Vedad Ibišević

Vedad Ibišević
Personal information
Height	1.89 m (6 ft 2+1⁄2 in)
Position(s)	Striker
Team information
Current team	TSG 1899 Hoffenheim
Number	19
	‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of August 22 2008

Vedad Ibišević (born August 6, 1984 in Vlasenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia) is a Bosnian football player, currently playing for TSG 1899 Hoffenheim in German Bundesliga.

Ibišević and his family left Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2000, moving to Switzerland where Ibišević was signed by FC Basel 1893. However, his family left Switzerland after only ten months, moving to St. Louis, Missouri. In St. Louis, Ibišević flourished as one of the region's most promising soccer players, and after his senior season in 2002, was named by Soccer America as one of the nation's top 25 recruits. He played his high school career at Roosevelt High School, and in the process turned a traditional minnow in the highly competitive and passionate St. Louis leagues into one of the city's better public high school teams. Vedad also played for the nationally recognized Busch Soccer Club '85 team, coached by Mike Turner.

Vedad signed to play college soccer in his adopted hometown at one of the nation's most respected soccer establishments, Saint Louis University. He quickly established himself in his freshman year, registering 18 goals and 4 assists in 22 games for the Billikens, while leading a strong SLU team deep into the NCAA Tournament. For his achievements, Ibišević was named the NCAA Freshman of the Year, as well as a first team All-American. During his college years he also played in the USL Premier Development League with both the St. Louis Strikers and Chicago Fire Premier.^[1]

During the offseason, Vedad was called back to Europe to play for the U-21 Bosnia and Herzegovina national team. During training with the team, he was spotted by Paris Saint-Germain F.C.'s Bosnian manager Vahid Halilhodžić, who quickly signed him to play for the renowned French team for the coming season. Through the beginning of the season, Vedad has seen little action, but loaned to French second division club Dijon FCO. In 2005, he signed a two year contract with Dijon.

In May 2006, he signed a 3-year deal with Alemannia Aachen and on July 12, 2007 he moved to another German club TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.

On the International level Vedad Ibišević has been active for his country Bosnia and Herzegovina. On March 24, 2007 he made his debut for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team for the Euro 2008 Qualifier against Norway. Unsurprisingly, Ibišević was amongst the 11 starters for the match. On October 13, 2007, Ibišević was called up to play the Euro 2008 Qualifier against Greece in Athens. It was then when Ibišević scored his first international goal, scoring the second and final goal in his side's 3-2 loss. Since then Ibišević is yet to return to the International scene but is expected to as his nation enters the Fifa World Cup 2010 Qualifiers on September of 2008.

Vedad Ibišević kicked off the Fußball-Bundesliga 2008-09 season with fashion, scoring two goals in Hoffenheim's first ever appearance in the Fußball-Bundesliga against Energie Cottbus with the game ending 3-0 in Hoffenheim's favor. He scored another goal on his second game against Borussia Mönchengladbach. On his third game for the club in the Fußball-Bundesliga, he scored his fourth goal of the season against Bayer Leverkusen but his side lost 5-2 in the end. He's the current top scorer of the Fußball-Bundesliga 2008-09 season alongside Polish international Artur Wichniarek. Ibišević has so far recorded 4 goals and 2 assists in only 3 games in Hoffenheim's season debut.

External links

References

^ http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2004/roster/22386.html

[1] ttp://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2004/roster/22386.html

[1]