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Former Leatherneck starts for Colorado Rapids in season opener

July 6, 2008 on 9:15 pm | In Athletics |

MACOMB, Ill. Former Western Illinois men’s soccer player Kosuke Kimura made his first MLS career start in the season opener for the Colorado Rapids against the Los Angeles Galaxy last weekend.

Kimura helped the Rapids in a 4-0 victory to start the 2008 season. As a defender, Kimura found himself marking the likes of David Beckham and Landon Donovan throughout the matchup.

“It’s very rewarding to see one of our guys get to play in the MLS in a big game setting,” said Kimura’s former coach, and current Western Illinois men’s soccer head coach, Dr. Eric Johnson. “This is a result of his work ethic and desire to compete at a high level.”

After completing his senior campaign at Western, Kimura was selected 35th in the MLS supplemental draft on January 18, 2006. He was the first Leatherneck drafted into the MLS and joins Tom Soehn (current D.C. United head coach) as the only Western alums currently in the league.

“The whole team here is very excited for him,” Johnson added. “We had a bunch of guys watch the game together. A lot of them played with him and trained with him while he was here. It’s special for them to see him playing on TV with some of the best players in the country.”

After the match, Kimura was interviewed and talked about his transition from Japan, to Western Illinois and now into the ranks of professional soccer.

The interview can be seen on the Rapids website at http://www.coloradorapids.com/FanCenter/AudioVideo.aspx.

Originaly from Source