1. Michael Joseph Boxall was born on 18 August 1988 and is a New Zealand professional footballer who plays as a defender for Major League Soccer club Minnesota United and the New Zealand national team.
23 Facts About Michael Boxall
1. 2.
Michael Boxall led the team to a second Knockout Cup title in three years.
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Michael Boxall played for teams in his native New Zealand including Ellerslie AFC, Three Kings United, Central United, and Auckland City FC, leading Central United to the 2007 Lotto Sport Italia NRFL Premier title.
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Michael Boxall was named the Auckland City Young Player of the Year with Central United in 2006 and then again with Auckland City FC in 2007.
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Michael Boxall was recruited to play college soccer at the University of California, Santa Barbara by head coach Tim Vom Steeg.
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Michael Boxall followed in the footsteps of other New Zealand players at Santa Barbara such as Tony Lochhead and Neil Jones, both of whom have received senior international caps after appearing for UCSB.
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Michael Boxall provided no goals nor assists but proved to be a solid defensive rock alongside Gaucho defensive stalwart Andy Iro.
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Michael Boxall's season was cut short due to a knee injury which forced him to miss the rest of the year.
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Michael Boxall was selected first overall in the 2011 MLS Supplemental Draft by Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
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Michael Boxall agreed to terms with the club on 17 March 2011, and made his professional debut on 19 March, in Vancouver's 2011 MLS opener against Toronto FC.
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On 10 July 2012, it was confirmed by the club that Michael Boxall officially joined the Wellington Phoenix of his native New Zealand on a two-year contract.
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Instrumental in signing Michael Boxall was Ricki Herbert, coach of both the Phoenix and the New Zealand national team at the time.
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Michael Boxall stated that the club's direction under new head coach Ernie Merrick was the deciding factor in signing a new deal with the club.
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Michael Boxall joined SuperSport United, a South African team in the Premier Division, in 2015.
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Michael Boxall scored five goals and made 68 appearances for SuperSport in league and cup competition over two seasons, winning the Nedbank Cup in the process.
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Michael Boxall played in all three U-20 World Cup games before New Zealand were knocked out.
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Michael Boxall has represented the New Zealand U-23 Olympic team, known as the Oly-Whites.
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Michael Boxall played in all 5 2008 OFC Olympic Qualifiers which saw New Zealand advance to their first ever Olympic Games.
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At the 2008 Summer Olympics, Michael Boxall again appeared in all three of New Zealand's games before they were eliminated.
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Michael Boxall made two appearances for New Zealand A at the Agribank Cup in Vietnam during October 2006, appearing against Thailand and Bahrain.
21.
Only days after making his Whitecaps debut, Michael Boxall was called up to the All Whites' squad for their match against China on 25 March 2011, where he came on as a second-half substitute.
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Michael Boxall was called up as one of three overage players for the New Zealand U-23 Olympic team to play at the 2020 Summer Olympics.
23.
Michael Boxall is of Samoan heritage and is the older brother of New Zealand international footballer Nikko Michael Boxall.