CHICAGO INFERNO FEATURE
January 27, 2012
By Dan Shalin
CHICAGO, IL - Gordy Gurson is a 19-year-old college student with an apartment in downtown Chicago. But the Buffalo Grove, IL-native admits he does not have much of a social life these days.
Instead, the sophomore at Chicago’s Robert Morris University (RMU) spends much of his free time preparing to chase a dream – to become a professional soccer player.
“To be honest, once I realized I wanted to play pro, I’ve had no time for anything else but soccer,” said Gurson, a 2010 graduate of Stevenson High School in Lincolnshire, where he was an All-State player for the Patriots. “Right now, I’m playing six days a week. I usually have three games on Saturday and on Sunday I have two. When I’m not actually playing or practicing soccer, I run or
go to the gym. Whatever it takes. With school and soccer, I don’t have much time to hang out with friends. It’s soccer, get my sleep, and I also have to eat healthy meals.”
Several events over the past year have given Gurson reason to believe he could one day get paid to play the game he loves.
The forward/midfielder had a fine sophomore season at NAIA-school Robert Morris, scoring 18 goals and being named the Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, he was invited for a tryout at English third-tier club Notts County, but declined, and has spent the winter holding his own during informal training sessions with players from the Chicago Fire, including his cousin, Fire second-year defender Pari Pantazopoulos, and other MLSers with local roots.
Then, earlier this month, Gurson was unveiled as the first player to sign with the Chicago Inferno, which is preparing to play its inaugural season in the amateur Premier Development League (PDL) this summer. Playing with the Inferno will not affect Gurson’s college eligibility.
On January 20, Gurson and his college coach Jake Truty made their way to the Inferno’s Chicago office. There, Inferno President Todd Short and manager Branko Savic presented Gurson with the team’s Cardinal red jersey that, come Opening Day in May will have the player’s familiar No. 3 on the back.
For Gurson, the attraction to the PDL was obvious. The league, which is mainly for college players in their offseason, is an incubator for pro talent and was the summer home to 26 of the 38 picks in the 2012 MLS Draft.
Though the Inferno are an expansion team, Gurson was sold on the organization’s vision: to build a winning team that specializes in developing players for professional careers.
“(Coach Savic) told me he wants to build a team with college-age players and a couple older former professionals, and the (former professionals) will set the intensity level,” said Gurson, who is in the process of recruiting a few of his RMU teammates and other college-soccer playing acquaintances for the squad. “He doesn’t want college players who just want to stay in shape over the summer. He wants guys who want to play at the next level. (Savic) is a former pro and he has connections. I liked the way he was talking.”
Savic, who played professionally with FK Cukaricki and FK Zeleznik in his native Serbia and for the indoor Chicago Storm, first saw the 5-foot-8 Gurson playing for RMU this past fall. He invited the youngster to the Inferno’s January tryout camp at an indoor facility in McCook. Shortly thereafter, the manager asked Gurson, who will turn 20 in May, if he would join the club.
“I watched Gordy three or four games and he really stood out,” Savic said about Gurson, who played his freshman season at Division I University of Memphis before returning home to be close to an ill family member. “He has a lot of pace, is gifted on the ball and has great movement off the ball. I’m big on that with young players. It’s not just what you can do when you have the ball, but
being able to move into open space when it’s not in your possession.”
Savic continued: “He’s an intelligent soccer player. It’s not enough just to have talent in your feet, but you have to follow that up with the brain.
“His personality also fits perfectly into our picture. He’s the kind of (strong) role model-type player we’re looking for. That’s one of the reasons we wanted him to be our first signing. We wanted to announce to the community that this is who we want to bring in – quality youngsters who eventually will push up to the pro level.”
The coach stated that Gurson showed versatility. The right-footed Gurson said he’s comfortable playing as a wide forward in a 3-4-3, a wing in a 4-4-2 or up top alongside a target forward.
Until preseason training kicks off in April, Gurson said he will continue to participate in future Inferno tryouts in order to give Savic an idea of how he blends with other possible signees.
Those sessions will just add to an already-full schedule. But Gurson said its all part of the process.
“Everybody wants to play at the college level. But the guys who make it (to the next level) are the one’s who put it out there, show the commitment,” he said. “My cousin (Pantazopoulos) keeps telling me to keep working hard, and things will eventually connect.”
