View source for Khari Stephenson

{{Short description|Jamaican footballer (born 1981)}}
{{EngvarB|date=November 2022}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Khari Stephenson
| image = Khari Stephenson at Galaxy at Earthquakes 2010-08-21 1.JPG
| upright = 1.1
| caption = Stephenson in 2010
| fullname = Khari Lasana Stewart Stephenson
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1981|1|18}}
| birth_place = [[Kingston, Jamaica]]
| height = {{height|ft=6|in=2}}
| position = [[Midfielder]]
| currentclub = 
| youthyears1 = 1992–2000
| youthclubs1 = [[Real Mona]]
| youthyears2 = 2000–2003
| youthclubs2 = [[Williams College|Williams Ephs]]
| years1 = 2004–2005
| clubs1 = [[Kansas City Wizards]]
| caps1 = 9
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2006
| clubs2 = [[GAIS]]
| caps2 = 25
| goals2 = 3
| years3 = 2007–2008
| clubs3 = [[AIK Fotboll|AIK]]
| caps3 = 25
| goals3 = 2
| years4 = 2008–2010
| clubs4 = [[Aalesunds FK]]
| caps4 = 39
| goals4 = 4
| years5 = 2010–2012
| clubs5 = [[San Jose Earthquakes]]
| caps5 = 69
| goals5 = 8
| years6 = 2013
| clubs6 = [[Real Salt Lake]]
| caps6 = 19
| goals6 = 1
| years7 = 2014–2015
| clubs7 = [[San Jose Earthquakes]]
| caps7 = 23
| goals7 = 2
| years8 = 2015
| clubs8 = → [[San Antonio Scorpions]] (loan)
| caps8 = 2
| goals8 = 0
| totalcaps = 211
| totalgoals = 20
| nationalyears1 = 2004–2011
| nationalteam1 = [[Jamaica national football team|Jamaica]]
| nationalcaps1 = 32
| nationalgoals1 = 3
}}

'''Khari Stephenson''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|k|ær|i}}; born 18 January 1981) is a Jamaican former professional [[association football|footballer]] who played as a [[midfielder]].

==Youth and College==
A product of the [[Real Mona]] youth system, Stephenson played [[College soccer in the United States|college soccer]] at [[Williams College]] from 2000 to 2003, where he was named a Division III first-team All-American his junior and senior seasons. In his senior year, Stephenson scored 15 goals for the team, and finished his career there with 40 goals and 18 assists. Before playing at Williams, he was a star of his prep school soccer team at [[Choate Rosemary Hall]] in Connecticut.

== Club career ==

=== Kansas City Wizards (2004–2005) ===
Upon graduating, Stephenson was drafted 27th overall in the [[2004 MLS SuperDraft]] by [[Chicago Fire Soccer Club|Chicago Fire]]. He did not make the Fire team, however, and was traded to [[Kansas City Wizards]] for a third-round [[2005 MLS SuperDraft]] pick.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3019688|title = Fire Sends Midfielder Khari Stephenson to Kansas City|date = 7 April 2004}}</ref> Stephenson played very little for the Wizards in his rookie season, finishing the year with no points, having played only 44 minutes over three games. He became a starter in the playoffs, playing in every game and even scoring a goal on the Wizards' run to the final.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=MLS |title=Major League Soccer: All-Time MLS Player Register, S |url=http://web.mlsnet.com/history/register.jsp?content=players_s |access-date=4 April 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070606210459/http://web.mlsnet.com/history/register.jsp?content=players_s |archive-date=6 June 2007 }}</ref>

=== Move to Scandinavia (2006–2010) ===
In 2006, Stephenson made his move to Scandinavia, starting in Sweden with [[GAIS]], where he had an outstanding season as a midfielder. He then made a move to [[AIK Fotboll|AIK]] in 2007, where he had an inconsistent season for a team that finished in the top half of the league. In August 2008, Khari then moved to [[Aalesunds FK]] in Norway, where he was joined by Jamaican international teammate Demar Phillips in the midfield. After not receiving significant playing time in early 2009, he gained a vital midfield role as the season progressed, eventually leading the team to the Norwegian Cup in 2009 and qualification for the 2010/11 Europa Cup.

=== San Jose Earthquakes (2010–2012) ===
Stephenson returned to the United States on loan from Aalesunds FK and signed with the [[San Jose Earthquakes]] of [[Major League Soccer]] on 9 August 2010 until the remainder of the MLS season. Stephenson returned to Norway and then signed a permanent deal on 14 February 2011 with San Jose Earthquakes.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/earthquakes/ci_17384398?IADID=Search-www.mercurynews.com-www.mercurynews.com&nclick_check=1|title = San Jose Earthquakes sign Jamaican midfielder Khari Stephenson|date = 14 February 2011}}</ref>

Stephenson remained with San Jose through the 2012 season before being released following the 2012 season.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/2012/11/quakes-decline-options-five-players| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121212030042/http://www.sjearthquakes.com/news/2012/11/quakes-decline-options-five-players| archive-date = 12 December 2012| title = Quakes decline options on five players {{!}} San Jose Earthquakes}} </ref> He subsequently entered the [[2012 MLS Re-Entry Draft]] and became a free agent after going undrafted in both rounds of the draft.

=== Real Salt Lake (2013) ===
On 22 February 2013, he was signed by Real Salt Lake. He played one season in Utah; however, he was not retained following the season.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.ksl.com/?sid=27968181|title = 4 RSL player options declined, all eligible for MLS Re-Entry Draft}}</ref>

=== Return to San Jose (2014–present) ===
Stephenson signed for his old club [[San Jose Earthquakes]] on 11 March 2014.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/03/11/san-jose-earthquakes-add-veteran-midfielder-khari-stephenson-ahead-mls-opene| url-status = dead| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140324170039/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2014/03/11/san-jose-earthquakes-add-veteran-midfielder-khari-stephenson-ahead-mls-opene| archive-date = 24 March 2014| title = San Jose Earthquakes reacquire veteran midfielder Khari Stephenson ahead of MLS opener {{!}} MLSsoccer.com}} </ref>
Stephenson scored 2 goals during the 2014 season.

=== San Antonio Scorpions (2015 loan) ===
On 6 August 2015, Stephenson was loaned from San Jose to [[San Antonio Scorpions]] of the [[North American Soccer League (2011–2017)|North American Soccer League]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.sascorpions.com/news/2015/08/06/jamaican-international-khari-stephenson-coming-to-san-antonio |title=Jamaican International Khari Stephenson Coming to San Antonio &#124; San Antonio Scorpions |access-date=15 August 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924094410/http://www.sascorpions.com/news/2015/08/06/jamaican-international-khari-stephenson-coming-to-san-antonio |archive-date=24 September 2015 |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

==International career==
Stephenson appeared for the Jamaican U-20's in the [[2001 FIFA World Youth Championship]] in Argentina and made his debut for the [[Jamaica national football team|'Reggae Boyz']] in 2004 against [[Guatemala national football team|Guatemala]]. He has earned 32 caps (3 goals).

==Personal life==
Stephenson holds a [[Permanent residence (United States)|U.S. green card]] which qualifies him as a domestic player for MLS roster purposes.<ref>{{cite web |author=Geoff Lepper |url=http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/01/26/quakes-add-veteran-depth-strike-force-guvenisik |title=Quakes add veteran depth to strike force in Guvenisik |publisher=MLSsoccer.com |date=26 January 2012 |access-date=9 July 2012 |archive-date=17 December 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141217034455/http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/01/26/quakes-add-veteran-depth-strike-force-guvenisik |url-status=dead }}</ref>

==Career statistics==
:''Scores and results list Jamaica's goal tally first.''<ref name="NFT">{{cite web|url=http://www.national-football-teams.com/player/9945/Khari_Stephenson.html|title=Khari, Stephenson|publisher=National Football Teams|access-date=9 March 2017}}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size:85%;"
! No !! Date !! Venue !! Opponent !! Score !! Result !! Competition
|-
| 1. || 24 November 2004 || [[Independence Park (Jamaica)|Independence Park]], [[Kingston, Jamaica]] || {{fb|Saint Martin}} || align=center | '''3'''–0 || align=center | 12–0 || [[2005 Caribbean Cup#Qualifying Tournament|2005 Caribbean Cup qualification]]
|-
| 2. || 26 November 2004 || Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica || {{fb|VIR}} || align=center | '''6'''–0 || align=center | 11–1 || 2005 Caribbean Cup qualification
|-
| 3. || 28 November 2004 || Independence Park, Kingston, Jamaica || {{fb|HAI}} || align=center | '''1'''–0 || align=center | 3–1 || 2005 Caribbean Cup qualification
|}

==Honours==
'''Aalesund'''
*[[Norwegian Football Cup]]: [[2009 Norwegian Football Cup Final|2009]]

'''San Jose Earthquakes'''
* [[MLS Supporter's Shield|Supporters' Shield]]: [[2012 San Jose Earthquakes season|2012]]

'''Jamaica'''
* [[Caribbean Cup]]: [[2005 Caribbean Cup|2005]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
* {{MLS player|khari-stephenson}}
* {{NFT player|9945}}

{{Jamaica squad 2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stephenson, Khari}}
[[Category:1981 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Jamaican men's footballers]]
[[Category:21st-century Jamaican sportsmen]]
[[Category:Footballers from Kingston, Jamaica]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:Jamaica men's international footballers]]
[[Category:Jamaica men's youth international footballers]]
[[Category:2005 CONCACAF Gold Cup players]]
[[Category:Major League Soccer players]]
[[Category:Allsvenskan players]]
[[Category:Eliteserien players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (2011–2017) players]]
[[Category:Williams Ephs men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Sporting Kansas City players]]
[[Category:GAIS players]]
[[Category:AIK Fotboll players]]
[[Category:Aalesunds FK players]]
[[Category:San Jose Earthquakes players]]
[[Category:Real Salt Lake players]]
[[Category:San Antonio Scorpions players]]
[[Category:Chicago Fire FC draft picks]]
[[Category:Jamaican expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Jamaican expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]]
[[Category:Jamaican expatriate sportspeople in Sweden]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Sweden]]
[[Category:Jamaican expatriate sportspeople in Norway]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in Norway]]
[[Category:Wolmer's Schools alumni]]