BALTIMORE BLAST'S STAN STAMENKOVIC--THE MAGICIAN
Srboljub Stamenković (Serbian Cyrillic Србољуб Стаменковић) (January 31, 1956 in Titovo Užice, Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia – January 28, 1996 in Užice,Serbia, FR Yugoslavia) known professionally in the United States as Stan Stamenkovic was a Yugoslav football player. The most notable part of his career was spent in the United States playing indoor soccer for the Major Indoor Soccer League in Memphis and Baltimore.
Born in the town of Užice (then called Titovo Užice) in Serbia, he started playing for Red Star Belgrade in 1975 and stayed until 1981, when he was transferred to the Memphis Americans of the Major Indoor Soccer League. He played there for two seasons before going to the Baltimore Blast and stayed there until 1988, after helping the team win an MISL championship in 1984. He returned to Yugoslavia afterward to start his own business, a pizza parlor. He tried a comeback with the CISL's San Jose Grizzlies in 1994 but nagging injuries, which had prompted his earlier retirement, stopped this after 8 matches.
Stamenković scored 231 career goals and tallied 311 assists for a total of 542 career points. He is sometimes referred to as the greatest player in MISL history. In 1984 he led the league with 34 goals. His unique dribbling was perfect for the indoor game. At times he made the ball look like it was on a string. He could also find a streaking player, and thread the needle behind his back, as if he had eyes in the back of his head.
Stamenkovic died after injuring his head in a fall on a sidewalk in Užice, just three days before his fortieth birthday. (Source--Wikipedia)
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Stamenkovic, 39, dies after taking fall Ex-Blast MVP led team to MISL title in 1983-84
By Doug Brown, Baltimore Sun 1/30/96
Former Blast star Stan Stamenkovic, regarded as one of the greatest indoor soccer players ever, died Sunday after suffering a severe head injury in a fall at his home in Titova Uzice, Serbia.
Stamenkovic, who would have turned 40 tomorrow, was the key member of the Blast's 1983-84 Major Indoor Soccer League championship team, capturing the league scoring title with 97 points.
He was the league's and Blast's MVP that season, and was the Blast's MVP the next two seasons as well. He played a total of four seasons for the Blast. After leaving Baltimore in 1988, Stamenkovic only dabbled in indoor soccer in this country.
"Stan was one of my closer friends," said the Spirit's Mike Stankovic, glancing at his 1983-84 championship ring that he wore yesterday in memory of Stamenkovic. "I wish I could play with him one more time. It is partly because of his great ability that indoor soccer is where it is today."
Stamenkovic is survived by his wife, Vera, and two children. After talking briefly by phone with Vera, Stankovic called ex-Blast coach Kenny Cooper, now coach of the Tampa Bay Terror, at 4:30 a.m. yesterday.
"This has been the worst day, hearing about Stan," Cooper said. "In Belgrade, he was known as the next Pele. Here, he was The Magician. He was an artist, a Picasso. Stan was a one-in-a-lifetime player."
After the Blast lost to San Diego in the 1983 MISL finals, owner Bernie Rodin asked Cooper what the team needed to put it over the top.
"A guy who can win a game on individual brilliance when it's on the line," Cooper said, and mentioned Julie Vee, Steve Zungul and Stamenkovic.
Cooper went to Belgrade, wooed Stamenkovic and signed him to a three-year contract. With Stamenkovic feeding Tim Wittman, Paul Kitson and Pat Ercoli -- and scoring goals himself -- the Blast stormed to the MISL championship.
"People used to ask him how he did it," Cooper said. "Stan would always say, 'It's a gift from God. I can't explain it.' "
