Branko Segota

Branimir Šegota... he was seven years old when his family moved from Zadar, YUG to Toronto... his brother Romeo served as his player agent... had a shot that clocked 78 mph...

honoured by the Canada Soccer Hall of Fame as a player (he was shortlisted as an original alternate by The Soccer Hall of Fame in 2000 and then honoured as part of the Class of 2002)... honoured by the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame... part of the first Canadian team to play at the FIFA World Cup (Mexico 1986), recognised as a Canada Soccer Team of Distinction...

represented Canada at the 1986 FIFA World Cup Mexico... represented Canada in two cycles of FIFA World Cup Qualifier and one cycle of Olympic Qualifiers... career 28 international appearances across 10 years from 1979 to 1988 with Canada Soccer’s Men’s National Team, including 20 international "A" appearances... represented Canada at one FIFA youth tournament (U-19 at Japan 1979)... was part of the first Canadian team to qualify for a FIFA youth tournament in 1978...

club career in Canada and USA... with New York Arrows, a three-time Major Indoor Soccer League Championship winner (1979, 1980, 1981)... with San Diego Sockers, a six-time Major Indoor Soccer League Championship winner (1985, 1986, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991)...

earned $120,000 a year with the San Diego Sockers in the mid 1980s... signed a three-year extension in 1987 value at approximate $600,000 US...

wrote Jeffrey Labow in 1980, “Segota is one of the most recognised sports figures in Rochester”... as noted by the Rochester Lancers in 1980, “exceptionally fast, a potent scorer with an overpowering, accurate shot and great acceleration... as noted in a 1981 Canada Soccer program, "one of Canada’s most outstanding young players, Branko has rocketed to stardom in recent years on the strength of his goal scoring ability and ferocious shot"... wrote the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1982, “very fast with an overpowering shot”... said coach Ron Newman in the LA Times in 1988, “when he’s on form, I don’t think there’s a better player. As for the top offensive player, it’s a toss up between him and Preki. Preki is very difficult to handle, but he doesn’t have the power of Branko”...

as noted on the back of his 1987-88 soccer card, “Branko is known as the finest player ever produced in North America. His shot is clocked at 75 MPH”...

said Segota in the Toronto Star in 1980, “my parents worried about ,e because I was a little, skinny kid, so I had to sneak out of the house to play soccer. I’d go to practices and make the older guys look sick”... said Segota of former teammate Steve Zugul in the LA Times in 1988, “he taught me to be a classy person; to do things right; not to get yourself in trouble; be careful what you say; always leave an impression... I think he was the biggest factor when I was growing up. Him and Popo (coach Don Popovic), they took me under their wing when I was 17”...

said Segota in the Toronto Star in 1980, “I’m a specialist at free kicks from 25 to 30 yards. Bam! You don’t even see them”... said Segota in 1981, “it’s my shot that is the strongest part of my game. I have been kicking harder than most guys since I was a kid. You can tell how hard my shot is when you hear it hit the boards in the indoor game”... said Segota of his hard shot in the LA Times in 1988, “it was a great feeling because you had a thing on everybody. It’s like it didn’t matter how far out I am, if the guy doesn’t cover me and I can get within 20 or 30 yards, boom! And if he goalie is not ready, it’s there”... also said Segota in the LA Times in 1988, “when you’re shooting from a longer distance, you can do more because the ball has time to curve. Indoor, it’s such a short spread and you have to worry about the small goal. You have to be very precise”...

said Segota in the LA Times after buying a Ferrari after he signed his contract extension in 1987-88, “I’ve never dreams of things like this (but) the only dream I’ve fulfilled was to buy the car. I bought the car because while I was growing up in Toronto, there were Ferraris. You could hear them coming down the block”...