Tom Galati is a former U.S.

soccer Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of 11 Football player, players who almost exclusively use their feet to propel a Ball (association football), ball around a rectangular f ...

defensive midfielder In the sport of association football, a midfielder takes an outfield position primarily in the middle of the pitch. Midfielders may play an exclusively defensive role, breaking up attacks, and are in that case known as defensive midfielders. ...

who five seasons in the

North American Soccer League The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the ...

. He also earned one

cap A cap is a flat headgear, usually with a visor. Caps have crowns that fit very close to the head. They made their first appearance as early as 3200 BC. The origin of the word "cap" comes from the Old French word "chapeau" which means "head co ...

with the U.S. national team.

Youth and college

Galati grew up in

St. Louis, Missouri St. Louis ( , sometimes referred to as St. Louis City, Saint Louis or STL) is an Independent city (United States), independent city in the U.S. state of Missouri. It lies near the confluence of the Mississippi River, Mississippi and the Miss ...

where he attended McBride High School from 1966 to 1970. He then attended Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville where he played on the men's Division II soccer team from 1970 to 1974. In 1972, SIUE won the Division II national championship. Galati was a second team

All-America The All-America designation is an annual honor bestowed on outstanding athletes in the United States who are considered to be among the best athletes in their respective sport. Individuals receiving this distinction are typically added to an Al ...

n in 1973 and was inducted, along with his teammates from the 1972 team, into the SIUE Athletic Hall of Fame in 2005 and was also inducted as an individual in 2010.

Professional

In 1974, the expansion

Philadelphia Atoms The Philadelphia Atoms were an American soccer team based out of Philadelphia that played in the North American Soccer League (NASL). They played from 1973 to 1976, at Veterans Stadium (1973–75) and Franklin Field (1976). The club's colors ...

of the

(NASL) selected Galati in the first round of the NASL draft. That season, the Atoms won the NASL championship and Galati finished second in balloting for Rookie of the Year. The Atoms folded at the end of the 1976 season and the San Antonio Thunder picked Galati in the dispersal draft. In January 1977, the Washington Diplomats traded

Charlie McCully Charles Findlay McCully (April 30, 1947 – October 23, 2007) was a soccer player who played as a forward. He spent two seasons in the American Soccer League, one in the German American Soccer League and five in the North American Soccer Leagu ...

and Chuck Carey, and its first-round 1978 draft pick to the San Antonio Thunder for Galati and the Thunder's first-round 1977 draft pick. Galati began the pre-season with the Dips, but was traded to the

Las Vegas Quicksilvers The Las Vegas Quicksilvers were an American soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League (NASL) during the 1977 season. The team was based in Las Vegas, Nevada, and played their home games at Las Vegas Stadium. After the 19 ...

in May 1977 in exchange for Art Welch. Galati also played in the 1975 NASL indoor tournament with the Atoms. In 1980, Galati moved to the

St. Louis Steamers St. Louis Steamers has been the name of two different indoor soccer franchises based in St. Louis, Missouri: *St. Louis Steamers (1979–88); American soccer team which played in the first Major Indoor Soccer League *St. Louis Steamers (1998–2006 ...

of Major Indoor Soccer League, but was released before the beginning of the season.

National team

Galati earned one

with the U.S. national team in a 7–0 loss to

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It extends from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Sudetes and Carpathian Mountains in the south, bordered by Lithuania and Russia to the northeast, Belarus and Ukrai ...

on March 26, 1975. He came off for Alan Hamlyn at halftime. He was inducted in the St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame in 2007.St. Louis Soccer Hall of Fame
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References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Galati, Tom 1951 births American men's soccer players Las Vegas Quicksilvers players Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Philadelphia Atoms players SIU Edwardsville Cougars men's soccer players Soccer players from St. Louis St. Louis Steamers (original MISL) players United States men's international soccer players Living people Men's association football midfielders 20th-century American sportsmen