by The one common trend I noticed as I interviewed each player was their desire to win combined with a great work ethic. It didn’t matter the position or the size of the player, they all had that same inner passion to succeed burning deep inside of them. The fact that they could go through a major head coaching change and still remain dominant in the NPSL speaks volumes not only about their, but also their character. The man who took over the incredibly talented team from Gary Hindley and managed to maintain the success wining two more NPSL titles was Bruce Miller.
Hector shares a final message to the fans of Cleveland, who have been big fans of his for years, “The Cleveland fans were tremendous, I’m still friends with a lot of people who were fans of the team. I consider them more friends than fans at this point. It is a great sports town and the fans are tremendous. I loved playing here and representing Cleveland, it was an honor. I want to thank everyone for all the years of support and I hope I did Cleveland proud. It was a great ride but it is unfortunate that athletes have to get old because it was a lot of fun.” Zoran thanks the Cleveland fans, “Thank you, it was a great experience playing for such passionate fans. My years playing in front of them were just incredible. I want to say thank you because playing in Cleveland was the best ten years of my life.”
Coach Bruce Miller also wants to share what it felt about playing for Cleveland’s fans, “It was a great time in this city for soccer and hasn’t been the same since. The relationships between the players and the fans were truly special. The players weren’t making a ton of money, so the fans relationship with us meant a lot. I remember after winning my first championship walking around the Convocation Center and meeting so many of them. I came from a six kid, one income family and never forgot where I came from. The fans were great and we cared as much for them as they did for us.”
Cavaliers Flashback: The Miracle of Richfield Though the Eyes of Joe Tait & Austin Carr
