Sadri Gjonbalaj Explained

Sadri Gjonbalaj
Birth Date:5 January 1966
Birth Place:Vusanje, SR Montenegro,
SFR Yugoslavia
Position:Forward
Collegeyears1:1983–1986
College1:NC State Wolfpack
Years1:1987–1989
Years2:1988
Years3:1989
Years4:1990
Years5:1990–1991
Years6:1991
Years7:1991–1992
Years8:1993
Years9:1994
Years10:1994–1995
Years11:1995
Clubs1:Los Angeles Lazers (indoor)
Clubs2:Albany Capitals (loan)
Clubs5:New York Kick (indoor)
Clubs6:Chicago Power (indoor)
Clubs7:Milwaukee Wave (indoor)
Clubs10:Canton Invaders (indoor)
Clubs11:New York Centaurs
Caps1:6
Caps3:17
Caps6:9
Caps7:25
Caps10:13
Caps11:20
Goals1:0
Goals3:6
Goals6:2
Goals7:18
Goals10:11
Goals11:4
Nationalyears1:1984–1985
Nationalyears2:1986–1993
Nationalteam2:United States
Nationalcaps2:5
Nationalgoals2:1

Sadri Gjonbalaj (born 1966) is an American retired football player who played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League, American Professional Soccer League 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, a village in SR Montenegro, SFR Yugoslavia (modern-day Montenegro). Him and his family moved to Brooklyn, New York when he was a child.

Career

College

Gjonbalaj attended from the age of 17 at North Carolina State University where he played on the Wolfpack's soccer team from 1983 to 1986.[1]

Professional

In June 1987, the Los Angeles Lazers of the Major Indoor Soccer League selected Gjonbalaj in the first round (2nd overall) of the 1987 MISL Draft.[2] In May 1988, the Lazers loaned Gjonbalaj to the Albany Capitals of the American Soccer League.[3] In 1989, he was with the New Jersey Eagles of the ASL.[4] Then in 1990, he moved to the Washington Diplomats of the ASL successor league, the American Professional Soccer League. In the fall of 1990, he signed with the New York Kick of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL).[5] In January 1991, the Kick sold Gjonbalaj's contract to the Chicago Power.[6] He played nine games and scored two goals as the Power won the NPSL championship.[7] In December 1991, he signed with the Milwaukee Wave.[8] In 1993, he played for the Raleigh Flyers of the USISL.[9] 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.[10] In 1995, he was with the New York Centaurs of the A-League where he scored four goals in twenty games.[11]

National team

In 1984 and 1985, Gjonbalaj played for the United States U-20 men's national soccer team.[12] Gjonbalaj also earned five caps with the U.S. national team.[13] His first appearance came in a February 5, 1986 scoreless tie with Canada when he came on for Brent Goulet. His next cap did not come until a June 12, 1987 loss to South Korea.[14] He had to wait three more years for his third cap which came in a September 14, 1991 win over Jamaica. 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. His last cap came two days later on March 25, 1993.[15]

External links

Notes and References

  1. https://gopack.com/news/2008/8/7/NC_State_Men_s_Soccer_History_of_Success NC State Men's Soccer History of Success
  2. "NO SURPRISE, FORCE PICKS BLISS WITH 1ST PICK" Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio) Wednesday, June 24, 1987
  3. "BROOKLYN IMPORT GIVES CAPITALS A LIFT IN DEBUT" Times Union (Albany, New York) Sunday, May 22, 1988
  4. Web site: The Year in American Soccer – 1989 . 2009-12-05 . 2012-02-09 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120209161757/http://homepages.sover.net/~spectrum/year/1989.html#ASL . dead .
  5. "GAME SHOULD BE A KICK FOR FANS" Times Union (Albany, New York) Sunday, November 4, 1990
  6. "SPORTS" Chicago Tribune Friday, January 18, 1991
  7. Web site: 1990-91 Chicago POWER individual player statistics.. https://web.archive.org/web/20110709163213/http://members.toast.net/pudgym30a/stats91.html. dead. 2011-07-09. 2011-07-09. 2018-08-14.
  8. "Attack hammers Wave to move into division lead" Milwaukee Sentinel Saturday, December 28, 1991
  9. "Flyers turn back Columbia 2-0 on late goals by Kreis, Gjonbalaj The News & Observer Saturday, June 12, 1993
  10. http://www.howesportsdata.com/howesportsdata/stats/soccer/misl/misl95.txt NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS -- 1994–1995
  11. http://goalseattle.com/gallery/1996SeattleSoundersMediaGuide/1996media_17 GOALSeattle.com Galleries :: 1996 Seattle Sounders Media Guide :: 1996media_17
  12. "MEXICAN JUNIOR TEAM BEATS U.S. IN SOCCER Akron Beacon Journal (Ohio) Sunday, March 24, 1985
  13. http://national.soccerhall.org/Registry/MensNationalTeam_F-J.htm#G U.S. Men's National Team Player Registry: F – J
  14. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesu/usa-intres-det80.html USA – Details of International Matches 1980–1989
  15. https://www.rsssf.org/tablesu/usa-intres-det90.html USA – Details of International Matches 1990–1994