Edwin Gorter

Edwin Gorter
Personal information
Full name Wilhelmus Edwin Gorter[1]
Date of birth (1963-07-06) 6 July 1963 (age 61)
Place of birth The Hague, Netherlands
Height 1.77 m (5 ft 10 in)[1]
Position(s) Midfielder
Youth career
RVC
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1984 DS'79 81 (18)
1984–1986 Roda JC 65 (19)
1986–1991 Lugano 151 (72)
1991–1994 Caen 65 (6)
1994 Lommel 14 (0)
1994–1995 Utrecht 26 (11)
1995–1996 Vitesse Arnhem 18 (5)
1996–1998 NAC Breda 18 (0)
1998–1999 New England Revolution 34 (8)
1999 Miami Fusion 15 (3)
Total 486 (142)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Wilhelmus Edwin Gorter (born 6 July 1963) is a Dutch former professional footballer who played as a midfielder.

Early and personal life

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Born in The Hague,[2] Gorter's mother died when he was 8 years old.[3]

Gorter has two children,[4] including son Donny who is also a professional footballer.[3][5] His other child is a daughter, Sharon.[3] Gorter has described himself as a "stern but fair" father.[3]

Playing career

[edit]

Early career

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Gorter played for RVC, DS'79, Roda JC, Lugano, Caen, Lommel, Utrecht, Vitesse Arnhem, NAC Breda, the New England Revolution and the Miami Fusion.[2][6]

While playing in Switzerland for FC Lugano, Gorter won the Foreigner of the Year award for the 1990–91 season.[5]

In 1994, while playing for FC Utrecht, Gorter attempted to gouge the eyes of opposition player Björn van der Doelen,[5][7] receiving a seven-match ban as a result.[8] He left the club at the end of that season.[9]

Major League Soccer

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As a free agent, Gorter moved to the United States in February 1998,[10] signing for the New England Revolution of Major League Soccer on 23 February 1998.[11] [12]

Gorter received high praise upon his arrival. Revolution GM Brian O'Donovan heralded Gorter's signing as a "significant step towards building a championship-caliber team."[13] With his style of play being compared to that of Carlos Valderrama, the Revolution hoped that signing a true playmaker like Gorter would help their "sputtering" offense take shape.[13]

Gorter's arrival in New England was somewhat unorthodox in fledgling MLS, where, at the time, South American and African players were primarily targeted, partially due to the economic structure of the league, and partially to appeal towards the country's demographics.[11]

In his first and only full season with the Revolution, Gorter managed to make 28 appearances, finishing tied for 2nd on the team in scoring with seven goals and recording seven assists.[14][12] He made his first start in the first match of the 1998 New England Revolution season, a 2-1 shoot-out loss to D.C. United, and made his home debut on 10 May in a 4-3 win against the Tampa Bay Mutiny.[14] In his home debut, Gorter also scored his first Revolution goal, assisted by Raúl Díaz Arce.[14] Gorter was named the Midnight Riders "Man of the Year" for 1998.[15]

On 6 October 1998, in an intrasquad training session at Babson College, Gorter used an "offensive racial epithet" directed at his teammate David Nakhid. Gorter admitted the offense to MLS commissioner Doug Logan and expressed remorse.[16] He was subsequently suspended for the first two matches of the 1999 Major League Soccer season and fined $20,000, which was at the time the highest fine ever meted out by MLS.[16]

In the 1999 New England Revolution season, Gorter started only four matches, scoring one goal, before he was traded to the Miami Fusion for defender Mario Gori on 22 June 1999.[12][17]

Gorter played only one season with the Miami Fusion, making 15 total appearances, scoring three goals and recording one assist en route to helping to the team qualify for the 1999 MLS Cup Playoffs.[18] At the end of the 1999 Major League Soccer season season, Gorter announced his retirement.[19]

Later career

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After he retired from playing football, Gorter became a player's agent.[4] He later worked as a television analyst for Eredivisie Live, and as a regional distributor for Cambridge België health products.[20]

Honours

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Individual

References

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  1. ^ a b Edwin Gorter at WorldFootball.net
  2. ^ a b "Profile". Dutch Players Abroad. Archived from the original on 20 August 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  3. ^ a b c d "De naam Gorter opent geen deuren" (in Dutch). BN DeStem. 18 October 2010. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  4. ^ a b Dave Brousseau (20 January 2000). "Gorter Retires, Plans New Career As An Agent". SunSentinel. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  5. ^ a b c d "Zo vader, zo zoon: Edwin en Donny" (in Dutch). Voetbal.nl. 16 March 2011. Archived from the original on 11 October 2016. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  6. ^ "Profile" (in Dutch). Frank Beijen. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  7. ^ "Priemende vinger van Gorter was geen 'bewustje'" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. 7 November 1994. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  8. ^ Marieke van der Voort (25 November 2010). "Beet van Luis Suarez valt buiten de top tien" (in Dutch). Metronieuws. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Gorter (31) keert FC Utrecht en voetbal de rug toe" (in Dutch). de Volkskrant. 26 April 1995. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  10. ^ "Edwin Gorter naar Amerika" (in Dutch). Voetbal International. 3 February 1998. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  11. ^ a b Frank Dell'Apa (5 April 1998). "MLS Misfit Gorter Fits In With Revolution". Sun-Sentinel. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 14 August 2015.
  12. ^ a b c "Club History Coach and Player Registry" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  13. ^ a b Chapman, Doug (24 February 1998). "Revolution plug hole at midfield". Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  14. ^ a b c 2024 Media Guide. New England Revolution. Archived from the original on 22 March 2024. Retrieved 19 September 2024.
  15. ^ a b "Man of the Year Award". Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  16. ^ a b "MLS: Logan, Gorter statements regarding Oct. 6 New England training session incident". 8 October 1998. Retrieved 27 September 2024.
  17. ^ Brousseau, Dave (23 June 1999). "Fusion Trades For Veteran". Archived from the original on 16 September 2012. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  18. ^ "Profile". Major League Soccer. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
  19. ^ "GORTER RETIRES, PLANS NEW CAREER AS AN AGENT". 20 January 2000. Retrieved 24 September 2024.
  20. ^ "Gorter is een Cruijff-man" (in Dutch). Sportkwadraat. Retrieved 4 February 2015.
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