Wil Trapp Bio
William Alexander Trapp (born January 15, 1993) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defensive midfielder for Major League Soccer club Minnesota United. A native of Columbus, Ohio, Trapp graduated from Lincoln High School, where he was the 2010 NSCAA National High School Player of the Year, and played two years in college at Akron. He signed with Columbus Crew SC as a Homegrown Player, the fourth in club history, and would eventually be named as the club’s captain. Trapp wore the armband for Crew SC for the first time on May 17, 2014, and received the nod permanently ahead of the 2017 season. While with Columbus, he was named as a 2016 MLS All-Star and appeared in MLS Cup 2015.
Early Life and Background
Born in Columbus, Ohio, Trapp is a graduate of Lincoln High School in neighboring Gahanna and a youth product of Columbus Crew. He played just two seasons of high school soccer with the Golden Lions but was named a high school All-American both years. Additionally, he led Lincoln to their first-ever state title in 2009 while being named the Ohio Gatorade Player of the Year and was the NSCAA National High School Player of the Year in 2010. In 2014, Trapp had his number 20 jersey retired by Lincoln. At the club level, he played four seasons in the U.S. Soccer Development Academy with Columbus, captaining his teams at U16 and U18 levels. Trapp was the Crew Academy player of the year in 2009 and 2010. He was rated as a five-star recruit by Top Drawer Soccer and as the fifth-ranked recruit in the nation by multiple outlets, eventually committing to play for head coach Caleb Porter and the Akron Zips. Trapp would play just two seasons at Akron, making 45 appearances for the Zips and scoring once. As a freshman, he started all 23 games, putting up performances that were impressive enough to earn him nods as the top freshman player in the country, MAC Newcomer of the Year, and to the All-MAC First Team. On August 27, 2011, Trapp notched the game-winning assist on his collegiate debut against Cleveland State; he would finish the season with five assists. As a sophomore, Trapp was named to the All-MAC First Team for the second consecutive season and was named an NSCAA Third Team All-American. He tallied three assists in 22 games and also scored his only collegiate goal: the winning goal against Bowling Green in the MAC Tournament semifinals. Akron won three MAC titles during Trapp’s two years with the program, two regular season and one tournament, and qualified for the NCAA Tournament in both seasons.
Path to Soccer
On December 13, 2012, it was announced that Trapp had signed with his hometown Major League Soccer club, Columbus Crew, as a Homegrown Player. He became the fourth Homegrown Player signing in club history, following in the path of Aaron Horton, Matt Lampson, and Ben Speas. After missing the early part of his first season while on international duty, Trapp made his professional debut for the Crew on July 7, 2013, starting and playing the full ninety minutes in a 1–0 victory against Portland Timbers; he was named as the club’s man of the match after completing 86 percent of his passes. Trapp started the final sixteen matches of the season for Columbus, earning a postseason nod as the club’s Breakout Performer of the Year. Ahead of his second professional season, Trapp was named as the vice captain for Columbus, serving as understudy to Michael Parkhurst. Trapp wore the captain’s armband for the first time on May 17, 2014, captaining the Crew in Parkhurst’s absence against Portland. He became the first Homegrown Player in MLS history to wear the captain’s armband in a league fixture, and at 21 years old was the youngest captain in league history. Trapp set a number of other firsts throughout the season: he received his first red card on May 4, part of a 2–0 defeat against Sporting Kansas City, and scored his first professional goal on September 13, part of a 2–2 draw against Houston Dynamo. He made his postseason debut in the conference semifinals, starting both legs against New England Revolution. Additionally, Trapp was selected to take part in the 2014 Major League Soccer Homegrown Game, alongside his teammate Lampson. Trapp finished the season with one goal in 31 total appearances.
Wil Trapp Career
Early Career (2013–2016)
Trapp’s 2015 season was defined by absences at club level, both for injury and international duty. His first serious injury with Columbus was suffered in April, a concussion that saw him miss thirteen total matches stretching through the end of June. Trapp then missed multiple matches in the fall, stemming from two call-ups to the United States U23 national team. He was at his best in the postseason, starting all five matches as Crew SC made a run to MLS Cup 2015. There, Trapp tallied a shot and committed three fouls as Crew SC were defeated 2–1 by Portland. He made 25 appearances during the season. Trapp was named as a 2016 MLS All-Star, the first Homegrown Player in Crew SC history to be named as an All-Star. He made the 22-man game day roster, coming on as a halftime substitute for Giovani dos Santos in the 2–1 defeat to Arsenal. Outside of that honor, however, 2016 was mostly a season of disappointment for both Trapp and Crew SC. He missed the entire month of September after suffering a concussion in late August, sitting out four matches before returning to the field. Trapp tallied just one assist in 32 appearances in all competitions, tied for the lowest number of his career, and Columbus missed the playoffs for the first time since his first season as a pro. Ahead of the 2017 season, Trapp signed a contract extension running through 2020, tying him to the club through his age-27 season.
Breakthrough (2017–2019)
Columbus traded Parkhurst to Atlanta United ahead of the 2017 season; to take his place, Trapp was elevated to the role of captain. He served ahead of a five-man leadership council, made up of Federico Higuaín, Ethan Finlay, Justin Meram, Jonathan Mensah, and Josh Williams, that collectively served as vice-captains. In his first season as captain, Trapp started all 40 games that Columbus played: 34 in the league, five in the playoffs, and one in the U.S. Open Cup. He marked his 100th MLS appearance on April 15, playing the full ninety minutes in a 2–1 victory over Toronto FC. Trapp set multiple personal records on the season, tallying his career-high in assists with five, minutes played with more than 3,000, and earning three MLS Team of the Week nods. Although Trapp remained as captain for the 2018 season, the leadership council behind him was updated, consisting of Ricardo Clark, Higuaín, Hector Jiménez, Jonathan, Zack Steffen, and Williams. On July 21, 2018, Trapp scored just his second professional goal, coming in a 3–2 victory against Orlando City. His strike from nearly forty yards out, coming two minutes into second-half stoppage time, handed Crew SC all three points and was named as MLS Goal of the Week. On January 31, 2020, Trapp was traded to MLS expansion side Inter Miami CF. In exchange, Columbus received $100,000 in General Allocation Money and an international roster slot.
Minnesota United FC (2021–Present)
On January 5, 2021, Minnesota United FC announced that they had signed Trapp as a free agent. “I am delighted to be joining a team and club with high ambitions,” said midfielder Wil Trapp. “There is a great energy about this team and the Twin Cities’ support. I am very excited to get to work and help this club achieve its goals.”
Wil Trapp Award Nominations
Throughout his career, Wil Trapp has received several nominations, including being named an MLS All-Star in 2016, which recognizes the top players in Major League Soccer.
Wil Trapp Awards Won
Wil Trapp has achieved notable recognition, including being named the NSCAA National High School Player of the Year in 2010 and the U.S. Soccer Young Male Athlete of the Year in 2013.
Wil Trapp Family
Information regarding Wil Trapp’s family is not publicly available.
Personal Life
Wil Trapp is of Greek descent through his maternal grandfather, a former semi-professional soccer player in Greece. In May 2018, Trapp became a Greek citizen and acquired a Greek passport, potentially allowing him an easier move to a club in an EU country.