Athletes - Bob Gansler

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	Athletes - Bob Gansler

Bob Gansler (born July 1, 1941 in Mucsi, Hungary) is an American soccer player and coach. He coached the US National Team at the 1990 World Cup, the team's first appearance at the tournament since 1950.

Gansler currently coaches the Kansas City Wizards, winning the club's first MLS Cup in 2000 and the US Open Cup in 2004. He also coached the Milwaukee Rampage to the A-League title in 1997. As a player, Gansler made 25 appearances for the United States between 1963 and 1969, captaining the 1964 and 1968 Olympic and 1967 Pan American Teams.

Gansler played for the Chicago Spurs of the National Professional Soccer League in 1967. When the NPSL merged with the United Soccer Association to form the North American Soccer League, the Spurs likewise merged with the Chicago Mustangs, and Gansler played with the Mustangs of the NASL in 1968.

Gansler's tenure during the 1990 World Cup was somewhat controversial. He took a team made up primarily of college and amateur players, leaving professionals such as Rick Davis and Hugo Perez off the roster. At the time, the United States did not have a top division outdoor soccer league, the North American Soccer League having folded in 1985. Most domestic professionals at the time played in indoor leagues, and Gansler felt that the skills required for indoor soccer conflicted with the outdoor game. In addition, the United States had been awarded the 1994 World Cup, and Gansler may have wanted to expose the core of the 1994 team to the World Cup experience. Not unexpectedly, the U.S. showed poorly, although the team won a moral victory of sorts by losing to host Italy 1-0, the Italians prevented the embarrassment of a tie thanks to goalkeeper Walter Zenga.

Coaching Positions

U.S. Under-19 National Team (1979-1982)
University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee (1984-1988)
U.S. Under-20 National Team (1987-1989)
U.S. National Team (1989-1991)
Milwaukee Rampage (1996-1998)
Kansas City Wizards (1999-present)

Honors

Walt Chyzowych Award (2000)
MLS Coach of the Year Award (2000)
MLS Supporters' Shield (2000)
MLS Cup (2000)
Milwaukee Rampage Hall of Fame (inducted 2002)
United Soccer Leagues Hall of Fame (inducted 2002)
US Open Cup (2004)

[ Visit the complete Wikipedia entry for Bob Gansler ]

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