Emil Gazdov could be Pacific FC’s goalkeeper of the future, if he doesn’t move up before that.
As the third Pacific FC keeper, behind Callum Irving and Comox’s Nolan Wirth, the 17-year-old Gazdov didn’t see any playing time during the 10 games in which third-place PFC performed amid its recent 2020 Canadian Premier League pandemic ‘bubble’ season in Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Gazdov’s first pro season was spent practising alongside Irving and Wirth under PFC goalkeepers coach Mark Village, the latter who shared crease duties with Wirth in Pacific’s inaugural season in 2019. But his youth, size at six-foot-three and potential have landed Gazdov a pretty decent loan placing with FC Nürnberg of the 2. Bundesliga, which is comparable in hockey to the AHL.
The native of North Vancouver, out of the Whitecaps Residency program, joins a historic club in one of the world’s greatest soccer-playing nations.
FC Nürnberg celebrated its 120th anniversary in May. The club has been in the highest-level Bundesliga for 12 seasons, the last in 2018-19 before relegation. FC Nürnberg has won nine Bundesliga championships, the last in 1967-68. It has won the DFB-Pokal, Germany’s equivalent of England’s FA Cup, four times, the last time in 2006-07.
Pacific FC co-owners Josh Simpson and Rob Friend both played in the Bundesliga and retain strong connections to German soccer.
“I know the Nürnberg club well and am very excited for Emil. He is a raw talent. This paves the way and could be the first of many,” said Simpson, who played for FC Kaiserslautern, and was capped 43 times for Canada.
“A lot of big clubs are scouting everywhere and scouting younger and younger players. This is what we [PFC and CPL] are all about,” added the PFC president, who came out of the Juan de Fuca minor soccer association.
Friend played six seasons in the Bundesliga for Borussia Monchengladbach, Hertha Berlin and Eintracht Frankfurt.
“Part of our club strategy is to move players on to new opportunities,” said the Pacific FC general-manager and CEO, who was capped 32 times for Canada.
“This is a great move for Emil and we’ll do everything we can to support him.”
cdheensaw@timescolonist.com
