Tuesday, March 6, 2012

2012 MLS Player Name Pronunciation Guide

Chicago Fire
Jalil Anibaba - Jah-LEEL Ah-Nee-Bah-Bah
Kheli Dube - doo-BAY
Federico Puppo - pooh-PO
Sebastian Grazzini - GRASS-ee-knee
Gonzalo Segares - seh-GAH-res
Patrick Nyarko - NEE-yah-koh
Michael Videira - VEE-dare-AH
Rafael Robayo - row-BUY-O
Lucky Mkosana - mKOW-sah-nah

Chivas USA
Juan Pablo Angel - AHN-hel
Miller Bolaños - Bowl-AH-nios
Laurent Courtois - core-TUA
Marvin Iraheta - Eee-RAH-e-tah
Ante Jazic - ON-tay JAZZ-ik
Nick LaBrocca - lah-BROH-kah
Michael Lahoud - la-HUDE

Colorado Rapids
Jeff Larentowicz - lah-REN-tow-witz
Josh Janniere - Jahn-ee-AIR
Eddie Ababio - ah-BAH-bee-oh
Martin Rivero - mar-TEEN re-VARE-oh
Quincy Amarikwa - ah-MARE-ik-wah
Ross LaBauex - lah-BOH
Andre Akpan - AHK-pahn
Jaime Castrillon - cas-tree-YON
Pablo Mastroeni - mahs-troh-EHN-ee
Koskuke Kimura - KOHS-kay key-MOO-rah
Steward Ceus - SEE-oos

Columbus Crew
Rernardo Anor - Ah-noor
Dilly Duka - DOO-kuh
Andy Gruenebaum - Green-UH-bohm
Rich Balchan - BALL-shin
Justin Meram - MEER-am
Milovan Mirosevic - MEE-loh-VAHN MEE-roh-seh-VICH
Tony Tchani - CHA-knee

DC United
Branko Boškovic - BOSS-coe-vitch
Dwayne De Rosario - DAY-row SAR-ee-oh
Bill Hamid - Ah-meed
Dejan Jakovic - DAY-on YA-ko-vich
Andy Najar - na-HARR
Chris Pontius - PON-tee-us
Hamdi Salihi - sa-LEE-he
Maicon Santos - my-CONE SAN-tos

FC Dallas
Ugo Ihemelu - OO-go ee-HEM-meh-loo
Jair Benitez - Ja-EER
David Ferreira - Dah-VEED feh-RARE-ah
Brek Shea - shay

Houston Dynamo
Will Bruin - brew-in
Tyler Deric - DARE-ick
Andre Hainault - HAY-no
Kofi Sarkodie - KO-fee sar-KO-dee
Josue Soto - hoh-SWAY
Nathan Sturgis - Stir-jiss
Adam Moffat - MAW-fit

LA Galaxy
Todd Dunivant - DUNN-uh-vint
Marcelo Sarvas - sahr-VAS
Hector Jimenez - HEE-men-ez
Adam Cristman - CRIST-men
Juninho - juh-NEEN-yo
Leonardo - LAY-oh-nahr-DOE
Paolo Cardozo - PAW-low car-DOH-zo
Bill Gaudette - GAW-debt

Montreal Impact
Bryan Arguez - Arg-wez
Davy Arnaud - Ar-no
Patrice Bernier - Bern-yay
Justin Braun - Bron
Mike Fucito - Few-see-to
Gerson Mayen - Her-son My-en
Lamar Neagle - Nay-gull
Sanna Nyassi - Sawn-na Nye-as-see
Nelson Rivas - Ree-vas
Aaron Schoenfeld - Shon-feld
Sinisa Ubiparipovic - Sini-sha Ubi-Pari-Povik
Zarek Valentin - Val-en-teen
Andrew Wenger - Weng-er

New England Revolution
Matt Reis - REESE
Tyler Polak - POH-lock
Kelyn Rowe - KELL-len ROH
Diego Fagundez - fuh-GOON-des
Zack Schilawski - sha-LAW-ski
Sainey Nyassi - SAIN-nee ny-AH-see
Shalrie Joseph - shall-REE
Benny Feilhaber - FAIL-hob-ber
Darrius Barnes - DARE-ee-us
Saër Sène - sah-AIR SEN

New York Red Bulls
Wilman Conde - COHN-day
Jonathan Borrajo - Bohr-RAH-hoe
Markus Holgersson - HOHL-ger-son
Teemu Tainio - TEH-moo TAIN-nee-oh
Jan Gunnar Solli - YAHN SOH-lee
Mehdi Ballouchy - MEH-dee bah-LOO-chee
Thierry Henry - TYAIR-ee ahn-REE
Juan Agudelo - Agg-goo-DELL-oh
Ryan Meara - MARE-uh
Joel Lindpere - JOL lind-PEAR
Jeremy Vuolo - VOH-loh
Victor Palsson - PAHL-son

Philadelphia Union
Danny Califf - KAY-liff
Brian Carroll - CAH-rul
Keon Daniel - Kee-ON
Raymon Gaddis - Ray-moan Gad-dis
Antoine Hoppenot - An-Twon Hop-e-no
Porfirio Lopez - Poor-fear-rEE-O
Jack McInerney - Mac-ER-nern-ee
Danny Mwanga - Muh-WANG-guh
Amobi Okugo - a-Moby Oh-KOO-go
Lionard Pajoy - LEE-oh-nard Pa-hoy
Zach Pfeffer - FEF-err
Sheanon Williams - SHANE-en
Krystian Witkowski - Christian Wit-cow-ski

Portland Timbers
Eric Brunner - BREW-ner
Darlington Nabge - NAG-be
Sal Zizzo - ZEE-zoh
Franck Songo'o - frahnk SOHN-go
Kalif Alhassan - KA-leaf AL-hass-on
James Marcelin - mar-sa-LEE-in
Jorge Perlaza - per-LA-za
Ryan Kawulok - ka-WALL-uk
Bright Dike - DEE-kay
Lovel Palmer - love-EL
Hanyer Mosquera - HAHN-yer moss-KEH-rah
Futty Danso - FOOT-ee DAN-sue

Real Salt Lake
Lalo Fernandez - LAW-lo
Diogo de Almeida - dee-OH-go day al-MAY-da
Jamison Olave - HA-meh-son oh-LAH-vay
Fabian Espindola - es-PEEN-doh-lah
Emiliano Bonfigli - bon-FEEG-lee
Yordany Alvarez - jhor-DON-ee
Alvaro Saborio - sah-bo-REE-oh
Nick Rimando - ruh-MAHN-do
Luis Gil - GILL
Cody Arnoux - are-KNOW
Leone Cruz - lee-OH-knee
Lance Laing - LANG
Terukazu Tanaka - tare-oo-kahz-oo

San Jose Earthquakes
Khari Stephenson - CAR-ee
Sercan Guvenisik - SER-john gu-VEN-ah-shuck
Tressor Moreno - TRESS-er
Jean-Mark Alexandre - SZ-Ahhh-N al-EK-ZOND
Joey Gjertson - JURT-son
Anthony Ampaipitakwong - am-PIE-pi-talk-wong
Steven Beitashour - BAY-tah-sure
Ike Opara - oh-PAR-ah
Chris Wondolowski - wan-dough-LOWW-skee

Seattle Sounders
Osvaldo Alonso - ahs-VAHL-doe
Alvaro Fernandez - AHL-bah-ro
Leo Gonzalez - LAY-o
Michael Gspurning - guh-SHPOORN-ing
Patrick Ianni - ee-AWN-ee
Adam Johansson - Yo-HAWN-sun
Roger Levesque - luh-VECK
Fredy Montero - mon-TARE-oh
Mauro Rosales - MOU-ro Roh-SAH-les
Amadou Sanyang - ah-ma-DOO SAN-yang
Christian Sivebaek - SEE-veh-beck
Babayele Sodade - bah-bye-elle-EE sho-dahd-DAY
Michael Tetteh - TETT-tay
Steve Zakuani - zak-uh-WAH-nee

Sporting Kansas City
Jimmy Nielsen - neel-sen
Korede Aiyegbusi - co-red-eh eye-eh-BOO-see
Matt Besler - BEEZ-ler
Graham Zusi - ZOO-see
Soony Saad - soo-NEE sod
Konrad Warzycha - Var-ZEE-hah
Kei Kamara - kye-kah-MARH-ah
Aurelien Collin - au-REEL-ee-en

Toronto FC
Eric Avila - AV-EE-A
Julian de Guzman - De-GOOZ-man
Stefan Frei - STEF-IN FRY
Doneil Henry - DON-EEL HEN-REE
Milos Kocic - MEE-LOSH KO-SICH
Danny Koevermans - KOO-VER-MANS
Keith Makubuya - MA-KOO-BEE-AHH
Ashtone Morgan - ASH-TON
Joao Plata - JA-OW
Dicoy Williams - DEE-KOY

Vancouver Whitecaps
Alain Rochat - Ah-LAHN roe-SHA
Davide Chiumiento - CUE-mee-EN-toe
Eric Hassli - AH-slee
Russel Teibert - TIE-bert


All pronunciations are from the official 2012 MLS Media Guides or 2011 Game Guides

3 comments:

  1. The š in "Bošković" is actually a "sh" - "BOSH-ko-vich" but I think that's a lot to expect from people (and I know this isn't generated by you). Kocić, too, is "KO-tsich," but that's not a big difference - without any diacritics, the "c" is a "ts" like "tsar" (with diacritics - ć or č - it's a "ch" - soft and hard respectively, but anglicized just "ch"). These aren't things most Americans are ever going to catch on to, but if you're the kind of person who cares about pronunciation, they're good to know.

    And NER's Saër "Sène" is "SEN." One syllable, pretty simple, like the river Seine. The Revolution's PR staff have confirmed that - I think they released an incorrect version first, but corrected themselves (http://www.revolutionsoccer.net/sites/newengland/files/2012_Roster_022912.pdf).

    Overall though a great resource. Thanks!

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  2. Siniša Ubiparipović is a "vich" too, not a "vik." He's from BIH, so I would really highly doubt he pronounces that "vik" - he hasn't been here long enough to anglicize it like Ante Jazić apparently has.

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  3. Thanks Ben

    I thought a few of the listed pronunciations sounded suspect but I decided to stick with exactly what the official media guides listed.

    That one jumped out at me right away as I've never heard Ubiparipović pronounced with a "vik". I spent some time in Croatia, Bosnia, and Slovenia this past October so I've heard my fair share of š, ć, and č's. (I even learned a few useful Slovenian phrases from this Slovenian girl on youtube) Maybe Siniša decided to Jazic-ize his name this season :)

    Thanks for the Sène correction, I've changed it in the post.

    ReplyDelete