Daniel
Leyva
- Position Midfielder
- Number 6
- Date of Birth May 05 2003
- Hometown Las Vegas, NV
- Height 5' 9"
- Club Seattle Sounders FC
Player Bio - Daniel Leyva
National Team: A maven in the midfield, Leyva shone for the USA at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship and will serve as a key cog in the middle of the park at the World Cup … One of two players on the roster born in 2003, playing a year up from his natural age group at the World Cup … Helped the USA qualify for a record 17th FIFA U-17 World Cup at the 2019 Concacaf U-17 Championship as one of two players to appear in all seven matches, adding two assists … Named to the tournament Best XI at World Cup qualifying … Earned his first call-up to the U-17 MNT at the team’s pre-Concacaf Championship mini-camp in April, Raphael Wicky’s first at the helm … Appeared with the U-16 Boys’ National Team throughout 2018 … Impressed with the U-16 BNT at the 2018 Torneo delle Nazioni in Gradisca, Italy, scoring the game-winning goal from a corner kick against Italy … Also a part of the U-15 BNT in 2017.
Professional: Signed with Seattle Sounders FC as a Homegrown Player on April 9, 2019, becoming the youngest player in club history … Appeared in six matches with Seattle this season, logging 412 minutes … Made his MLS debut on June 5, 2019 vs. Montreal … Spent most of this year with the Tacoma Defiance in the USL Championship, playing 14 matches and logging 1069 minutes … Netted his first pro goal for Tacoma on Oct. 5, 2019 vs. Fresno … Signed with Seattle Sounders FC 2 on Oct. 16, 2018 … Made his pro debut for Sounders FC 2 on Sept. 29, 2018 vs. San Antonio, becoming the second-youngest player in USL history to start a match.
Youth: Played with Seattle Sounders FC in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy … Won the 2018 Academy Championship with Seattle’s U-16/17 squad in 2018, appearing in every postseason match for the club … Won the 2019 GA Cup Champions Division with the Sounders, becoming the first MLS club to win the competition … Took home MVP honors at the competition … Joined the Seattle youth system from his hometown of Las Vegas at the U-15 level … Prior to the Sounders, played with Barcelona NV from U-11 to U-15 … Spent U-9 to U-10 with Cordico and U-5 to U-8 with Neusport … Kicked off his youth soccer career with Pumas at U-4 … Started playing soccer at age three.
Personal: Full name is Daniel Ulises Leyva … Nicknamed Danny … Dad played soccer for Mexican power Club America and now runs a soccer team, coaching at the U-9 level … Sister Andrea also plays soccer, and was recently called in for a U-16 Girls’ National Team training camp … Describes himself on the field as “full of heart, intelligent and a winner” … Describes himself off the field as “humble, calm and dedicated” … Enjoys drawing and graphic design work … Likes to watch sports, play FIFA and other video games, spend time with friends and teammates and take walks … Favorite soccer player is Ronaldinho … Greatest soccer moment thus far was making his pro debut for Seattle … Favorite movie is Jerry Maguire, favorite TV show is Impractical Jokers … Loves listening to Ozuna … Favorite food is steak.
