Mike Stankovic Explained

Mike Stankovic
Birth Date:11 November 1956
Birth Place:Kaludra, Yugoslavia
Position:Defender
Years1:1980
Years2:1980–1981
Years3:1981
Years4:1981–1987
Years5:1987–1989
Years6:1989–1991
Years7:1992–1998
Clubs2:Dallas Tornado (indoor)
Clubs4:Baltimore Blast (indoor)
Clubs5:Wichita Wings (indoor)
Clubs6:Baltimore Blast (indoor)
Clubs7:Baltimore Blast (indoor)
Caps1:28
Caps2:16
Caps3:15
Caps4:212
Caps5:96
Caps6:74
Caps7:108
Goals1:5
Goals2:24
Goals3:0
Goals4:120
Goals5:42
Goals6:34
Goals7:67
Manageryears1:1991–1992
Managerclubs1:Baltimore Blast (assistant)
Manageryears2:1992–1996
Managerclubs2:Baltimore Blast (assistant)
Manageryears3:1996–1998
Managerclubs3:Baltimore Blast
Manageryears4:2010
Managerclubs4:Ghana (assistant)
Manageryears5:2011
Managerclubs5:Qatar (assistant)

Mike Stankovic (born November 11, 1956) is a retired Serbian-American soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and National Professional Soccer League.

Biography

In 1980, he moved to the United States where he signed with the Memphis Rogues of the North American Soccer League., where he was voted Most Valuable Player but missed their run at the 1979–80 NASL Indoor season finals through suspension after receiving a red card in the Division Finals against the Minnesota Kicks.[1]

He moved to the Dallas Tornado in the fall of 1980 and played for the Tornado during the 1980-1981 NASL indoor season.[2] He played the 1981 outdoor season with the Tornado, then moved indoors permanently when he signed with the Baltimore Blast of the Major Indoor Soccer League. In August 1987, he signed as a free agent with the Wichita Wings.[3] During his six seasons with the Blast, Stankovic was a five time All Star. On January 20, 1989, the Wings traded Stankovic and Peter Ward to the Blast in exchange for Keder and David Byrne.[4]

After retiring from pro soccer he founded the "Mike Stankovic Pro Soccer Academy". In 2010, Stankovic served as an assistant to Milovan Rajevac on the Ghana national football team at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After the cup, Rajevac and Stankovic moved to manage the Qatar national football team.[5]

In March 2013, Stankovic was one of six men named to the 2013 class of the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame. The other inductees are Gordon Jago, Preki, Kai Haaskivi, Zoltán Tóth, and Brian Quinn.[6]

In 2023, the Baltimore Blast retired jersey #5 to honor Stankovic and Denison Cabral.[7]

Awards and honors

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Scheiber . Dave . 29 February 1980 . Rogues lose star for title go with Rowdies . 30 . . Google News.
  2. Web site: The Year in American Soccer - 1981 . 2009-11-27 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150107071347/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1981.html . 2015-01-07 . dead .
  3. Strikers' future remains uncertain Evening Tribune (San Diego, CA) - Tuesday, August 25, 1987
  4. Stankovic Bolsters Baltimore Defense St. Louis Post-Dispatch - Sunday, January 28, 1990
  5. http://www.cardiffsoccermd.com/2013/04/24/coaches-rajevac-and-stankovic-to-train-cardiff-fc-coaches/ Coaches Rajevac and Stankovic to Train Cardiff FC Coaches
  6. News: Buzz . Carrick . . . Former Dallas Sidekicks Coach Gordon Jago Named 2013 Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame Inductee . March 5, 2013 . March 8, 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20130617115042/http://soccerblog.dallasnews.com/2013/03/former-dallas-sidekicks-coach-gordon-jago-named-2013-indoor-soccer-hall-of-fame-inductee.html/ . June 17, 2013 .
  7. Web site: Saturday, February 11th the Baltimore Blast will be retiring #5 Mike Stankovic and #5 Denison Cabral. . Twitter.com . . 18 January 2023.