John Lignos (born in

Chios Chios (; el, Χίος, Chíos , traditionally known as Scio in English) is the fifth largest Greek island, situated in the northern Aegean Sea. The island is separated from Turkey by the Chios Strait. Chios is notable for its exports of masti ...

Greece Greece,, or , romanized: ', officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the southern tip of the Balkans, and is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and Africa. Greece shares land borders ...

) was a U.S. soccer player who spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League, one in the American Soccer League and one in the

United Soccer League United Soccer League (USL), formerly known as United Soccer Leagues, is a soccer league in the United States and Canada. It organizes several men's and women's leagues, both professional and amateur. Men's leagues currently organized are the ...

. He also earned one

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. Caps typically have a visor, or no brim at all. They are popular in casual and informal se ...

with the U.S. national team and was selected for the 1980 U.S. Olympic soccer team.

Professional

Born in the town of Amades on the Greek island of

, but moved to New York when he was eleven. In 1979, he was the top draft pick of the New England Tea Men of the North American Soccer League. While usually playing on the defensive line, he moved to defensive midfielder in 1980 to make room for rookie defender Mike Gibbon. Following the 1980 season, the Tea Men moved to

Jacksonville, Florida Jacksonville is a city located on the Atlantic coast of northeast Florida, the most populous city proper in the state and is the List of United States cities by area, largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020. It is the co ...

. Lignos moved with the team. He played twenty-seven games, scoring one goal, as the Tea Men remained in the NASL for the 1981 and 1982 seasons. In 1983, the Tea Men left the NASL for the American Soccer League (ASL). They won the 1983 ASL championship over the

Pennsylvania Stoners The Pennsylvania Stoners were an American soccer team based in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Founded in 2007, the team played in the National Premier Soccer League (NPSL), a national amateur league at the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, ...

. The ASL folded at the end of the season. On April 17, 1984, Lignos signed with the

Fort Lauderdale Sun Fort Lauderdale Sun was a U.S. soccer team which played two seasons in the United Soccer League. In 1984, the team was known as the Fort Lauderdale Sun. Before the 1985 season they changed their name to the South Florida Sun. Origins The United S ...

in the

for the 1984 season. He played at least one season with the

Canton Invaders The Canton Invaders was an indoor soccer club based in Canton, Ohio that competed in the National Professional Soccer League. After the 1995–96 season, the team relocated and became the Columbus Invaders. History The Canton Invaders were a p ...

during the 1987-1988

American Indoor Soccer League The American Indoor Soccer League was a semi-professional indoor soccer league founded in 2002 and folded in 2008. History Founded in 2002, the AISL's headquarters were in West Springfield, Massachusetts, but the media relations office was in ...

season. He returned to the professional game in 1996 for one season with the

Toronto Shooting Stars Toronto Shooting Stars were an indoor soccer team based in Toronto, Ontario that competed in the defunct NPSL. The team began play in the 1996-1997 season, with home games taking place at Maple Leaf Gardens. However, the ownership of the franc ...

in the National Professional Soccer League.

Semi-professional

Lignos then moved back to New York where he joined the Greek-American/Atlas of the

Cosmopolitan Soccer League The Cosmopolitan Soccer League is a regional soccer league consisting of semi-pro and amateur teams based in and around New York City. Established in 1923, it is one of the oldest soccer leagues in the United States and has contributed greatly ...

. In 1989, the Greek-Americans went to the National Challenge Cup final where it fell, 2-1, to the St. Petersburg Kickers. Lignos scoring the Greek-Americans’ lone goal.

National team

Lignos was selected for the U.S. soccer team which qualified for the 1980 Summer Olympics. However, he and his team mates did not compete after President

Jimmy Carter James Earl Carter Jr. (born October 1, 1924) is an American politician who served as the 39th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as the 76th governor of Georgia from 1 ...

boycotted the Olympics following the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Lignos earned one

with the U.S. national team in a 2-1 win over

Trinidad and Tobago Trinidad and Tobago (, ), officially the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, is the southernmost island country in the Caribbean. Consisting of the main islands Trinidad and Tobago, and numerous much smaller islands, it is situated south of ...

on March 21, 1982, when he came on for Tom O’Hara.USA - Details of International Matches 1980-1989

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lignos, John 1958 births Living people American men's soccer players American Soccer League (1933–1983) players Canton Invaders players Fort Lauderdale Sun players Greek emigrants to the United States Jacksonville Tea Men players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players New England Tea Men players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players Toronto Shooting Stars players United Soccer League (1984–85) players United States men's international soccer players Sportspeople from Chios Men's association football defenders Soccer players from New York (state)