Carlos Bocanegra, 24, won an appeal to be granted a work permit to play in the English Premier League, which freed him to sign a 3 1/2-year contract with London club Fulham.

The defender was rated as one of the best players in Major League Soccer, winning the 'Rookie of the Year' award in 2000, while playing for Chicago Fire.

Bocanegra came to prominence playing as a left-back, but has proved to be equally as effective in the centre.

His international debut came in December 2001 as a substitute for Diego Gutierrez against South Korea.

Bocanegra then became an ever present in the USA side that lifted the Concacaf Gold Cup in 2002, after featuring in the Confederations Cup, but he did not make the cut for the World Cup a few months later.

Most rewarding soccer moment playing in Nigeria vs. England for the U-20’s…Relaxes by watching MTV and hanging out with friends…Enjoys listening to R&B and alternative hip-hop…Hobbies include going to the river, playing basketball and playing X-Box...Favorite actors are Edward Norton and Jennifer Aniston…Likes to eat sushi and Mexican food…Nickname is “Los"...Single.

His Fulham debut came in a 3-1 defeat at Newcastle United and has been a solid regular since then. Hhe hit the headlines for the wrong reasons in February, in only his fourth Premiership appearance, following a horrendous tackle on Aston Villa's Mark Delaney. Bocanegra was sent off for the tackle and Delaney was ruled out for two-and-a-half months.

He made 19 appearances in 2003/04.

source: soccernet

Season	League				FA Cup				Lg Cup				Europe				Other				Total
	P	G	Y	R	P	G	Y	R	P	G	Y	R	P	G	Y	R	P	G	Y	R	P	G	Y	R
2006/2007	26	5	5	0	3	0	2	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	30	5	7	0
2005/2006	20	1	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	20	1	5	0
2004/2005	26	1	4	0	4	0	2	0	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	33	1	6	0
2003/2004	15	0	2	1	4	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	19	0	3	1

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