Position: Goalkeeper
Height: 6-3
Born: February 10, 1995
Birthplace: Katy, Texas
College: Southern Methodist University
Previous Club: Houston Dynamo
MICHAEL NELSON BIO
FC TULSA
2023
FC Tulsa acquired Michael Nelson via loan from Major League Soccer on March 3 for the 2023 USL Championship season.
2018-2022 – HOUSTON DYNAMO (MLS)
Michael Nelson was selected by the Houston Dynamo with the 20th overall pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. The goalkeeper made 18 total appearances across all competitions for the Dynamo’s MLS squad from 2018 until 2022, five seasons which included three loans spells.
Nelson’s first MLS action came in 2021 in which the Texas native started and appeared in 11 matches for the Dynamo. He concluded the campaign with a 63.3% save pct. and kept two clean sheets. During the subsequent 2022 season, Nelson appeared twice more for Houston and made eight saves.
In Open Cup play, Nelson appeared five times total across the 2018, 2019, and 2022 tournaments with two clean sheets. In 2018, he lifted the Open Cup trophy with his teammates as the Dynamo were crowned champions of the competition.
2022 – HOUSTON DYNAMO 2 (MLS NEXT PRO)
Between his two appearances for the MLS squad in 2022, Nelson was loaned to Houston’s MLS NEXT Pro side where he made three regular season appearances before the club qualified for the MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs. He played all 120 minutes of Houston’s Western Conference Semifinal match vs. Tacoma Defiance, a result that ultimately went against Dynamo 2 by way of a 5-4 penalty finish.
2018, 2019 – RIO GRANDE VALLEY TOROS FC (USL CHAMPIONSHIP)
Nelson was loaned to the Dynamo’s USL Championship affiliate, RGV Toros FC, in 2018 and then once again in 2019. In both seasons combined, Nelson made 15 USL-C appearances with four clean sheets.
COLLEGE
Nelson’s collegiate career spanned four seasons at Southern Methodist University after redshirting his freshman year. The keeper tallied 75 total appearances for SMU and the Mustangs posted a 47W-20L-6D record when Nelson was in goal. Nelson’s 2017 redshirt senior campaign was his best, highlighted by a 17W-3L-1D record and an 84% save pct. That season, he was named a United Soccer Coaches All-East Region First Team All-American, The AAC’s Goalkeeper of the Year, First Team All-AAC, and was a 3x AAC Goalkeeper of the Week.
