa]; born 25 October 1986) is a Honduran former professionalfootballer who played as amidfielder ordefender. Espinoza currently serves as a youth coach forMajor League Soccer clubSporting Kansas City. A formerHonduras international, Espinoza represented his country at twoWorld Cups and the2012 Summer Olympics. He is currently a youth soccer coach for Sporting Kansas City.
Espinoza was born inPuerto Cortés, Honduras. At the age of twelve, Espinoza and his family emigrated to the United States where he was raised inDenver, Colorado.[3] He attendedDenver South High School before transferring toRegis Jesuit High School inAurora, Colorado.
He played two years ofcollege soccer atYavapai College, spending one season with theArizona Sahuaros of theNational Premier Soccer League in 2006. In 2007, he transferred toOhio State for his junior season. That season, Ohio State advanced to the national championship game of theCollege Cup. Espinoza scored in the 12th minute, but Ohio State lost toWake Forest, 2–1.[4] In his one season at Ohio State, Espinoza was named first-team All-Big Ten, second-team all-region, and earned a spot the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team.[5]
Espinoza opted to forgo his senior year of college and signed aGeneration Adidas contract withMajor League Soccer.[6] He was selected with the 11th overall pick of the2008 MLS SuperDraft by theKansas City Wizards (now known as Sporting Kansas City). In his first season at the club, he appeared in 22 games and tied for third on the team in assists with 3. Playing as both a leftback and defensive midfielder, he appeared in 113 regular season matches over five years with the club and helped Sporting to victory in the2012 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup.
Following the 2012 MLS season, Espinoza signed withWigan Athletic of the EnglishPremier League on a free transfer.[7] He was assigned number 18.
Espinoza made his Wigan Athletic debut on 19 January when he came on as a half-time substitute during a 2–3 loss againstSunderland.[8] He scored his first goal for the club againstSwansea City on 7 May.[9] On 11 May 2013, Espinoza won theFA Cup with Wigan, playing the whole game in a 1–0 upset win againstManchester City.[10] However, only three days later, Wigan were relegated from the Premier League following a 4–1 defeat against Arsenal.[11] He scored his second goal for the club againstMK Dons in theFA Cup on 4 January 2014.[12] Espinoza scored his second league goal and provided an assist for teammateShaun Maloney againstFulham on 1 November 2014 at the DW Stadium in a 3–3 draw.
However, Espinoza's minutes dwindled in the 2014–15 season, and he and Wigan agreed to part ways in December 2014.
Espinoza returned toSporting Kansas City ahead of the 2015 season. In his second start since returning to Sporting, Espinoza scored an equalising goal againstFC Dallas on 14 March 2015. Espinoza saw his first season back in Kansas City curtailed through injury though the side still won the2015 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. Espinoza played a key role as Sporting KC repeated the feat two years later, lifting the2017 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup by beating theNew York Red Bulls 2–1 atChildren's Mercy Park. In the2018 MLS season, Espinoza has set a new career-high with nine assists in a single season, having never produced more than five in the past.
In August 2021, Espinoza took an assistant coaching role with the Sporting KC Academy as part of his B License course in the US Soccer Coaching Education program. Espinoza would serve as an U-13 assistant.[13]
On 13 January 2022, it was announced that SKC had re-signed Espinoza to a one-year contract for the2022 Major League Soccer season,[14] and spent a final season with the club for 2023. He briefly signed withDes Moines Menace for their2024 US Open Cup campaign,[15] but announced his retirement in June 2024 after the Menace were eliminated from the competition.[3]
Espinoza was called up to theHonduras national football team byReinaldo Rueda for theUNCAF Nations Cup 2009 held in Honduras for the first time in his career. He made three appearances during the tournament where he wore number 13. He scored his first goal for the national team in a 1–0 win againstEl Salvador to giveHonduras 3rd place in the competition.
Espinoza was called up byLuis Fernando Suárez to represent his country in the 2012 London Olympics; he scored a goal against Brazil in the quarter-final of the tournament, but was sent off in the 90th minute, receiving standing ovation from theNewcastle crowd for his performance.[16]
Espinoza has represented Honduras at the2010 and2014FIFA World Cups.
On 16 August 2019, Espinoza announced his retirement from the Honduras national team.[17]
Espinoza became a United States citizen in March 2008.[18] He is married toKansas City Current playerLo'eau LaBonta.[3][19]
| Club | Season | League | National cup[b] | League cup[c] | Continental | Other | Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Sporting Kansas City | 2008 | Major League Soccer | 22 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 26 | 1 | |
| 2009 | 16 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 2[d] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 0 | |||
| 2010 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 25 | 0 | ||||
| 2011 | 24 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 28 | 1 | |||
| 2012 | 26 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 31 | 0 | |||
| Total | 113 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 129 | 2 | ||
| Wigan Athletic FC | 2012–13 | Premier League | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 16 | 1 | |
| 2013–14 | Championship | 18 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3[e] | 0 | 2[f] | 0 | 29 | 1 | |
| 2014–15 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 13 | 1 | |||
| Total | 42 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 58 | 3 | ||
| Sporting Kansas City | 2015 | Major League Soccer | 17 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 1 | |
| 2016 | 30 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1[g] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 1 | ||
| 2017 | 30 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 36 | 1 | |||
| 2018 | 32 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | — | 0 | 0 | 39 | 3 | |||
| 2019 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 6[g] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 22 | 1 | |||
| 2020 | 16 | 2 | — | 4[h] | 1 | — | 0 | 0 | 20 | 3 | ||||
| 2021 | 32 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 34 | 0 | |||
| 2022 | 30 | 2 | 3 | 0 | — | — | 0 | 0 | 33 | 2 | ||||
| Total | 203 | 10 | 16 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 238 | 12 | ||
| Swope Park Rangers (loan) | 2019 | USL Championship | 1 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0 | ||||
| Career Total | 359 | 14 | 32 | 1 | 21 | 1 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 426 | 17 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Honduras | 2009 | 8 | 2 |
| 2010 | 8 | 1 | |
| 2011 | 7 | 0 | |
| 2012 | 3 | 0 | |
| 2013 | 13 | 0 | |
| 2014 | 6 | 1 | |
| 2015 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2016 | 4 | 0 | |
| 2017 | 2 | 0 | |
| Total | 52 | 4 | |
| N. | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1 February 2009 | Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino,Tegucigalpa, Honduras |  El Salvador | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2009 UNCAF Nations Cup |
| 2. | 11 July 2009 | Gillette Stadium,Foxborough, United States |  Grenada | 2–0 | 4–0 | 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup |
| 3. | 23 January 2010 | StubHub Center,Carson, United States |  United States | 3–0 | 3–1 | Friendly |
| 4. | 1 June 2014 | BBVA Compass Stadium,Houston, United States |  Israel | 1–1 | 2–4 | Friendly |
Sporting Kansas City
Wigan Athletic
Honduras squads | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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