![]() Durgan circa 1984 | |||
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Jeffrey D. Durgan | ||
Date of birth | August 29, 1961 | ||
Place of birth | Tacoma, Washington, United States | ||
Height | 6 ft 2 in (1.88 m) | ||
Position(s) | Defender | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1980–1982 | New York Cosmos | 81 | (0) |
1981–1982 | New York Cosmos (indoor) | 13 | (3) |
1983 | Team America | 27 | (0) |
1983–1984 | New York Cosmos | 13 | (0) |
1984 | New York Cosmos (indoor) | 24 | (2) |
1984–1985 | New York Cosmos (MISL) | 14 | (0) |
1985 | F.C. Seattle | 4 | (0) |
International career | |||
1983–1985 | United States | 7 | (1) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Jeffrey Durgan (born August 29, 1961, in Tacoma, Washington) is a retired U.S. soccer defender who played professionally for the New York Cosmos and seven times for the U.S. national team.
Durgan was born and raised in Tacoma, Washington, where he attended Stadium High School. [1] After graduating, Durgan turned professional with the New York Cosmos of the North American Soccer League (NASL), debuting in April 1980. [1] In his first year in the league he started 28 of the Cosmos' 32 regular games. [2] Showing what sportswriter George Vecsey called "a controlled aggressiveness characteristic of a player far beyond his years", he was named the league's Rookie of the Year, beating Tacoma youth teammate Mark Peterson of the Seattle Sounders. [3] [4] In 1982, he was selected as a second team NASL All Star. [5] Durgan won the Soccer Bowl, the NASL championship, with the Cosmos in 1980 [6] and 1982, [7] but they lost in 1981 to the Chicago Sting after a penalty shootout. [8]
In 1983, the U.S. Soccer Federation attempted to create a more successful U.S. national team by entering the team into the NASL as a franchise, known as Team America. USSF then invited players from throughout the NASL, Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) and American Soccer League to leave their teams to play for Team America. Although he expressed doubts about the new team, [9] Durgan left the Cosmos and signed with Team America, who he captained. [10] Many top players stayed with their previous clubs, something Durgan criticized, saying "let them come and help. You have to get off the fence." Team America ended the season at the bottom of the league [11] and when USSF pulled the national team from the NASL at the end of the 1983 season, Durgan rejoined the Cosmos. In May 1984, the Cosmos asked Durgan and two other players to take a 20% pay cut, and another to take a 45% pay cut. [12] When they refused to accept the cuts the team waived them, and then re-signed Durgan and two other players for less pay after the other eight teams in the NASL declined to sign them under the terms of their original contracts. [13]
When the league folded after the 1984 season, the Cosmos moved to the MISL, but did not make it through the end of the 1984–1985 season before folding. [14]
When the Cosmos collapsed, Durgan moved back to the Seattle area to sign with the semi-professional F.C. Seattle in the MISL on May 20, 1985, and he captained the team. Seattle coach Bruce Rioch released Durgan from the team on July 29, 1985, after an incident involving a tackle with Canadian player John Catliff. [15] [ dubious ]
Durgan earned seven caps with the U.S. national team between 1983 and 1985. He scored one goal. He was also part of the U.S. Olympic team at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles. [16] Due to a leg injury he only played in the third match, against Egypt, and had to retire in the first half. The game was a 1–1 draw and ended the U.S.'s progression in the tournament. [17]
Durgan was named 46th of the top 50 athletes of the 20th century from Washington State by Sports Illustrated. [18]
After retiring from soccer, Durgan earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Washington.[ citation needed ] Durgan currently lives in Michigan with his wife and three children.[ citation needed ]
The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the United States. The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year, 1984. The league was headed by Commissioner Phil Woosnam from 1969 to 1983. The NASL laid the foundations for soccer in the United States that helped lead to the country hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup and the set-up of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.
The Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), known in its final two seasons as the Major Soccer League, was an indoor soccer league in the United States that played matches from fall 1978 to spring 1992.
Richard Dean Davis is an American former soccer midfielder, and former captain of the U.S. National Team for much of the 1980s. He is considered by fans the best U.S.-born player of the North American Soccer League era and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Team America was a professional version of the United States men's national soccer team which played as a franchise in the North American Soccer League (NASL) during the 1983 season. The team was based in Washington, D.C., played its home games at RFK Stadium, and was intended by the NASL and the United States Soccer Federation to build fan support for the league and create a cohesive and internationally competitive national team. However, the team finished in last place and drew only 13,000 fans per game.
The 1984 North American Soccer League season was the 72nd season of FIFA-sanctioned soccer, the 17th with a national first-division league, in the United States and Canada. It would be the 17th and final season of the NASL.
Bob Rigby is an American retired soccer player who played as a goalkeeper. He played twelve seasons in the North American Soccer League, three in the Major Indoor Soccer League, one in the Western Soccer Alliance and earned six caps with the United States men's national soccer team. Rigby was the color commentator with the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer.
Hernan "Chico" Borja was an Ecuadorian-born American soccer player and coach. He spent time in the several U.S.-based leagues including the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and the American Soccer League. He also earned eleven caps with the U.S. national team.
Boris Bandov is a Bosnian-American former professional soccer player who currently coaches youth soccer. Bandov spent ten seasons in the North American Soccer League, two in the Major Indoor Soccer League and one in the United Soccer League. While born in Bosnia-Hercegovina, he became a U.S. citizen in 1976. He earned thirty-three caps, scoring two goals, with the U.S. national team between 1976 and 1983.
Mark Peterson was an American soccer forward who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and Western Soccer Alliance. He also earned six caps, scoring one goal, with the United States men's national soccer team.
Dan Canter was a U.S. soccer defender. He played three seasons in the North American Soccer League and three in Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned nine caps with the U.S. national team, scoring two goals, between 1983 and 1985.
Pedro Guilherme DeBrito was a soccer player who played as a midfielder. His career took him through multiple U.S. leagues including the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and the National Professional Soccer League. Born in Portuguese Cape Verde, he earned one cap with the United States national team in 1983.
Alan Green is a former professional footballer. Born in England, he began his career with Coventry City before moving to the United States in 1979. He played a total of seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned one cap with the U.S. national team.
Jimmy McAlister is a U.S. soccer defender during the 1970s and 1980s. He was the 1977 NASL Rookie of the Year and earned six caps with the U.S. national team.
John Best was a professional soccer player who played as a defender, spending six seasons in the North American Soccer League where he was a five-time first team All Star. He later coached the NASL Seattle Sounders and served as the general manager of the Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Born in England, he also earned one cap with the United States national team in 1973.
Hubert Birkenmeier is a retired German professional footballer who played professionally in Germany, the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and American Soccer League. His greatest success came with the New York Cosmos in the NASL.
Godfrey Patrick Ingram is an English retired professional footballer who played as a striker. Active in England, Wales and the United States, Ingram made over 440 career league appearances, and scored over 270 league goals.
Stanisław Andrzej Terlecki was a Polish footballer.
Veljko Tukša is a retired Yugoslavian association football player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He was the 1982 MISL Defender of the Year.
North American Soccer League (NASL) was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. Beginning in 1975, the league final was called the Soccer Bowl.
Named to the second team were goalkeeper Jan van Beveren of Fort Lauderdale; defenders Barry Wallace of Tulsa, Jeff Durgan and Carlos Alberto of the Cosmos
Jeff Durgan, who has not played in the tournament because of a leg injury, began the match at stopper ... Durgan didn't complete the first half. He reinjured his muscle in 36th minute and retired from the match.