Zourab Tsiskaridze
Encyclopedia
Zourab Tsiskaridze is a Georgian
footballer who plays for FC Amkar Perm
in the Russian Premier League
.
in 1991. Tsiskaridze's father, Zourab Tsiskaridze Sr., left to pursue a career as an opera singer in the United States in the early 1990s, so Tsiskaridze moved with his mother and stepfather, dancer Walery Mazepczyk, to Poland
; he eventually joined his father in America in 2000, at the age of 14, settling in suburban Washington D.C..
, where he was a standout soccer player. He began his career 2004 in Brazil
with the U-20 team with Limeira
based club Associação Atlética Internacional and played then the first six months in 2005 with the U-20 side of Grêmio Recreativo Barueri
. He earned himself a tryout with D.C. United
before his senior year of high school, but was not offered a contract by the team, who advised him to play college soccer
. Instead, Tsiskaridze left school to pursue a professional soccer career, travelling to Brazil and France, among other countries.
reserves in 2007, but was never signed to a professional contract. He spent spent eighteen months with the reserve and first team of FC Sète
, and in 2008 played seven games in the French third division Championnat National
.
Tsiskaridze was signed by USL First Division
side Miami FC
in April 2009, after impressing the coaching staff during an open tryout. Tsiskaridze had traveled all the way from France for the event. He played 18 games and scored one goal for Miami in his first season in the league. On 2 December 2009, he signed a one-year contract with Vancouver Whitecaps.
On 19 October 2010, the Vancouver Whitecaps released Tsiskaridze, along with five fellow players, citing their need to purge certain players in preparation for their upcoming promotion to Major League Soccer
.
On 17 February 2011, he signed a new contract with the Montreal Impact
for the last season of the club in NASL
, before the entry of the Impact in the MLS in 2012.
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
footballer who plays for FC Amkar Perm
FC Amkar Perm
FC Amkar Perm is a professional football club playing in Russian Premier League.They are based in the city of Perm and are the easternmost football club in Europe playing in top national competition...
in the Russian Premier League
Russian Premier League
The Russian Premier League , currently called SOGAZ Russian Football Championship due to sponsorship reasons, is the top division of Russian football. There are 16 teams in the competition...
.
Early life
Tsiskaridze was born in the Georgian SSR prior to the breakup of the Soviet UnionSoviet Union
The Soviet Union , officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics , was a constitutionally socialist state that existed in Eurasia between 1922 and 1991....
in 1991. Tsiskaridze's father, Zourab Tsiskaridze Sr., left to pursue a career as an opera singer in the United States in the early 1990s, so Tsiskaridze moved with his mother and stepfather, dancer Walery Mazepczyk, to Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
; he eventually joined his father in America in 2000, at the age of 14, settling in suburban Washington D.C..
Youth
Tsiskaridze attended high school in McLean, VirginiaMcLean, Virginia
McLean is an unincorporated community and census-designated place in Fairfax County in Northern Virginia. The community had a total population of 48,115 as of the 2010 census....
, where he was a standout soccer player. He began his career 2004 in Brazil
Brazil
Brazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is the largest country in South America. It is the world's fifth largest country, both by geographical area and by population with over 192 million people...
with the U-20 team with Limeira
Limeira
Limeira is a city in the eastern part of the Brazilian state of São Paulo. The population in 2004 is 270,733 and the area is 582.48 km². The elevation is 588 m. It is 154 km far from São Paulo, the state capital, and 1011 km far from Brasilia, Brazil's capital...
based club Associação Atlética Internacional and played then the first six months in 2005 with the U-20 side of Grêmio Recreativo Barueri
Grêmio Recreativo Barueri
Grêmio Barueri Futebol Ltda., generally known as Grêmio Barueri, or just as Barueri, is a Brazilian football club from Presidente Prudente, São Paulo state. The club was formerly known as Grêmio Recreativo Barueri and Grêmio Prudente Futebol Ltda.The club was founded in 1989, in the city of...
. He earned himself a tryout with D.C. United
D.C. United
D.C. United is an American professional soccer club based in Washington, D.C. which competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States and Canada. It is one of the ten charter clubs of MLS, having competed in the league since its inception, in 1996.Over the...
before his senior year of high school, but was not offered a contract by the team, who advised him to play college soccer
College soccer
College soccer is a term used to describe association football played by teams who are operated by colleges and universities as opposed to a professional league operated for exclusively financial purposes...
. Instead, Tsiskaridze left school to pursue a professional soccer career, travelling to Brazil and France, among other countries.
Professional
Tsiskaridze spent time with the Kansas City WizardsKansas City Wizards
Sporting Kansas City is an American professional soccer club based in Kansas City, Kansas that competes in Major League Soccer , the top professional soccer league in the United States of America and Canada...
reserves in 2007, but was never signed to a professional contract. He spent spent eighteen months with the reserve and first team of FC Sète
FC Sète
FC Sète 34 is a French football club based in Sète and founded in 1900. The club won the French league twice and the French cup also twice . In 1934 they became the first club to win the French league and cup double....
, and in 2008 played seven games in the French third division Championnat National
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...
.
Tsiskaridze was signed by USL First Division
USL First Division
The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico....
side Miami FC
Miami FC
Fort Lauderdale Strikers is an American professional association football team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid...
in April 2009, after impressing the coaching staff during an open tryout. Tsiskaridze had traveled all the way from France for the event. He played 18 games and scored one goal for Miami in his first season in the league. On 2 December 2009, he signed a one-year contract with Vancouver Whitecaps.
On 19 October 2010, the Vancouver Whitecaps released Tsiskaridze, along with five fellow players, citing their need to purge certain players in preparation for their upcoming promotion to Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by the United States Soccer Federation . The league is composed of 19 teams — 16 in the U.S. and 3 in Canada...
.
On 17 February 2011, he signed a new contract 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...
for the last season of the club in NASL
North American Soccer League
North American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
, before the entry of the Impact in the MLS in 2012.
Personal life
Tsiskaridze's father, Zourab Tsiskaridze Sr., is a trained opera singer who has performed with the Georgian State Opera, and who currently owns a chain of Russian food markets in the Greater Washington DC area.Career stats
| Team | Season | League | Domestic League |
Domestic Playoffs |
Domestic Cup1 |
Concacaf Competition2 |
Total | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | Apps | Goals | Assists | |||
| Miami FC Miami FC Fort Lauderdale Strikers is an American professional association football team based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, United States. Founded in 2006, the team plays in the North American Soccer League , the second tier of the American Soccer Pyramid... |
2009 | USL-1 USL First Division The United Soccer Leagues First Division was a professional men's soccer league in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.... |
18 | 1 | 0 | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | 18 | 1 | 0 |
| Vancouver Whitecaps | 2010 | USSF D2 | 26 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 31 | 0 | 1 |
| 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... |
2011 2011 Montreal Impact season The 2011 Montreal Impact season was the 18th season of the franchise. It was be the club's final season in the NASL before a new Major League Soccer club of the same name, with the same ownership replaces the Impact for the 2012 season.-Results summary:... |
NASL | 10 | 0 | 1 | - | - | - | 2 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| Total NASL | 54 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | - | - | - | 57 | 1 | 2 | ||