Rudy Getzinger
Encyclopedia
Rudy Getzinger is a retired U.S.-Yugoslavian soccer midfielder
. He spent most of his career with Chicago based teams, earned eight caps with the United States and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
.
. In 1958, his family moved to the United States
and settled in Chicago
. When he arrived in Chicago, he joined the Schwaben soccer club as a youth player. That season, Schwaben won the Peel Cup
. At the time that Getzinger joined the club, it was the dominant team in the National Soccer League of Chicago
, having won the league title several years in a row. Getzinger would spend most of his career with Schwaben, winning the National Amateur Cup
with the team in 1964. In 1975, Chicago was awarded a North American Soccer League
(NASL) franchise. The new team, named the Chicago Sting
, drew on local talent to form the core of the roster. Getzinger spent the 1975 and 1976 seasons with the Sting, scoring one goal in sixteen games in 1975 and no goals in three games in 1976. He quit playing professional soccer due to knee injuries.
and 1968 Summer Olympics
. While Getzinger played with the Olympic team in both 1963 and 1968, he did not earn his first caps with the United States
until 1972. He also played the Olympics during 1976. That year, he scored in his debut, an August 20, 1972 loss to Canada
. He went on to play a total of eight caps, but scored only that one goal. His last cap came as a substitute for Barry Barto
in a November 3, 1973 loss to Haiti
.
In 1991, Getzinger was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
.
Midfielder
A midfielder is an association football position. Some midfielders play a more defensive role, while others blur the boundaries between midfielders and forwards. The number of midfielders a team uses during a match may vary, depending on the team's formation and each individual player's role...
. He spent most of his career with Chicago based teams, earned eight caps with the United States and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.
Professional
While born in Yugoslavia, Getzinger spent several years as a boy in AustriaAustria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
. In 1958, his family moved to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and settled in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
. When he arrived in Chicago, he joined the Schwaben soccer club as a youth player. That season, Schwaben won the Peel Cup
Peel Cup
The Peter J. Peel Challenge Cup, better known as the Peel Cup, was an open soccer competition that crowned the Illinois state champion until it was replaced by the Illinois Governor’s Cup in 1970.-Origins:...
. At the time that Getzinger joined the club, it was the dominant team in the National Soccer League of Chicago
National Soccer League of Chicago
The National Soccer League of Chicago, formed by the merger of the Chicago Soccer League and International Soccer Football League of Chicago in 1928, is a semi-professional U.S...
, having won the league title several years in a row. Getzinger would spend most of his career with Schwaben, winning the National Amateur Cup
National Amateur Cup
The National Amateur Cup is an American soccer competition open to all amateur teams affiliated with the United States Soccer Federation...
with the team in 1964. In 1975, Chicago was awarded a North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
(NASL) franchise. The new team, named the Chicago Sting
Chicago Sting
The Chicago Sting was an American professional soccer team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Sting played in the North American Soccer League from 1975 to 1984 and in the Major Indoor Soccer League from in the 1982-83 season and again from 1984 to 1988...
, drew on local talent to form the core of the roster. Getzinger spent the 1975 and 1976 seasons with the Sting, scoring one goal in sixteen games in 1975 and no goals in three games in 1976. He quit playing professional soccer due to knee injuries.
National team
In both 1963 and 1968, he was part of the U.S. Olympic soccer teams which failed to qualify for the 19641964 Summer Olympics
The 1964 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Tokyo, Japan in 1964. Tokyo had been awarded with the organization of the 1940 Summer Olympics, but this honor was subsequently passed to Helsinki because of Japan's...
and 1968 Summer Olympics
1968 Summer Olympics
The 1968 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XIX Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event held in Mexico City, Mexico in October 1968. The 1968 Games were the first Olympic Games hosted by a developing country, and the first Games hosted by a Spanish-speaking country...
. While Getzinger played with the Olympic team in both 1963 and 1968, he did not earn his first caps with the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
until 1972. He also played the Olympics during 1976. That year, he scored in his debut, an August 20, 1972 loss to Canada
Canada 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...
. He went on to play a total of eight caps, but scored only that one goal. His last cap came as a substitute for Barry Barto
Barry Barto
Barry Barto is a retired American soccer midfielder and college coach. He played in the North American Soccer League and coached for thirty years at Philadelphia Textile and UNLV.-College and NASL:...
in a November 3, 1973 loss to Haiti
Haiti national football team
The Haiti national football team represents Haiti in association football and is controlled by the Fédération Haïtienne de Football, the governing body for football in Haiti. Haiti's home ground is Stade Sylvio Cator in Port-au-Prince and their head coach is Edson Tavares...
.
In 1991, Getzinger was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame
National Soccer Hall of Fame
The National Soccer Hall of Fame is a private, non-profit institution established in 1979 that honors soccer achievements in the United States.-History:...
.