Jim Tietjens

Jim Tietjens is a retired American soccer goalkeeper who played professionally in the North American Soccer League, Major Indoor Soccer League and United Soccer League.

Jim Tietjens
Personal information
Full name James Arthur Paul Tietjens
Date of birth (1960-02-25) February 25, 1960
Place of birth St. Louis, Missouri, United States
Position(s) Goalkeeper
Youth career
1978–1979 St. Louis Billikens
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1980–1983 Fort Lauderdale Strikers 2 (0)
1980–1983 Fort Lauderdale Strikers (indoor) 2 (0)
1983–1984 Kansas City Comets (indoor) 7 (0)
1984 Fort Lauderdale Sun 23 (0)
1985 South Florida Sun 6 (0)
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Tietjens graduated from Oakville High School. He then attended St. Louis University where he played on the men's soccer team from 1978 and 1979.[1] He was inducted into the Billikens Hall of Fame in 1995.[2] In 1980, he turned professional with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers of the North American Soccer League. He spent three season with the Strikers as a backup to Jan van Beveren except for two games during his rookie season when injuries put him in the nets.[3] He suffered a knee injury requiring surgery during a February 1983 indoor tournament and remained a backup for the 1983 season. In November 1983, he signed with the Kansas City Comets of the Major Indoor Soccer League.[4] However, he lost much of the early season with a dislocated shoulder then served as a backup for the rest of the season. In May 1984, he signed with the Fort Lauderdale Sun of the United Soccer League. He led the league with the lowest goals against average.[5] He continued to play for the Sun, now known as the South Florida Sun in 1985. He had the second lowest goals against average.[6] When the team and the league collapsed after six games, Tietjens moved back to St. Louis where he worked for Rawling Sports.[7] In October 1991, Tietjens was diagnosed with a heart problem. In July 1992, Tietjens was given a life saving heart transplant.[8]

Jim is currently the Director of Trade Marketing Planning at Anheuser Busch in St. Louis, MO.

Yearly Awards
  • USL Top Goalkeeper: 1984

References
  1. St. Louis University Soccer Records
  2. St. Louis Billikens Hall of Fame Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine
  3. PATIENT TIETJENS GETS A SHOT IN GOAL TONIGHT Miami Herald, The (FL) - Saturday, July 31, 1982
  4. MISL'S COMETS OBTAIN TIETJENS Miami Herald, The (FL) - Wednesday, November 23, 1983
  5. "The Year in American Soccer - 1984". Archived from the original on 2013-07-13. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  6. "The Year in American Soccer - 1985". Archived from the original on 2015-07-09. Retrieved 2009-11-26.
  7. SUN'S PLAYERS SPLIT PROFITS, THEN SIMPLY SPLIT Miami Herald, The (FL) - Saturday, July 6, 1985
  8. Transplant helps brother, sister overcome hereditary heart problem
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