New York, April 17, 2017 - Wim Rijsbergen is the Head Coach for the New York Dutch Lions FC All Star Team 2017.
Rijsbergen played five seasons for the Cosmos at a time when he was one of the best and most solid defenders in the world. He signed with the team in 1979, after taking part in the 1978 World All Star Game at Giants Stadium, where his assignment was marking Giorgio Chinaglia.
Rijsbergen was a key part of Holland's World Cup finalist teams in 1974 and 1978. He played every game of the Clockwork Orange's 1974 tournament, which saw them advance to the final against host Germany before losing. He played in every game of the 1978 World Cup other than the final, missing that game against Argentina due to an injury.
A rugged and physical man-marker who consistently kept opponents away from the ball, he was often charged with marking opposing teams’ top scorers, a job he performed well both in Europe with Feyenoord in Holland and Bastia in France, and in the North American Soccer League with the Cosmos.
He was named the NASL's top defender in 1981, when he saw action mainly as the Cosmos left back, but also played in all four back positions and at midfield. A three-time NASL All-Star, he was named to the first team in 1979 and 1981 and the second team in 1980.
The 1981 season, when the Cosmos advanced to a third Soccer Bowl with Rijsbergen in the lineup, was his best with the team. In addition to being named defender of the year, he scored the only three goals of his Cosmos career that season, including a 30-yard rocket against the Minnesota Kicks on August 5 that was nominated as the NASL's goal of the year. He then scored the game-winning goal in the pivotal third game of the quarterfinal playoff series against the Tampa Bay Rowdies. Rijsbergen also dished out eight of his 14 career assists that season.
He missed almost all of the 1982 season after recuperating from surgery on his achilles tendon, playing only three games during the regular season and two during the playoffs, when a hip injury ended his season. He played in 11 games the following season, before suffering a knee injury that kept him out the rest of the way. The following year, he resumed his career in Holland for a few more seasons.
Despite missing almost two entire seasons to injury, Rijsbergen ranks 11th in Cosmos history in minutes played with 7,157, and 10th in playoff minutes played with 1,277.
After his playing career, he entered coaching, and has had stints with several teams in Holland, and with the National Teams of Trinidad & Tobago and Indonesia.
