Sorry to hear that. I got to know Vanole a bit when he played in the Bay Area with the Blackhawks, and he really was larger than life, quite a character (as Mike Windischmann said in Michael Lewis' article). He'll be missed all over the landscape of American soccer.
Wow, what a tragedy. He was a great, great guy. Thoughts and prayers to his family. He was also a tremendous GK coach, having coached the likes of Kevin Hartman, Matt Reis, Nick Rimando, DJ Countess and Zach Wells at UCLA, Rimando and Tim Howard with the U20 team, Rimando again at DC United and Reis again with the Revs as well as coaching some of the better women goalkeepers. He was also a much better goalkeeper for the US than most people realize. He was 5-1 with two shutouts in Olympic qualifiers back when the full national team played in the Olympics and qualifiers (even though FIFA doesn't recognize those games as full caps anymore) and got two ties, including a shutout against host Korea in the 88 games. He was also undefeated in qualifying for Italia 90, going 3-0-2 with two shutouts as a starter before Bob Gansler made the switch to Tony Meola. And, contrary to what Michael Lewis wrote in his article, Vanole did make the 90 World Cup team as a backup. No. 22 in your programs, ladies and gents. http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/w/pwc/mr_48.html (Also, the NCAA title he won at UCLA was in 85, not 83 as the BigAppleSoccer.com article stated.) A sad day for US Soccer.
Holy crap! I can't believe he's died so young. Is he the first member of the (modern) US world cup squads to die?
My fond memory of David was back in the pro-beach soccer days when he sported the shades in goal. I thought that was so cool! He had Edgar Davids beat bt 7 years! My thought are with Vanole family and the Revolution. Davis from what've I always read and heard was a stand up guy who loved be around people and the game he loved.
I was one of those St. Louisian's in the capacity crowd of 8,500 at St. Louis Soccer Park that went into a frenzy when David saved the Penalty Kick vs Costa Rica. Thoughts and prayers go out to his family. 43 is way to young.
Exactly correct. As were all of the US players from that era and earlier eras as well. One of my pet peeves is the lack of respect shown to players who represented our country in the 50's 60's 70's and 80's. Quite a few BigSoccer posters don't give those players any credit at all for being the tremendous players that they were. Were they World Class? No. Probably not. They were terrific players though. I'm talking about guys like Harry Keough, Walter Bahr, Charley Columbo, Pat McBride, Al Trost, Greg Makowski (A three-time, first team All-American @ SIU from 1975 through 1977) Perry Vanderbeck and many many others who represented the US of A and gave all they had while playing in relative obscurity.
We weren't friends, but we were rivals in HS who crossed paths many times after that in the soccer community. Dave went to Aviation HS, I went to Leuzinger, both of us Class of '81. I played against him more than a few times and I can tell you this, he was a terrific GK and a great guy. My thoughts and prayers are with his family right now. I wonder how many other guys from the old neighborhood have heard. RIP big fella.
Without David Vanole's save against Costa Rica, we might not have gone to Italy 90. I remember running into him and another Nats coach on a flight out of LAX in the late 1990s (they were wearing Nats sweat suits, IIRC). He wasn't used to being recognized. "Hey, aren't you David Vanole, the goalkeeper? I remember that save you made in qualifying. That was huge!" The coach who was with him said "Hey, you've got a fan!" They were headed to one of the Youth WCs... Rest in Peace, David Vanole...
Fully agree with this, rep coming. It is almost as if the USSF is embarrassed by its past, refuses to acknowledge it in any way and gives absolutely NO credence to the many former players still around who busted their ass for the red white and blue. Busted their ass when the powers that be really had their collective heads up their collective asses....they did fcuk all for these players then or now. Sometimes it seems that the more things change...the more they remain the same. Although I never knew Vanole I did know of him and I wish him eternal rest and hope and pray his family finds the strength to get through this terrible time.
I agree. I was not born yet to see Harry Keough, Walter Bahr, Charley Columbo & Pat McBride, but I do remember Al Trost , Ricky Davis and Jeff Durgan. For some reason the NASL continues to be snubbed not only by the USSF/MLS but among many soccer people. I see some NASL'ers getting into the hall of fame but it seems like the MLS boys are getting in a lot faster and easier that the old timers were. Everyone forgets about the NASL but if it wasn't for the NASL, we would have never had a WC in this country, 5 straight wc appearances or a successful national team not to mention an MLS. Vanole and the rest of the 1990 WC team all grew up emulating the NASL. When I think back to the results of the USMNT in the NASL days and compare them to now, I don't see a world of differences. I mean in big games, the results seem the same although today we have more confidence and more winning. I remember the USMNT tied Italy in 1984 0-0. In the Summer Olympic soccer tournament that year, the games were considered a mini WC only the teams couldn't use players who had played a WC match. They played just as well (or as bad) as this summers World Cup Team did. Clearly the players are better and more successful today to a point, but I think that is only because there wasn't any money in the USMNT team program in those days nor was there any emphasis given to the national team or American players, for that matter. Had those players been given the opportunity of today's players, I believe they could have been just as if not more successful than the current lot. I always wondered what would have happened to players like Vanole had the league not folded? I'm sure David Vanole grew up worshiping the NASL. He probably would have been a starter had the league not folded. I guess he figured by the time the MLS started in 1996, he was too old to begin play. He was a great GK. I remember he saved the pk by reading the forwards eyes. He later admitted that he was also the cause of the pk because he tripped up the forward. RIP!