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NATIONAL SOCCER NEWS: www.nationalsoccernetwork.com
BY DAN STICKRADT
WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | NATIONAL DIRECTOR OF NEWS
Premier Media Group | National Soccer Network and affiliates
BUSINESS LINE: (248) 525-2349
TW/X: @msn_stickradt @MiSoccerNetwork, @NatSoccerTV
WEST BLOOMFIELD, Mich. – There might be some confusion on how to pronounce Kinan Abdulrazzak’s last name. He’s heard them all.
But there’s no mistaking the talented Abdulrazzak out on the soccer pitch.
The 5-foot-9, 150-pound striker/attacking midfielder is having a highlight-reel and unforgettable season for West Bloomfield as a senior.
Following Friday’s district championship, Abdulrazzak has a single-season 38 goals – he’s obliterated most of the school’s scoring records for a single season – to go along with five assists, 76 points, eight hattricks, four four-goal games and one five-goal contest for the 9-6-2 Lakers. Only two teams have been able to keep Abdulrazzak off the scoreboard this year (Division 1 No. 7 Oxford and honorable mention Lake Orion) and he’s dangerous every time he touches the ball.
Abdulrazzak also led West Bloomfield to its first back-to-back appearances in a Division 1 district finals match and to the school’s very first district title overall just last week. The Lakers began sponsoring boys soccer back in 1982 – some 43 seasons ago.
For a soccer program that has been around for more than 40 seasons, no player has been so successful and has earned so much respect and a reputation of being a big-time player than Abdulrazzak.
“He’s had an incredible season,” beamed West Bloomfield coach Borce Kosteski. “He’s had as good of a season (offensively) as anybody in the state. Kinan is going to be (All-State First Team) but he has to be on the (Dream Team). I think he’s got a shot at Mr. Soccer. I think he should at least be considered.
“He’s an amazing player for his age,” continued the coach “I’ve thought about reaching out to the U.S. Soccer Federation and maybe to some of these academies. I’ve coached different levels of soccer here for more than 20 years and I used to play professionally years ago (in Europe). I’m telling you this kid has amazing talent and others should watch him.”
While there are several players in Michigan that have put up some big-time numbers, West Bloomfield has played some talented teams in Oxford, Berkley, Lake Orion, Utica Eisenhower, Royal Oak, Birmingham Groves, Birmingham Seaholm, Romeo, Orchard Lake St. Mary’s and others. Many of those schools were ranked in the top 15 or listed as honorable mention at times this season.
“I just try to go out there and help my team win,” admitted Abdulrazzak, who said he has been playing soccer for as long as he can remember. “When you play your role and help your team win, everything else will (fall into place).”
Abdulrazzak came out like gangbusters at the start of the 2024 high school season in August, scoring 14 goals even before Labor Day weekend. Despite getting double-teamed and marked all over the pitch, he has not let up his pace in becoming one of the better finishers at the high school circuit.
Abdulrazzak did not play high school soccer as a freshman in the fall of 2021, opting to play with a ninth-grade showcase team with Liverpool IA-Central. He was smaller in stature back then, but not short on talent.
He spent the past year also competing for Liverpool in the National Academy League during the club season, and also with Cedars FC in the UPSL (United Premier Soccer League) on an amateur team of mostly college graduates. He’s also spent some time last summer training with the national-renown powerhouse Flint City Bucks of the USL-League Two.
COURTESY PHOTO / WEST BLOOMFIELD SOCCER
West Bloomfield senior forward/attacking midfielder Kinan Abdulrazzak will play NCAA Division I college soccer in the future as he recently signed with Oakland University.
The talented Abdulrazzak has picked up more interest in playing with the Flint City Bucks ‘A team’ or with the Oakland County FC for the summer of 2025 season, and if he continues to develop and produce at a high level he’ll likely try to play at that level in the summer months.
Abdulrazzak has great speed on an off the ball and he commands respect from other teams as he can finish restarts from close- or long-range and also score in the run of play with both feet and from short and long-distance opportunities. He has great speed and is slick with the ball and can also lay the ball off to fellow teammates as well as create his own chances.
In club soccer, Abdulrazzak has also performed at a high level, collecting 33 goals and four assists in 30 games during the 2022-23 ECNL club season with Liverpool. He backed that up with 26 goals and nine assists over 30 games during the 2023-24 school year for Liverpool, which moved to the newly-created National Academy League.
Abdulrazzak has also seen tremendous growth on the high school circuit, scoring six goals with an assist as a sophomore and 11 goals and seven assists as a junior during the fall 2023 campaign. He was All-Oakland Activities Association-White Division, All-District, All-Region and Division 1 All-State Honorable Mention in 2023 after leading the Lakers to a winning record and to their first district finals appearance in decades.
This prep season, he’s taken his game to a whole new level.
College coaches have taken notice as well. NCAA Division I programs Oakland University and Syracuse University have the talented scorer on their radars and a few other schools in NCAA Division I, Division II and Division III have reached out or are keeping an eye on his progress. He expects more to reach out after this high school campaign and into club soccer.
“It’s one of my goals to play Division I college soccer,” said Abdulrazzak. “I’ve wanted to play college soccer since I was little.”
Abdulrazzak hopes to continue his pathway to greatness in the next few years and said if a professional soccer opportunity presents itself down the road, he will consider it. But for now, Abdulrazzak is just enjoying his final season of high school soccer.
“I do want to play professionally one day if the right (circumstances) happen. I really do want to play in college and hope to start talking to some more coaches this year,” he said. “I just have to keep working hard and do the right things and let all of that (fall into place).”
Abdulrazzak and his Lakers will face Division 1 No. 7-ranked Oxford at 5 p.m. Oct. 22 in the Division 1 regional semifinals. He has led his team not only in scoring, but to its first-ever regional appearance after raising the school’s first district trophy last Friday following a 4-0 shutout win over Walled Lake Central.
Abdulrazzak had three goals and an assist in that victory, while he scored all four goals two days earlier in a 4-0 win over Bloomfield Hills in the district semifinals.
Scoring goals and creating for others is his job, that and providing leadership for a program that has chartered new waters as of late.
“One of my main goals is to help lead the team to a district championship. We want to go farther than any other team in our history,” noted Abdulrazzak earlier this season. “I would like to get some awards, but that’s not why I play. If I help my team win, then those will take of (themselves).”
And Kinan Abdulrazzak will let his talents do the talking. Even if some can’t pronounce his name.
RECRUITING UPDATE
Kinan Abdulrazzak, a talented forward from West Bloomfield High School and Liverpool International Academy-Michigan NAL U19 club team, recently made a commitment and signed with NCAA Division I Oakland University of the Horizon League less than 20 miles from his hometown.
Abdulrazzak help fills a need for Oakland University as a pure goal-scorer up top. Oakland only outscored its opposition 25-21 last season and was shut out three times in 17 games in 2024.
This past high school season, Kinan Abdulrazzak set multiple of single-game, single-season and career school records in a multitude of categories for West Bloomfield and earned several postseason honors. He helped his prep team reach the Division 1 regional semifinals for the first time in 2024.
He earned Division 1 All-State Second Team, All-Oakland Activities Association White Division, All-District, All-Region and All-Oakland County in a campaign where he led talent-laden Oakland County and the three-division OAA in scoring. Abdulrazzak finished his senior season with school records for goals in a season (39 goals), hattricks (eight) and points in a season (82) to go along with four assists for a program that was first launched back in 1982 but captured its first-ever district championship back in November. He was also named Tam MVP as both a junior and senior and a three-time Best Attacking Player for West Bloomfield. His 39 goals is believed to lead all MHSAA Division 1 players in scoring during the fall 2024 season.
Over in the National Academy League, Abdulrazzak has been one of his team’s leading goal scorers ever since entering high school and has attended several ID camps in the U.S. and even traveled to Europe a couple of time to train overseas.
Abdulrazzak was recruited by multiple NCAA Division I, NCAA Division II, NCAA Division III and NAIA schools all over the country.
“I am truly blessed to continue playing the sport I love at the highest level while getting a great education. I want to thank my parents for their sacrifices, my club team Liverpool for their support, and West Bloomfield’s Coach Borce (Kosteski) for believing in me since day one. He pushed me beyond my limits, never accepted mediocrity, and taught me discipline, hard work, and leadership. I now realize he did it because he believed in me, and for that, I am forever grateful,” said Abdulrazzak in a press release issued by the West Bloomfield High School Athletics Department.
Abdulrazzak heads to OU in August with a chance to gain valuable minutes right away for the Golden Grizzlies.
Oakland is coming off a period where the Golden Grizzlies have captured the Horizon League regular season championship in both 2023 and 2024 but lost in the Horizon League Championship Tournament finals the last two years – both times being shut out in the title bout and did not advance to the NCAA tournament.
West Bloomfield senior Kinan Abdulrazzak put together a record-breaking season for the Lakers last fall and coupled with some high-level of play with Liverpool International Academy-Michigan on the club circuit recently committed to NCAA Division I Oakland University.
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(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the National Soccer Network regarding club/youth soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer involving teams, players or coaches with ties to a particular state or states, contact Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com and news@nationalsoccernetwork.com, or call 248-525-2349. Dan Stickradt is a 32-year veteran of the Michigan and national media circles and recently joined the staff full time at PMG in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/NSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@thepremiermediagrp.com.)
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