Martin Cohen (soccer)

Last updated

Martin Cohen
Personal information
Full name Martin Cohen
Date of birth (1952-02-03) 3 February 1952 (age 72)
Place of birth Johannesburg, South Africa
Position(s) Midfielder
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
1970–1977 Highlands Park
1977 Los Angeles Aztecs 21 (0)
1978–1979 Highlands Park
1979 California Surf 23 (0)
1980–1982 Highlands Park
1983–1984 Wits University
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Martin Cohen (born 3 February 1952) is a South African former professional association footballer who played for the Los Angeles Aztecs.

Contents

Playing career

Cohen was born in Johannesburg, South Africa, and is Jewish. [1] [2] [3] He was a starter for Highlands Park during the apartheid era of soccer in South Africa. He had trained with this club since the age of 10. [4] On 20 April 1974, Cohen was part of the White XI that played their black counterparts in a racially charged match at Rand Stadium. After initially going down 1-0 to the black side (the goal was called off-side by referee Wally Turner), Cohen scored a crucial goal before Neil Roberts put the game away. [5]

In 1975, Cohen won the South Africa's player of the year. [6]

In December 1976 he signed with the Los Angeles Aztecs. [4] He scored his first two goals in the first leg of the second round of the NASL playoffs against the Dallas Tornado as the Aztecs won 3-1. [7] He played with the California Surf in 1979. [8]

His son, Larry Cohen, is also a footballer.

See also

Footnotes

  1. "! {Exclamation mark)". 14 December 2014 via PressReader.
  2. http://docshare04.docshare.tips/files/7963/79633183.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  3. "Where have South African Jewish sporting heroes gone?". South African Jewish Report.
  4. 1 2 "Aztecs sign Martin Cohen". Tampa Tribune. 25 December 1976.
  5. Cress, Doug (3 July 2000). "Color Bind". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 27 September 2009.
  6. Glick, Shav (21 August 1977). "Aztecs Face Seattle Test Today". Los Angeles Times. p. III.11.
  7. "...while Los Angeles battles". Fort Myers News-Press. 16 August 1977.
  8. "Surf plays Moscow team tonight in Anaheim". Los Angeles Times. 23 February 1979.


Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American Soccer League (1968–1984)</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 the set-up of Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Los Angeles Aztecs</span> Defunct American soccer club

The Los Angeles Aztecs were an American professional soccer team based in Los Angeles, California that existed from 1974 to 1981. The Aztecs competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1974 to 1981 as well as the 1975 NASL Indoor tournament, the 1979–80 and 1980–81 NASL Indoor seasons, and won the NASL Championship in 1974. During their eight years of existence, the Aztecs played at four different venues and were controlled by four different ownership groups, European soccer legends George Best and Johan Cruyff played for the team, and from 1975 to 1977 English singer Elton John was a part-owner.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bob Lenarduzzi</span> Canadian soccer player

Robert Italo Lenarduzzi, OBC is a former North American Soccer League player, Canadian international, and coach of the Canadian national and Olympic soccer teams. He is currently club liaison for Vancouver Whitecaps FC. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Charlie Cooke</span> Scottish footballer

Charles Cooke is a Scottish former footballer. He played as a winger for Aberdeen, Dundee, Chelsea and Crystal Palace, before ending his career in the United States.

Robert "Bob" Bolitho is a Canadian former soccer player who played for the Canadian national team and in the North American Soccer League and Canadian Soccer League.

Derek Smethurst is a retired South African soccer forward who played professionally in South Africa, England and the United States.

Les "Buzz" Parsons is a Canadian former soccer player who played at both professional and international levels as a midfielder. During his career in North America with the Vancouver Whitecaps, Parsons was affectionately known as "White Shoes", owing to the white boots he wore. After retiring as a player, Parsons later became a professional soccer coach.

Mike McLenaghen is a Canadian former North American Soccer League player and member of the Canadian national soccer team.

Steve David is a Trinidadian former North American Soccer League and international football player.

Gary Etherington is a retired soccer player who began his professional career in the North American Soccer League before moving to the Major Indoor Soccer League. He earned seven caps with the U.S. national team. Since retiring, Etherington has coached youth soccer and is a soccer equipment salesman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Juli Veee</span> Former soccer player (born 1950)

Juli Veee is a former professional soccer player who played as a forward. Announced as "Double-deuce, triple-E, the one and only Juli Veee", Veee experienced his greatest success as an indoor player with the San Diego Sockers. Born in Hungary, he earned four caps, scoring two goals, with the United States national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Miro Rys</span> American soccer player

Miro Rys was a Czech American soccer forward who played professionally in the North American Soccer League. Rys earned three caps, scoring one goal, with the U.S. national team. A talented striker with, according to Bill Foulkes, "a cannon-like shot and a tremendous desire", Rys was the biggest American soccer prospect of his time and, according to Jim Pollihan, was expected to become "the top American player in a year or two" when he died in a car accident outside Dortmund, Germany while there to try out for several professional teams.

Douglas McMillan is a former Scottish-American soccer forward. He was both the 1973 American Soccer League Rookie of the Year and the 1974 North American Soccer League Rookie of the Year. He earned two caps with the United States national team in 1974.

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.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chris Dangerfield</span> English footballer (born 1955)

Christopher George Dangerfield is an English former footballer who spent most of his career in the United States.

Tony Douglas is a retired professional football (soccer) forward from Trinidad and Tobago. He spent his professional career in the United States, playing in the North American Soccer League, American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He earned seven caps, scoring one goal, with the Trinidad and Tobago national football team.

Ian Frederick Filby is an English retired professional footballer who played professionally as a forward for a number of clubs in England, South Africa and North America.

Bill Sautter is a retired American soccer player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League, American Soccer League and United Soccer League.

Luís Fernando Trieweiler, better known as Luís Fernando Gaúcho, is a Brazilian retired footballer who played in the 1970s and 80s in Brazil, the United States and Portugal. He was known simply as Luís Fernando while playing in the North American Soccer League.

Luis Marotte is an Uruguayan former footballer who played as a midfielder.