Janusz Michallik


Janusz Michallik is a retired Polish-American soccer defender and current soccer coach and television sports commentator.

Youth

Michallik moved to the United States with his father, a former Polish national team player, at the age of 16. His father had previously spent time in the U.S. in 1976 when he played for the Hartford Bicentennials of the North American Soccer League. While Michallik played for the junior Polish national team, he never played for the senior team, making him eligible for the U.S. team once he gained his citizenship.

Professional

In 1983, Michallik began his professional career with Gwardia Warszawa. He played 10 games before his family moved to the U.S. In 1984, he signed with the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League and played a single season with the team. He continued to play indoor soccer with his next two teams, the Louisville Thunder and Canton Invaders of the American Indoor Soccer Association, winning championships with them both despite only playing one season with each team. In 1988, he tried out with the Dallas Sidekicks of MISL, but while he played in the pre-season he was not offered a contract by the team. In 1990, Michallik moved to outdoor soccer with the Boston Bolts of the newly established American Professional Soccer League. In the fall of 1990, he signed with the Atlanta Attack of the AISA. In 1992, he played for the amateur Gremio Lusitano. In 1995, he signed with the Connecticut Wolves of USISL. He played several early season games with the Wolves, then went on loan to the New York Centaurs of the A-League.
In 1996, the Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer drafted Michallik in the 7th Round of the Inaugural MLS draft. He played two seasons with the Crew before signing with the New England Revolution on January 16, 1998, for whom he played one season before being released on October 31, 1998.

National team

Michallik became a U.S. citizen on March 8, 1991. U.S. coach Bora Milutinovic quickly called him into the national team. That year, he was part of the team which won the 1991 CONCACAF championship. In August 1991, he signed a contract to play exclusively for the national team. In 1992, he tasted victory again when the U.S. team won that year's U.S. Cup. He went on to earn 44 caps and score a single goal as a tough defender. He was key to the U.S. preparation for the 1994 World Cup, playing in 12 pre-tournament games and starting in seven. As hosts of the 1994 World Cup, the United States qualified automatically, thus not having to qualify through the CONCACAF region's qualification tournament. However, he was left off the roster for the tournament itself and retired from the national team later that year.

Futsal

In 1995, Michallik earned five caps and scored 1 goal with the U.S. futsal team.

Life after retirement

He currently lives in Glastonbury, Connecticut with his wife, Marzena and son, Daniel. He is a soccer commentator, currently working for ESPN and SiriusXM

Honors