Willy Schaller

Willy Schaller

Personal information
Date of birth	February 23, 1933
Place of birth	Bonlanden, Germany
Date of death	January 3, 2015 (aged 81)
Place of death	Lakewood, Colorado
Playing position	Defender
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps^†	(Gls)^†
	Schwaben
–	Blau-Weiss Gottschee
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only. † Appearances (goals)

Willy (Willie) Schaller (February 23, 1933 - January 3, 2015) was a U.S. soccer defender who played most of his career in the German American Soccer League. He also played on the U.S. soccer team at the 1952 Summer Olympics. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 1996.^[1]

Club career

While born in Germany, Schaller’s family moved to the United States when he was a young boy. He joined Schwaben of the German American Soccer League when he was in high school. In 1953, he joined the U.S. Army, serving until 1955. At some point, he moved to Blau-Weiss Gottschee,^[2] playing with the team through at least 1960.^[3]

National teams

In 1952, he was selected to the U.S. soccer team which competed in the 1952 Summer Olympics. He was nineteen at the time. The U.S. lost its first game of the single elimination tournament to Italy.^[4] In 1959, he was with the U.S. team which won the bronze medal at the Pan American Games.

Coaching

After retiring from playing professionally, Schaller became a youth and high school soccer coach.

External links

• National Soccer Hall of Fame profile

References

1. "Willy Schaller". Denver Post. 7 January 2015. Retrieved 18 September 2015.
2. History of Blau-Weiss Gottschee
3. U.S. Soccer History – 1960
4. 1952 Summer Olympic results at RSSSF