Full name Said Ali Name Said Ali Playing position | Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) Place of birth Tripoli, Lebanon | |
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Date of birth (1980-08-26) August 26, 1980 (age 35) 2002-2003 Robert Morris University | ||
Said Ali (born October 26, 1980) is a former Canadian-Jordanian forward who began his career in 2004 with Pittsburgh Riverhounds in the USL Pro Select League. During his rookie season he had a tremendous season finishing third in the overall league scoring charts, and claiming Pittsburgh first Conference Title. He was named the USL Pro Soccer League Rookie of the Year, and the following season he signed with USL First Division giants the Vancouver Whitecaps. Unfortunately he didn't feature much in the starting lineup and was traded to the Toronto Lynx, where he struggled to record a single goal. He would conclude his career in the Canadian Soccer League, and win the CSL Championship with the Serbian White Eagles.
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Youth level
Ali began playing soccer at the college youth level while attending Robert Morris University. In his first season with Robert Morris he was named to the All-Northeast Conference first team in 2002. As well Ali contributed by scoring 11 goals and adding 3 assists. The following season he netted in 13 goals and recorded four assists. For the second consecutive year Ali was named to the All-Northeast Conference first team. In total he recorded 55 points as his career college points.
Professional career
In 2004 Ali signed his first professional contract with the Pittsburgh Riverhounds of the USL Pro Soccer League. Where he became an instant impact, where in his rookie season Ali scored a team-high 15 goals, including seven game-winning goals and also added four assists, with him finishing third in league scoring and second in goals. He helped the Riverhounds win their first Conference title and also helped Pittsburgh finish first overall with a 17-2-1 record. But unfortunately during their playoff run Pittsburgh was eliminated in the semifinals by the Charlotte Eagles. Once the season came to a conclusion Ali was named the USL Pro Soccer League Rookie of the Year, and throughout the season he was also named to the PSL Team of the Week eight times and Player of the Week once.
On February 8, 2005 the Vancouver Whitecaps FC announced the signing of Ali to a one-year deal with an option. But unfortunately for Ali he featured little throughout the season and failed to make an impact in the top flight. Which resulted in for Ali to be traded midway through the season to the Toronto Lynx in return for defender Josue Mayard. During his tenure with the Lynx the team experienced a terrible season, where the Toronto side finished last and winning just three games. In 2008 Ali signed with the Serbian White Eagles of the Canadian Soccer League. Though he did not feature much throughout the season he still contributed by helping the White Eagles claim their first CSL Championship by defeating the Trois-Rivières Attak 2-1 on penalties. In 2010, Ali signed with rivals the Hamilton Croatia, and made his debut for the club on May 15, 2010 in a match against TFC Academy. He recorded his first goal for the club on June 25, 2010 in 6-1 victory over St. Catharines Wolves.