Mike Stojanovic

Mike Stojanović

Stojanović (right, with ball) and Werner Roth (left) of the New York Cosmos in 1977
Personal information
Full name	Momčilo Stojanović
Date of birth	(1947-01-27)27 January 1947
Place of birth	Lapovo, FPR Yugoslavia
Date of death	18 November 2010(2010-11-18) (aged 63)
Place of death	Toronto, Canada
Playing position	Striker
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1966–1969	Morava Velika Plana
1969–1973	Radnički Kragujevac
1973–1974	Vardar Skopje
1974–1975	Serbian White Eagles	85	(96)
1976–1980	Rochester Lancers	115	(51)
1979–1980	Hartford Hellions (indoor)	9	(1)
1981–1982	San Diego Sockers	52	(32)
1981–1982	San Diego Sockers (indoor)	5	(2)
1982	San Jose Earthquakes	12	(2)
1992	United Serbs	11	(5)
National team
1980–1981	Canada	14	(5)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Momčilo “Mike” Stojanović (Serbian Cyrillic: Момчило Мајк Стојановић; 27 January 1947 – 18 November 2010) was an NASL and Canadian international soccer forward.

Mike Stojanović, nicknamed Stole in Serbian and Stollie in English, was born in Lapovo (PR Serbia, FPR Yugoslavia), to parents Vitomir and Ruža.

There were many occasions when he was just unbelievable. I remember a game against a team that was very tough in another city – Ottawa. I don't know if we won 7–0 or 8–0, but he scored all of the goals. Believe me, we had some good players on the team that were capable, more than capable of scoring. But somehow it worked out that he got all of them. That's one of those things that is hard not to remember.

In Stojanović's career in his home land of Yugoslavia, he played for Radnički Kragujevac and Vardar Skopje which at that time were both part of the Yugoslav First League. Both clubs currently compete in their respective countries (Serbia and Macedonia respectively) top professional football leagues.

Before moving to North America, Stojanović was set to join OGC Nice but there were complications with his papers. A high scoring forward with the Rochester Lancers (1976–1980), Stojanović scored 17 goals and finished with 41 points which made him the NASL fourth leading scorer as a rookie in 1976. He was fifth best the following season with 14 goals and 33 total points. His most productive season was in 1981 when he finished third with 23 goals and 52 total points while playing for the San Diego Sockers (1981–1982) and was named the NASL's North American Player of the Year. Stojanović also played for the Golden Bay Earthquakes (1982) which was his last season in the NASL. Stojanović is 9th on the All-Time NASL Top Scorers list with 83 goals in 179 appearances and 10th on the all time points list with 211, ahead of fellow NASL players George Best, Pelé and Franz Beckenbauer. He was a 2nd Team NASL All-Star in 1977 and an Honorable Mention All-Star in 1981.