Nick Dasovic
Encyclopedia
Nick Robert Dasovic is a retired professional Canadian
soccer player of Croatian
descent. He was most at Toronto FC
, acting as interim head coach until January 2011 and North American head scout until May 2011.
and later the Croatian First League
playing for Croatia
n club NK Dinamo Zagreb, renamed Croatia Zagreb during some period in the 1990s. In the team were also featuring important players like Mario Stanić
and Goran Vlaović
. He began playing in Canada professionally with the North York Rockets
of the former Canadian Soccer League for whom he played the 1991 and 1992 seasons. Dasovic played the 1993 and 1994 seasons in the American Professional Soccer League
with the Montreal Impact
.
Dasovic played for Stade Briochin
in the French
Ligue 3
in 1995 and for Swedish
Allsvenskan
side Trelleborgs FF
in 1996.
club St. Johnstone. His first season in Perth
saw the Saints win promotion from the First Division into the Premier League
. Dasovic has been quoted as saying that his fondest memory of his pro career was being named man-of-the-match in the 1998 Scottish League Cup Final
in which he scored, a 2-1 defeat against Rangers
. Saints went on to finish third behind Rangers and Celtic
in the Scottish Premier League
that season and qualified for the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup.
He finished his playing career as player/manager of Vancouver Whitecaps.
in an April 1992 friendly match against China
and went on to earn 63 caps, scoring twice. He represented Canada in 14 World Cup qualifiers and played at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
.
His final international game was a January 2004 friendly match against Barbados
.
's under-23 side through Olympic qualifying
in 2008, drawing Mexico
1-1 in the group stage and helping to eliminate the heavily-favoured Mexican side in the process. After a highly promising 5-0 win over Guatemala
on a night when Mexico
had to better that result against Haiti
but could only win 5-1, Canada fell to the United States
3-0 in the semifinal, losing out on a spot in Beijing
at the Olympics that summer. Canada recovered to defeat Guatemala
in the third-place playoff, a rematch of their first round game, winning on penalties (5-3) after a scoreless draw through 120 minutes.
On May 6, 2008, Dasovic joined MLS club Toronto FC
as TFC Academy
head coach and second assistant to the first team. He became first assistant when manager John Carver
left the club in 2009 and was replaced by his understudy Chris Cummins
as interim coach. In September 2010, he became interim head coach of Toronto FC
after the firing of Preki
until January 2011 when Aron Winter
became the head coach.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
soccer player of Croatian
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
descent. He was most at Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
, acting as interim head coach until January 2011 and North American head scout until May 2011.
Club career
A 6'1, 180 lbs central midfielder, Dasovic began his career in the Yugoslav First LeagueYugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
and later the Croatian First League
Croatian First League
The Prva HNL , also known as 1. HNL or for sponsorship reasons the MAXtv Prva Liga, is the top Croatian football league competition, established in 1992. The winners qualify for the UEFA Champions League...
playing for Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n club NK Dinamo Zagreb, renamed Croatia Zagreb during some period in the 1990s. In the team were also featuring important players like Mario Stanić
Mario Stanic
Mario Stanić is a former Croatian football midfielder.-Career:He started his career with Željezničar Sarajevo. He was considered to be one of the most talented young players in former Yugoslavia. In 1992, war began and he went to Croatia, where he played for Dinamo Zagreb...
and Goran Vlaović
Goran Vlaovic
Goran Vlaović is a former Croatian football striker.-Club career:Vlaović started his professional career with Osijek in 1989 and moved to Dinamo Zagreb in 1992, before going abroad to play for Calcio Padova in Italy, Valencia in Spain and Panathinaikos in Greece, where he retired in June 2004...
. He began playing in Canada professionally with the North York Rockets
North York Rockets
The North York Rockets were a professional soccer team that competed in the original Canadian Soccer League during its existence from 1987 to 1992...
of the former Canadian Soccer League for whom he played the 1991 and 1992 seasons. Dasovic played the 1993 and 1994 seasons in the American Professional Soccer League
American Professional Soccer League
The American Professional Soccer League is a former professional men's soccer league which featured teams from both the United States and Canada. It was the first outdoor soccer league to feature teams from throughout the United States since the demise of the original North American Soccer League...
with the Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact
Montreal Impact was a Canadian professional soccer club based in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Founded in 1992, the team played in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid until the 2011 season. The owner Joey Saputo now operates the MLS team Montreal ImpactThe...
.
Dasovic played for Stade Briochin
Stade Briochin
Stade Briochin, founded in 1904, are a French association football team based in Saint-Brieuc, France, who are currently playing in the Britain Division d'Honneur, the sixth tier in the French football league system...
in the French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Ligue 3
Championnat National
The Championnat de France National, commonly referred to as simply National or Division 3, serves as the third division of the French football league system behind Ligue 1 and Ligue 2...
in 1995 and for Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan
Allsvenskan is a Swedish professional league for association football clubs. At the top of the Swedish football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 16 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Superettan...
side Trelleborgs FF
Trelleborgs FF
Trelleborgs FF, or simply Trelleborg, is a Swedish football club located in Trelleborg. The club, formed 6 December 1926, will during the season of 2012 play in the second highest Swedish league, Superettan...
in 1996.
St. Johnstone
In November 1996, Dasovic signed for ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
club St. Johnstone. His first season in Perth
Perth, Scotland
Perth is a town and former city and royal burgh in central Scotland. Located on the banks of the River Tay, it is the administrative centre of Perth and Kinross council area and the historic county town of Perthshire...
saw the Saints win promotion from the First Division into the Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
. Dasovic has been quoted as saying that his fondest memory of his pro career was being named man-of-the-match in the 1998 Scottish League Cup Final
1998 Scottish League Cup Final
The 1998 Scottish League Cup Final was played on 29 November 1998 at Celtic Park in Glasgow and was the final of the 52nd Scottish League Cup. The final was contested by Rangers and St. Johnstone. Rangers won the match 2–1, thanks to goals from Stéphane Guivarc'h and Jörg Albertz.-Match...
in which he scored, a 2-1 defeat against Rangers
Rangers F.C.
Rangers Football Club are an association football club based in Glasgow, Scotland, who play in the Scottish Premier League. The club are nicknamed the Gers, Teddy Bears and the Light Blues, and the fans are known to each other as bluenoses...
. Saints went on to finish third behind Rangers and Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
in the Scottish Premier League
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
that season and qualified for the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup.
He finished his playing career as player/manager of Vancouver Whitecaps.
International career
He made his senior debut for CanadaCanada men's national soccer team
The Canada men's national soccer team represents Canada in international soccer competitions at the senior men's level. They are overseen by the Canadian Soccer Association and compete in the Confederation of North, Central American and Caribbean Association Football .Their most significant...
in an April 1992 friendly match against China
China national football team
The China PR national football team is the national association football team of the People's Republic of China and is governed by the Chinese Football Association...
and went on to earn 63 caps, scoring twice. He represented Canada in 14 World Cup qualifiers and played at the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
2001 FIFA Confederations Cup
-Group B:---------------------Knockout stage:-Semi-finals:-----Third place play-off:-Final:-Awards:-Top scorers:2 goals Shaun Murphy Éric Carrière Robert Pirès Patrick Vieira Sylvain Wiltord Takayuki Suzuki Hwang Sun-Hong...
.
His final international game was a January 2004 friendly match against Barbados
Barbados national football team
The Barbados national football team, nicknamed Bajan Pride, is the national association football team of Barbados and is controlled by the Barbados Football Association. It has never qualified for a major international tournament...
.
International goals
- Scores and results list Canada's goal tally first.
# Date Venue Opponent Score Result Competition 1 11 July 1993 Estadio Azteca Estadio AztecaEstadio Azteca is a stadium in Santa Ursula, Mexico City, Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team Club América.The stadium was the venue for football soccer in the 1968 Summer Olympics....
, Mexico CityMexico CityMexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
, MexicoMexicoThe United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
1-0 1-1 CONCACAF Gold Cup CONCACAF Gold CupThe CONCACAF Gold Cup is the main association football competition of the men's national football teams governed by CONCACAF, determining the regional champion of North America, Central America, and the Caribbean.The Gold Cup is held every two years and when it does not fall the same year as an...2 13 October 1996 Commonwealth Stadium Commonwealth Stadium (Edmonton)Commonwealth Stadium is a sports stadium located in the Norwood Area of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, primarily used by the Edmonton Eskimos of the Canadian Football League. The stadium is owned and operated by the City of Edmonton.- History :...
, EdmontonEdmontonEdmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
2-0 2-0 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification 1998 FIFA World Cup qualification-Qualified teams:The following 32 teams qualified for the 1998 FIFA World Cup: - qualified automatically as hosts - qualified automatically as defending champions-Notes:...
Coaching career
Known for his vocal antics on the touchline, Nick Dasovic led CanadaCanada men's national youth soccer teams
Canada's men's national soccer teams compete at various age levels, including under-23 , under-20, and under-17. Many of Canada's current internationals have played at one or more of these age levels early in their career, often working with the same coaches and teammates throughout their...
's under-23 side through Olympic qualifying
2008 CONCACAF Men's Pre-Olympic Tournament
The 2008 CONCACAF Men Pre-Olympic Tournament was an association football tournament that took place in three venues in the United States from March 11 to March 23, 2008....
in 2008, drawing Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
1-1 in the group stage and helping to eliminate the heavily-favoured Mexican side in the process. After a highly promising 5-0 win over Guatemala
Guatemala national football team
The Guatemala national football team is the association football team representing the country of Guatemala and is controlled by the Federación Nacional de Fútbol de Guatemala. Founded in 1919, it affiliated to FIFA in 1946, and it is a member of CONCACAF....
on a night when Mexico
Mexico national football team
The Mexican national football team represents Mexico in association football and is governed by the Mexican Football Federation , the governing body for football in Mexico. Mexico's home stadium is the Estadio Azteca and their head coach is José Manuel de la Torre...
had to better that result against Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
but could only win 5-1, Canada fell to the United States
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
3-0 in the semifinal, losing out on a spot in Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
at the Olympics that summer. Canada recovered to defeat Guatemala
Guatemala
Guatemala is a country in Central America bordered by Mexico to the north and west, the Pacific Ocean to the southwest, Belize to the northeast, the Caribbean to the east, and Honduras and El Salvador to the southeast...
in the third-place playoff, a rematch of their first round game, winning on penalties (5-3) after a scoreless draw through 120 minutes.
On May 6, 2008, Dasovic joined MLS club Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
as TFC Academy
TFC Academy
TFC Academy are the youth academy of Canadian MLS club Toronto FC which was founded in 2008. The academy competes in the Canadian Soccer League, the highest professional soccer league operating entirely within Canada...
head coach and second assistant to the first team. He became first assistant when manager John Carver
John Carver
John Carver was a Pilgrim leader. He was the first governor of Plymouth Colony and his is the first signature on the Mayflower Compact.-Mayflower:...
left the club in 2009 and was replaced by his understudy Chris Cummins
Chris Cummins (football coach)
Chris Cummins is an English football coach. Currently employed by Reading F.C.-Youth development:Cummins began his professional career in 1996 with Watford as the youth development coordinator...
as interim coach. In September 2010, he became interim head coach of Toronto FC
Toronto FC
Toronto FC is a Canadian professional soccer club based in Toronto, Ontario which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada....
after the firing of Preki
Preki
Predrag Radosavljević is a former American international soccer player of Serbian extraction...
until January 2011 when Aron Winter
Aron Winter
Aron Mohamed Winter [VIN-ter] is a retired Dutch football midfielder and current head coach of Toronto FC...
became the head coach.
External links
- Player profile - Canada Soccer
- Profile of Nick Dasovic