Zen Luzniak Explained

Zen Luzniak
Fullname:Zenon Luzniak
Birth Place:Newark, New Jersey, United States
Position:Defender
Collegeyears1:1987–1989
College1:Wake Forest Demon Deacons
Collegecaps1:37
Collegegoals1:4
Years1:1991–1994
Years2:1996, 1999
Clubs2:Carolina Dynamo
Caps1:34
Caps2:18
Goals1:1
Goals2:0
Nationalyears1:1988
Nationalteam1:United States
Nationalcaps1:1
Nationalgoals1:0

Zenon "Zen" Luzniak is a U.S. soccer defender who spent three seasons in the American Professional Soccer League and two in the USISL. He also played in Europe for two seasons. He also earned one cap with the United States men's national soccer team making him the youngest player to ever play for the US at the that time.

High school and college

Luzniak grew up in Cooper City, Florida, where he attended Cooper City High School from 1984 to 1987. During his four seasons on the Cooper City soccer team, he led the team in scoring.[1] He then attended Wake Forest University where he played on the men's soccer team. In his two seasons, 1987–1988, with the Demon Deacons, Luzniak scored four goals in thirty-seven games, also earning him a spot on the all ACC team.[2] He tore a ligament in his right knee during his junior season and left Wake to rehab with a Netherlands team.[3]

Professional

When Luzniak left college, he went to the Netherlands to complete his knee rehabilitation for FC Utrecht Reserve Team. When Luzniak returned to the United States in 1991, he signed with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the American Professional Soccer League and played four seasons with them. During this period, he was signed by HHV Reutlingen in Germany. Luzniak played there for one season, but returned after a financial dispute with the club. He was drafted by the Tampa Bay Mutiny in the thirteen round (127th overall) in the 1996 MLS Draft. However, he never played for the Mutiny, but joined the Carolina Dynamo of the USISL for the 1996 season.[4] He signed with the Dynamo in 1999, but on May 8, 1999, he tore his anterior-cruciate ligament in a game against the Myrtle Beach Seadawgs.

National team

Luzniak earned one cap with the U.S. national team in a 1–0 win over Costa Rica on June 14, 1988, when he came on for Donald Cogsville. This made him the youngest player to represent his country at that time. He continued to play for his national team until his knee injury sidelined him.[5]

Notes and References

  1. ZENON LUZNIAK SOCCER PLAYER Miami Herald, The (FL) - Sunday, February 1, 1987
  2. Web site: 2003 Wake Forest Men's Soccer Media Guide . Wake Forest Athletics . 2003 .
  3. Book: Thuma , Cynthia A. . Sport Lauderdale: Big Names and Big Games . The History Press . 2007 . 978-1-59629-145-4 .
  4. Web site: Carolina Dynamo All-Time Player Stats 1993–2006 . Carolina Dynamo . 2008-01-08 .
  5. Web site: Courtney . Barrie . USA - Details of International Matches 1980-1989 . Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation . 2003-06-14 . 2008-01-08 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120909000829/http://www.rsssf.com/tablesu/usa-intres-det80.html . September 9, 2012 .