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American Wins Irish Double at Bohs

By
DECLAN O'KELLY,
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer
Published Tuesday, March 10, 2009, 1:18 AM
Updated Thursday, July 23, 2009, 5:55 PM

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In the midst of Bohemians celebrations, after completing the league and Football Association of Ireland (FAI) cup double was a tall American rapping on stage to applause from the club's fans at Dalymount Park.

It wasn't some exchange student who happened upon a party, but rather New Jersey native Chris Konopka, the Bohs number two keeper who is believed to be the first American-born player to win league and cup honors in the eircom League, the Irish domestic soccer league.

The Toms River man recently finished a one-year contract with the famous Dublin club and has nothing but good memories of that time. After high school he played at Providence College and was then drafted by the Kansas City Wizards in 2007.

One of four keepers there, he spent one year with the club before Kansas decided not to exercise the option to extend his contract.

Now a free agent, Konopka was keen to get over to Europe, and after trials with Cardiff City and Charlton Athletic, Dublin native and former Providence College assistant coach Kempes Corbally helped Konopka get a trial with Bohemians. The keeper made an immediate impression and signed a one-year contract in January.

For Konopka, the move has vastly improved him as a professional.

"The difference from Kansas to Bohs is that Bohs showed me a lot more attention when it came to developing my game and really getting everything out of me that I was able to (give)," Konopka told the Irish Voice.

At Bohemians, the 23-year-old had a chance to learn from the league's best. Chief scout Dave Henderson and goalkeeping coach Dermot O'Neill are two of the best goalkeepers ever produced by the League of Ireland, and current number one Brian Murphy is back-to-back eircom goalkeeper of the year.

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