Baggio Hušidić

Adis "Baggio" Hušidić (born 19 May 1987) is a Bosnian-American former footballer. He mainly played as a midfielder but was also deployed as a left-back.[1][2]

Baggio Hušidić
Hušidić plays for Hammarby IF in 2013
Personal information
Full name Adis Hušidić
Date of birth (1987-05-19) 19 May 1987
Place of birth Velika Kladuša, SFR Yugoslavia
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
2006–2008 UIC Flames
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2009–2011 Chicago Fire 50 (5)
2012–2013 Hammarby IF 41 (1)
2014–2018 LA Galaxy 104 (9)
2015 → LA Galaxy II (loan) 2 (0)
Total 197 (15)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 3 November 2018

Early life

Born in Velika Kladuša, Bosanska Krajina, SR Bosnia, SFR Yugoslavia (present-day Bosnia and Herzegovina), Hušidić and his family fled Bosnia in the mid-1990s to escape the Bosnian War, spending time in a refugee camp in southern Croatia, and living in Hamburg, Germany for several years, before eventually settling in Libertyville, Illinois in 1997.

Career

Youth and college

Hušidić attended Libertyville High School. He also played club soccer for Sockers FC Chicago, who he helped reach state, regional and national championship tournaments. He played college soccer at the University of Illinois at Chicago from 2006 to 2008, where he was named to the Horizon League All-Newcomer Team as a freshman, and to the All-Horizon League First Team as a sophomore in 2007.

Professional
Hušidić playing for Chicago Fire

Husidić was drafted in the second round (20th overall) of the 2009 MLS SuperDraft by Chicago Fire, and signed a Generation Adidas contract. He made his professional debut on 28 May 2009, coming on as a late substitute for Gonzalo Segares in a game against Chivas USA.[3] He scored his first career professional goal on 24 April 2010 in a game against Houston Dynamo.[4]

It was announced on 18 November 2010 that Hušidić would graduate from the MLS Generation Adidas program at the end of the 2010 season. Baggio had his breakout season in 2010. He proved to be a vital part of the Fire, scoring goals and filling in voids in the midfield.[5]

Hušidić didn't have a great season in 2011 and received only limited playing time. At season's end, Chicago declined his 2012 contract option and he entered the 2011 MLS Re-Entry Draft. Hušidić was selected by Colorado Rapids in stage 2 of the draft on 12 December 2011.[6] However, Hušidić spurned Colorado and instead signed with Swedish second division side Hammarby IF on 23 December 2011.[7]

Despite still being with Hammarby, LA Galaxy acquired the MLS rights to Hušidić in a trade with Colorado on 17 June 2013.[8] On 11 November 2013, LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena confirmed that the team had signed Hušidić from Hammarby.[9] On 21 May 2016 Husidić was called to join the Bosnian national team for a friendly match with Spain.[10][11]

Hušidić was released by LA Galaxy at the end of their 2018 season.[12]

He announced his retirement on 7 March 2019.[13]

Style of play

A dynamic, hard-working, intelligent, and tactically versatile player, with good distribution and offensive capabilities, which allows him both to score goals and provide assists, Husidić is capable of playing in any midfield position, both in the centre and out wide, and has also been deployed as a left-back.[1][2][14]

Personal life

Husidić was given the nickname 'Baggio' (after Italian player Roberto Baggio) at a young age by his father.[15] He became a naturalized U.S. citizen while he was in college.[16] An advocate of veganism, Husidić has said of the benefits of his whole foods, plant-based diet: "I’m able to run the longest distance per game of any player on my team. My recovery rate is much faster. My muscles recover much quicker than most other players. My energy level is high; I nap once a year. I sleep very well, averaging around 9 ½ hours a night. I’m always happy, I have clear skin and no body odor, and I rarely ever get ill. I could go on and on."[17]

Honors

Club
LA Galaxy[18]

References
  1. Larry Morgan (19 May 2015). "Versatile Baggio Husidic continues to contribute across the pitch". LAGalaxy.com. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  2. Scott French (11 November 2013). "LA Galaxy announce signing of ex-Fire midfielder Baggio Husidic, re-sign veteran Todd Dunivant". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  3. http://web.mlsnet.com/scoreboard/game.jsp?match=05282009_CHICHV
  5. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/generation-adidas-players-graduate-seasons-end Generation adidas players to graduate at season's end
  6. "Stage 2 of Re-Entry Draft highlighted by busy Galaxy". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  7. "Husidic completes deal to join Berhalter at Hammarby". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  8. "LA Galaxy's Bruce Arena will contact Gregg Berhalter to gauge Baggio Husidic's interest in MLS return". MLSsoccer.com. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  9. "Bruce Arena confirms the signing of Baggio Hušidić and re-signing of Todd Dunivant". lagalaxy.com. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  10. "Ovo su Mešini novi "Zmajevi"..." (in Bosnian). BN. 21 May 2016. Retrieved 17 April 2019.
  11. http://www.nezvisne.com/sport/fudbal/Stevanovic-ponovo-medju-zmajevima/370526%5B%5D
  12. "LA Galaxy exercise 2019 contract options on four players". LAGalaxy.com. 26 November 2018.
  13. "Baggio Husidic announces retirement". LAGalaxy.com. 7 March 2019.
  14. "Baggio Husidic". mlssoccer.com. Retrieved 26 March 2019.
  15. "UIC soccer star Baggio Husidic a long way from Bosnia". Chicago Tribune. 11 January 2009. Retrieved 25 April 2009.
  16. "Soccer is Baggio Husidic's sanctuary". Los Angeles Times. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 14 December 2014.
  17. "Meet LA Galaxy's Baggio Hušidić, a High-Performance Plant-Powered Athlete". Forks Over Knives. 14 September 2015. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  18. "B. Husidic". Soccerway. Retrieved 7 March 2018.
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