# Alex Yi > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alex_Yi > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Alex_Yi.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Yi > Source revision: 1353872144 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|American soccer player and coach (born 1982)}} {{Use American English|date=February 2026}} {{Use mdy dates|date=April 2017}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Alex Yi | fullname = Alexander Hyun Yi | image = Yi, a.jpg | caption = Yi in 2008 | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1982|2|27}} | birth_place = [Alexandria, Virginia](/source/Alexandria%2C_Virginia), United States | height = {{height|ft=6|in=3}} | currentclub = | clubnumber = | position = [Defender](/source/Defender_(association_football)) | collegeyears1 = 2000–2001 | college1 = [UCLA Bruins](/source/UCLA_Bruins) | years1 = 2002–2004 | years2 = 2005–2008 | clubs1 = [Royal Antwerp](/source/Royal_Antwerp_F.C.) | clubs2 = [FC Dallas](/source/FC_Dallas) | caps1 = 17 | caps2 = 27 | goals1 = 0 | goals2 = 0 | totalcaps = 44 | totalgoals = 0 | nationalyears1 = 1999 | nationalteam1 = [United States U17](/source/United_States_men's_national_under-17_soccer_team) | nationalcaps1 = 5 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 2008 | managerclubs1 = [Dayton Flyers](/source/Dayton_Flyers_men's_soccer) (assistant) | manageryears2 = 2008–2012 | managerclubs2 = [LA Galaxy](/source/LA_Galaxy) (academy) | manageryears3 = 2013–2016 | managerclubs3 = [San Francisco Dons](/source/San_Francisco_Dons_men's_soccer) (assistant) | manageryears4 = 2016–2018 | managerclubs4 = [Navy Midshipmen](/source/Navy_Midshipmen_men's_soccer) (assistant) | manageryears5 = 2019 | managerclubs5 = [Atlanta United](/source/Atlanta_United_FC) (scout) | manageryears6 = 2020 | managerclubs6 = [Academy of Art Urban Knights](/source/Academy_of_Art_Urban_Knights) | manageryears7 = 2021 | managerclubs7 = [Utah Valley Wolverines](/source/Utah_Valley_Wolverines) (assistant) | manageryears8 = 2022 | managerclubs8 = [Utah Valley Wolverines](/source/Utah_Valley_Wolverines) (associate head coach) | manageryears9 = 2024– | managerclubs9 = [Ventura County](/source/Ventura_County_FC) (assistant) | pcupdate = 03:42, December 19, 2007 (UTC) | ntupdate = July 16, 2006 | nationalyears2 = 2001 | nationalteam2 = [United States U20](/source/United_States_men's_national_under-20_soccer_team) | nationalcaps2 = 3 | nationalgoals2 = 0 }} '''Alexander Hyun Yi''' (born February 27, 1982) is an American former professional [soccer](/source/soccer) player who last played for [FC Dallas](/source/FC_Dallas) of [Major League Soccer](/source/Major_League_Soccer). He is currently assistant coach for [Ventura County](/source/Ventura_County_FC). == Early life == Yi was born in [Alexandria](/source/Alexandria%2C_Virginia), [Virginia](/source/Virginia), to [Korean-American](/source/Korean_Americans) parents. His father, Kyom Yi, had previously played for the South Korean national team's youth squad.{{Cite web |title=Alex Yi - Men's Soccer Coach |url=https://usfdons.com/sports/mens-soccer/roster/coaches/alex-yi/199 |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=University of San Francisco Athletics |language=en}} Yi developed an early interest in soccer through participation in youth leagues and club teams in the [Washington, D.C.](/source/Washington%2C_D.C.), [metropolitan area](/source/Washington_metropolitan_area), notably playing for FC Potomac alongside future Major League Soccer talents such as [Kyle Beckerman](/source/Kyle_Beckerman) and [Oguchi Onyewu](/source/Oguchi_Onyewu). His exposure to competitive play intensified when he joined the [U.S. Soccer Federation](/source/U.S._Soccer_Federation) residency program at the [Bradenton Academy](/source/Bradenton_Academy) in [Florida](/source/Florida) as part of its inaugural class, training with prominent young players like [Landon Donovan](/source/Landon_Donovan) and [DaMarcus Beasley](/source/DaMarcus_Beasley). At [McDonogh High School](/source/McDonogh_School) in [Owings Mills](/source/Owings_Mills), [Maryland](/source/Maryland), Yi excelled as a defender, earning all-metropolitan, all-league, and all-county honors in 1998 while scoring a goal from his sweeper position that year.{{Cite web |title=Player Bio: Alex Yi - UCLA Official Athletic Site |url=https://uclabruins.com/sports/2013/4/17/208193421 |access-date=2026-02-26 |website=UCLA |language=en}} He was recognized as a first-team [Parade All-American](/source/Parade_All-American) in 2000 and a two-time [National Soccer Coaches Association of America](/source/National_Soccer_Coaches_Association_of_America) (NSCAA) [All-American](/source/All-American), achievements that highlighted his defensive prowess and solidified his commitment to pursuing soccer at the collegiate level. Yi later transitioned to college soccer at the [University of California](/source/University_of_California), [Los Angeles](/source/Los_Angeles) (UCLA). ==Club career== ===Playing career=== As a teenager, Yi was a member of Under-17 [national team](/source/United_States_men's_national_soccer_team), and as such was part of the inaugural class of the [USSF](/source/United_States_Soccer_Federation)'s [Bradenton Academy](/source/Bradenton_Academy), along with other players such as [Landon Donovan](/source/Landon_Donovan), [DaMarcus Beasley](/source/DaMarcus_Beasley), and [Oguchi Onyewu](/source/Oguchi_Onyewu).{{cite web|publisher=ESPN Soccernet|author=Rodriguez, Justin|title=1999 U-17 squad retains special place in U.S. history|url=http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=598473&cc=5901|date=2008-12-04|accessdate=2009-09-17|archive-date=October 19, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019151403/http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=598473&cc=5901|url-status=dead}} Upon graduating, he matriculated to [UCLA](/source/UCLA), where he played [college soccer](/source/College_soccer_in_the_United_States) in 2000 and 2001, where he started in 41 games and was named a third team All-American as a sophomore. He was named PAC-10 Player of the Year. Following his sophomore year Yi left UCLA to pursue a professional career in Europe; he signed with [Royal Antwerp](/source/R._Antwerp_F.C.) of the [Belgian First Division](/source/Belgian_First_Division), a feeder club of [Manchester United](/source/Manchester_United_F.C.), before the start of the 2002–03 season. Yi disappointingly only appeared in four matches for Antwerp in the 2002–03 season, and, after appearing in only seven for the struggling club in the subsequent season, was released from his contract to pursue opportunities in America. Yi was coveted by several teams upon his return to the United States, most notably his hometown [D.C. United](/source/D.C._United), but was eventually allocated to FC Dallas through a weighted lottery on January 12, 2005. === Coaching career === Alex Yi retired from soccer in April 2008. He struggled with injury and decided to head back to school, applying to [UCLA](/source/UCLA). Eventually, he was hired as an assistant coach at the [University of Dayton](/source/University_of_Dayton).{{cite news | title=Google search brings former MLS player to Flyers | url=http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/s/content/oh/story/sports/college/ud/2009/01/15/ddn011509spinside.html | publisher=[Dayton Daily News](/source/Dayton_Daily_News) | date=2009-01-15}} ==International career== Yi has played for the [U17](/source/United_States_men's_national_under-17_soccer_team), [U20](/source/United_States_men's_national_under-20_soccer_team), and [U23](/source/United_States_men's_national_under-23_soccer_team) United States youth national teams, and played in the 1999 and 2001 [Football World Youth Championship](/source/Football_World_Youth_Championship). His father, Kyom Yi, played for the [South Korean national team](/source/South_Korea_national_football_team) at the youth level. ==Honours== '''United States U17''' * [FIFA U-17 World Cup](/source/FIFA_U-17_World_Cup) fourth place: [1999](/source/1999_FIFA_U-17_World_Championship) ==References== {{Reflist}} ==External links== * {{ESPN FC|57120}} * [http://daytonflyers.cstv.com/sports/m-soccer/spec-rel/081808aaa.html Alex Yi at University of Dayton]{{Dead link|date=September 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} {{DEFAULTSORT:Yi, Alex}} Category:1982 births Category:Living people Category:American expatriate men's soccer players Category:Royal Antwerp FC players Category:FC Dallas players Category:Soccer players from Alexandria, Virginia Category:American people of Korean descent Category:Sportspeople of Korean descent Category:UCLA Bruins men's soccer players Category:Dayton Flyers men's soccer coaches Category:Major League Soccer players Category:United States men's youth international soccer players Category:United States men's under-20 international soccer players Category:United States men's under-23 international soccer players Category:LA Galaxy non-playing staff Category:Men's association football defenders Category:American men's soccer players Category:American soccer coaches Category:Academy of Art Urban Knights Category:Atlanta United FC non-playing staff Category:Navy Midshipmen men's soccer coaches Category:San Francisco Dons men's soccer coaches Category:Utah Valley Wolverines men's soccer coaches Category:Ventura County FC coaches --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Alex Yi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Yi) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alex_Yi?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.