Rob Valentino

A tall, strong defender, Valentino can play anywhere across the back, but is most comfortable in the center of the defense. He joins the Rapids after originally being drafted by the New England Revolution in the first round (13th overall) in the 2008 MLS SuperDraft.

MLS CAREER

2009: Did not make a regular season appearance for Colorado or New England…Played all 90 minutes in friendly vs. Club America (7/15)…Played in all 90 minutes at Seattle (5/26) in second U.S. Open Cup play-in match...2008: Did not make a regular-season appearance, but did make four appearances for New England - including three starts - in all competitions (CONCACAF Champions League and U.S. Open Cup)…Started all three of the Revs' games in the U.S. Open Cup…Played right back in a four-man backline in the team's first two games (vs. Richmond on July 1 and vs. Crystal Palace Baltimore on July 8) before playing in the center of the defense in a four-man line against D.C. United (8/12)…Made one substitute appearance against Joe Public FC in the CONCACAF Champions League, playing the final 22 minutes of the second leg (9/2)…Started nine reserve games, playing both right back and center back…Served as reserve team captain for the final three games…The reserve season opener at Chicago (4/4) marked his first competitive game action since tearing his anterior cruciate ligament in August 2007 while in college at San Francisco. 

NATIONAL TEAM

A member of the player pool for the U.S. Under-23 team and has earned three caps with the U23s as of Jan. 1, 2009…Was a member of the U23 team that toured Japan in February 2007…Most recently, was named to the 22-man roster to represent the U.S. U23 Team at the Toulon International Tournament from May 15-30, 2008, and started in the back in the U.S.' 1-0 loss to the Ivory Coast (May 23). 

OTHER PROFESSIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

A member of the Generation adidas Class, Valentino went on an eight-day tour of London, where he played three matches against English Premier League reserve teams, trained at Chelsea academy and attended both an EPL and a Champions League match in December 2008…For a second consecutive year, Valentino was a selected member of the Generation adidas Class that traveled this time to South Africa in December 2009 to showcase their abilities in an 11-day trip that saw the team play in three friendlies against Premier Soccer League reserves, attend the World Cup 2010 official draw in Cape Town, and tour Nelson Mandela's House in Soweto, Soccer City Stadium and the Apartheid Museum…Went on one-week trail with Norwegian second division club Lov-Ham in February 2009…Played full 90 minutes with Lov-Ham in friendly against Eliteserien club Brann.  

COLLEGE

Valentino was the first inaugural round MLS draft pick from USF, and became the fifth WCC player chosen in the top-15 selections in the last five years…Finished his college career playing in 57 games with five goals and eight assists…2007: Missed the entire 2007 collegiate season after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament right before the start of the season…2006: Won West Coast Conference Player of the Year honors…Led the Dons to a midseason top-10 ranking and third straight NCAA berth…Fourth on the team in scoring with one goal and team-high six assists...Four of his six assists were on game-winning goals (three in league play)...Sixth assists ranked second in WCC...Scored only goal in 2-1 win over Gonzaga...Helped lead USF to the stingiest defense in the WCC for the second consecutive season (0.87 GA)…2005: West Coast Conference Defender of the Year and first team all-WCC...USF captured back-to-back WCC Championships…Was the team's third leading scorer with four goals and two assists...Scored the only goals in USF 1-0 wins at Stanford and at LMU...Also tallied at Portland and vs. Dominican University…2004: Named College Soccer News all-American and all-WCC first team as a freshman while starting 17 games…Majored in Exercise and Sports Science.

PERSONAL

A two-time all-league selection at Pinnacle High School and a former member of the prestigious Sereno Club '86 team…Son of Barbara and Jim Valentino…Is the youngest of the couple's three children…Has an older brother, Jimmy, and an older sister, Kristyn…His father played basketball at Idaho…Won the Don McLaughlin Service Award at San Francisco, which honors San Francisco's top student who gives back to the community…Also played basketball and baseball growing up…Became the second USF student-athlete to be drafted in the first round of a professional draft during the 2007-08 season, joining Aaron Poreda, who was drafted by the Chicago White Sox in the 2007 Major League Baseball Amateur Draft.