1The Right to Dream Academy exists to discover and nurture role models. The
organization provides young, talented
Africans with the opportunity to fulfil
their potential and the capacity to claim
a better future for their communities and
country. Fellow Right to Dream graduate
and Georgetown University defender
Joshua Yaro was the No. 2 overall pick in
the 2016 MLS draft by the Philadelphia
Union.
2Danladi had an impressive showing during UCLA’s postseason run while
a freshman in 2014. He assisted on the
overtime game-winning goal to defeat
San Diego in the NCAA Tournament
second round and then assisted on the
first goal in the third-round win over Cal.
Danladi had a goal and two assists in the
quarterfinal win over North Carolina and
then assisted on the second goal during a
semifinal win over Providence.
3In 2014, Danladi was Top Drawer Soccer Freshman of the Year
and First Team Soccer America All-Freshman selection. Because of a
hamstring injury, he appeared in only
12 games, making nine starts at striker
for a total of 821 minutes. He had five
goals and a team-high tying six assists
( 16 points) on the season.
4Danladi is one of 30 men’s NCAA Division I soccer players named
to the Missouri Athletic Club’s (MAC)
Hermann Trophy watch list. The
MAC Hermann Trophy is the most
prestigious individual award in college
soccer presented annually to one
male and female athlete. Former UCLA
midfielder Leo Stolz captured the MAC
Hermann Trophy in 2014, becoming the
third Bruin to be named National Player
of the Year.
5Honors started rolling in before the first ball was even kicked on the
2016 season. For the seventh straight
season, UCLA was selected by the Pac-
12 Conference men’s soccer coaches as
the preseason favorite to win the 2016
regular season.
6Five Bruins, including Danladi, were selected to the 11-man preseason all-conference team. UCLA will be seeking
the ninth Pac- 12 Conference title in
program history and seventh during head
coach Jorge Salcedo’s 13-year tenure.
Danladi may have left his country to study
and play soccer in the United States, but
that doesn’t change one of his lifelong
dreams. “It’s always been a dream of
mine to play for the Ghana National
Team,” he said. “Ghana has a good team
and the coach keeps giving young players
a chance which is good to see.” And what
about the US National Team? Danladi is
on a student visa and wouldn’t be eligible
for the US team.
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Danladi, who came to the United
States in 2011, was 2013-2014
Gatorade National Player of the Year
after scoring 25 goals in his senior
year at Dunn High School in Los
Olivos, Calif. He played three varsity
seasons at Dunn HS.
He also played US Youth Soccer
soccer at Santa Barbara Soccer Club
during his high school years and led
the team to a US Youth Soccer 2014
Region IV and National Championship.
He was named to the 2014 National
Championships Best XI team.
“We had some really good players on
that team and some guys with a real
passion for the game,” he said. “We
competed really hard every game.
“I wouldn’t trade that experience
for anything,” he said. “I had a
really good time and it was a great
experience with great players on and
off the field. And we had a really good
coach who helped me improve as a
player and as a person.”
Danladi continues to draw from
his experience playing US Youth
Soccer as he prepares for a potential
professional career after UCLA.
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