Emeka Eneli
{{Short description|American soccer player (born 1999)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Emeka Eneli
| fullname = Chukwuemeka Somto Eneli
| image =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1999|10|18}}
| birth_place = {{nowrap|Lansing, Michigan, United States}}
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=9}}
| position = Midfielder
| currentclub = Real Salt Lake
| clubnumber = 14
| youthyears1 = 2012–2017
| youthclubs1 = Columbus Crew
| youthyears2 = 2017–2018
| youthclubs2 = Ohio Premier
| collegeyears1 = 2018–2022
| college1 = Cornell Big Red
| collegecaps1 = 60
| collegegoals1 = 20
| years1 = 2019–2020
| clubs1 = Lionsbridge
| caps1 = 16
| goals1 = 3
| years2 = 2022
| clubs2 = Flint City Bucks
| caps2 = 12
| goals2 = 4
| years3 = 2023–
| clubs3 = Real Salt Lake
| caps3 = 68
| goals3 = 1
| years4 = 2023
| clubs4 = Real Monarchs
| caps4 = 1
| goals4 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2025–
| nationalteam1 = United States
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
|club-update = June 6, 2025
| nationalteam-update =January 22, 2025
}}
Chukwuemeka Somto "Emeka" Eneli (born October 18, 1999) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Real Salt Lake and the United States national team.
Career
= Youth and college =
Eneli was born in Lansing, Michigan, but moved to Dublin, Ohio was he was eight years old.{{Cite web|url=https://cornellsun.com/2018/09/17/10-questions-with-mens-soccers-emeka-eneli/|title=10 Questions With Men's Soccer's Emeka Eneli|first=Jonathan|last=Harris|date=September 17, 2018|website=The Cornell Daily Sun}} He attended Dublin Coffman High School, where he played one year of varsity soccer. He also played soccer with the Columbus Crew academy between 2012 and 2017, before spending a season with Ohio Premier, who he helped to the ENPL national title in 2018 and was named to the ECNL All-American and ECNL All-Midwest teams.{{Cite web|url=https://cornellbigred.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/emeka--eneli/70442|title=Emeka Eneli - 2022-23 - Men's Soccer|website=Cornell University Athletics}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.ecnlboys.com/2018/12/tbt-the-inaugural-u18-19-boys-enpl-national-champions-ohio-premier/|title=TBT: The Inaugural ENPL National Champions – Ohio Premier Boys ECNL U18/U19|date=December 6, 2018}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.dispatch.com/story/news/local/canal-winchester/2018/07/16/soccer-ohio-premier-19u-boys/11512724007/|title=Soccer: Ohio Premier 19U boys capture national title|first=FRANK|last=DIRENNA|website=The Columbus Dispatch}}
In 2018, Eneli attended Cornell University graduating in 2022 with a major in Biological Engineering and a minor in Business. He played college soccer, serving as team captain in his junior and senior years. In four seasons with Big Red spanning across five years due to the COVID-19 pandemic leading to the cancellation of the 2020 season, Eneli made 60 appearances, scoring 20 goals and tallying 17 assists. In 2021, Eneli earned All-Ivy League First Team and Second Team United Soccer Coaches Men's Northeast Region honors. 2022 saw Eneli named a Second Team All-American and helped Cornell qualify for the NCAA Sweet Sixteen for the first time in nearly three decades. Eneli earned 2018 Rookie of the Year for the Ivy League Mens Soccer conference.{{cite web | url=https://cornellbigred.com/news/2018/11/14/eneli-tabbed-ivy-mens-soccer-rookie-of-the-year-four-named-all-league.aspx | title=Eneli Tabbed Ivy Men's Soccer Rookie of the Year, Four Named All-League | date=November 14, 2018 }} Eneli finished the season second in the Ivy League in points (16) and goals (7).
= Professional career =
While at college, Eneli also competed in the USL League Two. He spent 2019 and 2020 with Lionsbridge FC, scoring three goals in 16 games.{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster_players/31279830?subseason=583580|title=Lionsbridge FC | uslleaguetwo.com|website=www.uslleaguetwo.com}} In 2022, he spent the season with Flint City Bucks, making 16 appearances across the regular season and playoffs, netting four goals and adding an assist.{{Cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster_players/55570461?subseason=800197|title=Flint City Bucks | uslleaguetwo.com|website=www.uslleaguetwo.com}}
Following the 2022 season, Eneli was announced as an eligible player in the 2023 MLS SuperDraft.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/mls-superdraft-2023-presented-by-adidas-eligible-player-list|title=MLS SuperDraft 2023 eligible players | MLSSoccer.com|website=mlssoccer}} Eneli was drafted by Real Salt Lake with the 25th pick of the first round.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mlssoccer.com/superdraft/2023/draft-tracker|title=MLS SuperDraft 2023 Draft Tracker|website=mlssoccer.com}}
Eneli made his MLS debut for RSL on March 25, 2023, starting in a 4–0 loss at home to St. Louis City SC.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsl.com/news/trio-of-rsl-debutants-reflect-on-experience|last=Keeley|first=Johnny|title=Trio Of RSL Debutants Reflect On Experience | Real Salt Lake|website=rsl.com}}{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsl.com/competitions/mls-regular-season/2023/matches/rslvsstl-03-25-2023/|title=RSLvsSTL 03-25-2023 | Real Salt Lake|website=rsl.com}} Eneli scored his first career MLS goal on March 9, 2024, in a 2-1 loss to the Colorado Rapids.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsl.com/news/eneli-nets-first-rsl-goal-in-home-loss-gomez-also-impresses|title=Eneli Nets First RSL Goal in Home Loss, Gomez Also Impresses|website=rsl.com}} On November 2, 2024, Eneli's scored his second goal for the club, an equalizer in the MLS Cup Playoffs against Minnesota United that forced penalties. RSL would lose the shootout.{{Cite web|url=https://www.rsl.com//news/player-spotlight-emeka-eneli-the-light-in-the-darkness |last=Obinyan|first=Daniel|title=Emeka Eneli: The Light in the Darkness|website=rsl.com}}
Personal
Career statistics
=International=
{{updated|match played January 22, 2025|{{NFT player|97365}}}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States
|2025 | 2 | 0 | |
| colspan="2"|Total | 2 | 0 |
References
{{reflist|30em}}
External links
- {{sports links}}
- [https://www.rsl.com/players/emeka-eneli/ Emeka Eneli] at Real Salt Lake
- [https://cornellbigred.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/emeka--eneli/70442 Emeka Eneli] at Cornell University Athletics
- {{U.S. Soccer player|e/emeka-eneli}}
{{Real Salt Lake squad}}
{{2023 MLS SuperDraft}}
{{RealSaltLakeFirstPick}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Eneli, Emeka}}
Category:American men's soccer players
Category:African-American soccer players
Category:American sportspeople of Nigerian descent
Category:Men's association football defenders
Category:Cornell Big Red men's soccer players
Category:Flint City Bucks players
Category:Lionsbridge FC players
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:Real Monarchs players
Category:Real Salt Lake draft picks
Category:Real Salt Lake players
Category:Sportspeople from Dublin, Ohio
Category:People from Lansing, Michigan
Category:Soccer players from Michigan
Category:Soccer players from Ohio
Category:USL League Two players