Hassani Dotson
{{short description|American soccer player}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=June 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Hassani Dotson
| image = Hassani Dotson - - MNUFC - Minnesota United Loons - Allianz Field - St. Paul Minnesota (48259066957) (cropped).jpg
| caption = Dotson with Minnesota United in 2019
| fullname = Hassani Dotson Stephensonhttps://mcusercontent.com/78d3589fb61466b549ff752e5/files/92e7a32f-796e-42b9-af2b-f0d7166d4246/20_MOQ_Rosters_Provisional_Lists.pdf {{Bare URL PDF|date=March 2022}}
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1997|08|06}}
| birth_place = Seattle, Washington, United States
| height = {{height|ft=5|in=11}}{{cite web |title=Hassani Dotson |url=https://www.mnufc.com/players/hassani-dotson/ |access-date=22 August 2022 |publisher=Minnesota United FC}}
| currentclub = Minnesota United
| clubnumber = 31
| position = Midfielder
| youthyears1 = 2007–2009
| youthclubs1 = Crossfire Academy
| youthyears2 = 2009–2015
| youthclubs2 = Washington Premier
| collegeyears1 = 2015–2018
| college1 = Oregon State Beavers
| collegecaps1 = 72
| collegegoals1 = 5
| years1 = 2016
| clubs1 = Washington Crossfire
| caps1 = 6
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2017–2018
| clubs2 = Lane United
| caps2 = 9
| goals2 = 0
| years3 = 2019–
| clubs3 = Minnesota United
| caps3 = 145
| goals3 = 17
| nationalyears1 = 2019–2021
| nationalteam1 = United States U23
| nationalcaps1 = 7
| nationalgoals1 = 2
| pcupdate = March 16, 2025
| ntupdate = March 21, 2021
}}
Hassani Dotson Stephenson (born August 6, 1997) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a midfielder for Major League Soccer club Minnesota United.
Dotson is typically a central midfielder but is known for being versatile and has excelled playing at left wing and right back for Minnesota United.{{cite news |last1=Zgoda |first1=Jerry Star |title=Why Minnesota United's Hassani Dotson is the team's best player of late |url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-united-hassani-dotson-best-player-adrian-heath-mls-san-jose/600308191/ |access-date=11 October 2023 |work=Star Tribune |date=September 29, 2023}}
Early career
Dotson attended Oregon State University, where he played college soccer for four years from 2015 to 2018, making 72 appearances, scoring five goals and tallying three assists.{{cite web|url=https://osubeavers.com/roster.aspx?rp_id=1845|title=Hassani Dotson - Men's Soccer - Oregon State University Athletics|website=osubeavers.com|accessdate=March 10, 2019}} In his senior year he was named to the United Soccer Coaches Second Team of the All-Far West Region, made the Second Team of the All-Pac-12 Conference, and received a Pac-12 Conference Academic Honorable Mention.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Hassani Dotson|url=https://www.mnufc.com/players/224/hassani-dotson|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210419145231/https://www.mnufc.com/players/224/hassani-dotson|archive-date=April 19, 2021|access-date=July 22, 2020|website=Minnesota United FC|url-status=dead}}
While in college, Dotson also played in the Premier Development League with Washington Crossfire{{cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster_players/12302186|title=Washington Crossfire - 2016 Regular Season - Roster - #80 - Hassani Dotson|website=uslleaguetwo.com|publisher=USL League Two|access-date=March 10, 2019}} and Lane United FC.{{cite web|url=https://www.uslleaguetwo.com/roster_players/18033045|website=uslleaguetwo.com|publisher=USL League Two|title=Lane United FC - 2017 Regular Season - Roster - # - Hassani Dotson -|access-date=March 10, 2019}}
Club career
On January 11, 2019, Dotson was drafted 31st overall in the 2019 MLS SuperDraft by Minnesota United.{{cite web|url=https://www.mnufc.com/post/2019/01/11/superdraft-selection-hassani-dotson|title=SuperDraft Selection: Hassani Dotson | Minnesota United FC|website=mnufc.com|access-date=March 10, 2019}}{{Dead link|date=March 2022 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} He signed with Minnesota on February 16, 2019, made his professional debut on March 2 that year against the Vancouver Whitecaps, and scored his first goal on June 2 against Philadelphia.{{cite web|title=Chase Gasper & Hassani Dotson Sign With MNUFC | Minnesota United FC|url=https://www.mnufc.com/post/2019/02/16/chase-gasper-hassani-dotson-sign-mnufc|access-date=March 10, 2019|website=mnufc.com}}
In June 2021, Dotson signed a three-year contract with Minnesota United.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mnufc.com/news/dotson-signs-three-year-deal|title=Dotson Signs Three Year Deal | Minnesota United FC|website=MNUFC}}
Dotson tore his ACL in April 2022 and was out until the 2023 season opener in February.{{cite news |last1=Zgoda |first1=Jerry |title=Minnesota United midfielder Hassani Dotson relishes parenthood as his knee recovers |url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-united-midfielder-hassani-dotson-relishes-parenthood-role-as-his-knee-recovers/600205353/ |access-date=11 October 2023 |work=Star Tribune |date=September 9, 2022}}{{cite news |last1=Hunt |first1=Stephen |title=Minnesota United's Hassani Dotson shakes out the cobwebs, returns to pitch after 11-month absence |url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-united-hassani-dotson-returns-after-11-month-absence-mls/600254503/ |access-date=11 October 2023 |work=Star Tribune |date=February 25, 2023}} In 2022 Dotson spent 3 months recovering from his ACL in Oregon where he lived with his in-laws, wife, and daughter who had been born earlier that year.
International career
Dotson was a member of the United States under-23 team in 2019, playing in several friendlies.{{cite web|title=U-23 MNT Notebook: September Olympic qualifying preparation camp in Chula Vista |url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2019/09/u23-mnt-notebook-september-olympic-qualifying-preparation-camp-in-chula-vista|access-date=July 22, 2020|website=United States Soccer Federation|date=September 19, 2019}}
In 2020, he was named to the United States under-23 roster for the 2020 CONCACAF Men's Olympic Qualifying Championship, although all games were postponed just before they were to begin in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web|title=CONCACAF Olympic Qualifying Championship Roster|url=https://www.ussoccer.com/teams/u-23-mens-national-team#roster|access-date=July 22, 2020|website=United States Soccer Federation}}{{cite web|title=CONCACAF postpones 2020 men's Olympic qualifying championship due to COVID-19 outbreak|url=https://www.ussoccer.com/stories/2020/03/concacaf-postpones-2020-mens-olympic-qualifying-championship-due-to-covid19-outbreak|access-date=July 22, 2020|website=United States Soccer Federation|date=March 13, 2020}} When the qualifiers resumed in March 2021, he was again on the team, starting in the first game.{{Cite web|date=March 18, 2021|title=USA vs Costa Rica {{!}} Concacaf Men's Olympic Qualifying 2020|url=https://www.ussoccer.com/competitions/concacaf-mens-olympic-qualifying-2020/matches/united-states-vs-costa-rica|access-date=March 18, 2021|website=US Soccer|language=en}}
Personal life
Dotson is married to Croatian Petra Vuckovic, who he met while in college. He proposed to her on the field following a 2021 game at Allianz Field. Together the couple have a daughter Gia.{{Cite news|last=Zgoda|first=Jerry|date=July 6, 2021|url=https://www.startribune.com/minnesota-uniteds-hassani-dotson-finds-right-place-right-time-to-ask-will-you/600075553/|title=Minnesota United's Hassani Dotson finds right place, right time to ask, 'Will you?'|website=Star Tribune}}
Career statistics
= Club =
{{updated|match played October 20, 2024}}{{Soccerway|hassani-dotson/591943|access-date=20 January 2021}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by club, season and competition | ||||||||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|Playoffs !colspan="2"|National cup !colspan="2"|Continental !colspan="2"|Other !colspan="2"|Total | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals |
| Washington Crossfire
|2016 |6 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 6 | 0 | |||||
| Lane United
|2017 |USL PDL |9 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 9 | 0 | |||||
| rowspan="8"|Minnesota United
|2019 |MLS |24 | 4 | colspan="2" |— | 5 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 29 | 4 | ||||
| 2020
|MLS |18 | 1 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2"|— | 21 | 1 | ||||
| 2021
|MLS |29 | 2 | 1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2"|— | 30 | 2 | ||||
| 2022
|MLS |7 | 1 | colspan="2" |— | 1 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 8 | 1 | ||||
| 2023
|MLS |34 | 3 | colspan="2" |— | 2 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | 4{{efn|Appearances in Leagues Cup|name=LC}} | 1 | 40 | 4 | |||
| 2024
|MLS |29 | 5 | 3 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 1{{efn|name=LC}} | 0 | 33 | 5 | |||
| 2025
|MLS |0 | 0 | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | colspan="2" |— | 0 | 0 | |||||
| colspan="2"|Total
!141 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 161 | 17 | |
| colspan="3"|Career total
!156 | 16 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 176 | 17 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{mls|hassani-dotson}}
{{Minnesota United FC squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dotson, Hassani}}
Category:American men's soccer players
Category:Men's association football midfielders
Category:Lane United FC players
Category:Major League Soccer players
Category:Minnesota United FC draft picks
Category:Minnesota United FC players
Category:Oregon State Beavers men's soccer players
Category:Sportspeople from Federal Way, Washington
Category:Soccer players from King County, Washington
Category:USL League Two players
Category:United States men's under-23 international soccer players
Category:21st-century American sportsmen
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