Daniel Steres

Daniel Howard Steres (born November 11, 1990) is an American professional soccer player who plays as a defender. He was USL-Pro All-League Second Team in 2013 and 2014, USL All-League First Team in 2015, and LA Galaxy II Defender of the Year in 2014 and 2015.

Early and personal life Steres was born in Burbank, California, to Suzie and Mark Steres. He grew up in Calabasas, California. His maternal grandmother is Jo Seligman, and his paternal grandparents are Bob and Rochelle Steres.

He played four years for the Calabasas High School Coyotes soccer team. In 2008, he was named to the 2008 Jewish Sports Review All-America First-Team, along with Zac MacMath.

Following his brief stint with Chivas USA, Steres played for amateur side Ventura County Fusion in the USL PDL, who he had previously played with in 2011 during the college offseason.

On June 6, 2012, Steres was selected by Seattle Sounders FC in the 2012 MLS Waiver Draft. He signed with the sounders on June 22. He was released following the 2012 season, having made no first team appearances. Steres scored his first goal for Wilmington on May 18 to give the Hammerheads a 2–1 win against the Los Angeles Blues. Despite a good season from Steres, the Hammerheads missed out on the playoffs, finishing 9th in the table, 1 spot and 1 point below the last playoff spot.

LA Galaxy II For the 2014 season, Steres signed with LA Galaxy II in USL Pro. He made his debut for Los Dos on March 22, scoring once in a 3–1 win over Orange County Blues FC. He started both of Los Dos's playoff games as they reached the semifinal, losing 3–2 to eventual champions Sacramento Republic.

Steres enjoyed another strong season with Los Dos in 2015, making 25 appearances and scoring 2 goals in the regular season. Steres played every minute of Galaxy II's 4 playoff games as they reached the USL Championship, losing 2–1 in extra time to the Rochester Rhinos. On March 6, in the opening match of the 2016 season, Steres made his Galaxy and MLS debut, scoring once in a 4–1 win over D.C. United. He ended the regular season with 1 goal and 1 assist in 31 appearances, helping the Galaxy to a 3rd-place finish in the Western Conference. Steres played every minute of LA's 3 playoff games as they lost on penalties to the Colorado Rapids in leg 2 of the Conference Semifinals. He returned to action on July 17, playing the full 90 minutes in a 1–0 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps FC. On July 22, Steres scored twice in a 4–3 loss to the New England Revolution.

Steres made his first start of the 2018 season on March 24, helping the Galaxy to a 3–0 win over Vancouver and earning a spot in the MLS Team of the Week. On March 31, Steres picked up an assist to help the Galaxy come back from a 3-goal deficit to defeat rivals LAFC 4–3 in the first ever El Tráfico matchup.

Steres and the Galaxy opened the 2019 season on March 2, with Steres scoring to help the Galaxy beat the Chicago Fire 2–1. On April 5, Steres scored in a 2–0 win against the Whitecaps, a performance that saw him named to the MLS Team of the Week. Steres made 30 appearances and scored 3 goals in the regular season, helping LA finish 5th in the West, returning to the playoffs following a 2-year absence. Steres played the full match in both of the Galaxy's playoff games as they reached the Conference Semifinals, where they lost 5–3 to LAFC. In a shortened season due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Steres appeared in 20 out of a possible 23 games (all starts) and scored once.

Steres started the first 8 games of the 2021 season, but had to be subbed off due to a leg injury on June 19 in the first 10 minutes of a 2–1 loss to Seattle Sounders FC. He returned to the field on July 17, coming on as a late substitute in a 1–2 loss to Vancouver. He ended the season with 18 appearances and 2 assists as the Galaxy finished 8th in the West, failing to qualify for the playoffs for the second straight season.

Houston Dynamo On December 12, 2021, Steres was traded to the Houston Dynamo in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2022 MLS SuperDraft. He made his Dynamo debut on February 27, 2022, playing the full 90 in a 0–0 draw against Real Salt Lake. He scored his first goal for the Dynamo on August 13 in a 3–2 loss to CF Montréal. On November 3, Steres and the Dynamo agreed to a contract through 2024, with an option for 2025. Houston declined his contract option following the 2025 season.

Career statistics

Honors LA Galaxy II Western Conference (USL): 2015

Houston Dynamo U.S. Open Cup: 2023

Individual USL-Pro All-League Second Team: 2013, 2014