Lars Hirschfeld
Encyclopedia
Lars Justin Hirschfeld is a Canadian
football
goalkeeper currently playing for Vålerenga Fotball in Norway
.
, playing indoor soccer
. He has also played with Energie Cottbus
in Germany
, Calgary Storm, and Vancouver Whitecaps.
, but he rarely featured for the first team at Spurs, however, and went on loan to Luton Town
and Gillingham
before joining Dundee United
in August 2004. A move to Leicester City
followed in January 2005, but Hirschfeld only made one start during the remainder of the 04/05 season.
as a replacement goalkeeper for the remainder of the Norwegian
2005-season
. Hirschfeld made some crucial saves during Tromsø
's campaign to avoid relegation and was a key figure in the UEFA Cup
matches against Esbjerg fB
and Galatasaray
, both of which were won by Tromsø I.L. Nordlys
, a local newspaper in Tromsø
, called Hirschfeld the greatest goalkeeper ever to play for Tromsø I.L., after only 6 matches at his new club. Nordlys ranked him ahead of such goal keepers as Einar Rossbach
, Knut Borch
, and Bjarte Flem
.
The following season, Hirschfeld won the Norwegian Tippeligaen
with Rosenborg B.K.
, having beaten Espen Johnsen
for first-string goalie at the club. Hirschfeld was in goal when Rosenborg
beat Valencia CF
twice in the UEFA Champions League 2007-08 group stage, recording two clean sheets in home-and-away 2-0 wins, and made a number of saves in his side's 1-1 draw away to English club Chelsea FC, the last match in charge of Chelsea for manager José Mourinho
.
in Romania
after joining from Rosenborg
for €1,300,000 on 6 January 2008. With Cluj he immediately won the domestic double but he only played in 5 games in that first (half) season and he did not play at all for them in 2008/2009.
on 26 June 2009 and signed a contract until 30 June 2011.
and turned back to Norway
to sign for Vålerenga Fotball.
in a January 2000 friendly match against Bermuda
but had to compete with Pat Onstad
for the national goalkeeper's jersey. By November 2009, he earned a total of 29 caps. He has represented Canada in 6 FIFA World Cup qualification
matches. Hirschfeld's big break with Canada came at the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup
, where he was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament after allowing only four goals in five matches and recording an impressive semifinal shutout against the United States. This caused English club Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
to take interest, and Hirschfeld signed with them in September 2002.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
goalkeeper currently playing for Vålerenga Fotball in Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
.
Club career
Hirschfeld started his career with the Edmonton DrillersEdmonton Drillers (NPSL)
-Resurrection:On August 23, 1996, at a hastily arranged press conference at Telus Field it was announced that Peter Pocklington has purchased the Chicago Power of the National Professional Soccer League and was moving them to Edmonton for the rapidly approaching 96/97 season...
, playing indoor soccer
Indoor soccer
Indoor soccer or arena soccer, or six-a-side football in the United Kingdom, is a game derived from association football adapted for play in an indoor arena such as a turf-covered hockey arena or skating rink. The most important difference in play is that the indoor field is surrounded by a wall...
. He has also played with Energie Cottbus
Energie Cottbus
FC Energie Cottbus is a German association football club based in Cottbus, Lusatia . It was founded in 1963 as SC Cottbus in what was, at the time, East Germany...
in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, Calgary Storm, and Vancouver Whitecaps.
England
In September 2002, he joined Premier League club Tottenham HotspurTottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
, but he rarely featured for the first team at Spurs, however, and went on loan to Luton Town
Luton Town F.C.
Luton Town Football Club is an English professional football club based since 1905 at Kenilworth Road, Luton, Bedfordshire. The club currently competes in the fifth tier of English football, the Conference National, for the third consecutive season during the 2011–12 season.Formed in 1885, it was...
and Gillingham
Gillingham F.C.
Gillingham Football Club is an English professional football club based in the town of Gillingham, Kent. The only Kent-based club in the Football League, they play their home matches at the Priestfield Stadium...
before joining Dundee United
Dundee United F.C.
Dundee United Football Club is a Scottish professional football club located in the city of Dundee. Formed in 1909, originally as Dundee Hibernian, the club changed to the present name in 1923...
in August 2004. A move to Leicester City
Leicester City F.C.
Leicester City Football Club , also known as The Foxes, is an English professional football club based at the King Power Stadium in Leicester...
followed in January 2005, but Hirschfeld only made one start during the remainder of the 04/05 season.
Norway
Hirschfeld was then signed by Tromsø I.L.Tromsø I.L.
Tromsø Idrettslag is a Norwegian professional football team founded in 1920, and based in Tromsø. They play their home games at Alfheim Stadium. Tromsø I.L...
as a replacement goalkeeper for the remainder of the Norwegian
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
2005-season
Norwegian Premier League 2005
The 2005 season of the Norwegian Premier League began on April 10, 2005, and was concluded with the last of 26 rounds played on October 29. 3 points were given for wins and 1 for draws....
. Hirschfeld made some crucial saves during Tromsø
Tromsø I.L.
Tromsø Idrettslag is a Norwegian professional football team founded in 1920, and based in Tromsø. They play their home games at Alfheim Stadium. Tromsø I.L...
's campaign to avoid relegation and was a key figure in the UEFA Cup
UEFA Cup
The UEFA Europa League is an annual association football cup competition organised by UEFA since 1971 for eligible European football clubs. It is the second most prestigious European club football contest after the UEFA Champions League...
matches against Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg fB
Esbjerg forenede Boldklubber also referred to as Esbjerg fB or simply EfB is a professional Danish football club from the port city of Esbjerg in West Jutland. The club was formed in 1924, as a merger between Esbjerg Boldklub af 1898 and Esbjerg Amatørklub af 1911. The club has training facilities...
and Galatasaray
Galatasaray S.K. (football team)
Galatasaray Anonim Şirketi is a Turkish football club, part of the Galatasaray S.K. multi-sport club of Istanbul. Galatasaray is a major sports club in Turkey, holding 17 Turkish Super League titles and the highest number of Turkish Cups....
, both of which were won by Tromsø I.L. Nordlys
Nordlys
Nordlys is a Norwegian newspaper published in Tromsø, covering the region of Troms, and the largest newspaper in Northern Norway. Chief editor is Anders Opdahl. Nordlys was founded in 1902 by Alfred Eriksen, who also was its first editor-in-chief. Among the later editors are Ivan Kristoffersen, who...
, a local newspaper in Tromsø
Tromsø
Tromsø is a city and municipality in Troms county, Norway. The administrative centre of the municipality is the city of Tromsø.Tromsø city is the ninth largest urban area in Norway by population, and the seventh largest city in Norway by population...
, called Hirschfeld the greatest goalkeeper ever to play for Tromsø I.L., after only 6 matches at his new club. Nordlys ranked him ahead of such goal keepers as Einar Rossbach
Einar Rossbach
Einar Rossbach is a former Norwegian international goalkeeper, he has played for Stridsklev, Ham-Kam, Tromsø, Lyn, Silkeborg, Tollnes and Pors Grenland. He was named goalkeeper of the year in both 1987 and in 1990, and received a Kniksen award in 1990 as "Goalkeeper of the year". VG named him...
, Knut Borch
Knut Borch
Knut Håkon Borch is a retired football goalkeeper from Tromsø in Norway. He served his military service as an athletics assistant in the Royal Norwegian Navy from July 1999 to June 2000 at Olavsvern Naval Base located in Ramfjorden outside of Tromsø.Borch studied medicine at the University of...
, and Bjarte Flem
Bjarte Flem
Bjarte Flem is a former Norwegian football goalkeeper. He played for the Norwegian football club Tromsø I.L..He was immortalized for his mistake during a match against Sogndal I.L. in 1988, which was shown on live television. As Flem was about to throw the ball to a defender on his own team, he...
.
The following season, Hirschfeld won the Norwegian Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen
Tippeligaen is a Norwegian professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Norwegian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. The league is also unofficially known under its neutral name Eliteserien , although the name has never been official...
with Rosenborg B.K.
Rosenborg B.K.
Rosenborg Ballklub is a Norwegian football club from the city of Trondheim, currently playing in the Norwegian Premier League. With 22 league titles and nine Norwegian Cup titles, the club is the most successful in Norway and has dominated Norwegian football since the start of the 1990s...
, having beaten Espen Johnsen
Espen Johnsen
Espen Johnsen is a retired Norwegian football goalkeeper. His brother Marius Johnsen is also a footballer, currently playing for Lillestrøm.-Football career:...
for first-string goalie at the club. Hirschfeld was in goal when Rosenborg
Rosenborg B.K.
Rosenborg Ballklub is a Norwegian football club from the city of Trondheim, currently playing in the Norwegian Premier League. With 22 league titles and nine Norwegian Cup titles, the club is the most successful in Norway and has dominated Norwegian football since the start of the 1990s...
beat Valencia CF
Valencia CF
Valencia Club de Fútbol is a Spanish football club based in Valencia, Spain. They play in La Liga and are one of the most successful and biggest clubs in Spanish Football and European Football. Valencia have won six La Liga titles, seven Copa del Rey trophies, two Fairs Cups which was the...
twice in the UEFA Champions League 2007-08 group stage, recording two clean sheets in home-and-away 2-0 wins, and made a number of saves in his side's 1-1 draw away to English club Chelsea FC, the last match in charge of Chelsea for manager José Mourinho
José Mourinho
José Mário dos Santos Félix Mourinho is a Portuguese football manager and the current manager of Real Madrid. He is commonly known as "The Special One".Mourinho is regarded by some players, coaches and critics as the best ever coach in football....
.
CFR Cluj
Hirschfeld played for CFR ClujCFR Cluj
CFR Cluj is a Romanian professional football club from the city of Cluj-Napoca in Transylvania, Romania. The club had spent most of their existence in the lower divisions, except for a spell in Divizia A in the 1970s, until they received significant financial backing from Árpád Pászkány in 2002...
in Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
after joining from Rosenborg
Rosenborg
Rosenborg may refer to:Denmark:* Rosenborg Castle, a castle in Copenhagen, DenmarkNorway:* Rosenborg, Trondheim, a place in Trondheim, Norway* Rosenborg BK, an association football club based in Trondheim, Norway...
for €1,300,000 on 6 January 2008. With Cluj he immediately won the domestic double but he only played in 5 games in that first (half) season and he did not play at all for them in 2008/2009.
Energie Cottbus
He then turned back to Energie CottbusEnergie Cottbus
FC Energie Cottbus is a German association football club based in Cottbus, Lusatia . It was founded in 1963 as SC Cottbus in what was, at the time, East Germany...
on 26 June 2009 and signed a contract until 30 June 2011.
Valerenga
On 15 January 2010 left his club Energie CottbusEnergie Cottbus
FC Energie Cottbus is a German association football club based in Cottbus, Lusatia . It was founded in 1963 as SC Cottbus in what was, at the time, East Germany...
and turned back to Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
to sign for Vålerenga Fotball.
International career
He made his debut for CanadaCanada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
in a January 2000 friendly match against Bermuda
Bermuda national football team
The Bermuda national football team is the national team of Bermuda and is controlled by the Bermuda Football Association. A member of CONCACAF, it is not among its strongest teams....
but had to compete with Pat Onstad
Pat Onstad
Patrick Stewart "Pat" Onstad is a Canadian soccer retired goalkeeper, who is currently an assistant coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer.-Youth and College:...
for the national goalkeeper's jersey. By November 2009, he earned a total of 29 caps. He has represented Canada in 6 FIFA World Cup qualification
FIFA World Cup qualification
The FIFA World Cup qualification is the process that a national association football team goes through to qualify for the FIFA World Cup Finals. The FIFA World Cup is a global event, so qualification is required to reduce the large field of participants from about 200 to 32.Qualifying tournaments...
matches. Hirschfeld's big break with Canada came at the 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup
2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The 2002 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the sixth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean ....
, where he was named the best goalkeeper of the tournament after allowing only four goals in five matches and recording an impressive semifinal shutout against the United States. This caused English club Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
Tottenham Hotspur Football Club , commonly referred to as Spurs, is an English Premier League football club based in Tottenham, north London. The club's home stadium is White Hart Lane....
to take interest, and Hirschfeld signed with them in September 2002.
Individual
- CONCACAF Gold CupCONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...
Most Valuable Goalkeeper: 2002 - The VoyageursThe VoyageursThe Voyageurs is an unofficial Canadian soccer supporters group founded in 1996, notable for their support of Canada's national teams, awarding of the annual Voyageurs Cup for men's soccer at the MLS and former USL-1 levels and influence in the Canadian soccer media.-History:The group's first...
Player of the Year:- Third place: 2007
External links
- Profile at the official site of the Canadian Soccer Association
- Player info - Rosenborg
- Player profile - Cottbus