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Men's Soccer
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Signee Spotlight: Sintayehu Clements
5/13/2020 10:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
With the graduation of nine Blue Devils this spring, Duke men's soccer head coach John Kerr and staff have worked tirelessly on filling the openings and rebuilding the roster with what is widely considered one of the top three recruiting classes for the fall of 2020. The group of 10 is incredibly talented and this week we introduce Sintayehu Clements from Seattle Sounders Academy.
Clements, a member of the Seattle Sounders Academy since 2016-17, played both in the back and in an attacking role for the club. In the most recent shortened 2019-20 campaign, he played in 12 games with six starting assignments and scored one goal. The team sat in second place in its division and had already clinched a playoff spot before the season was halted.
A member of the U17 Sounders Academy side in 2018-19, Clements was instrumental in helping the club to the Generation Adidas Cup crown – the first U.S. team to take home the top prize. He played in 16 games that season and started 10. He notched three goals as the team finished the regular season 11-8-4 for third place in the division.
Prior to playing for the academy team, Clements played for Seattle United. Born in Dyo Gena, Ethiopia, he has two sisters – Puja and Makeda – who play volleyball and soccer, respectively. He has second cousins – Gabriel Howles and Priya Venkatesan who graduated from Duke Medical School.
Learn more about Sintayehu Clements.
GoDuke.com: Why did you choose Duke?
Sintayehu Clements: It's an amazing school, where I can excel as a student, an athlete, and most importantly, a person.
GD: What is a fun fact about you?
SC: I love to surf! But with school and traveling for sports, I rarely get to go.
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GD: What International Club do you follow?
SC: Manchester United
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GD: Who is your favorite International player and why?
SC: Anthony Martial. When I used to play forward, I wanted to play the same style as him.
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GD: Who is your favorite U.S. player and why?
SC: I don't have a favorite. Megan Rapinoe is the first player that comes to mind because of her outstanding performance during the World Cup, and because of her role advocating for social justice.
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GD: What is your first soccer memory?
SC: Playing soccer with my siblings back in Ethiopia
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GD: Meeting this person would leave you speechless?
SC: Beyoncé!
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GD: What are the last three series or shows you've watched?
SC: All-American, Breaking Bad, Tiger King
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GD: How are you continuing to work on your game while practicing social distancing?
SC: My sister Makeda also plays soccer. We have been going out to a park regularly to improve our technical abilities. I have also been going on runs/walks to keep up with conditioning.
GD: At this moment, what would you choose as your hype or goal song?
SC: Money Longer – Lil Uzi Vert
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GD: Most used app on your phone
SC: Snapchat
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GD: Do you Tiktok? Yeah or nah?
SC: Yeah.
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GD: If you weren't playing soccer, what sport would you play?
SC: Probably football or baseball.
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#GoDuke
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Clements, a member of the Seattle Sounders Academy since 2016-17, played both in the back and in an attacking role for the club. In the most recent shortened 2019-20 campaign, he played in 12 games with six starting assignments and scored one goal. The team sat in second place in its division and had already clinched a playoff spot before the season was halted.
A member of the U17 Sounders Academy side in 2018-19, Clements was instrumental in helping the club to the Generation Adidas Cup crown – the first U.S. team to take home the top prize. He played in 16 games that season and started 10. He notched three goals as the team finished the regular season 11-8-4 for third place in the division.
Prior to playing for the academy team, Clements played for Seattle United. Born in Dyo Gena, Ethiopia, he has two sisters – Puja and Makeda – who play volleyball and soccer, respectively. He has second cousins – Gabriel Howles and Priya Venkatesan who graduated from Duke Medical School.
Learn more about Sintayehu Clements.
GoDuke.com: Why did you choose Duke?
Sintayehu Clements: It's an amazing school, where I can excel as a student, an athlete, and most importantly, a person.
GD: What is a fun fact about you?
SC: I love to surf! But with school and traveling for sports, I rarely get to go.
Â
GD: What International Club do you follow?
SC: Manchester United
Â
GD: Who is your favorite International player and why?
SC: Anthony Martial. When I used to play forward, I wanted to play the same style as him.
Â
GD: Who is your favorite U.S. player and why?
SC: I don't have a favorite. Megan Rapinoe is the first player that comes to mind because of her outstanding performance during the World Cup, and because of her role advocating for social justice.
Â
GD: What is your first soccer memory?
SC: Playing soccer with my siblings back in Ethiopia
Â
GD: Meeting this person would leave you speechless?
SC: Beyoncé!
Â
GD: What are the last three series or shows you've watched?
SC: All-American, Breaking Bad, Tiger King
Â
GD: How are you continuing to work on your game while practicing social distancing?
SC: My sister Makeda also plays soccer. We have been going out to a park regularly to improve our technical abilities. I have also been going on runs/walks to keep up with conditioning.
GD: At this moment, what would you choose as your hype or goal song?
SC: Money Longer – Lil Uzi Vert
Â
GD: Most used app on your phone
SC: Snapchat
Â
GD: Do you Tiktok? Yeah or nah?
SC: Yeah.
Â
GD: If you weren't playing soccer, what sport would you play?
SC: Probably football or baseball.
Â
#GoDuke
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