Brent Goulet is one of the 'deans' of YA, having spent around a decade abroad in Germany. Since last winter, he is coach of his former playing club, SV ELVERSBERG, in German regional league South (their 3rd division) The club has had several YAs pass thru their doors over the years, and last year they came close to being demoted. However, they have started the new season in fine fashion, and are only one full game from the 2nd automatic promotion spot. They are on a 7 wins, 2 loss, 3 tie run over their past 12 games. Anyway, it'll be interesting to keep up with Elversberg, since it would quite unique if Goulet become an American head coach in BL2- likely a first (European-wide). Michael dot.com Mason is still plying his trade for Elversberg, and according to his strike partner, Mason is still one of the best forwards in the Regional League. Elversberg would be a true minnow if they got to BL2. Check out their stadium in the pics- its tiny. Here's rooting for the tiny little club from Southern Germany and our Yankee boys... http://www.sv07elversberg.de/ Another interesting story is with Hamburg's Amateur team, in the Regional League North. They are currently in 2nd place, and if they would be a normal profi club, would be in line for promotion, but they won't due to their amateur status. However, Yank Ian Joy has been a regular in their defense, and is only 23 years old. Since the mother club is in the BL....who knows, maybe Ian one day also can make the leap? (seems to be a lot of that going on lately)...
Fascinating find, jri. Goulet was one of my favorite players to follow pre-MLS, in the WSL (which was also a pre-cursor to the APSL, which begat the A-League, etc)... it was a shame that he didn't get a break to crack hi way into MLS in the very beginning. But it is nice to see that he's done well while embarking on a coaching career, and his future in that regard would appear to have some great promise.
Well, good luck for him, but Elversberg is definetely a club i don't want to see to get promoted. There are probably youth teams with a higher attendance.
http://www.kicker.de/content/spielplan/spieltag.asp?folder=5250&liga_id=37 dot.com Mason with his 5th of the year....Elversberg now (at least for a week) in the 2nd automatic promotion spot......the Cinderella story continues... And, somewhere, deep within the backroom of some smoky German bar, Grover Gibson is (with teeth clinched) saying, "Goulet" (in his best Seinfeld/Newman voice)
Have to agree with Jiri on this one. Brent was born and raised in the US, and for him to be in charge of a 2nd Bundesliga squad would be fantastic. Dooley, well he was German with an American dad. Great player - glad he's a Yank on the field, but I don't think the German fans view him as American.
A few years back I met Brent and the owners of Elversberg - they seem to get along quite well. The owners have a plan on the books (plus the cash) to build a 22,000 seat stadium and are just waiting for the team to be on the brink of getting promoted before breaking ground. They think they can do it in one year a' la Columbus. One plus for Elversberg players is that they can live just across the border in France and escape a good deal of the tax burden, thereby enhancing their salaries.
There's nothing cuter than a village club with a megalomaniac president. But i am sure that the 500+ guys who go to the games will enjoy the extra space.
That is the REAL attendance (well, actually it's around 700 iirc). Check www.european-football-statistics.co.uk if you don't believe me.
Or crazy dreaming. Anyone convinced that Elversberg's owner might just be someone's crazy uncle that one might not want to be around at family gatherings?
LOL. Shite man, I'm thinking Goulet is priming himself as a candidate for Bruce's job, given the MADD of Sarachan and Bradley... Hey, some of those dot.com companies survived...why not Mason?
He's got to be wacked. But if they get promoted...with those ugly colors, then maybe the people will show up ....all 1,100 of them.
Hey, maybe we can get this "crazy uncle" together with Nick to discuss investing in Harrison's SSS..... After all, they have Euros, and the fact that our US dollar is weakening could serve as incentive, no? In exchange, we could send Nick over there in order to teach those Germans how to properly run a team... A one way plane ticket would not be THAT expensive
Plus, his former coach, Thomas Doll, is now coach of HSV's first team. I don't know the Hamburg depth chart, but an injury or two combined with his solid play could have him at least sitting on the first team's bench.