Thompson Usiyan

Last updated • 4 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia

Thompson Usiyan
Personal information
Date of birth(1956-04-27)27 April 1956
Place of birth Effurun, Nigeria
Date of death 31 August 2021(2021-08-31) (aged 65)
Place of death La Mesa, California, U.S.
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Position(s) Forward
College career
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1977–1980 Appalachian State Mountaineers 49 (109)
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1981–1982 Montreal Manic 58 (21)
1981–1982 Montreal Manic (indoor) 16 (13)
1983–1984 Tulsa Roughnecks 11 (1)
1983–1984 Tulsa Roughnecks (indoor) 13 (3)
1984 Oklahoma City Stampede
1984–1987 Minnesota Strikers (indoor) 87 (66)
1985 Tulsa Tornados
1987–1988 Los Angeles Lazers (indoor) 66 (63)
1989 Maryland Bays
1989–1991 St. Louis Storm (indoor) 97 (92)
1991 Hamilton Steelers 7 (2)
1991–1992 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 62 (58)
1992–1993 St. Louis Ambush (indoor) 11 (2)
1993 San Diego Sockers (indoor) 22 (29)
1995 San Jose Grizzlies (indoor) 11 (18)
International career
1976–1981 Nigeria
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Thompson Usiyan (27 April 1956 – 31 August 2021) was a Nigerian professional footballer who played as a forward. He holds the NCAA Division I career scoring record and played in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and Continental Indoor Soccer League. He was a member of the Nigerian Olympic soccer team which boycotted the 1976 Olympics. He made several appearances for the Nigeria national team.

Contents

Youth career

In 1976, Usiyan was selected as a member of the Nigerian 1976 Olympic team. Although the team travelled to the Olympics, which were held in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, it did not compete as a result of a boycott of the games by African and Arab nations. Usiyan chose to remain in North America and received scholarship offers to attend Clemson University, Howard University and Appalachian State University. [1] He chose Appalachian where he set an NCAA record of 109 career goals. Usiyan also set records for most career points (255), goals in a season (46 in 1980), and points in a season (108 in 1980). [2] He was the Southern Conference Player of the Year in 1977, '78, and '80.

Club career

In 1981, Usiyan signed with the Montreal Manic of the North American Soccer League. The Manic traded Usiyan to the Tulsa Roughnecks following the 1982 season. Leg injuries limited him to eleven games for the Roughnecks in 1983. The team released him on 11 March 1984. [3] On 12 April 1984, he signed with the Oklahoma City Stampede of the United Soccer League. [4] He led the league in scoring and finished third in the points standings. [5] In the fall of 1984, he signed with the Minnesota Strikers of the Major Indoor Soccer League. In 1985, he briefly returned to the outdoor game when he signed with the Tulsa Tornados of the USL, but the league collapsed after only six games. [6] Usiyan had arthroscopic surgery later in the summer, but returned to the Strikers in the fall of 1985 and spent the next two seasons in Minnesota. On 26 March 1987, the Strikers traded Usiyan to the Los Angeles Lazers in exchange for Greg Ion after Usiyan had a locker room fight with Strikers goalkeeper Tino Lettieri. [7] Usiyan remained with the Lazers through the 1987–88 season. He did not play again until signed by the Maryland Bays of the American Soccer League in June 1989. [8] During his time away from soccer, he finished his business degree at Appalachian State. On 9 August 1989, he returned to MISL when he signed with the St. Louis Storm. [9] During his two seasons in St. Louis, Usiyan began working as a tax consultant. After finishing his degree, he had spent some time as an accountant and after his retirement, he became a full-time tax consultant. [10] During the summer of 1991, Usiyan played for the Hamilton Steelers in the Canadian Soccer League. [11] On 9 September 1991, the Storm traded Usiyan to the San Diego Sockers in exchange for Branko Segota and the Sockers 1992 first round draft choice. [12] Usiyan won the 1992 MISL championship with the Sockers. On 20 November 1992, Usiyan signed with the St. Louis Ambush of the National Professional Soccer League. [13] [14] On 1 June 1993, the Arizona Sandsharks drafted Usiyan in the first round of the 1993 Continental Indoor Soccer League supplemental draft. [15] Two days later, the San Diego Sockers traded Wes Wade to the Sandsharks in exchange for Usiyan, Alex Golovnia and Nassim Olabi. [16] On 10 September 1993, the league suspended Usiyan indefinitely for accumulated red cards. On 21 June 1995, the San Jose Grizzlies of the CISL drafted Usiyan after he was cleared by the league to play. [17] He retired permanently at the end of the season.

Usiyan was the MISL's sixteenth leading scorer in 1984–85 as a member of the Minnesota Strikers, with 62 points in 47 games. He was fifteenth best a season later with 60 points in 40 contests. Usiyan finished eighth in scoring in the 1987–88 season as a member of the Los Angeles Lazers with 88 points in 51 games. He was sixth best in 1990–91 with 102 points in 51 games played for the St. Louis Storm. Usiyan was amongst the leaders one final time (in the league's last season) finishing fifteenth with 57 points in 40 games playing with the San Diego Sockers. He was named Championship Series Most Valuable Player as the Sockers won the championship.

International career

Usiyan made several appearances for Nigeria, including a 2–0 1982 FIFA World Cup qualifying loss to Algeria on 10 October 1981 in Lagos. He scored on his debut, a friendly match against Kenya in 1976. [18] Usiyan also played for Nigeria at the 1976 African Cup of Nations finals in Ethiopia. [19] He won a silver medal with the Nigerian squad at the 1978 All-Africa Games in Algiers.

Usiyan made his home in San Diego where he was a tax consultant.[ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992)</span> Indoor soccer league in the United States

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Minnesota Strikers</span> Defunct American soccer club

The Minnesota Strikers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) for the 1984 season and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1984 through 1988. The team was based in Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area and played their outdoor home games at Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome and the Met Center for indoor games. Founded in 1967 as the Washington Darts and playing in Miami as the Gatos and the Toros before playing seven season as the Fort Lauderdale Strikers the team left Florida following the 1983 North American Soccer League season. After the 1987–88 season and playing four seasons in the MISL the team ceased operations.

David Joseph Brcic is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He also competed at the 1984 Summer Olympics and earned four caps with the United States men's national soccer team.

Branimir "Branko" Šegota is a Canadian former professional soccer forward, starring in the original Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), the North American Soccer League (NASL), the Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL), the National Professional Soccer League, and the Canadian Soccer League.

Stephen Kinsey is an English former football forward who began his career in 1979 with Manchester City before moving to the United States in 1986. He then played professionally in the Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and others before retiring in 1997.

Gregory Stewart Ion is a Canadian retired soccer midfielder.

James Gorsek, known as Jim Gorsek or Jimmy Gorsek, is a former American soccer goalkeeper. He spent seven seasons in the North American Soccer League, seven seasons in the Major Indoor Soccer League and two in the Continental Indoor Soccer League. He also earned two caps with the U.S. national team in 1985.

Jose “Poli” Garcia is an American former soccer player. He spent at least four seasons in the American Soccer League, three in the North American Soccer League and four in the Major Indoor Soccer League. He was the 1979 American Soccer League MVP and earned two caps with the United States in 1975.

Mirko Castillo was a Peruvian soccer forward who spent his entire professional career in the United States. He played two seasons in the American Soccer League, tying Ricardo Alonso as the 1990 league leading scorer. He then played two seasons in the American Professional Soccer League and over a dozen years playing in five indoor leagues.

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.

Carlos "Chile" Farias is a Chilean soccer forward who has spent his entire professional career in the United States. Over the years, he has played in five indoor and outdoor leagues, including Major League Soccer. He currently plays with the Ontario Fury in the Major Arena Soccer League. He also has a wife, Jacqueline, and two children, David and Favian.

Wes Wade is a retired U.S. soccer player who spent two seasons playing outdoor soccer and fifteen playing indoor soccer. He was a six-time All Star and won five championships with two teams.

Lawrence Adam Michael Abrahams is an English retired professional footballer who played as a striker in England, the United States, and Australia. In a career which lasted from 1977 to 1987, Abrahams played 283 career league games, and scored 142 league goals.

Mike Hunter is a retired U.S. soccer defender who played five seasons in the North American Soccer League as well as one in the Western Soccer Alliance and three in the Major Indoor Soccer League.

Chris Kenny is a retired American soccer defender who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.

Ben Collins is a retired Liberian footballer who played as a midfielder in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.

Asghar Shadin "Cha Cha" Namdar is a retired Iranian-American soccer player who spent time in the Major Indoor Soccer League, North American Soccer League and Continental Indoor Soccer League.

Waad Hirmez is a retired Iraqi-American football (soccer) player who spent most of his professional career in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League.

The 1988–89 Major Indoor Soccer League season was the eleventh in league history and would end with the San Diego Sockers repeating as MISL champions. It was the Sockers' seventh indoor title in eight NASL and MISL seasons. The Sockers would win seventh games in both the semifinals and championship series.

References

  1. ↑ "Records Weren't Made to Be Broken". soconsports.com. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  2. ↑ NCAA Record Book
  3. ↑ "3 Players, 2 Coaches Out in Tulsa" The Daily Oklahoman Friday, 16 March 1984
  4. ↑ "Proven Stars Sign Pacts With 'Pede" The Daily Oklahoman Friday, 13 April 1984
  5. ↑ The Year in American Soccer – 1984
  6. ↑ "THE USL TEAMS" Miami Herald, The (FL) Sunday, 19 May 1985
  7. ↑ "Strikers Usiyan, Lettieri maintain Tacoma's fighting tradition" San Diego Union (CA) Tuesday, 24 March 1987
  8. ↑ "SOCCER – DIPLOMATS RALLY TO UPEND BAYS" Washington Post Monday, 12 June 1989
  9. ↑ "Ilijevski 'Comes Home' – Ex-Steamers Goalie Signs With Storm" St. Louis Post-Dispatch Wednesday, 9 August 1989
  10. ↑ "Tax Man: Usiyan Puts Up Big Numbers For Storm" St. Louis Post-Dispatch Wednesday, 3 April 1991
  11. ↑ "Thompson Usiyan soccer Statistics on StatsCrew.com". www.statscrew.com. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
  12. ↑ "Storm Acquires Segota From Sockers For Usiyan" St. Louis Post-Dispatch Tuesday, 10 September 1991
  13. ↑ "HOME AT LAST – O'KEEFE, AMBUSH PLAY FIRST NPSL GAME AT ARENA TONIGHT" St. Louis Post-Dispatch Friday, 20 November 1992
  14. ↑ NATIONAL PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE FINAL OFFICIAL STATISTICS – 1992–1993 Archived 29 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "Sockers get only Eric Ople in short draft" San Diego Union-Tribune (CA) Wednesday, 2 June 1993
  16. ↑ "Sockers deal Wes Wade for three players" San Diego Union-Tribune (CA) Thursday, 3 June 1993
  17. ↑ "DRAFT HINTS PRO LEAGUE IN TROUBLE" The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon) Thursday, 22 June 1995
  18. ↑ Solaja, Kunle (10 February 2011). "Ehiosun is 58th scoring debutant". Supersport.com.
  19. ↑ Boesenberg, Eric, Stokkermans, Karel and Mazet, François (21 February 2007). "African Nations Cup 1976". RSSSF .{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.