University of Connecticut Athletics
Abdou Mbacke Thiam Signs Pro Contract with Reigning USL Cup Champions Louisville City FC
1/15/2019 3:45:00 PM | Men's Soccer
STORRS, Conn. – Former UConn forward Abdou Mbacke Thiam will continue his soccer career after signing a professional contract with Louisville City FC out of the USL Champions. Louisville City FC are the reigning USL Champions and the first ever back-to-back USL Cup winners.
"We are very excited to be signing Abdou. He is a tremendous young man with a lot of potential," said Louisville City FC head coach John Hackworth. "Over his four years at UConn, he showcased his ability to be a proven goal scorer. More importantly, Abdou is a person of great character and we feel good about bringing him into our club. Coach Reid spoke very highly of him, and we found the same to be true when we interviewed him."
"This is a fantastic opportunity for Abdou," proclaimed UConn head men's soccer coach Ray Reid. "He will get a chance to play with some very good players and will get a chance to make an immediate impact. I am tremendously proud of this young man, and wish him great success in his professional career."
Mbacke Thiam – from Dakar, Senegal – started in all 77 possible games in his Huskies career, proving to be a volatile threat on the offensive end of the field. His 46 career goals is tied for fourth all-time in program history, while his 110 career points is tied for sixth all-time on the UConn points list.
"I am very excited to be signing with Louisville City FC and begin my professional career," said Mbacke Thiam. "This great opportunity has allowed me accomplish one of my lifelong dreams. Everything that I learned from UConn as a player and person will help me transition from college to the pros. I am so sad to be leaving UConn after four great years, but I'm ready to start on my new journey."
A unanimous American Athletic Conference First Team selection, Mbacke Thiam's led the Huskies in all major offensive categories – including goals (15), assists (10), points (40) and shots (84) - pacing UConn to a 12-6-2 record and a second round appearance in the NCAA Men's Soccer Championships. He ranked second in the American in points, goals and shots, while also finishing the season tied first in assists and game-winning goals.
It was the fourth-straight season for Thiam with double-digit goals, who now finishes his UConn career tied fourth all-time in the category with 46 scores. He earned United Soccer All-East Region First Team Honors, was named AAC Offensive Player of the Week on Oct. 22 and carved out five mentions on the weekly honor roll throughout 2018. Additionally, he was named to the TopDrawerSoccer Postseason Top 100 Player list.
After a fantastic junior year, Abdou earned AAC All-First Team honors, a spot on the United Soccer All-East Region Second Team, garnered six AAC weekly conference honors and ranked top-five in the American in four categories – shots, points, goals and game-winners. As a sophomore, Abdou's 10 goals tied for second in the American and ranked 33rd in the NCAA, while his six game-winning goals ranked fifth nationally and second in the conference – he was named to the AAC All-First Team. As a freshman, Mbacke Thiam was named to the AAC All-Second and All-Rookie teams after a breakout first season.
The Dakar, Senegal native graduated from UConn this past December with a degree in French.
