Odisnel Cooper Despaigne (born March 31, 1992) is a Cuban international footballer.
Club career
Cooper played for hometown club FC Camaguey in Cuba. After defecting to the United States in late 2012, Cooper signed with USL club Charleston Battery along with fellow Cuban defectors Maikel Chang and Heviel Cordovés in 2013. When Cooper first arrived in Charleston, the club discovered that he was legally blind when playing without glasses.[1] After securing a pair of contact lenses, Cooper earned the Battery's starting position in goal where he has remained through the 2015 season, when he was named the club's player of the year. The club re-signed him for the 2018 season.[2]
International career
Cooper made his international debut for Cuba in a December 2011 friendly match against Costa Rica and has earned a total of 7 caps in 2011 and 2012. He represented his country in 3 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches.[3]
His final international was a September 2012 World Cup qualification match against Honduras. He defected with teammates Cordovés and Chang to the United States in October 2012 after leaving the national team in Toronto prior to a World Cup qualifier versus Canada.[4]
References
- ^ "Charleston Battery goalie Odisnel Cooper has eyes on the ball – The Post and Courier". www.postandcourier.com. Archived from the original on 2013-12-28.
- ^ Battery Re-Sign Veteran Goalkeeper Cooper - USL Soccer
- ^ Odisnel Cooper – FIFA competition record (archived)
- ^ Cuban defectors savor chance to play soccer in U.S. - USA Today
External links
- Odisnel Cooper at National-Football-Teams.com