Alen Kozić

Who is Alen Kozić?

Alen Kozić is a retired Major League Soccer player.

Raised in Tampa, Florida from the age of three, he was the son of a professional soccer player, Refik Kozić, and mother Svetlana. He began his career in the youth soccer organization in Tampa, playing for Temple Terrace Spirit and scoring the winning goal in the 1993 Don Greer Cup Youth Soccer U-17 National Championship. He went on to play for SV Austria Salzburg for a trial after his high school graduation.

Having received offers from various universities, Kozić returned to the United States and played for Florida International University from 1995 to 1999. In his sophomore year, he achieved a place in the NCAA Division I Men's Soccer Third Team All-American. In his junior year in 1997, he reached the First Team All-American. In his senior year, Kozić tore his ACL and spent most of the season rehabilitating before being recruited by Miami Fusion's new program, Project 40. This was a joint venture between Major League Soccer and U.S. Soccer, aimed at developing young American players by giving them the chance to train with MLS clubs and play games at various professional levels. He played two seasons with Miami Fusion before heading to Europe to play.