* by Jānis Vītols
On a summer day in 1994, somewhere not far from Detroit, a footballer named Lars Richters walked to his mailbox expecting nothing more than another ordinary afternoon. Instead, waiting for him was a letter that would quietly change the course of his life – an invitation from the Latvian national team to represent the country at the 1994 Baltic Cup.
At the time, Richters was a 25-year-old midfielder playing indoor professional football for the Detroit Rockets in the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). Latvia itself had only recently regained independence. The country was still searching for its footing, rebuilding not only its football identity, but also its sense of self after decades under Soviet occupation. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the son of Latvian refugees – raised in Michigan speaking Latvian at home and carrying a heritage his parents never allowed to fade – suddenly found himself called to wear the maroon shirt.
More than thirty years later, Baltic Football News sat down with the now 56-year-old Richters, whose two appearances at the 1994 Baltic Cup remain his only caps for Latvia. Over the course of a conversation lasting more than an hour, Richters reflected on his family’s Latvian roots, the powerful emotions of visiting Latvia for the first time, and how a chance connection through Alberts Legzdiņš – the legendary founder of “Čikāgas Piecīši” – ultimately helped open the door to the national team.
He spoke about the atmosphere surrounding Latvian football in the early years after independence, the calm presence of coach Jānis Gilis, the challenge of stepping into a dressing room where Russian was the dominant language, and the unforgettable feeling of singing the Latvian anthem while wearing the national team badge. But more than anything, Richters spoke about how one brief summer in Latvia ended up shaping the rest of his life – giving him clarity, purpose, and a connection to his heritage that has never left him since.
So tell me first about your Latvian background.
All of my known ancestry is Latvian. I was born to my father Jānis and my mother Zigrīda, both of whom have passed away. As far back as we could trace our family tree, it’s just Latvian after Latvian after Latvian. I was born here in the United States, outside of Detroit, Michigan. I grew up with a brother named Andris and a sister named Māra, and we all spoke Latvian at home.
What period of time did they leave Latvia for the United States?
If my timelines are correct, they fled Latvia during the Soviet occupation and spent World War II in Germany in displaced persons camps – separate camps. They hadn’t met yet in Latvia. My father was involved in sports, so part of what he was able to do was travel from camp to camp playing basketball, volleyball and football. They crossed paths there but didn’t meet until later. After the war, some Lutheran charities sponsored Latvian refugees and moved them to different parts of the world. Mom came to the US, dad came to Canada, just across the border. Detroit and Windsor are basically right across the river from each other, so that’s where they ended up.
From what side of Latvia did your parents come from?
Mom was from Rīga, dad from Jelgava. His father had a dairy farm in the Jelgava area. When I visited Latvia, we were able to drive past and see the location.
You mentioned speaking Latvian as a kid. Growing up in America, how present was Latvian culture in your everyday life?
Quite a bit. Since my parents didn’t choose to leave Latvia, maintaining the language, history and culture was always very important to them. We were involved in many Latvian activities in the States. We had a Latvian church outside Detroit, so every Sunday we were there. Then there was Sunday school – not just religious studies, but history, grammar and literature. I must be honest, as a kid I wasn’t always the biggest fan of giving up my Sundays, but in hindsight it really helped me maintain the language and culture. We also lived only about two hours from Garezers in Michigan, which was a gathering place for Latvians from across the country. There were summer camps there, sports events and things like that. As I got older, I played volleyball, basketball and soccer in Latvian circles. There were always ways to stay connected.
But are there still relatives living in Latvia?
No direct relatives that I know of. My sister Māra is married to a Jānis and he still has relatives in Latvia, so there are some connections there.
And when was the last time you visited Latvia?
It was really during the period we’re going to talk about.
Oh yes, in ’94?
I actually went a year earlier as well. My first trip to Latvia was in 1993 for the Trīszvaigžņu spēles in Valmiera. I was there with a group of Latvian-Americans and played in the football tournament. That was my first visit to Latvia and it was an incredible experience. My whole family went – it was also my parents’ first time back after all those decades. It was very emotional for them.
So how did the national team call-up happen? Was it connected to that 1993 tournament?
During that tournament in ’93, somehow an invitation came my way to stay in Latvia and be part of a training camp that summer. Somehow my tickets weren’t changeable, and the way I remember the story, I just couldn’t extend my trip. So, at that time, I thought, boy, opportunity missed. I remember feeling pretty upset that I wasn’t able to make it happen. And then almost a year later, I remember being at a crossroads in my career decision making. I was playing professional soccer, but it was indoor soccer. It wasn’t very lucrative, and I wasn’t really progressing. So through deliberate prayer, I sought out my next steps. And just completely out of nowhere, I received an old-fashioned letter in the mail, and it was from the Latvian Federation inviting me to a camp and inviting me to be a part of the Baltic Cup. I thought the opportunity had been missed, but that just came my way as seemingly an answer to prayer.
Do you remember who approached you in 1993? Was it coach Jānis Gilis or someone from the federation?
You know, I can’t say that I remember meeting him at that time, so I wouldn’t be able to even recall whether it was him directly or a staff member. or whether the invitation came even secondhand through the coach that was their kind of representing our group. I just do remember that the invitation came my way when I was competing there in ’93.
Were there any other Latvian-Americans from that tournament in 1993 who later received call-ups?
There weren’t any others from that trip. It was really kind of an interesting collection of players, across the spectrum, young players and some old timers that were there. So it was kind of a thrown together team. It was organized, interestingly enough, by Alberts Legzdiņš, the founder of Čikāgas piecīši band, he was the one who kind of coached and brought this team together that took us to Valmira. So he was super influential in making this all happen. Ironically, even though he’s known for his entertainment, his singing, he had football roots and that was one of his passions. So, he kind of brought that group together and took us over to the tournament. So anyway, to my knowledge, no one else really kind of was that serious about the game, but it’s something that kind of fell in place for me.
You travelled to Latvia for the first time in 1993. What were your first impressions of the country?
It is interesting because the two trips are quite different in my memory. The first was just pure fun. It was wonderful to see where my parents came from. It was so eyeopening. I remember some of the beauty that I got to see. Jūrmala was a highlight for us, and seeing Rīga Old Town was memorable. What a cool city to be able to spend time in. So those were neat memories. But the event in Valmiera was just so much fun. There were young Latvian people everywhere competing in all kinds of sports, like a mini-Olympics. I think that’s what it must be like for someone who gets to go to the Olympics just on a much smaller scale. Outside of our event, there still seemed to be a weight on the people. I don’t want to call it depression or sadness but there seemed to be this weight. The smiles didn’t seem to come very easily.
Honestly, people still say the same thing about Latvians today.
Is that something? I do remember that there was this real source of pride. I can still remember it, that there was someone at a, whether it was a coffee shop or just a little food stand, and her statement was, I’ll speak Latvian or English, I won’t speak Russian. And I’ll just always remember that, like this pride of like, and I was pleased that my parents had taught me Latvian that I at least could converse and make that happen. So yeah, a long answer to a basic question, but those are some of my initial takeaways in ’93. And then ’94 for me, it was really more about football. So, we were just in camp and we were playing and I have less recollection of kind of all the other aspects of the trip.
You mentioned that people looked a bit depressed when you first came to Latvia. Since the country had only recently regained independence, could you still feel that atmosphere in the country?
I definitely did. It was something you could, like you said, the word is you could feel it. It wasn’t just something you could see, you could feel it. I remember there was this huge sense of how overprivileged I am, being where I came from and all that I have access to, every one of my needs is met. Stores are full of anything you could need and a lot of things you don’t need. And I just remember just being struck by, my parents had always talked about how lucky I was, how spoiled I was, all those things. And to see it firsthand was eye-opening. But you could, again, that sense of the lingering depression, but also the sense of pride of being independent. So those are, to me, the two images or the two, I don’t know, feelings that still kind of resonate after all this time.
I also remember stories from my parents and grandparents about having coupons to get some bread or milk or et cetera. But you did talk about a bit of shock. Were there any culture shocks about when you were here compared to America?
Yeah, I don’t, I just walk into stores and see the shelves look a lot different from anything I was familiar with. I mean, I probably shouldn’t talk too much about this, but like how there were, when I was in Latvia at that time, you needed, occasionally needed a creative solution for not having toilet paper, I’ll leave it at that. So that’s something that I’ll kind of remember as well. But yeah, it was a truly eye-opening experience.
Before joining the national team, how much did you know about Latvian football?
Very little, to be honest. I knew there was a domestic league at that time. The club Skonto Rīga was dominating, so I was aware of them as a club. I knew there was a league there. With no internet, no access to TV, it just really wasn’t something I had much awareness of at all. So, I have to say I went completely blind to the experience. Call it hoping for the best and that that I’d have some degree of ability to keep up.
So when you came to Latvia then you got to know that Latvia played a year or two before a draw against Denmark who three months later became the European champions and draw against Spain at home.
Exactly. And it just seems crazy that you wouldn’t be aware of those things. Nowadays, we have so much access to – you can watch so many games, and you can keep track of everything. But at that time, it was not something that was top of mind for me. And again, it was never something that I really anticipated coming my way. So, it’s something I felt pretty removed from when I showed up in ’94.
What do you remember from the training camp?
Certainly, a little bit overwhelming. An out of the comfort zone experience is how I would refer to it. Nowadays we talk about using that phrase here. So, it was something that I remember several things about. I remember due to the fact that most of the players spoke Russian, all the pre-session, explanations, the coaching points, the delivery of information was all in Russian. To coach’s credit, I do remember him using visual tools. So as a coach now, I remember things like that where anything you can do to help players understand information is beneficial. So, I remember a lot of visuals. The name escapes me, but I know there was an assistant coach that would kind of help translate into Latvian. And a huge ally, a huge, friendly face. Rolands Bulders was Latvian speaking and he kind of helped me tremendously, not just as a friendly, someone to speak with, but also just helped me kind of understand some things that I would have otherwise missed.
You mentioned that most of the squad spoke Russian. Looking at the squad list, Rolands Bulders and captain Gatis Ērglis were among the only Latvian-speaking players. How was communication inside the team?
You know, it’s interesting. Because I felt accepted. It’s not like I felt like a complete outsider. I think the people were friendly. So, I feel like there probably was some attempt to communicate. But Rolands, I specifically remember him, was especially welcoming. And we spoke in Latvian, but he was very curious about American culture and stuff like that. He had that kind of curiosity that brought out some questions and then like you mentioned coach was spoke Latvian so I it opened my mind again to always having kind of a perspective of what does that new person feel, because it was challenging,, when you come in, you’re totally new, you don’t understand the system, the style of play, don’t understand the language, but it’s a great learning experience and there were always, in situations like that, there were always seemingly friendly faces that help someone through a challenge, so I’ll always remember that.
What was the level of the team like?
I don’t know if surprise is the right word, because I always think of Latvia being such a small country and how many players do they have access to. And here I come from this massive nation. And I just remember being really impressed with the quality of play. And to be completely frank and honest with you, I wasn’t, I think I could have maybe over time I could have adapted to the level, but it was something that I felt challenging to walk in and be impactful in that group. So it was, I had a lot of respect. There were things I just remember that I tried to pull off something what at home worked, and suddenly, I was easily dispossessed of the ball and things. It was a really good experience. And I don’t know if top to bottom, how excellent the squad was and obviously across European standards, but I remember it was an eye-opening experience for me and one that I struggled to perform well. There’s no doubt about that.
Might say you were not ready for that level of football?
I wasn’t, and I’m not making excuses, but I’d played four years of college soccer and played in a decent men’s league, but at that time, MLS didn’t exist, not that I maybe would have had an opportunity even to play MLS, but my regular football was indoor soccer and it’s played six aside on a hockey rink with boards, and as you can imagine, that doesn’t necessarily translate all that well to the tactics of the real game. So, while I came in fit and had decent abilities on the ball and some athletic ability, just the understanding of the big picture at a higher level is certainly where I struggled when I came in.
What was your main position on field? Midfielder?
Midfielder, at 11 aside, I consider myself nowadays we use the number system as a six. The defensive midfielder would be my most natural position at an outdoor level. It feels funny talking about that because as an old man, there’s no position that suits me, but as a younger player, that kind of defensive midfield role was one I had played. As a college player as an outside back as well, those were kind of my key positions. But here they used me as defensive midfielder in this camp and in the games.
What do you remember from the two Baltic Cup matches?
It’s interesting, it’s so long ago that there are some snapshots that still stand out. I think the first game against Estonia, and really both games, I remember the anthem, and I just remember just the gratitude I had to my parents. And it was to be able to sing it, because I’d been growing up singing it here in our circles, yes, but to do so wearing the badge, that was something pretty special. So, I’ll never forget that. The game itself, I remember the Estonia game being… and again, coming in as a complete outsider with so little preparation, I really didn’t know what to expect or if I’d even see the field. So, I’ll be honest, I was even a little surprised to get as much time as I did. I’m so grateful to Coach Gilis for giving me the opportunity and being so fair and more than fair. But in the Estonian game, I remember feeling super comfortable. I think by the time I came on, we had a good foothold in the game. We had possession of the ball. I remember feeling very comfortable being able to receive and connect my passes and felt really kind of, while there was nothing impactful, felt really good about the performance. The Lithuania game, the one takeaway I’ll have is, again, I got substituted in. It was late in the game. And I won’t say I had an opportunity, not necessarily a shooting opportunity, but in an advanced position. And it’s one of my big soccer regrets. I took the safe choice, and it led to nothing. And one of my flaws as a player is often being too safe, not being impactful enough, not being willing to take risks. And I look back at that moment, and it could have been a little courage, a little confidence could have led to maybe a tying goal. Instead, it was just a safe pass that led to really nothing. So, I’ll remember that. It’s a mini regret.
So, for readers, Lars came on as a substitute against Estonia in the 62nd minute, replacing Aleksejs Šarando, who played over 20 games for the national team. The Latvia won that match 2-0, and in the final match, you came on the field in the 78th minute. You replaced the current Latvian national team record holder for appearances – Vitālijs Astafjevs. Latvia lost that game in the final to Lithuania 0-1. That was the final because Lithuania beat Estonia in their first match. Can you talk more about the locker room. Were there any personalities or leaders in that squad that stood out to you with some kind of authority who were, oh, look at, he kind of looks a bit scary from afar.
I’m sure there were. The one image I will always have is Rolands just being, and I think that’s just, it’s just probably just being intimidated as an outsider and I kind of tried not to let that impact me and instead focused on the friendly face, the one that was kind of looking after me a little bit. So, I do remember that personality. I wish I, if I remember correctly, lost his address on the little piece of paper that I wrote his address on. And it’s a regret that I wasn’t able to stay in touch with him because that was a really pretty amazing experience. But other than that, I remember just trying to wrap my head around the tactics, not speaking Russian. And I remember it all once, and I remember our coach being just calm and clear and incredibly fair.
Were you able to keep the shirt?
No, I didn’t even think about it. I have my shirt from the previous year, from the trip to Valmiera, but not the shirt I wore in the Baltic Cup.
What was your impression of coach Jānis Gilis?
My memory of him is someone very kind and very fair. When people imagine a national team coach, they often picture someone intense and aggressive. Maybe he had that side too, but my experience with him was different. He was calm, organized and clear. And he gave me a real opportunity despite the fact I arrived with very little pedigree. As a coach now, I also remember some of the training sessions and thinking: ‘That makes so much sense.’ You could clearly see how things translated into real game situations.
You did talk about that you lost the address for Rolands Bulders. Any chance you keep with anyone in touch from Latvian football, or no?
Sadly, no. Yeah, that’s when again a kind of a regret because that would have been an interesting relationship to continue. I think he was playing in Sweden at the time, if I’m not mistaken. So that was a missed opportunity. Have some connections with Latvian people here in the States, every once in a great while, but no connection, sadly, with anyone in Latvian football now.
And from afar right now, do you still get a chance to follow the Latvian football, Latvian national team, how they are doing?
I certainly try. I’m able to kind of catch glimpses every once in a while, on one of the live streaming services here. I coach with players or coach with friends and coaches from around the world. So, any Euro qualifiers or World Cup qualifiers, those will always try to pay attention to and there’s a good bit of banter that we’ll share. I have a friend I coach with who’s English so of course in the World Cup qualifiers we had had an opportunity to kind of be matched up and so I do try, I have a lot of football on my plate already but I do try to keep track when something interesting is going on with the Latvian team.
I forgot to ask. After the Baltic Cup, were there any opportunities to get back to the national team for some kind of camp or was that?
That was it. That was my two very humble little caps. And I remember Coach Gilis saying like, afterward, I think it was in a paper that I had some decent qualities with passing accuracy, but I lacked the sharpness to compete at that level and he was spot on. I remember saying that is an accurate assessment, just the details required to play at those higher levels. So, I wasn’t expecting another opportunity. I didn’t pursue one, frankly. There were things that made me want to get back home and people that I wanted to be nearby. But yeah, that was it. So just a little moment in time.
You did mention the press. That brings me another question. How much was the press involved in that camp or was there any interest in you at all?
I do remember there was to a degree, like there was something, I don’t remember if it was the Latvian paper here in the United States, likes, that was covering me, but it was a bit of an interesting story. I suppose it’s something that didn’t happen very often, that an American or a Latvian American is involved with the team. My mother used to be a really like keeper of scrapbooks and old stories. If I went through my old things, I probably could find some of those old stories. But I remember there being some cameras around and a few stories here and there about, the young Latvian American who was making his first appearance. But yeah, kind of funny to think back about that.
Looking back now, over 30 years later. What does it mean to you personally that you represented the Latvian national team at the time?
It was an amazing experience, a huge blessing. So many things came together there, and the fact that it was just a few weeks of time is remarkable. But I think it tied together some of the most important things in my life. My faith, because I felt like it was a direct answer to prayer. My family, because Latvian heritage and ancestry was such a big part of what made our family unique. And then the football part, what I love to do more than anything. So, it tied together those three things beautifully. I think it had a really big impact on my life because at the time I wasn’t really sure what my next steps would be. Like I said, I was not making a lot of progress in this indoor soccer career. So, what really happened afterward is I came back, had my best year of soccer in my environment. It did lead me to my next career, as I decided I wanted to be a teacher and a coach. So, I went back and got my teaching certification and became an English teacher for 25 years and now a soccer coach. It was one of those impactful experiences that I think pushed me in the direction that I was always supposed to be going in. So, I’m super grateful for the experience.
Now, getting back to a bit later in the years, 2004, Latvia with one of the biggest sporting achievements in Latvian sports history by making the Euro tournament. What was your reaction to it? Because in that team also from the lineup, there were two players who were playing with you in the Baltic Cup 94’, Mihails Zemļinskis and Vitālijs Astafjevs.
I just remember thinking like what a remarkable accomplishment, just then, call it the progress or something, it just seemed like such an impossibility maybe when I look back to the camp that I was a part of, just even the limited resources, I can’t imagine the resources a country like Turkey or any of the other major European footballing nations, what the history they have, the resources they have, the finances, the support, the leagues, it just is such a great underdog accomplishment that, if I put myself back in that camp and then say, hey, here’s what’s going to happen 10 years later. That’s it’d be it’d be quite a remarkable story, no doubt.
So now about the teaching and coaching. I did see your banner under the e-mail that you are coaching some youth who are playing in MLS Next Pro U-15 and U-19 age group.
The club is Michigan Wolves. I’m kind of the director of our MLS Next program, which is kind of for our top tier of young players from under 13 to under 19. And then I specifically coach now the under 16 group. So that’s my role in the club now.
And for how many years have you been coaching?
I was really getting started right around the time when I was coming back from the event that we’d been discussing. So, I throw out the number 30 years, but it’s. Probably 31 years now. I’m with the same club; it’s the club I grew up playing in and somehow, I’ve managed to stay put. So yeah, 31 years with the Michigan Wolves now.
Just one question about the level on National Professional Soccer League at the time. It obviously wasn’t the top league in the United States, but were there any other national team players playing there? Because back then there still weren’t many Americans playing in Europe.
It was not the top league. So, the only outdoor soccer league, there was a league called the A-League. And really what that was, it was very common at that time for the top players in the indoor game to play during the winter. And then they would play with an A-League team in the summer. So, to be honest, some of the top players in the country were playing in the indoor game at the time just because there wasn’t that much of an opportunity in the US. to play. Now, right about that time, you started to have players finally be able to explore overseas opportunities. And some of the big names came out of that ’94 World Cup here in the United States. But at the time, it was arguably, even though it’s quite a different sport than proper soccer. The indoor game had a lot of the top players at that time because it was the only way to continue playing the game here in the States.
You did talk about MLS Next Pro. We have one goalkeeper right now who is playing there – Kristers Bite. And he is doing very well in his first season there, last year made some appearances in the Latvian top-flight. He has had a few starts this season, but I didn’t realize that if there is a draw after 90 minutes in the MLS Next Pro match, they have a penalty shootout to decide the winner.
It is a new development in that league. It’s kind of an experimental. So just in MLS Next Pro and in certain events here in our youth game in MLS Next, they are experimenting with some new rules like that. The theory I’m told is to build up the, call it the performance under pressure. Thinking that time after time could help develop some abilities to perform in those moments later. But it’s a different rule.
Do you think the United States is a good pathway for young Latvian players today?
I think it can be. Years ago, I’d be hard-pressed to say that, but I think there’s been a huge investment that the MLS clubs have made in the youth game, extending into those slightly older players. So, the league in which we play, even though we’re not an MLS club, we play against a lot of the MLS academies. So, I think you see a lot of investments and a lot of resources poured into the top young players, even as young as 13 years old. So, I think those academies, provided the player finds the right one and there’s a fit from a profile standpoint or a style of play standpoint, seems to be a way that a lot of young players are developing and growing into kind of the next steps in their career. Sometimes that MLS Next Pro pathway, sometimes into the full first team with the MLS club itself. And then there are starting to be second and third tiers as well to allow players the chance to play. So, I’m not sure how to compare it to the opportunities that exist in Europe. And certainly, there wouldn’t be the same as what’s in the top countries in Europe. But more there is a pathway for young, passionate, talented players to develop and to have opportunities in the future.
You talked about MLS investing heavily into youth development, but college soccer is also changing because of NIL money and improved opportunities for players. We already have a few Latvian players taking the NCAA route. Do you think the college pathway is becoming more attractive again for young players – especially because they can combine education with a chance to still reach the professional level? And compared to going directly into MLS Next Pro, could that sometimes even be the better option?
It’s interesting. Like we say this in our club game all the time, everyone’s path is slightly different, like one person’s journey doesn’t necessarily work for the next individual. It’s proven that there are ways that players can progress to their goals in football while also getting a college degree. Now, it’s probably happening a little bit more rarely than it used to. The pathway used to be very much college and then drafted to play with the pro team, whereas now you have a more common approach of a young player signs a homegrown contract straight into the MLS program. But back to your college point, that is still a legitimate pathway for people, provided they’re in a high-performing college environment, and some of those happen to have great academics tied in as well. Something very, very recent here, it looks as if in the near future, I want to say ’27, ’28, the college men’s soccer season will be split over the fall and the spring, so it provides that player a more year-round developmental competitive experience as opposed to kind of the traditional. Three-month model and then a bunch of time off so that’ll be interesting to see how that might help players kind of mesh academics with also a future career in the pro game.
What kind of advice would you give for a 18-year-old Latvian who would like to take the US route?
Yeah, I think one of the nice things is nowadays it seems like it’s never been easy to do research, and we say the same thing to our club players when they’re seeking their next steps, whether it’s an MLS academy or a college, is looking into the potential options and finding the right fit, looking at the makeup of a roster can sometimes tell a Latvian player, whether that school’s roster tends to have a lot of international representation or do they seem to be built off of local American kids. And that could, make potentially show a program’s willingness to seek internationals. I think, finding connections from a what you’re looking for from a the location because America is a vast country you have all different types of climates and cities and rural areas and big huge urban areas so there’s a lot of ranges I think doing research and finding a good fit might be the best advice I would give.
And so now is a lot of talks about players just like you were back in 30 years ago with roots from Latvia. There’s one other player in America who’s making a bit of a noise in my opinion. A player named Ian James. He’s 17-year-old defender, plays for Sporting Kansas City. He has made some appearances for the first team this season. He played last season for the first team. But he also came up through the Kansas City system, and he has ties with Latvia. Do you know him and what can you tell about him?
Interesting. I had no idea. I don’t know him all that well, but we do so I’m aware of him. I know he was at Minnesota United for a time and then at Sporting Kansas City, and these are both clubs that we cross paths with regularly. I’ve seen his name and I’ve seen, it always catches your attention when someone that young is already competing with the first team. So, I did catch that. Had no idea he had any Latvian roots, I’ll be honest, until you brought that up. So, it gives me extra reason to watch him now, but I’m aware of him. And yeah, and there right now seems to be a bit of a youth surge in MLS. So, it could prove to be a good avenue for young players. At least I hope so. But that one’s fascinating. I’ll certainly have to follow Ian’s journey because I had no idea that he had any Latvian ties.
And now that you’re coaching yourself, how often do you actually come across people with Latvian ties in the football community? It is rare, or have you met quite a few players and coaches with Latvian background over the years?
Yeah, I’d say very rare. And I just, I have struggled to go back to think about it. There was a fellow Latvian, I knew him well. I played against him in college. So he was at Cornell, I was at Yale, so we used to see each other four times a year. So that was, okay, that’s a connection, but I already knew him. I have found it very rare. And I don’t know, maybe perhaps my name isn’t clearly Latvian. It’s not like your name where I would say like, okay, I’ve got to introduce myself because I know he’s Latvian. So maybe some opportunities I’ve got have been missed because my name isn’t so, obviously Latvian or so, but very rare, very rare.
And more about Latvians immigrating to America. Were there any Latvian football figures, whose name you heard growing up, who had made the move to US?
Even though football is my game, I’m interested in a lot of other sports too. So, the names that always come to me are more like, I remember there was a flurry of Latvians who came to play in the NHL. So Helmuts Balderis and Artūrs Irbe and later Sandis Ozoliņš. So that was a source of pride when those guys were standouts in the NHL, and I could talk about them with my friends. More recently, of course, Kristaps Porziņģis. So, I’m very much in tune with Latvians in those sports. I’ve had less awareness, I would say, of Latvians here in football more specifically. So those I haven’t been as aware of.
And you did talk about another one who immigrated to the United States – Alberts Legzdiņš. Who did you mention. Were there any stories about him?
Man, what a wonderful human being. I just, yeah, just that this was pure charity of what he did to throw together this, here he is, he’s this entertainer. He’s a bit of a Latvian legend here in the United States. Everybody knows the Piecīši. And yeah, fortunate enough to see them perform a bunch of times. But such a humble man. And he literally did this charity to pull together a ragtag group of soccer players here in the United States from various ages. And I just remember him somehow assembling this group and managing to put a decent little team together. So yeah, but just a huge personality. Just yeah, I consider him just a good friend and his sons were always, good friends growing up as well. So, huge impact on, in my experience at least with Latvian football here in the States.
As you are living close to Detroit you are probably a fan of the Detroit teams, correct?
I am, for better or for worse, we’ve had some good times and some good times.
Now it’s a bit better with the Lions and the Pistons doing good. Are there any European football clubs you are following? Any favorite teams or just a fan of watching games?
Liverpool FC has always been mine. So yeah, again, last year was more enjoyable than this year. But yeah, that’s just somehow when I was growing up, there was very little access to European football on TV. But somehow, someway, it was the Liverpool heyday that I first started watching. And ever since then, that was kind of my team. And then I’ve embraced them even more in recent years. So that’s my Again, for better or for worse, that’s my club.
The last topic I want to talk about is the World Cup next month. Who will you be rooting for?
Well, of course, the United States. I hope for progress, hope for success. Spain, I love from a style of play standpoint. I have so many English friends that they feel a little bit overdue. So that’s kind of my short list. Certainly, want Messi’s legacy to go out in a very positive way. But I’ll be a huge fan. Just the fact that just to be able to turn on a television just at about any time of day and be able to watch a game is going to be going to be a great experience.
So Messi or Ronaldo?
Yeah, I’m all Messi. I’m all Messi. They were both wonderful, but that’s how I’ve always answered that question and I’m sticking with it.
And so lastly, now looking back, now after talking, what does the Latvia mean to you now looking back at that summer 32 years ago, the very first image or memory, what comes from that time?
Ironically, this one is pretty easy. I met my wife that summer. Not in Latvia, so this memory doesn’t necessarily have a Latvian connection, but the summer of 94 will always be special and that is my number one memory and the best thing that’s happened to me. That was a World Cup year, so I’ll always remember that summer of ’94, watching the World Cup and meeting and starting to date my wife. But I do think those weeks in Latvia were pivotal because, again, as I mentioned earlier, they gave me clarity on my next steps from a career standpoint and gave me this immense connection to my culture and my heritage. Again, it was one of those brief periods of my life that I think has had a massive impact on everything I’ve done since.
Thank you for the time!
Thank you. That was a very enjoyable conversation. Thank you for giving me a chance to think back on a really fun time.
