EPISODE 11: Tony Sanneh

In this week’s episode of The U.S. Soccer Podcast, Jordan Angeli and Charlie Davies welcome former U.S. Men’s National Team defender/midfielder/forward (yes, he played all those positions) and 2002 FIFA World Cup veteran Tony Sanneh to the show. 

Having started his career prior to the launch of Major League Soccer, Sanneh discusses his remarkable rise from playing indoor soccer to helping D.C. United to back-to-back MLS Cup wins in 1996 and 1997 and how that helped him make his way into the National Team. An integral part of the USMNT setup during the 2002 cycle, Sanneh played every minute during the team’s quarterfinal run in South Korea. In particular, Sanneh discussed which USMNT legend gave him some sage advice during his first National Team camp, and how much his first international goal scored against Germany in 1999 helped him gain instant respect in the Bundesliga when he later joined Hertha Berlin.

 

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Towards the end of his career, the Minnesota native launched the Sanneh Foundation which serves the holistic youth development needs of the diverse Twin Cities metro area. The USMNT veteran discusses how The Sanneh Foundation grew from small beginnings in 2003 into a now $11 million organization which has taken on an even greater role in the community during the COVID-19 pandemic and in the aftermath of the tragic murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. 

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