George Chapla

Last updated
George Chapla
Personal information
Place of birth England
Position(s) Defender
Youth career
1968–1971 Montclair State University
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1974 Rhode Island Oceaneers
1975 Hartford Bicentennials 5 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

George Chapla is a retired American soccer defender who played one season each in the North American Soccer League and the American Soccer League.

Ethnically Ukrainian [1] and raised in Union Township, Union County, New Jersey, [2] Chapla graduated from Union High School in 1968. [3] He attended Montclair State University, playing on the men's soccer team from 1968 to 1971. [4] In 1974, Chapla turned professional with the Rhode Island Oceaneers. He spent the 1975 season with the Hartford Bicentennials of the North American Soccer League. On August 28, 1975, he scored a goal for the U.S. Olympic soccer team in a 4–2 loss to Mexico in a 1976 Summer Olympics qualification game. The U.S. team failed to qualify for the tournament there. [5] He also played on the 1975 U.S. Pan American Games soccer team. [6]

He coached the Union High School freshmen soccer team in the mid-2000s.

References

  1. Encyclopedia of ethnicity and sports in the United States
  2. Tolvin, Jeff. "U.S. Olympic booters facing ouster today", The Star-Ledger , April 27, 1975. Accessed February 20, 2025, via Newspapers.com. "The U.S. club played without forward Dean Rosow of Drew University, George Chapla, the defenseman from Union and Hartford of the North American Soccer League, and goalie Gary St. Clair of San Jose State."
  3. Parachini, JR. "Jeskey, a 'true gentleman', is honored", Union County LocalSource, September 18, 2008. Accessed February 20, 2025. "'Jim .is a gentleman and very few gentleman are still involved in coaching,' said George Chapla, who played on Union's first UCT championship team in 1967, which was his senior season, with Chapla being a 1968 UHS graduate."
  4. Montclair State University soccer records
  5. "The Year in American Soccer - 1975". Archived from the original on 2009-03-03. Retrieved 2009-08-10.
  6. Panamerican Games 1975 (Mexico) - Match Details