50 Facts About Soony Saad

Hassan Ali "Soony" Saad is a former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Soony Saad moved to Thailand with BEC Tero Sasana before their 2015 season.

Soony Saad returned to Sporting KC in 2017, and was sent on loan to their affiliate club Swope Park Rangers, before joining Indy Eleven in 2018.

Soony Saad then moved back to Asia, playing for Ansar in Lebanon, Ansan Greeners in South Korea, Al-Wehdat in Jordan, PT Prachuap in Thailand, and Penang in Malaysia.

Soony Saad is a former United States youth international and represented Lebanon at the senior level from 2013 to 2024.

Soony Saad was born in Wyandotte, Michigan, and grew up in nearby Dearborn, a city with a sizeable Arab-American community.

Soony Saad holds both American and Lebanese citizenship, the latter through paternal descent.

Soony Saad credited his father as being "integral to his development" as a footballer, having coached him and his siblings during their childhood.

Soony Saad began his youth career at the Michigan Wolves, Derby County Wolves's academy team, joining their under-12s.

Soony Saad led them to the 2007 US Youth Soccer National Championship and was awarded the Golden Boot Award for Most Outstanding Player.

In summer 2009, Soony Saad returned to the Derby County Wolves, and moved back to Dearborn High School for his senior year.

Soony Saad broke the previous state high school single-season goals record of 69 set in 2000, and previous state high school career goals record of 169 set in 1995.

Soony Saad earned the 2009 Michigan Soccer Coaches Association "Mr Soccer" Title, and was named the 2010 Gatorade National Player of the Year.

At age 17, Soony Saad received an offer to join German club Mainz 05, then managed by Thomas Tuchel.

Soony Saad joined the Michigan Wolverines ahead of the 2010 season, playing alongside his older brother Hamoody.

Soony Saad had a successful freshman season, scoring 19 goals in 24 games, surpassing the previous record of 14 for most goals by a freshman at the University of Michigan, while setting records for shots and overall points.

Soony Saad helped the team win their first Big Ten Soccer Tournament and was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year.

Soony Saad left school after his freshman year to seek a professional contract with a European team.

However, he was unable to secure a move to a club in Europe; Soony Saad returned to the United States and trained with the NSC Minnesota Stars of the North American Soccer League.

In June 2011, Soony Saad signed a professional contract with Major League Soccer.

Soony Saad made his MLS debut on August 17,2011, on his 19th birthday.

Soony Saad scored a goal in the 72nd minute, just nine minutes after he came on, becoming the youngest goalscorer in club history.

Soony Saad netted two more goals for Sporting KC in MLS Reserve League games against the Colorado Rapids and FC Dallas, and scored once in a friendly against Guadalajara on October 12,2011.

Soony Saad was part of the Kansas City side that won the 2012 US Open Cup, taking part in the final against Seattle Sounders FC, which was decided in a penalty shootout.

Soony Saad had scored a brace against Orlando City in the third round of the competition.

Soony Saad played twice in the 2013 MLS Cup Playoffs, which Sporting KC won.

Soony Saad's contract expired at the end of the season, with Sporting KC reserving the right to sign him in the future.

Soony Saad cited his goal scored with the Lebanon national team against Thailand the same year in the 2015 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers as the reason for the club's interest in him.

Soony Saad was sent out on loan to Pattaya United for the 2016 Thai League 1 season; Saad scored nine goals and made nine assists in 28 league appearances, helping his side avoid relegation to the Thai League 2.

Soony Saad made his second debut for the club against the San Jose Earthquakes on March 19, being brought on as a substitute; similarly to his first debut for Sporting in 2011, Saad helped his side win on his first game, with his 89th-minute shot being deflected into the goal by opposing goalkeeper David Bingham.

On February 21,2018, Soony Saad joined fellow USL Championship side Indy Eleven, where he scored five league goals in 29 appearances.

Soony Saad was released by Ansar in March 2020 due to financial disagreements with the club, in the midst of the Lebanese liquidity crisis.

On March 27,2020, Soony Saad moved to K League 2 side Ansan Greeners.

Soony Saad had already played in Ansan's home stadium, Ansan Wa~ Stadium, four years prior for the Lebanon national team, in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification game against South Korea.

On March 27,2021, Soony Saad joined Al-Wehdat in the Jordanian Pro League on a one-year contract, reuniting with fellow Lebanese player Ahmad Zreik and former Ansar coach Abdullah Abu Zema.

Soony Saad finished the season with four goals and three assists in 26 games.

Soony Saad moved to Penang in the Malaysia Super League on December 22,2022, ahead of the 2023 season.

In January 2008, Soony Saad was called up to represent the United States internationally at the under-14 level; he played in unofficial friendlies against clubs from Mexico as part of a training camp in Guadalajara, scoring st Jalisco U14.

Soony Saad played for the under-17 team during his stay in the US Residency Program in Bradenton in 2008.

Soony Saad featured in six games against Panama, Honduras and Guatemala as part of a Central America tour, scoring twice and assisting once.

Soony Saad played in exhibition tours against club sides in the United States and France, most notably scoring against Paris Saint-Germain's under-18s.

Soony Saad received a call-up to join the under-20s in December 2010.

In May 2013, Soony Saad obtained his Lebanese passport and became eligible to join the Lebanon national team.

Soony Saad joined the Lebanon national team in the process, as the first MLS player to do so.

On September 5,2017, Soony Saad traveled with Lebanon to North Korea to play in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup qualifiers.

Soony Saad played for Lebanon in the qualifiers for the 2022 FIFA World Cup; he scored two goals in the final two games of the second round in June 2021, a long-distance goal against Turkmenistan and the opening goal against South Korea.

In December 2023, Soony Saad was named to the Lebanese squad for the 2023 AFC Asian Cup.

Soony Saad participated in two group-stage matches in January 2024, facing Qatar and China.

Soony Saad started out as a striker in his youth career, and was moved out to the left wing when he transitioned to professional football at Sporting Kansas City.

Soony Saad is a creative playmaker known for scoring from long range, often from free kicks.