Eugene Galeković

Eugen- Josip " Eugene" Galekovic ( born June 12, 1981 in Melbourne) is an Australian football player of Croatian descent. The goalkeeper is since 2007 in the A-League with Adelaide United.

Club career

Galekovic played between 1999 and 2004 at the Melbourne Knights, Eastern Pride and South Melbourne in the National Soccer League. After setting the league in 2004, he ventured, like many other Australian players who move abroad. His stint with the Portuguese first division side SC Beira -Mar, however, was not successful and he returned after a year and only two league appearances by Australia, where the professional league A-League, a new league format was created.

He signed with the newly formed club Melbourne Victory and was there with Michael Theoklitos in competition for space in the target. An unusual rotation system of coach Ernie Merrick looked for both goalkeepers in the season 2005 /06, the same number of bets before. After the season ended with a disappointing seventh place of the goalkeeper position was permanently assigned to the new season, there is Theoklitos prevailed. Galekovic spent most of the 2006/07 season on the bench, so also in the championship final against Adelaide United.

For the season 2007/ 08 he moved to rival Adelaide and was able to hold the gate there after an injury of goalkeeper Daniel Beltrame. In 2009, he was with Adelaide in the final against his former club Melbourne, had to be there but after a hit from Tom Pondeljak beaten 0-1 give. Even before the finals, he was named Goalkeeper of the Year. Although Adelaide the following season 2009/10 completed on the last place in the standings, he was again named the best goalkeeper.

National

Galekovic increased in 2004 with the Australian Olympic team as a goalkeeper in the Olympic football tournament in Greece part. Already in May 2004 Galekovic was the first time in the Australian squad for two friendly matches against Turkey, was there but not used. It was not until the beginning of 2009 he first came in goal for the Australian national team to train and denied in the sequence of four matches in the qualification for the Asia Cup 2011. During summer 2010, he traveled as a reserve player with the national team for the World Cup to South Africa. Mark Schwarzer, Adam Federici and Brad Jones were nominated by national coach Pim Verbeek as a goalkeeper in the 23 -man final squad, Galekovic should stay with the team during the World Cup yet. When, a few days before the tournament, Jones was leaving for personal reasons, Galekovic advanced with a special permit from the FIFA still in the World Cup squad.

Achievements

At club level:

  • Australian champion: 2006/ 07
  • A-League Premiership: 2006/ 07

Individual:

  • A-League Goalkeeper of the Year: 2008/ 09, 2009/10
  • PFA Team of the Year: 2008/ 09, 2009/10
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