CLEVELAND FORCE NAMES FORMER U.S. FUTSAL DEFENDER INTERIM COACH

Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) announced on Oct. 16, the squad’s Technical Director Andy Schmetzer has been named the interim head coach for the remainder of the 2002-03 season.

Force's President and General Manager Paul Garofolo made the announcement as Schmetzer will replace former coach Mike Pilger, who still had one year remaining on his contract after this season.

Schmetzer, who scored two goals in 10 appearances for the U.S. Futsal National Team in 1992, will begin his first stint as a head coach in the MISL after spending 14 seasons as a player in indoor soccer including the last 10 seasons in a Cleveland uniform. The former defender achieved a silver medal with the U.S. squad at the 1992 FIFA Five-A-Side (now Futsal) World Championship in Hong Kong and also earned three indoor soccer championship rings with the Cleveland franchise (1993-94, 1995-96, 1998-99).

“I’m excited to step in as Head Coach of this team,” stated Schmetzer, “Our performance during our first three games does not accurately reflect the talent of this team.”

Schmetzer was originally drafted in the first round of the 1985 MISL Draft by the Cleveland Force. He played with the original Force for two seasons (1986-87 and 1987-88) but left Cleveland for the Tacoma Stars. He returned to Cleveland as a free agent on August 7, 1990.

The Force, who missed the playoffs for two straight seasons, has begun the 2002-03 MISL season with a record of 1-2 overall ledger.