Sadri Gjonbalaj (1966) is an American retired
football player
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
who played professionally in the
Major Indoor Soccer League,
American Soccer League,
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. It ...
and
National Professional Soccer League. He also earned five
caps, scoring one goal, with the
U.S. national team.
Early life
Gjonbalaj was born in
Vusanje
Vusanje ( sq, Vuthaj; cnr, Vusanje/Вусање) is a village in Gusinje Municipality, Montenegro. According to the 2003 census, the town had 648 inhabitants.
Geography
Vusanje is located within the Plav municipality, below the town of Gusinje. I ...
, a village in
SR Montenegro
The Socialist Republic of Montenegro ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Socijalistička Republika Crna Gora, Социјалистичка Република Црна Гора), commonly referred to as Socialist Montenegro or simply Montenegro, was ...
,
SFR Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as SFR Yugoslavia or simply as Yugoslavia, was a country in Central and Southeast Europe. It emerged in 1945, following World War II, and lasted until 1992, with the breakup of Yug ...
(modern-day
Montenegro
)
, image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg
, map_caption =
, image_map2 =
, capital = Podgorica
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, official_languages = M ...
). Him and his family moved to
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
,
New York
New York most commonly refers to:
* New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York
* New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States
New York may also refer to:
Film and television
* '' ...
when he was a child.
Career
College
Gjonbalaj attended from the age of 17 at
North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University (NC State) is a public land-grant research university in Raleigh, North Carolina. Founded in 1887 and part of the University of North Carolina system, it is the largest university in the Carolinas. The universit ...
where he played on the Wolfpack's soccer team from 1983 to 1986.
Professional
In June 1987, the
Los Angeles Lazers
The Los Angeles Lazers were an indoor soccer team that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) from 1982 to 1989.
History
Jerry Buss, the owner of California Sports, the parent company of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kings and Strings of Tea ...
of the
Major Indoor Soccer League selected Gjonbalaj in the first round (2nd overall) of the 1987 MISL Draft. In May 1988, the Lazers loaned Gjonbalaj to the
Albany Capitals
The Albany Capitals joined the third incarnation of the American Soccer League in 1988. The team joined the American Professional Soccer League in 1990 when the ASL merged with the Western Soccer League. The club played in Albany, New York.
After ...
of the
American Soccer League. In 1989, he was with the
New Jersey Eagles The New Jersey Eagles were an American soccer team founded in 1987 as the Cosmopolitan Eagles. In 1988, they entered the third American Soccer League as the New Jersey Eagles. They folded following the 1990 American Professional Soccer League s ...
of the ASL. Then in 1990, he moved to the
Washington Diplomats
The Washington Diplomats were an American soccer club representing Washington, D.C. Throughout their playing existence, the club played their home games at Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium and indoor home matches at the neighboring D.C. Arm ...
of the ASL successor league, the
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League (APSL) was a professional men's soccer league with teams from the United States and later Canada. It was formed in 1990 by the merger of the third American Soccer League with the Western Soccer League. It ...
. In the fall of 1990, he signed with the
New York Kick The New York Kick was a professional indoor soccer team based in Albany, New York playing at the Knickerbocker Arena and competed in the National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001).
The team was previously known as the Indiana Kick in 1989 ...
of the
National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). In January 1991, the Kick sold Gjonbalaj's contract to the
Chicago Power
The Chicago Power were an indoor soccer club based in Chicago, Illinois that competed in the American Indoor Soccer Association and National Professional Soccer League.
After the 1995–96 season, the team was sold to Peter Pocklington, moved ...
. He played nine games and scored two goals as the Power won the NPSL championship. In December 1991, he signed with the
Milwaukee Wave
The Milwaukee Wave is an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional soccer team in the United States and are seven-time league champions, m ...
. In 1993, he played for the
Raleigh Flyers of the
USISL
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 then moved to the
New York Fever for the 1994 season. In December 1994, he returned to the NPSL when he signed 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 ...
. In 1995, he was with the
New York Centaurs
The New York Centaurs were an A-League professional soccer club, based in New York City. The team played only one season in 1995. The New York Fever of the USISL Pro League, debuted in 1994, playing two seasons in the league before merging with t ...
of the
A-League
A-League Men (known as the Isuzu UTE A-League for sponsorship reasons) is the highest-level professional men's soccer league in Australia and New Zealand. At the top of the Australian league system, it is the country's premier men's competiti ...
where he scored four goals in twenty games.
National team
In 1984 and 1985, Gjonbalaj played for the
United States U-20 men's national soccer team
The United States U-20 men's national soccer team is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation. The highest level of competition in which the team competes is the FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is held every two years.
The United States' b ...
. Gjonbalaj also earned five
caps with the
U.S. national team. His first appearance came in a February 5, 1986 scoreless tie with
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
when he came on for
Brent Goulet
Brent Goulet (born June 19, 1964) is a retired American soccer forward who later coached SV Elversberg from 2004 to 2008. He began his career in the United States before moving to England and Germany, and also earned eight caps with the U.S. nat ...
. His next cap did not come until a June 12, 1987 loss to
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
. He had to wait three more years for his third cap which came in a September 14, 1991 win over
Jamaica
Jamaica (; ) is an island country situated in the Caribbean Sea. Spanning in area, it is the third-largest island of the Greater Antilles and the Caribbean (after Cuba and Hispaniola). Jamaica lies about south of Cuba, and west of His ...
. Gjonbalaj scored the U.S. goal in the 1-0 victory. It was another two years before Gjonbalaj appeared for the U.S. again, this time on March 23, 1993 in a tie with
El Salvador
El Salvador (; , meaning " The Saviour"), officially the Republic of El Salvador ( es, República de El Salvador), is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south b ...
. His last cap came two days later on March 25, 1993.
USA – Details of International Matches 1990–1994
/ref>
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gjonbalaj, Sadri
1966 births
Living people
People from Plav Municipality
Sportspeople from Brooklyn
Soccer players from New York City
Yugoslav emigrants to the United States
Albanians in Montenegro
American people of Albanian descent
Association football forwards
Montenegrin footballers
American soccer players
United States men's under-20 international soccer players
United States men's international soccer players
NC State Wolfpack men's soccer players
Los Angeles Lazers players
Albany Capitals players
New Jersey Eagles players
Washington Diplomats (1988–1990) players
New York Kick players
Chicago Power players
Milwaukee Wave players
Raleigh Flyers players
Canton Invaders players
New York Centaurs players
American Soccer League (1988–89) players
American Professional Soccer League players
Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players
National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players
USISL players
Montenegrin expatriate footballers