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American soccer player From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jeffrey "J. J." Koval Jr. (born May 19, 1992) is a former American soccer player who last played for Sacramento Republic in the United Soccer League.
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Koval in 2014 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Jeffrey Koval, Jr. | ||
| Date of birth | May 19, 1992 | ||
| Place of birth | Westlake Village, California, United States | ||
| Height | 1.86 m (6 ft 1 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Defensive Midfielder | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2007–2010 | Real So Cal | ||
| College career | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2010–2013 | Stanford Cardinal | 74 | (6) |
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2013 | Ventura County Fusion | 3 | (0) |
| 2014–2015 | San Jose Earthquakes | 37 | (0) |
| 2014 | → Sacramento Republic (loan) | 2 | (1) |
| 2016 | Sacramento Republic | 27 | (1) |
| Total | 69 | (2) | |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of December 21, 2016 | |||
Koval played youth soccer for Real So Cal in his local area before signing a National Letter of Intent to play for Stanford Cardinal. For Stanford, Koval was a regular starter all four years for the program as a holding midfielder, appearing in all of Stanford's 74 games during that span, starting 73 of them.[1]
Koval was drafted ninth overall in the 2014 MLS SuperDraft by the San Jose Earthquakes. He subsequently signed a contract. On March 11, 2014, Koval made his professional debut for the Earthquakes in a CONCACAF Champions League match against Toluca, coming on for Jason Hernandez in the 73rd minute.[2]
Koval was released by San Jose on February 27, 2016.[3]
After spending the 2016 season with the Sacramento Republic, Koval announced his retirement from professional soccer on December 21, 2016, to pursue a career in dentistry at Creighton University School of Dentistry in Omaha, Nebraska.[4]
Koval is married to Karli Koval.[5]
Koval also credits much of his later personal development to a friend whom he met in Omaha, Nebraska during dental school: Austin Gouldsmith. The two met in 2019 and remain close friends. JJ made the most of his Creighton dental education. He helped a local Omaha resident Levi Gipson reduce molar wear by recommending less popcorn kernel gnawing, and he also served in Los Cerezos, Dominican Republic; there he completed two weeks worth of extractions, cleanings, and fillings at a makeshift dental clinic set up in the local school.[6]
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