Diego Walsh

Diego Walsh
Born	(1979-12-08) December 8, 1979 Santos, São Paulo, Brazil
Occupation	Professional footballer
Years active	1999–2011
Known for	Playing for clubs including Columbus Crew, Kansas City Wizards, Miami FC, Adelaide United, Wellington Phoenix, Charleston Battery, TOT S.C.

Diego Costa Bastos Walsh (born 8 December 1979) is a Brazilian professional footballer whose most recent club was TOT S.C. competing in the Thai Premier League.

Youth and College

Diego's early football development took place within the Santos FC academy before he moved to Miami, Florida at age 14. While there, he played for Miami Strike Force, helping secure five straight state championships, two regional titles, and achieving a national runner-up position.

He earned a full athletic scholarship to represent Southern Methodist University from 1999 to 2002. During his junior and senior years, Diego received NSCAA first team All-American accolades, set the university record for career assists with 39, and placed fifth on the all-time goals list with 39. In 2010, he was honored by being named to the NSCAA "Team of the Decade."

Professional

Selected seventh overall in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft by Columbus Crew, Diego was recognized with Columbus Crew's Goal of the Year award despite limited minutes on the field. Subsequently traded to Kansas City Wizards, he stepped into a starting role early following an injury to Preki, but was released in 2005 after failing to align with the team's tactical approach.

Following a short pre-season stint at Real Salt Lake, Diego signed with Miami FC, where alongside Brazilian legend Romario, he played a key role in guiding the team to its inaugural USL playoff appearance.

Diego secured a contract with Adelaide United in the A-League for the 2006/07 season after impressive showings during Miami FC's friendlies held in Adelaide. Recommended by Romario, he made an immediate impact by providing an assist on debut against Sydney FC. Over his second season, he established himself as a vital defensive and central midfielder, finishing as Adelaide United’s leading scorer with four goals during their journey to the 2008 Asian Champions League final.

Despite his contributions, Adelaide released Diego in January 2009 due to injury-related absences. He then inked a two-year deal with Wellington Phoenix, quickly becoming popular among supporters.

In May 2011, Diego signed a short-term contract with Charleston Battery before transferring to Thai Premier League club TOT S.C. in July 2011.

Currently, he holds an assistant coaching position at NCAA Division I’s Grand Canyon University.

A-League career statistics

All-Time Club Performances

Club	Season	A-League		Finals Series		Asia		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Adelaide United (A-League)	2006–07	6	0					6	0
	2007–08	16	1					16	1
	2008–09	8	0	1	0	13	4	22	4
	Club Total	30	1	1	0	13	4	44	5
Club	Season	A-League		Finals Series		Asia		Total
		App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals	App	Goals
Wellington Phoenix F.C. (A-League)	2009–10	12	0	1	0			13	0
	Club Total	12	0	1	0			13	0
	Career totals		42	1	2	0	13	4	57	5
Last updated 21 February 2011