Momčilo "Mike" Stojanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Мајк Стојановић, Serbian pronunciation: [mǒmtʃilo mǎjk stojǎːnoʋitɕ]; 27 January 1947 – 18 November 2010) was a professional soccer forward most notably playing in the NASL and for the Canadian national team.
![]() Stojanović (right, with ball) and Werner Roth (left) of the New York Cosmos in 1977 | |||
Personal information | |||
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Full name | Momčilo Stojanović | ||
Date of birth | (1947-01-27)27 January 1947 | ||
Place of birth | Lapovo, FPR Yugoslavia | ||
Date of death | 18 November 2010(2010-11-18) (aged 63) | ||
Place of death | Toronto, Canada | ||
Position(s) | Striker | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
1966–1969 | Morava Velika Plana | ||
1969–1973 | Radnički Kragujevac | ||
1973 | Vardar | ||
1973–1976 | Serbian White Eagles | 85 | (96) |
1976–1980 | Rochester Lancers | 115 | (51) |
1979–1980 | Hartford Hellions (indoor) | 9 | (1) |
1981–1982 | San Diego Sockers | 52 | (32) |
1981–1982 | San Diego Sockers (indoor) | 5 | (2) |
1982 | San Jose Earthquakes | 12 | (2) |
1983 | Hamilton Steelers | ||
National team | |||
1980–1981 | Canada | 15 | (5) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals |
Mike Stojanović, nicknamed Stole in Serbian and Stollie in English, was born in Lapovo (PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia), to parents Vitomir and Ruža.
In Stojanović's career in his home land of Yugoslavia, he played for Radnički Kragujevac and Vardar Skopje which at that time were both part of the Yugoslav First League. Both clubs currently compete in their respective countries' (Serbia and Macedonia respectively) top professional football leagues.
Before moving to North America, Stojanović was set to join OGC Nice, but there were complications with his documentation upon signing. A high-scoring forward with the Rochester Lancers (1976–1980), Stojanović scored 17 goals and finished with 41 points which made him the NASL fourth-leading scorer as a rookie in 1976. He was fifth-best the following season with 14 goals and 33 total points. His most productive season was in 1981 when he finished third with 23 goals and 52 total points while playing for the San Diego Sockers (1981–1982) and was named the NASL's North American Player of the Year.[1] Stojanović also played for the San Jose Earthquakes (1982) which was his last season in the NASL. Stojanović is 9th on the All-Time NASL Top Scorers list with 83 goals in 179 appearances and 10th on the all-time points list with 211, ahead of fellow NASL players George Best, Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer. He was a 2nd Team NASL All-Star in 1977 and an Honorable Mention All-Star in 1981. In 1977, he was named to the Rochester Lancers Team of the Decade.[2]
Stojanović also played for a Toronto-based club, the Serbian White Eagles FC from 1973 to 1975.[3][4] The Serbian White Eagles played in the National Soccer League when Stojanović was there, but now competes in the Canadian Soccer League. Stojanović scored 96 goals in only two seasons including 52 in 1974 which was his first season with the club, and to this day is still a club and National Soccer League record. In 1983, he played for the Hamilton Steelers in the Canadian Professional Soccer League.[5][6] In 1992, Stojanović, aged 45, played for United Serbs FC based in Oshawa.[7][8]
Stojanović was 33 years old when he won his first cap with Canada's senior team on 15 September 1980 in Vancouver (a 4–0 win over New Zealand), scoring on his debut. He played in all of Canada's games in 1980 and 1981, a total of 15 times, scoring five goals. His final cap came in a 2–2 draw on 21 November 1981 versus Cuba in a 1982 World Cup qualification match in Tegucigalpa.[9]
# | Date | Venue | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
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1. | 15 September 1980 | Empire Stadium, Vancouver, Canada | ![]() | 4–0 | 4–0 | Friendly match |
2. | 18 October 1980 | Exhibition Stadium, Toronto, Canada | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
3. | 12 October 1981 | Skinner Park, San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago | ![]() | 3–0 | 4–2 | Friendly match |
4. | 2 November 1981 | Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras | ![]() | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
5. | 6 November 1981 | Estadio Tiburcio Carías Andino, Tegucigalpa, Honduras | ![]() | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification |
Stojanović was inducted into the Canadian Soccer Association Hall of Fame on 6 June 2009.[10][11] On 7 August 2009 in a pre-game ceremony, the Serbian White Eagles retired the number 9 which was worn by Stojanović while playing for the club from 1974 to 1975.[12] This is the only number the club has retired.[13]
On 18 November 2010, aged 63, Stojanovic died in Toronto after a battle with stomach cancer. He is interred at the Serbian Orthodox Holy Transfiguration Monastery in Milton.[14][15]
1977 NASL All-Stars | |
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First Team | |
Second Team | |
Honorable Mention |
1981 NASL All-Stars | |
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First Team |
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Second Team | |
Honorable Mention |
Canada Soccer Hall of Fame | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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