Victor Gerley Interview

[This article was originally posted on Soccer Over There on April 16, 2015]

Victor Gerley played goalkeeper for the United States National Team from 1965-1966, gaining six caps in total. Without much available information about Gerley, I spoke to him hoping to learn more about his time as a soccer player. Gerley opened up about his club career, his with the national team, and the 1966 World Cup Qualifying.

 

How did you end up playing goalkeeper? Was it something you always did or it did just fall in your lap?

No, no, no, I was always a goalkeeper. I could have gotten a scholarship to go to Princeton to kick the football, to kick! Kick field goals, kickoffs, all that. But I chose soccer because of my background. Soccer was in my blood. My brother was also a very good player. He’s a doctor. He was not available for any of these Unites States games because he was always studying or in a hospital working. He would have been a wonderful addition to the time. He is very, very talented. Very talented player.

 

What teams did you play for?

I started playing in New York for the Junior Hungarian Team as a goalkeeper. Then I went into the reserve team and played there. I started playing when I was 18 years old. And by age 19, I was goalkeeper for the New York Hungarians, a first division team. In 1962, we won the US Open Cup. We beat San Francisco 2-0. I didn’t play. I was a reserve but anyway I got a trophy.

So the whole selection process, we had a western group and we had an eastern group. And then we went and played in New York [for the US Open Cup final], the east versus the west. And based on the performance, that’s how the [National Team] selection was based on the players.

When did you play for the US Men’s National Team?

I played for the national team in 1965. We played in Los Angeles Coliseum and we tied Mexico 2-2. We went down to Mexico City and played in front of 90,000 people and we lost 2-0 but I saved a penalty. Then we went to Honduras and we played to a 1-1 tie and then we beat them 1-0. We planned to qualify and go to London in 1966 World Cup. That was the objective. We lost and we didn’t make it. Mexico made it. Then we tried later on. I also was a backup goalkeeper in 1970.

I played in friendly games against Bermuda and Haiti. Let’s see, we played in Haiti and we lost there 5-2. And then Bermuda, we lost in Bermuda 1-0. And again these are all out of country games. And not many American spectators. So we were the underdogs, you know? Some of the names I can recall, Willie Roy was one of the players. And Walter Schmotolocha was a Ukrainian fellow.

 

What was the game like in Los Angeles?

At Los Angeles, we had 25,000 spectators in the Coliseum. And of the 25,000, I can guarantee that 20,000 were Mexicans. They were rooting for Mexico and not the US. At one point, I made a foul in the 18. One guy was harassing me and I hit him with my elbow, very lightly. He fell down to the ground and the referee, a Canadian referee, gave a penalty, which I didn’t save, you know. And we were leading at that time 2-1. So basically it was my fault but the referee overreacted. This guy was playing like an actor, you know? I hardly ever touched him and he fell to the ground, throwing the penalty.

 What do you mean by “harassing”?

Well he was trying to get the ball out of my hand. He was chasing me all around. I’m turning, he follows me. I’m turning, he follows me. Like, harassing me to not release the ball. The ball has to be released normally within ten seconds. If you don’t release the ball, it’s not a penalty but it’s a free-kick. So as I said, I was pissed off and all I did was hold the ball in my hand and in my chest. And I moved with my shoulder left and right. I tried to shake him off. So I just brushed him, barely touched him. And he fell to the ground, faking it. Faking it! And the referee gave a penalty kick which I didn’t save. I should have saved but I didn’t. It would have been wonderful to make it to England.

So anyway, the president and the big honchos of the United States Soccer Football Federation went down to the referee after the match and told him that “You will never ref in this country ever again!” Yeah, they were very upset. I was upset too, obviously. What they tried to do was get a neutral referee [for the game]. You don’t want an American referee. You don’t want a Mexican referee. You want a neutral referee. Well, this neutral referee looks like he sided with the Mexicans.

 

Why did the US schedule a game in LA if there was going to be a large Mexican crowd?

I don’t know! That’s ironic, isn’t it? I think we would have been better off playing in New York somewhere. But again the atmosphere was very pro-Mexican. Very pro-Mexican. So it was very disappointing for us players. Here we are, home team, home grounds and we’re rooted against.

 

Where else did you play?

I played for the Hungarian team from 1962 to, about, 1970. We went down to Mexico to play against [Club Deportivo] Oro, which is in Guadalajara, because we were the United States champions and Oro was the Mexican champions and we were doing this playoff. Like a Central America versus North America playoff. We beat Oro 3-2 and then about a month later they came up to New York and we tied them 2-2. Then I got sick and someone took over for goal. We played against Guadalajara and we tied them 0-0 and then we lost the other game 1-0. But I didn’t play in those games, I was sick.

I also played for the German-American League all-star team in New York. I was a goalkeeper. I played against many, many international teams. We toured in Guatemala. We played against German teams, Greek teams. So I was considered the number one goalkeeper back in those days, 1964-1970, so a long career. Meanwhile, I was going to college. I became an engineer, a structural engineer. And then I graduated a half year late because of all my soccer adventures. So, anyway, very happy memories.

What were some of your strengths as a goalkeeper?

I had tremendous reflexes! Very quick reflexes. Not only did I play soccer, but I also played Team Handball for the United States. I was a goalkeeper. Team Handball is six players on a small court like basketball court and a goal the size of maybe three meters by two metres and then you use a ball, a little bit bigger than a softball. And you dribble, you pass, you dribble, you throw the ball at the net.

So I played for the United States National Team and I went in 1970 to Paris for the World Championship of Handball. It’s a big, big sport in Europe, you know? We didn’t win but I played a tremendous game against Yugoslavia who was a World Champion at that time. Then we lost, like, 26-21. But then during all the playing there I hurt my back. I was jumping around too much and falling on the hard floor. So we had two other backup goalkeepers who played the next two games and I was just a spectator. So I had a wonderful career.

Have you tried googling me? You can find more information on Google, I’m sure.

 

Well I have but honestly there’s not too much information on the US team from before 1990. I can’t even find your birthday. Can I ask that?

June 17th, 1943.

 

And do you have any memorabilia left from your playing days?

I do, I do. I have my shoes, my soccer shoes. I have my jersey that i played goalkeeper in. It has the US emblem on the front and the number one on the back. I think I have the gloves I used.

Three Times Managers Took Risks to Overcome Dangerous Opponents

Soccer is still the most popular sport on the planet and has billions of fans who follow its every move. While this is naturally true for huge leagues like EPL, Ligue Une and Serie A, MLS in the US is also currently gaining a lot of attention. This is due to many factors, but the presence of top-class goalkeeping talent in the league is a major plus – as is the attention top American goalies like Tim Howard have brought to US soccer over time.

It is not just watching soccer which people love to do though. Lots of fans also enjoy betting on it and getting more involved by placing wagers on matches. This is especially true in the US, where more and more states are starting to legalize sports betting. New York's sports betting landscape is a great example and shows how fast this industry is changing in the country. Sports betting on soccer also ties in with the game itself because both involve taking calculated risks. While it might be obvious how this works for betting, you might wonder how calculated risks come into soccer in general.

One of the best examples is how managers can sometimes take risks to overcome tricky opposition. Below are three of the best examples of this.

 

Sir Alf Ramsey takes a risk in 1966

England is widely regarded as the home of soccer and has a fine history to look back on. This includes their famous World Cup win in 1966, which included a thrilling 4-2 victory over West Germany in the final at Wembley. This final game saw them take on a very dangerous West German team, which included top players like Franz Beckenbauer. Of course, England had arguably the greatest goalkeeper ever in Gordon Banks on their side. Although a list of the world's best goalkeepers might no longer include Banks, he remains a legend in the game.

Much of England’s success in the tournament and the final is credited to the tactical risk that manager Sir Alf Ramsey took with his formation. Although not unusual now, the 4-3-3 system Ramsey employed was seen as a risk by many, as it meant his team did not play with any recognized wingers. This was queried by many who thought it lacked width and left the midfield too exposed. As the final result showed though, this was a calculated risk which paid off.

 

Liverpool stuns AC Milan in 2005

Moving back to domestic soccer competitions, the stunning win Liverpool pulled off against a solid AC Milan team in the 2005 Champions League final ranks highly. The first half of the match proved eventful, as the Italian team roared into a 3-0 lead after dominating the field.

Something magical happened at half-time and Liverpool came back to score three of their own in the second half. Eventually, Liverpool won on penalties to take home the trophy – but what risks had manager Rafael Benitez taken at half-time to make this happen?

The answer was a bold move to bring defender Steve Finnan off and put tough midfielder Dietmar Hamann on. This enabled Liverpool to change to a more solid 3-4-2-1 system in the second half and release Steven Gerrard into attacking areas.

 

Greece pulls off huge Euro win in 2004

The 2004 European Championship produced a shock winner in Greece but the final led to them taking on a Portugal team packed with stars like Deco, Ronaldo and Figo. As a result, Portugal was a dangerous opponent and many people expected them to thrash the Greeks. This did not happen though, and Greece won 1-0 in the end. But what risks did manager Otto Rehhagel take in this match to pinch the win?

In essence, he was bold enough to play an unfashionable defensive system and invite Portugal to play through them. By sitting back and being content to grab a set-piece goal against the run of play, he pulled off a brilliant tactical win. Although this was a risky approach, as it could have resulted in his team wilting under Portuguese pressure, it worked out perfectly. Portugal 0 - Greece 1 in Euro 2004 is a headline which never gets old!

 

Soccer is all about bold calls and calculated risks

As the above shows, there have been some great examples of managers making risky calls to get past dangerous opponents. This shows that sometimes in this sport, you have to take risks in order to win – especially if the other side is tough to play against. This will always be the case in soccer, and we can only look forward to more inspired managerial decisions which confirm this.

Record Attendances in Women's Club Soccer

Below are the highest attended club matches in women’s soccer, dating back to 1919 with Dick Kerr’s Ladies’ matches. If there are any omissions or errors, please leave a comment below or reach out via the contact page.

rank attendance home score away Stadium date event
1 91,648 Barcelona 5-1 Wolfsburg Camp Nou (Barcelona) 2022 April 22 UEFA CL Semifinal (Europe)
2 91,533 Barcelona 5-2 Real Madrid Camp Nou (Barcelona) 2022 March 30 UEFA CL Quarterfinal (Europe)
3 60,739 Atlético de Madrid 0-2 Barcelona Wanda Metropolitano Stadium (Madrid) 2019 March 17 Primera División (Spain)
4 53,000 Dick Kerr's Ladies 4-0 St Helens Ladies Goodison Park (Liverpool) 1920 December 27 Friendly (England)
5 51,211 Monterrey 2-2 (2-4) UANL Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe) 2018 May 4 Liga MX Clausura Playoffs (Mexico)
6 50,212 Lyon 2-0 1. FFC Frankfurt Olympic Stadium (Munchen) 2012 May 17 UEFA CL Final (Europe)
7 49,094 Chelsea 3-2 Manchester City Wembley Stadium (London) 2022 May 15 FA Cup Final (England)
8 48,121 Athletic Bilbao 0-2 Barcelona San Mamés (Bilbao) 2019 January 30 Copa de la Reina de Fútbol Quarterfinal (Spain)
9 45,423 Arsenal 1-3 Chelsea Wembley Stadium (London) 2018 May 5 FA Cup Final (England)
10 43,264 Manchester City 3-0 West Ham United Wembley Stadium (London) 2019 May 4 FA Cup Final (England)
11 43,254 PSG 1-2 Lyon Parc des Princes (Paris) 2022 April 30 UEFA CL Semifinal (Europe)
12 41,615 UANL 1-1 Monterrey Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2019 November 30 Liga MX Apertura Playoffs (Mexico)
13 40,942 Arsenal 0-3 Chelsea Wembley Stadium (London) 2021 December 5 FA Cup Final (England)
14 40,462 Gudalajara 0-1 Pachuca Estadio Akron (Zapopan) 2022 May 23 Clausura (Mexico)
15 39,027 Juventus 1-0 Fiorentina Allianz Stadium (Turin) 2019 March 24 Serie A (Italy)
16 38,262 Tottenham 0-2 Arsenal Tottenham Hotspur Stadium (London) 2019 November 17 WSL (England)
17 38,251 Monterrey 1-0 UANL Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe) 2019 December 7 Liga MX Apertura Playoffs (Mexico)
18 38,230 UANL 2-2 Monterrey Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2018 April 27 Liga MX Clausura Playoffs (Mexico)
19 37,601 UANL 2-2 Monterrey Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2018 August 14 Liga MX (Mexico)
20 36,843 UANL 0-0 (1-3) Monterrey Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2021 December 20 Liga MX Liguilla Final (Mexico)
21 35,271 Birmingham City 1-4 Manchester City Wembley Stadium (London) 2017 May 13 FA Cup Final (England)
22 35,000 Dick Kerr's Ladies - Newcastle United Ladies St. James's Park (London) 1919 September Friendly (England)
23 35,000 Dick Kerr's Ladies 12-0 Bath Old Trafford (Manchester) 1921 January Friendly (England)
24 34,191 Monterrey 2-2 UANL Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe) 2021 December 17 Liga MX Liguilla Final (Mexico)
25 34,148 Washington Freedom 1-0 Bay Area CyberRays RFK Stadium (Washington DC) 2001 April 14 WUSA (USA)
26 34,135 UANL 1-1 Monterrey Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2019 May 11 Liga MX (Mexico)
27 33,201 UANL 4-0 Pachuca Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2019 November 24 Liga MX Apertura Playoffs (Mexico)
28 33,000 Dick Kerr's Ladies 8-0 Bolton Bolton 1921 April 20 Friendly (England)
29 32,912 Arsenal 1-0 Chelsea Wembley Stadium (London) 2016 May 14 FA Cup Final (England)
30 32,466 Guadalajara 3-0 Pachuca Estadio Omnilife (Zapopan) 2017 November 24 Liga MX Apertura Playoffs (Mexico)
31 32,257 Lyon 3-1 Barcelona Juventus Stadium (Turin) 2022 May 21 Champions League Final (Europe)
32 32,068 Athletic Club 0-3 Barcelona San Mamés (Bilbao) 2020 January 5 Primera División (Spain)
33 31,213 Manchester City 1-0 Manchester United Etihad Stadium (Manchester) 2019 September 7 WSL (England)
34 31,098 Monterrey 0-0 UANL Estadio BBVA (Guadalupe) 2022 April 26 Clausura (Mexico)
35 30,710 Chelsea 1-0 Notts County Ladies Wembley Stadium (London) 2015 August 1 FA Cup Final (England)
36 30,161 UANL 1-1 Monterrey Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2019 January 29 Liga MX (Mexico)
37 30,077 Corinthians 3-1 São Paulo Arena Barueri (São Paulo) 2021 December 8 Campeonato Paulista Final (Brazil)
38 29,235 Club Leon 0-1 America Nou Camp (León) 2019 April 26 Liga MX Clausura Playoffs (Mexico)
39 28,955 Pachuca 2-0 Guadalajara Estadio Hidalgo (Pachuca) 2017 November 20 Liga MX Apertura Playoffs (Mexico)
40 28,862 Corinthians 3-0 São Paulo Arena Corinthians (São Paulo) 2019 November 16 Campeonato Paulista Final (Brazil)
41 28,367 Real Sociedad 0-2 Athletic Club Reale Arena (San Sebastián) 2019 October 13 Primera División (Spain)
42 28,112 Duisburg 1-1 Zvezda Perm MSV-Arena (Duisburg, Germany) 2009 May 22 UEFA CL Final (Europe)
43 27,640 Frankfurt 3-2 Umeå Commerzbank-Arena (Frankfurt) 2008 May 24 UEFA CL Final (Europe)
44 27,262 PSG 2-2 Bayern Munich Stade Charléty (Paris) 2022 March 30 UEFA CL Quarterfinal (Europe)
45 27,000 Dick Kerr's Ladies 8-1 St. Helens Coventry 1921 February 26 Friendly
46 27,000 Dick Kerr's Ladies 7-0 Yorks&Lancs Leeds 1921 April 6 Friendly
47 27,000 Dick Kerr's Ladies 8-0 Ellesmere Port Bury 1921 April 19 Friendly
48 26,531 UANL 3-2 Monterrey Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2019 August 27 Liga MX (Mexico)
49 26,282 Duisburg 1-0 FF USV Jena RheinEnergieStadion (Cologne) 2010 May 15 German Cup (Germany)
50 25,631 UANL 4-0 America Universitario (San Nicolás de los Garza) 2021 December 13 Liga MX Liguilla Semifinal (Mexico)

NCAA Men's Goalkeeper Rankings (Fall 2021)

photo from UCONN

Seniors

1. Nico Campuzano (Pittsburgh, Spain)
2. Jahmali Waite (Connecticut)
3. Neil Strauber (Florida Atlantic, Israel)
4. Oliver Semmle (Marshall, Germany)
5. Drew Romig (Belmont)
6. Carson Williams (Villanova)
7. Giannis Nikopolidis (Georgetown, Greece)
8. Andreu Cases Mundet (Santa Clara, Spain)
9. Justin Garces (UCLA)
10. Stefan Schmidt (Rhode Island, Germany)
11. Dominic Peters (San Diego)
12. George Marks (Clemson)
13. Leon Krapf (NC State, Germany)
14. Alec Smir (North Carolina)
15. Chase Vosvick (Loyola Maryland)
16. Dane Jacomen (Penn)
17. Ethan Koehler (Georgetown)
18. Noah Lawrence (Ohio State)
19. Rimi Olatunji (Providence, Canada)
20. Jamison Yoder (Green Bay)

One to Watch: Drew Romig. It’s not often that a collegiate senior is graduating with only 27 games to his name but with the logjam in UNC’s goalkeeping department, the former Tar Heel tried his hand at the transfer portal for a fresh start. With just one season at Belmont, Romig was a big part of why his new school set season records in wins (13) and shutouts (9). Romig gives off heavy Tim Melia vibes in goals: a delicate balance of readiness and chaotic impatience. He’ll opt to insert himself in a play instead of holding back but the lack of minutes haven’t let him smooth out his game yet. It’s a difficult style to play (just ask Melia how long it took an MLS to trust him with the keys to the car) but if a professional outfit can help him get traction, we could see quite the comeback story for a goalkeeper that was long counted out yet managed to salvage a career at the eleventh hour.

Juniors

1. Roman Celentano (Indiana)
2. Jassem Koleilat (New Hampshire, United Arab Emirates)
3. Luka Gavran (St. John's, Canada)
4. Adrian Fernandez (Oregon State, Spain)
5. Kris Shakes (Penn State)
6. Elian Haddock (Yale)
7. Michael Collodi (Columbia)
8. Holden Trent (High Point)
9. Jacob Jackson (Loyola Marymount)
10. Gunther Rankenburg (Georgia State)

One to Watch: Roman Celentano. If you’re reading this, you’ve most likely seen Celentano’s quad save from last month. Celentano impressed coaches during his time at Indiana to the point that both he and sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Schulte were invited to the MLS combine. Celentano is reminiscent of early MLS goalkeepers in how he uses his size to shut down chances on goal and makes the position look surprisingly simple at times. Strikers at the next level will undoubtedly look to offer more nuanced questions and how Celentano answers those questions will be interesting to track. As Celentano’s stock is at an all-time high, keep an eye on the Illinois native to possibly be donning a professional kit sooner than later.

Sophomores

1. Patrick Schulte (St. Louis)
2. Edu Rodriguez (Campbell, Spain)
3. Sam Fowler (Washington)
4. Jacob Castro (San Diego State)
5. Bryan Dowd (Notre Dame)
6. John Harms (Duke)
7. Holden Brown (Virginia)
8. James Lowell (Maryland)
9. Lucas Morefield (IUPUI)
10. Kashope Oladapo (St. Mary's)

One to Watch: Lucas Morefield. Standing at 5’11”, Morefield is praying upon the spirits of Nick Rimando and Jon Busch to have a chance at the next level. IUPUI finished 3-12-1 this fall yet Morefield kept opposing offenses under two goals in a total of ten matches, relying heavily on his impressive reflexes and mobility in the box. Naturally Morefield has an uphill climb moving forward but if the sophomore Jaguar can prove that the lack of height and prestige hasn’t stopped him from developing an effective style, don’t be surprised to see a pro side gamble on him down the line.

Freshmen

1. Nathanael Sallah (Omaha, Germany)
2. Ben Martino (Virginia Tech)
3. Hayden Evans (Michigan)
4. Eoin Gawronski (Temple)
5. Trace Alphin (Wake Forest)
6. Jonathan Kliewer (Detroit)
7. Blake Franzen (Liberty, South Africa)
8. Luca Ulrich (Georgetown)
9. Charles Janssen (UC Davis)
10. Gavin Krenecki (Louisville)

One to Watch: Nathanael Sallah. While many aren’t looking in Nebraska for the top goalkeepers in college soccer, the 6’3” German would certainly be on more radars if he held a US passport. Sallah’s quick tendency to resort to a kicksave and his poor handling will certainly annoy many American coaches but there’s no denying his ability to cover the goalmouth with ease. Sallah has heavy “boom or bust” energy as he can make some big time saves while inversely complicate rather simple situations. If Sallah can clean up some of the simpler parts of his game, he could make a natural transition into the pro game in the US after college. If not, expect to see Sallah struggle to catch on stateside after Omaha.

Past Collegiate Goalkeeper Rankings

2020: Preseason and Final
2019: Preseason and Final
2018: Preseason and Final
2017: Preseason and Final
2016: Preseason and Final
2015: Preseason and Final
2014: Final