View source for Hubert Birkenmeier

{{Short description|German footballer (born 1949)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name        = Hubert Birkenmeier
| fullname    = 
| image       = Hubert Birkenmeier, MISL 1984-85 media guide page 018.tif
| caption     = Birkenmeier circa 1984
| birth_date  = {{birth date and age|1949|5|24|df=y}}
| birth_place = [[Hartheim am Rhein]], [[West Germany]]
| height      = 
| position    = [[Goalkeeper (association football)|Goalkeeper]]
| years1  = 1970–1972 
| years2  = 1972–1977 
| years3  = 1977–1979 
| years4  = 1979–1985 
| years5  = 1981–1985
| years8  = 1985–1986 
| years9  = 1986–1987 
| years10 = 1987 
| years11 = 1987 
| years12 = 1988 
| years13 = 1989–1990
| clubs1  = [[Freiburger FC]] 
| clubs2  = [[Tennis Borussia Berlin]] 
| clubs3  = Freiburger FC
| clubs4  = [[New York Cosmos (1971–1985)|New York Cosmos]]
| clubs5  = New York Cosmos (indoor)
| clubs8  = [[Chicago Sting]] (indoor)
| clubs9  = [[New York Express]] (indoor) 
| clubs10 = [[Los Angeles Lazers]] (indoor)
| clubs11 = [[Cosmopolitan Eagles]] 
| clubs12 = [[New York Pancyprian-Freedoms]] 
| clubs13 = [[New Jersey Eagles]]
| caps1  =
| caps2  =  85 
| caps3  =  76 
| caps4  = 145 
| caps5  =   24
| caps8  =  23 
| caps9  =  13 
| caps10 =   3 
| caps11 =
| caps12 =
| goals1  =
| goals2  = 0 
| goals3  = 0 
| goals4  = 0 
| goals5  = 0 
| goals8  = 0 
| goals9  = 0 
| goals10 = 0 
| goals11 =
| goals12 =
| manageryears1 = 1984   
| managerclubs1 = [[New York Cosmos (1971–1985)|New York Cosmos]] (interim)  
}}

'''Hubert Birkenmeier''' (born 24 May 1949 in [[Hartheim am Rhein]]) is a retired German professional [[association football|footballer]] who played professionally in Germany, the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]], [[MISL I|Major Indoor Soccer League]] and [[American Soccer League (1988–1989)|American Soccer League]]. His greatest success came with the [[New York Cosmos (1971–1985)|New York Cosmos]] in the NASL.

==Career==
Birkenmeier began his career in [[West Germany]]. In 1970, he signed with [[Freiburger FC]] before moving to [[Tennis Borussia Berlin]] in 1972. He remained in Berlin until 1977 when the [[New York Cosmos (1971–85)|Cosmos]] of the [[North American Soccer League (1968–1984)|North American Soccer League]] purchased his contract. At the time he could not speak English.<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.etecsolutions.net/sportfolios/sportfolio.asp?IDSport=93 | title = The Americanization of Birkenmeier | publisher = etecsolutions.net | url-status = dead | archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20110723120549/http://www.etecsolutions.net/sportfolios/sportfolio.asp?IDSport=93 | archivedate = 23 July 2011 }}</ref> Birkenmeier remained with the Cosmos until 1985. During those years, he played eight outdoor NASL, two indoor NASL and one [[MISL I|Major Indoor Soccer League]] season. During those years, Birkenmeier was a First Team NASL All Star selection in [[1982 North American Soccer League season|1982]] and [[1984 North American Soccer League season|1984]], a Second Teamer in [[1981 North American Soccer League season|1981]] and an Honorable Mention in [[1983 North American Soccer League season|1983]].<ref>{{cite news|title=1983 All-Stars |date=18 September 1983|work=United Press International|url=http://www.upi.com/Archives/1983/09/18/The-New-York-Cosmos-who-won-the-regular-season-point/2065432705600/ |accessdate=13 January 2017|via=UPI Archives}}</ref> Birkenmeier was the Cosmos' starting goalie for three consecutive [[Soccer Bowl]]s ([[Soccer Bowl '80|'80]], [[Soccer Bowl '81|'81]] & [[Soccer Bowl '82|'82]]), and did not concede a goal in any of them. In 1985, he also played several exhibition games for the Cosmos. In August 1985, he signed with the [[Chicago Sting]] of the MISL.<ref>{{cite news | title = FORMER COSMOS' GOALIE FINALLY NETTED BY STING | newspaper = Chicago Tribune | date = 24 August 1985}}</ref> He spent most of the season as a backup for [[Victor Nogueira]]. The Sting waived him on 29 April 1986.<ref>{{cite news | title = STING SIGN ALONSO, WAIVE GOALKEEPER BIRKENMEIER | newspaper = The Seattle Times | date = 29 April 1986}}</ref> On 4 November 1986, Birkenmeier signed with the expansion [[New York Express]] of the MISL. The Express folded two-thirds of the way through the season and on 6 March 1987, the [[Los Angeles Lazers]] signed him to a ten-day contract. He then played for the [[Cosmopolitan Eagles]] during the 1987 outdoor exhibition season.<ref>'{{cite news | title = RESULTS UNCLEAR AS EAGLES TEST LOCAL SOCCER WATERS | newspaper = The Record (New Jersey) | date= 1 June 1987}}</ref> In 1988, he played for the [[New York Pancyprian-Freedoms]] of the [[Cosmopolitan Soccer League]] as it went to the semifinals of the [[National Challenge Cup]]. He returned signed with the [[New York Eagles]] of the [[American Soccer League (1988–1989)|American Soccer League]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1989/statsasl89.htm#NJ | title = American Soccer League 1989 Season | publisher = a-leaguearchive.tripod.com | accessdate = 17 January 2012}}</ref> He remained with them through the 1990 season in the [[American Professional Soccer League]].<ref>{{cite web | url = http://a-leaguearchive.tripod.com/1990/statsasl90.htm#NJ | title = American Professional Soccer League 1990 Season | publisher = a-leaguearchive.tripod.com | accessdate = 17 January 2012}}</ref>

==Retirement from professional soccer==
Birkenmeier now manages a sporting goods store called Birkenmeier Sport Shop in Hackensack, New Jersey. The store was founded and originally owned by Birkenmeier but was sold in 1985 to his former Cosmos teammate [[Andranik Eskandarian]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.birkenmeiersportshop.com/about.html |title=Birkenmeier Sport Shop History |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080515064354/http://www.birkenmeiersportshop.com/about.html |archivedate=15 May 2008 }}</ref> when Birkenmeier left to play for the [[Chicago Sting]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_sports/2008/11/08/2008-11-08_where_are_they_now_former_cosmo_andranik.html|title=Where are they now? Former Cosmo Andranik Eskandarian|first=Hank|last=Gola|work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]]|date=8 November 2008|access-date=16 January 2012}}</ref> The teammates helped teach Eksandarian's son, [[Alecko Eskandarian|Alecko]], how to play inside the store.<ref>{{cite news | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A48285-2004Nov13.html | title = For Eskandarians, A Father-Son Game – United's Alecko Enjoys Same Success | first = William | last = Gildea | newspaper = The Washington Post| date = 14 November 2004 | accessdate = 27 March 2009}}</ref> He also is now a goalkeeping coach for World Class FC.<ref>[http://www.wcsocceracademy.org/CoachingStaff/CoachingStaff/index_E.html Coaching Staff] wcsocceracademy.org {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402182429/http://www.wcsocceracademy.org/CoachingStaff/CoachingStaff/index_E.html |date=2 April 2015 }}</ref>

==Current activities==
On a visit back to his hometown of Hartheim in 2009 to celebrate his 60th Birthday, he described initially having mixed feelings about leaving Germany to play in the United States. He stated that in his first few months as a Cosmo, he lived in a hotel and had some difficulty with both homesickness and the learning of a new language. However, he credits his teammate and fellow countryman, [[Franz Beckenbauer]] with helping him adjust quickly to his new home, team and language, helping him to become one of the team's most dependable and popular players while sharing in two NASL Championships. Birkenmeier continues to manage the sporting goods store he founded but stays involved in the sport acting as goalkeeping coach with the U.S. Youth National Team. He also runs a soccer youth camp for seven weeks each summer in Northern New Jersey. In the same interview, he stated that he goes back home to Hartheim every year to visit his brother and sister and stays abreast of hometown news via the internet.
<ref>{{cite web | url = http://www.badische-zeitung.de/hartheim/ein-fussballstar-auf-heimatbesuch--15529824.html | title = Ein Fußballstar auf Heimatbesuch | language = German | work = Badische Zeitung | date = 28 May 2009 | accessdate = 14 October 2012}}</ref>

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links==
* [http://nasljerseys.com/Players/B/Birkenmeier.Hubert.htm NASL career stats]
* {{fussballdaten|birkenmeierhubert|Hubert Birkenmeier}}

{{1981 NASL All-Stars}}
{{1982 NASL All-Stars}}
{{1983 NASL All-Stars}}
{{1984 NASL All-Stars}}
{{New York Cosmos managers}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Birkenmeier, Hubert}}
[[Category:1949 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Breisgau-Hochschwarzwald]]
[[Category:American Professional Soccer League players]]
[[Category:American Soccer League (1988–89) players]]
[[Category:American men's soccer players]]
[[Category:Men's association football goalkeepers]]
[[Category:Chicago Sting (MISL) players]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's soccer players in the United States]]
[[Category:Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:2. Bundesliga players]]
[[Category:Cosmopolitan Soccer League players]]
[[Category:German men's footballers]]
[[Category:Emigrants from West Germany to the United States]]
[[Category:Los Angeles Lazers players]]
[[Category:Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players]]
[[Category:New Jersey Eagles players]]
[[Category:New York Express players]]
[[Category:New York Cosmos (1970–1985) players]]
[[Category:New York Cosmos (MISL) players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]]
[[Category:Tennis Borussia Berlin players]]
[[Category:West German expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:West German expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:West German men's footballers]]
[[Category:New York Pancyprian-Freedoms players]]
[[Category:Men's association football player-managers]]
[[Category:Freiburger FC players]]
[[Category:Footballers from Freiburg (region)]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]