Tino Lettieri

Last updated

Tino Lettieri
Personal information
Full name Martino Lettieri
Date of birth (1957-09-27) 27 September 1957 (age 67)
Place of birth Bari, Italy
Height 5 ft 8 in (1.73 m)
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1976 Montreal Castors
1977–1981 Minnesota Kicks 88 (0)
1980–1981 Minnesota Kicks (indoor) 14 (0)
1982–1983 Vancouver Whitecaps 55 (0)
1984 Vancouver Whitecaps (indoor) 13 (0)
1984 Minnesota Strikers 18 (0)
1984–1987 Minnesota Strikers (indoor) 121 (0)
1987 Hamilton Steelers 9 (0)
International career
1980–1986 Canada 24 (0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Martino "Tino" Lettieri (born 27 September 1957) is a former NASL and MISL professional soccer goalkeeper, who represented Canada twice at the Summer Olympics: 1976 and 1984 and at the 1986 FIFA World Cup.

Contents

Club career

Lettieri began his pro career with the Montreal Castors in the National Soccer League in 1976. [1] In 1977, he played with the Minnesota Kicks in the North American Soccer League and played there until 1981. He went on to play the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1982 and 1983 and the Minnesota Strikers in 1984. He was named NASL North American Player of the Year in 1983 [2] and had the league's best Goals Against Average in both 1982 and 1983. [3] [4]

Lettieri was a regular in the original MISL.[ citation needed ] He continued to play for the Strikers as the team joined the indoor league, playing the 1984–85 season through to 1987–88.[ citation needed ] Lettieri was voted Goalkeeper of the Year for the 1986–87 season.[ citation needed ] Lettieri led the Strikers to a runner-up finish in the MISL playoffs during the 1985-86 season, as the team fell 4-3 in the championship round to the San Diego Sockers. Two years later, the Strikers won the Eastern Division.

Lettieri finished his outdoor career in 1987 with the Hamilton Steelers in Canadian Soccer League. [5] He was elected to the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2001.[ citation needed ]

Lettieri is often remembered for his keeping a stuffed parrot in the back of his net during games. [6] [7] The bird was named "Ozzie". In 1985 the league banned Ozzie from the nets. [8]

International career

Lettieri made his full international debut for Canada on 17 September 1980 in a 3–0 victory over New Zealand in Edmonton. He earned 24 caps for Canada and was the first-choice goalkeeper from 1980 until 1986. In the 1986 World Cup, Lettieri played two of Canada's three matches, the latter of which, a 0–2 defeat to the Soviet Union in Irapuato, was his final international appearance. [9] In 2001, Lettieri was honored by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame, and a year later was named a member of the Quebec Soccer Hall of Fame.[ citation needed ] He was named by Canada Soccer as one of the top 100 Canadian footballers of all time in 2012.[ citation needed ]

Personal life

Lettieri is married to Michelle Nanne, the daughter of Minnesota North Stars hockey player and general manager Lou Nanne. [10] He now runs a successful food products business, Tino's Cafe Pizzeria, in Shorewood, Minnesota. [11] His son, Vinni, played hockey for the University of Minnesota and signed with the New York Rangers in 2017. [12] [13]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Soccer League</span> Defunct major soccer league in the United States and Canada

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 setting up Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.

<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.

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

The Minnesota Kicks was a professional soccer team that played at Metropolitan Stadium in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington, Minnesota, from 1976 to 1981. The team was a member of the now defunct North American Soccer League (NASL). Initially known as the Denver Dynamos, the team relocated and became the Minnesota Kicks in 1976. The Kicks quickly became one of the league's more popular teams, with an average attendance of 23,120 fans per game in 1976. The Kicks won their division four years in a row from 1976 to 1979. The Kicks drew over 23,000 fans in each season from 1976 to 1979, with attendance peaking at 32,775 in 1977.

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.

Michael Sweeney is a Canadian former soccer player. In 2012, as part of the Canadian Soccer Association's centennial celebration, he was named to the all-time Canada XI men's team.

Tony Chursky is a former Canadian national soccer team and NASL goalkeeper.

Arnold "Arnie" Mausser is an American former soccer goalkeeper who played with eight different NASL teams from 1975 to 1984. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

Ian Christopher Bridge is a soccer coach and former professional who played as a defender. A former player for the Canada national team, he has coached the Canada women's national team among other teams.

Domenic Mobilio was a Canadian professional soccer player who played as a striker.

Jan Goossens is a former Dutch soccer player and coach. He played for clubs from the Netherlands and Canada, but spend most of his career in the United States of America. Jan Goossens played 612 official matches and scored a total of 474 goals during his career.

Bruce Miller is a Canadian retired soccer player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, and Major Indoor Soccer League. He also earned eight caps with the Canada national team and coached the Cleveland Crunch to two National Professional Soccer League titles. He now coaches youth soccer in Northern Ohio.

Thompson Usiyan 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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">San Jose Earthquakes (1974–1988)</span> Defunct American soccer club

The San Jose Earthquakes were a professional soccer club that played from 1974 to 1988. The team began as an expansion franchise in the North American Soccer League (NASL), and was originally set to play in San Francisco; but slow season ticket sales led to a late switch to San Jose's Spartan Stadium. The switch to sports-starved San Jose was an immediate hit, and the Earthquakes led the league with attendance over 15,000 per game in 1974, double the league average. The team's success led Spartan Stadium to be chosen as site of the first NASL Soccer Bowl in 1975. From 1983 to 1984, the team was known as the Golden Bay Earthquakes. During this time, it also played in the original Major Indoor Soccer League and in the NASL's indoor circuit, winning the first ever NASL indoor tournament in 1975. Their indoor games were first played at the Cow Palace and later at the Oakland Coliseum Arena.

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.

Ricardo Alonso is a former soccer player who began as a forward before moving to defender later in his career. Alonso spent six seasons in the North American Soccer League, four in Major Indoor Soccer League, at least three in the American Indoor Soccer Association, one in the American Soccer League and two in the American Professional Soccer League.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Canadian Soccer League (1987–1992)</span> Former soccer league in Canada

The Canadian Soccer League was a Division 1 professional soccer league that operated for six seasons between 1987 and 1992. It was a nationwide league that had teams in six provinces over the course of its history. It was the last top-division league in Canada until the Canadian Premier League began play in 2019.

Philip Joseph Johns is a retired American soccer goalkeeper. Johns spent four seasons in the North American Soccer League, eight in the Major Indoor Soccer League, two in the National Professional Soccer League and one in the Continental Indoor Soccer League. He was also a member of the United States national futsal team which placed second at the 1992 FIFA Futsal World Championship.

The 1983–84 North American Soccer League indoor season was the fourth and last in league history. The San Diego Sockers defeated the New York Cosmos for their third straight indoor title, having won the NASL Indoor title in 1981–82 and the MISL title in 1982–83.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vinni Lettieri</span> American ice hockey player

Vinni Lettieri is an American professional ice hockey center for the Providence Bruins of the American Hockey League (AHL) while under contract to the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League (NHL).

References

  1. ↑ "Castors feature international soccer stars". Ottawa Journal. 17 June 1976. p. 30.
  2. ↑ "NASL Honors Whitecap Goalie". The Palm Beach Post . 22 September 1983. p. D12.
  3. ↑ "The Year in American Soccer - 1982". Homepages.sover.net. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "The Year in American Soccer - 1983". Homepages.sover.net. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  5. ↑ "Tino Lettieri soccer statistics on StatsCrew.com".
  6. ↑ Terry Bigham (17 April 1986). "Sidekicks Stay Alive, Overcome Strikers, 4-1". The Dallas Morning News .
  7. ↑ Franz Lidz (3 September 1984). "If Tino Lettieri is the NASL's best goalie, he owes it all". Sports Illustrated . Archived from the original on 16 April 2014. Retrieved 7 October 2013.
  8. ↑ "STRIKERS GOALIE SQUAWKS OVER BENCHING OF MASCOT". Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 10 November 2023.
  9. ↑ "Tino Lettieri". www.canadasoccer.com. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  10. ↑ Russo, Michael (14 February 2018). "From soccer to football to the NHL, Vinni Lettieri cut his..." The Athletic. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  11. ↑ "About Me". Tino's Cafe Pizzeria. Retrieved 16 April 2014.
  12. ↑ "Vinni Lettieri". Gophersports.com. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  13. ↑ "Lettieri Inks Deal with Rangers". Gophersports.com. Retrieved 17 June 2021.
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.