Americans Abroad

Taylor Twellman: Soccer takes him from Missouri to Maryland, and then to Munich.

(Friday, October 27, 2000) -- Saint Louis-area native and former University of Maryland and United States youth national-team striker Taylor Twellman made the jump to professional soccer last spring, signing a two-year deal with German powerhouse 1860 Munich.

Taylor Twellman's family has a rich tradition of athletic accomplishment and after leaving University of Maryland early to join 1860 Munich, he seems to be following a similar path. Photo by Christopher Courtney.

He comes from a family rich in athletic tradition. His father Tim Twellman is a former midfielder with the Chicago Sting of the North American Soccer League. His grandfather Jim Delsing played leftfield for the New York Yankees playing alongside Joe DiMaggio, winning a World Series championship. Currently, his uncle Jay Delsing is a professional golfer on the Professional Golfers Association tour.

Twellman currently plays with the 1860 Munich reserve squad which competes in the German Regionalliga (third division) South. Despite an early-season muscle pull which caused him to miss three matches, Twellman scored 10 goals in the preseason and has scored four goals in six appearances, including three in the last three matches.

SoccerTimes sat down with him before his most recent match at FC Schweinfurt.

SoccerTimes: Taylor, thanks for talking with us today. With so many professional athletes in your family in different sports, what inspired you to pursue a professional soccer career?

Twellman: My father Tim played for the Chicago Sting in the NASL and he used to tell me stories about marking Pele in front of 70,000 people in Giants Stadium or going forward and having Franz Beckenbauer clear the ball out. He played with lots of German players on the Sting including Karl Heinz Granitza so it seemed a natural to try out with a German team. He inspired in me a passion for the game. I've always dreamed of playing soccer at the highest level possible.

SoccerTimes: Why did you decide to go with 1860 Munich? What has it been like to break into the team?

Twellman: It was the perfect opportunity. It's a big club with a rich history where I could get in on the reserves and have a chance to work my way up to the first team. I want to play at the highest level I can and here I'll have the chance to get there if I keep improving. They've been playing for 140 years and to be a part of that is something special. Being in Munich you are at the center of German soccer with Bayern Munich and 1860 here in town along with many of the big names in the German soccer federation. I wanted to be immersed in soccer culture and its been great.

As for breaking into the team, there are a lot of good players here so its very competitive. Some of these guys came up through the 1860 youth system, so they saw me as a new guy who just showed up into their club. At first they think it’s not fair that a foreigner is taking one of their spots, but as you train and show them what you can do, they start to accept you. Once you get past the language barrier and learn German it becomes much easier. You have to pay your dues and earn everyone's respect from square one. Results on the field go a long way to earning their respect and acceptance. Now that I've been producing for the team they accept me and look for me to contribute consistently.

SoccerTimes: What are your chances of being called up to the first team?

Twellman: The club told me that if I produce consistent results in every reserve game I would have a chance for a call-up to the first team either this year or next year. I figure if I just keep playing my best, good things will come.

SoccerTimes: What is it like playing for a reserve team in the third division?

Twellman: Its great. Every game in one of these smaller towns is the event of the weekend and everyone comes out to watch. You see how people live and die for soccer and support their local team even though its not in the first division. Since we are a reserve or amateur team we are a lot younger than most of our opponents. We are mostly 19-to-21 year-old rookies and the other teams are full of 28-to-32 year-old guys who used to play in higher divisions. They have a lot of experience and it helps our game to play against them. I'm still learning a lot here so its been a great experience.

While Twellman was answering this question a young German boy named Tarik approaches him to autograph his match ticket which he does gladly.

SoccerTimes: What is it like to be a 20-year-old American playing in Germany and be asked for your autograph?

Twellman: Its awesome. I mean the passion for the game here is great and to be a part of it is a dream come true.

SoccerTimes: What are your goals for the next few years?

Twellman: I want to play with the 1860 Munich first team and have a chance with the (U.S.) national team. To do that I need to have an impact on every game, keep improving and contribute any way I can to my team. If I can do those things, then I think I can reach my goals.

SoccerTimes: Taylor, thanks for your time and good in today’s game.

Twellman: You’re welcome.

Twellman went on to play a strong 80 minutes, scoring a goal on a header in the 50th minute to tie the game at 1-1. Ten minutes later, he set up a sure goal which was stopped by a red card foul on his teammate in the penalty area. Left midfielder Danny Fuchs put the penalty kick away to give 1860 Munich a 2-1 lead.

Twellman marked the libero well and deflected several of his deep clearances clearly rattling the Schweinfurt defensive leader. After being subbed out in the 80th minute, Twellman watched intensely and hoped his team could hold on for a victory. The opposing Schweinfurt fans sitting behind the press box cheered when Twellman was substituted shouting, "He was going to score another, thanks for taking him out!"

His team gave up a penalty in the 87th minute which was converted to make it 2-2, a score which stood until the end. After the game, Twellman remarked, "That is the story of our season. We get up on a team then let them in at the end".

Quickly moving back to the positive he added "We'll bounce back though, we get better each week".

After we ended the post-game portion of the interview Twellman joined his team listening to the radio broadcast of the Munich Derby between Bayern Munich and 1860 Munich (which Bayern won 3-1). It appeared Twellman is not just a fine soccer player and student of the game, but also a passionate fan.