ILOVEBHA
Member
This is my first ever post.Just wondering what happened to the legend Sergei
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What ever happened to Sergei Gotsmanov
- Thread starter ILOVEBHA
- Start date
Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms
King of Sussex
Last edited:
Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms
King of Sussex
I'll try and extract the text...
Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms
King of Sussex
That's wierd, I can't get in without registering myself now, even by using the original link I had. Try a google search and you might find the article...
Anyway, it's an article about Andrei Gotsmanov (Sergei's son) from last year about whether he should go into professional 'soccer' or not. Apparently his older brother is a bit of a star.
Then it goes on about his parents and how they emigrated from Belarus to Minnesota 8 yrs ago, Sergei played out his career for a Minnesota team and now he drives a school bus.
Anyway, it's an article about Andrei Gotsmanov (Sergei's son) from last year about whether he should go into professional 'soccer' or not. Apparently his older brother is a bit of a star.
Then it goes on about his parents and how they emigrated from Belarus to Minnesota 8 yrs ago, Sergei played out his career for a Minnesota team and now he drives a school bus.
Perry's Tracksuit Bottoms
King of Sussex
Right, sorted out my gremlins. Here you go...
Posted on Tue, Sep. 02, 2003
A path well-chosen
Andrei Gotsmanov's options were to follow his father's career in European amateur soccer or his brother's at Woodbury High School.
BY TIM LEIGHTON
Pioneer Press
One thing was certain when Woodbury senior midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov found himself at a proverbial fork in the road. Whichever path he chose in life, a soccer ball would be in tow.
Dreams of playing professional soccer lured him down one road, but that would have meant going to Europe or his native Russia to begin working his way up through the development leagues. Gotsmanov wasn't sure he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Sergei.
The other road would keep him in the United States, his new country, where he might be offered an athletic scholarship for a college education that would prepare him for life beyond his playing days.
"Opportunities are what brought us to the United States,'' Gotsmanov said. "I'll never forget how excited I was about everything when we got here.''
Gotsmanov, 17, immigrated eight years ago with his family from Belarus. His mother, Olga, got a job in the Twin Cities as a gymnastics instructor. She had been a member of the Soviet Union's Olympic and world championship teams.
Gotsmanov chose which route to take after high school almost as quickly as one of his rocket shots from 35 yards. Professional soccer would have to wait. Among the colleges courting Minnesota's best player this season are St. John's of New York, the University of Wisconsin, Philadelphia University, Jacksonville University and the University of South Carolina.
"My dad played professional soccer and didn't go to college,'' Gotsmanov said. "His sons now have an opportunity that he didn't have.''
Sascha Gotsmanov, Andrei's older brother and Woodbury's all-time leading soccer scorer, is a junior playing at the University of Rhode Island.
ENDLESS COMPARISONS
Gotsmanov chuckles because he knows the inevitable is coming. He's used to the questions analyzing him and his older brother. For years, he played in the shadow of Sascha, a magician with a soccer ball.
Although they often played together in a yard or an open field, Andrei played with Sascha at the high school level for only 10 minutes, when Andrei was called up to the varsity as a freshman.
"Everyone looks up to their older brother, but we still wanted to be better than the other,'' Andrei said. "We can get into arguments, but it is a healthy competition.''
Sascha was a high-scoring forward who played primarily with his back to the goal. At times, Woodbury's game plan seemed to be to get him the ball and let him do his thing. While Sascha is more of a pure goal-scorer, Andrei's is a crafty playmaker.
From the center midfield, Andrei quickly surveys the turf between him and the goal. He prefers to pass, getting nearly as much satisfaction with threading a ball in the tightest of spaces as he does from scoring. Andrei, who is bigger and stronger than Sascha, broke out in his junior season with 14 goals and nine assists. That followed a sophomore season when he was shy and timid but still effective.
Andrei, considered the most talented player in his age group in the Midwest Region of the Olympic Development Program, is dangerous from anywhere within 40 yards of the goal.
"What dazzles me is Andrei is so good from that far out,'' Woodbury coach Joe Quintavalle said. "He has so many options. He easily has the skill to go (1 on 1). He not only beats you, but he makes you look stupid. You will see him do some things no high school player has ever done.
"His distribution is incredible, too. He is also uncanny at letting go of a shot from there. It's not always 100 mph, but he hits the corners and they go in. That's what counts.''
SHADOWING A SUPERSTAR
In a 2-0 loss to Holy Angels to open the season on Aug. 21, Gotsmanov had plenty of company in the second half as Woodbury tried to catch the Stars. He nearly trimmed the margin in half with 40 seconds remaining in the first half on a 40-yard shot that hit the crossbar.
That was all Holy Angels coach Greg Holker needed to see. He assigned a player, primarily junior midfielder James See, to hound Gotsmanov.
"He is a great player,'' an exhausted See said afterward. "It was such a mental challenge because you were never sure what he was going to do next.''
In the final 40 minutes, Gotsmanov engineered three quality scoring opportunities that couldn't be finished off. He acknowledged the extra attention in the second half with a chuckle and a shrug.
"Andrei is a little like Barry Bonds,'' Bloomington Jefferson coach Dan Storlien said. "At any moment, he can ding you and get his team back into the game.''
But Quintavalle doesn't want Gotsmanov to be a one-man show.
"Andrei is our best player, but I'm not asking him to take us on his shoulders,'' he said. "We won't go anywhere if we don't do it as a team.''
Storlien invited Gotsmanov and Woodbury teammate Brian Racine to play with an under-19 team littered with college stars this past summer. The team cruised to a championship in the USA Cup tournament.
"Those college guys with a season of Division I under their belt were very impressed with (Andrei),'' Storlien said.
LEARNING THE GAME
Gotsmanov developed many of his technical and tactical skills by watching his father and brother, as well as attending a soccer academy in Belarus.
Sergei Gotsmanov, a tireless midfielder with a high work rate, played 31 games with the Russian National Team from 1985-89. He also played with FC Dynamo Minsk and scored 46 goals in 280 matches. He also played professionally in England and Germany.
When the family arrived in Minnesota, he played three seasons with the Minnesota Thunder of the A-League. He is now a school bus driver.
"He was at the end of his career when he came here,'' said John Menk, a former Thunder teammate. "Playing here was a way to develop relationships and friends for him and his family.''
Along the way, the game opened up avenues for his soccer-playing sons.
Posted on Tue, Sep. 02, 2003
A path well-chosen
Andrei Gotsmanov's options were to follow his father's career in European amateur soccer or his brother's at Woodbury High School.
BY TIM LEIGHTON
Pioneer Press
One thing was certain when Woodbury senior midfielder Andrei Gotsmanov found himself at a proverbial fork in the road. Whichever path he chose in life, a soccer ball would be in tow.
Dreams of playing professional soccer lured him down one road, but that would have meant going to Europe or his native Russia to begin working his way up through the development leagues. Gotsmanov wasn't sure he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Sergei.
The other road would keep him in the United States, his new country, where he might be offered an athletic scholarship for a college education that would prepare him for life beyond his playing days.
"Opportunities are what brought us to the United States,'' Gotsmanov said. "I'll never forget how excited I was about everything when we got here.''
Gotsmanov, 17, immigrated eight years ago with his family from Belarus. His mother, Olga, got a job in the Twin Cities as a gymnastics instructor. She had been a member of the Soviet Union's Olympic and world championship teams.
Gotsmanov chose which route to take after high school almost as quickly as one of his rocket shots from 35 yards. Professional soccer would have to wait. Among the colleges courting Minnesota's best player this season are St. John's of New York, the University of Wisconsin, Philadelphia University, Jacksonville University and the University of South Carolina.
"My dad played professional soccer and didn't go to college,'' Gotsmanov said. "His sons now have an opportunity that he didn't have.''
Sascha Gotsmanov, Andrei's older brother and Woodbury's all-time leading soccer scorer, is a junior playing at the University of Rhode Island.
ENDLESS COMPARISONS
Gotsmanov chuckles because he knows the inevitable is coming. He's used to the questions analyzing him and his older brother. For years, he played in the shadow of Sascha, a magician with a soccer ball.
Although they often played together in a yard or an open field, Andrei played with Sascha at the high school level for only 10 minutes, when Andrei was called up to the varsity as a freshman.
"Everyone looks up to their older brother, but we still wanted to be better than the other,'' Andrei said. "We can get into arguments, but it is a healthy competition.''
Sascha was a high-scoring forward who played primarily with his back to the goal. At times, Woodbury's game plan seemed to be to get him the ball and let him do his thing. While Sascha is more of a pure goal-scorer, Andrei's is a crafty playmaker.
From the center midfield, Andrei quickly surveys the turf between him and the goal. He prefers to pass, getting nearly as much satisfaction with threading a ball in the tightest of spaces as he does from scoring. Andrei, who is bigger and stronger than Sascha, broke out in his junior season with 14 goals and nine assists. That followed a sophomore season when he was shy and timid but still effective.
Andrei, considered the most talented player in his age group in the Midwest Region of the Olympic Development Program, is dangerous from anywhere within 40 yards of the goal.
"What dazzles me is Andrei is so good from that far out,'' Woodbury coach Joe Quintavalle said. "He has so many options. He easily has the skill to go (1 on 1). He not only beats you, but he makes you look stupid. You will see him do some things no high school player has ever done.
"His distribution is incredible, too. He is also uncanny at letting go of a shot from there. It's not always 100 mph, but he hits the corners and they go in. That's what counts.''
SHADOWING A SUPERSTAR
In a 2-0 loss to Holy Angels to open the season on Aug. 21, Gotsmanov had plenty of company in the second half as Woodbury tried to catch the Stars. He nearly trimmed the margin in half with 40 seconds remaining in the first half on a 40-yard shot that hit the crossbar.
That was all Holy Angels coach Greg Holker needed to see. He assigned a player, primarily junior midfielder James See, to hound Gotsmanov.
"He is a great player,'' an exhausted See said afterward. "It was such a mental challenge because you were never sure what he was going to do next.''
In the final 40 minutes, Gotsmanov engineered three quality scoring opportunities that couldn't be finished off. He acknowledged the extra attention in the second half with a chuckle and a shrug.
"Andrei is a little like Barry Bonds,'' Bloomington Jefferson coach Dan Storlien said. "At any moment, he can ding you and get his team back into the game.''
But Quintavalle doesn't want Gotsmanov to be a one-man show.
"Andrei is our best player, but I'm not asking him to take us on his shoulders,'' he said. "We won't go anywhere if we don't do it as a team.''
Storlien invited Gotsmanov and Woodbury teammate Brian Racine to play with an under-19 team littered with college stars this past summer. The team cruised to a championship in the USA Cup tournament.
"Those college guys with a season of Division I under their belt were very impressed with (Andrei),'' Storlien said.
LEARNING THE GAME
Gotsmanov developed many of his technical and tactical skills by watching his father and brother, as well as attending a soccer academy in Belarus.
Sergei Gotsmanov, a tireless midfielder with a high work rate, played 31 games with the Russian National Team from 1985-89. He also played with FC Dynamo Minsk and scored 46 goals in 280 matches. He also played professionally in England and Germany.
When the family arrived in Minnesota, he played three seasons with the Minnesota Thunder of the A-League. He is now a school bus driver.
"He was at the end of his career when he came here,'' said John Menk, a former Thunder teammate. "Playing here was a way to develop relationships and friends for him and his family.''
Along the way, the game opened up avenues for his soccer-playing sons.
Curious Orange
Punxsatawney Phil
If either of Sergei's sons have half the ability of their Dad they would easily be able to turn pro.
Cadiz Seagull
Grey bearded old man
Sign them up!
Albion Dan
Banned
Was a sad day we lost Sergei to the Saints scum!
Uncle C
Well-known member
If I remeber correctly Lloyd brought him in then sat him on the bench as sub even though he was head and shoulders above the rest of the team.
Lloyd always was a prat
Lloyd always was a prat
Curious Orange
Punxsatawney Phil
Uncle C said:
You sure you aren't thinking of Stefan Iovan!!!
Sergi Gotsmanov
New member
I'm here!
Zeitgeist
New member
Sergei's biggest disapointment must have been the sponsored car he was presented with at Brighton.....A lada!
Comedy Steve
We're f'ing brilliant
Cadiz Seagull said:
I was just thinking that... Andrei sounds a bit useful!
Digweeds Trousers
New member
We've got a Russian International!!!