Yilmaz Orhan (born 13 March 1955 in

Nicosia Nicosia, also known as Lefkosia and Lefkoşa, is the capital and largest city of Cyprus. It is the southeasternmost of all EU member states' capital cities. Nicosia has been continuously inhabited for over 5,500 years and has been the capi ...

Cyprus Cyprus (), officially the Republic of Cyprus, is an island country in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Situated in West Asia, its cultural identity and geopolitical orientation are overwhelmingly Southeast European. Cyprus is the List of isl ...

) is a former football forward who played professionally in the United States and England.

Career

Early career

Spotted by

Terry Matthews Sir Terence Hedley Matthews (born 6 June 1943) is a Welsh-Canadian business magnate, serial high-tech entrepreneur, and Wales' first billionaire. He was the richest man in Wales until 2012, when he was surpassed by Sir Michael Moritz. He ha ...

while playing for

Aveley Aveley is a village and former civil parish in the unitary authority of Thurrock in Essex, England, and forms one of the traditional Church of England parishes. Aveley is 16 miles (26.2 km) east of Charing Cross. In the 2021 United King ...

, Orhan made his

First Division 1st Division or First Division may refer to: Military Airborne divisions *1st Parachute Division (Germany) *1st Airborne Division (United Kingdom) * 1st Airmobile Division (Ukraine) * 1st Guards Airborne Division Armoured divisions *1st Armoure ...

debut for West Ham United in January 1976. He made eight league appearances, and featured in one cup game, but failed to score while with the club.

North America

In April 1977, Orhan moved to

Team Hawaii Team Hawaii was a soccer team based out of Honolulu that played in the NASL for one season, 1977. Their home field was Aloha Stadium. After two unsuccessful years as the San Antonio Thunder, the franchise moved to Hawai'i in time for the ...

for the franchise's single season 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 ...

. In 1978, he signed with the

Houston Hurricane The Houston Hurricane was a soccer team based out of Houston that played in the NASL. They played from 1978 to 1980. Their home field was the Astrodome. Their colors were orange, white and red. History The team was the last of six expansion ...

, but was traded to the San Diego Sockers during the season. He played through the 1980 outdoor season with the Sockers. He played on loan to the Hartford Hellions for the 1979–1980 Major Indoor Soccer League season. In the fall of 1980, he left the Sockers and dedicated himself to indoor soccer. That fall, he signed with the St. Louis Steamers. He moved to the

Buffalo Stallions The Buffalo Stallions were a soccer team based out of Buffalo, New York, that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1979 to 1984. Their home arena was Buffalo Memorial Auditorium. It was the last professional club for which the Portu ...

for the 1981–1982 season. In 1982, he moved to the Kansas City Comets. In October 1983, the Comets put Orhan up for a trade after an altercation with the team's trainer. The team eventually waived him and he signed with the Memphis Americans. In 1984, the Americans moved to Las Vegas for the 1984–1985 season. The Americans released him at the end of the season. During the off-season, Orhan served his four-month sentence for drunken driving which led to his showing late to the

Baltimore Blast The Baltimore Blast are an American professional indoor soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland, that competes in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). Including one championship victory as the original Baltimore Blast, the team has won 10 c ...

with whom he had signed during the off season. In March 1986, the Blast sold Orhan's contract to the Pittsburgh Spirit. In the fall of 1986, he moved to the Kansas City Comets in 1987. He played five games for the Kansas City Comets before being released. He then signed with the

Louisville Thunder Louisville Thunder was an indoor soccer club based in Louisville, Kentucky. The team played in the American Indoor Soccer Association History Stadium From the club's inaugural season in 1984 to 1987, home games were played in Broadbent Arena. ...

of the

American Indoor Soccer Association American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...

for the remainder of the season. In October 1987, he signed with the

Milwaukee Wave The Milwaukee Wave are an American professional indoor soccer team based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, that competes in the Major Arena Soccer League (MASL). Founded in 1984, they have been the oldest continuously operating professional indoor footbal ...

References

External links

NASL/MISL stats
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orhan, Yilmaz 1955 births Living people Cypriot emigrants to the United States American people of Turkish Cypriot descent Cypriot men's footballers National Professional Soccer League (1984–2001) players Men's association football forwards Aveley F.C. players Baltimore Blast (1980–1992) players Buffalo Stallions players Houston Hurricane players Kansas City Comets (1979–1991) players Louisville Thunder players Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players Milwaukee Wave players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players Footballers from Nicosia Pittsburgh Spirit players San Diego Sockers (1978–1996) indoor players San Diego Sockers (1978–1996) players St. Louis Steamers (original MISL) players Team Hawaii players Sportspeople of Turkish Cypriot descent West Ham United F.C. players English Football League players Expatriate men's footballers in England Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States Cypriot expatriate men's footballers