LAUDERHILL, Fla. – Sagi Lev-Ari hasn’t exactly followed the typical path for an MLS prospect.
Like many of his peers at the 2015 adidas MLS Player Combine, Lev-Ari came up through the ranks of his hometown club, developing at Israeli side Maccabi Haifa. And, like nearly all of his Combine counterparts, the 6-foot-1 forward starred in college, scoring 42 goals in 64 games in three seasons at Cal St.-Northridge.
But, unlike perhaps anyone else in the history of the league, Lev-Ari is hoping to enter MLS after serving in his country’s military. Like all Israeli citizens, the 25-year-old Lev-Ari was obligated to serve in the Israeli Defense Force. So he put his soccer career on hold for three years, serving as an infantry soldier and only occasionally training with Maccabi Haifa.
Though he had an opportunity to resume his career with Haifa after he finished his stint in the army, Lev-Ari chose another path, eschewing a chance to play in the Israeli first division for a shot at a both an education and a soccer career in the United States.
“I’d heard that there was a good level of soccer, and that you can do school and soccer together in America,” he told MLSsoccer.com on Sunday. “That sounded good to me. I wanted to get an education. After the army I felt like [being a reserve] in the first division in Israel wasn’t a great thing. I wanted to get an education, I heard there was a great soccer level here, and it was true. It’s a great level and I’m glad I did it.”
He initially landed at Monroe College, a junior college located in New Rochelle, New York. He was an immediate star there, helping the team to a second-place finish in the NJCAA Division I.
Lev-Ari’s strong season at Monroe caught the attention of Yossi Raz, a former Israeli youth international who was then the associate head coach at Cal St.-Northridge. Raz brought Lev-Ari to CSUN, where the striker quickly turned into one of the top players in the Big West Conference, even earning a first-team All-American nod in 2013.
He’s turned heads at the Combine this weekend, finishing third in the 30-meter dash, 11th in the agility test and fourth in the vertical jump in physical testing on Friday before scoring the game-winning goal for Team Predator in its 4-3 win over Team Nativo on Sunday afternoon.
Now, he’s hoping his strong showing pays off with a selection in Thursday’s MLS SuperDraft.
“I’m a good finisher, I have good speed, I’m fast and I think I’d fit a lot of teams in MLS,” Lev-Ari said. “I’m a final product, you know? I’m not young, I’m 25 years-old, and hopefully I can help some teams in the league.
“I never thought I would be here, but I’m glad I am. It’s a great level, a great atmosphere and I’m really enjoying it.”
