View source for Ilija Mitić

{{Short description|American soccer player (1940–2023)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=November 2023}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2023}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Ilija Mitić
| image =
| full_name =
| birth_date = {{Birth date|1940|7|19|mf=yes}}
| birth_place = [[Grkinja]], [[Kingdom of Yugoslavia]]
| death_date = {{Death date and age|2023|9|2|1940|7|19|mf=yes}}
| death_place = [[San Francisco]], [[California]], [[United States]]
| height = 5ft 10in
| position = [[Midfielder]]
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 =
| years1 = 1958–1963
| clubs1 = [[FK Partizan|Partizan]]
| caps1 = 36
| goals1 = 3
| years2 = 1963–1965
| clubs2 = [[FK Bor|Bor]]
| caps2 =
| goals2 =
| years3 = 1965–1967
| clubs3 = [[OFK Beograd]]
| caps3 = 31
| goals3 = 3
| years4 = 1967–1968
| clubs4 = [[Oakland Clippers]]
| caps4 = 47
| goals4 = 31
| years5 = 1969
| clubs5 = [[Dallas Tornado]]
| caps5 = 12
| goals5 = 11
| years6 = 1969–1970
| clubs6 = [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]]
| caps6 = 6
| goals6 = 1
| years7 = 1970–1971
| clubs7 = [[Holland Sport]]
| caps7 = 13
| goals7 = 1
| years8 = 1971–1973
| clubs8 = [[FC Den Bosch]]
| caps8 = 45
| goals8 = 10
| years9 = 1973–1975
| clubs9 = [[Dallas Tornado]]
| caps9 = 40
| goals9 = 24
| years10 = 1975–1978
| clubs10 = [[San Jose Earthquakes (NASL)|San Jose Earthquakes]]
| caps10 = 67
| goals10 = 36
| nationalyears1 =
| nationalteam1 = [[Yugoslavia national under-21 football team|Yugoslavia U21]]
| nationalcaps1 = 2
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 1973
| nationalteam2 = [[United States men's national soccer team|United States]]
| nationalcaps2 = 1
| nationalgoals2 = 0
}}
'''Ilija Mitić''' ([[Serbian Cyrillic alphabet|Serbian Cyrillic]]: Илија Митић; July 19, 1940 – September 2, 2023) was a professional [[association football|soccer]] player. Born in Yugoslavia, he represented the United States internationally.<ref name="MZS">{{cite news|last=|first=|authorlink=|url=https://www.mozzartsport.com/fudbal/vesti/preminuo-clan-partizanovih-beba-ilija-mitic/461417 |title=Preminuo član "Partizanovih beba" Ilija Mitić |agency=Mozzart Sport |date=11 September 2023 |access-date=6 October 2023 |language=sr}}</ref>
==Career==
Mitić played with [[FK Partizan|Partizan]]<ref>[https://archive.today/20120906145020/http://www.partizan.rs/en/istorija-kluba/igraci-od-1945-do-danas/ Partizan players stats] at Partizan official site.</ref> with whom he won the [[Yugoslav First League]] title three times. Earning two [[Yugoslavia national under-21 football team|under-21]] caps, he later joined [[OFK Beograd]].
Mitić signed with the [[Oakland Clippers]] of the newly formed [[National Professional Soccer League (1967)|National Professional Soccer League]] in 1967, won the league title, and was named to the NPSL's ''Best XI'' team. In the off-season, the NPSL merged with the [[United Soccer Association]] to form the NASL. With the Clippers he was the NASL's third leading scorer in [[1968 North American Soccer League season|1968]] and again a ''Best XI'' selection. Mitić joined the [[Dallas Tornado]] as the Clippers folded and was named a ''Best XI'' for the third consecutive year in [[1969 North American Soccer League season|1969]]. Converting from [[Forward (association football)|forward]] to [[midfielder]], Mitić was also chosen as an NASL ''Best XI'' in [[1973 North American Soccer League season|1973]] and [[1974 North American Soccer League season|1974]]. He played indoor soccer for the Tornado as well, and was named to the [[1975 NASL Indoor tournament|All-Tournament team]] in 1975.
Mitić was the first soccer player to score 100 goals in the NASL which he achieved in July 1978 against the [[Memphis Rogues]]. He finished his NASL career with the [[San Jose Earthquakes]] and is the league's sixth all-time leading goal scorer with 239 points in 166 games, including 101 goals.
He played one 'A' international for the [[United States men's national soccer team|United States national team]], on August 10, 1973, at [[Candlestick Park]], as the U.S. lost to [[Poland national football team|Poland]] 4–0 in a friendly.
==Death==
Mitić died on September 2, 2023, at the age of 83.<ref>{{cite news |title=Preminuo Ilija Mitić, član legendarne generacije "Partizanovih beba" |url=https://www.dan.co.me/sport/fudbal/preminuo-ilija-mitic-clan-legendarne-generacije-partizanovih-beba-5197341 |access-date=12 September 2023 |publisher=dan.co.me |date=11 September 2023}}</ref>
==Honors==
;Partizan
* [[Yugoslav First League]]: [[1960–61 Yugoslav First League|1960–61]], [[1961–62 Yugoslav First League|1961–62]], [[1962–63 Yugoslav First League|1962–63]]
;OFK Beograd
* [[Yugoslav Cup]]: [[1965–66 Yugoslav Cup|1965–66]]
==References==
{{Reflist}}
==External links==
* {{NFT|28531}}
* {{Webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501104955/http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm |date=May 1, 2008 |title=NASL homepage}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20080417231548/http://www.om1899.com/joueurs/dossierjoueur/miticilija.htm Profile] at OM1899
* [http://www.nasljerseys.com/Players/M/Mitic.Ilija.htm NASL stats] at Nasljeseys
{{Navboxes
| title = Awards
| bg = gold
| fg = navy
| list1 =
{{1968 NASL All-Stars}}
{{1973 NASL All-Stars}}
{{1974 NASL All-Stars}}
}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mitic, Ilija}}
[[Category:1940 births]]
[[Category:2023 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Gadžin Han]]
[[Category:Yugoslav men's footballers]]
[[Category:Serbian men's footballers]]
[[Category:United States men's international soccer players]]
[[Category:Yugoslavia men's under-21 international footballers]]
[[Category:Yugoslav emigrants to the United States]]
[[Category:Men's association football midfielders]]
[[Category:FK Partizan players]]
[[Category:OFK Beograd players]]
[[Category:FK Bor players]]
[[Category:Yugoslav First League players]]
[[Category:Olympique de Marseille players]]
[[Category:Ligue 1 players]]
[[Category:FC Den Bosch players]]
[[Category:Indoor soccer players]]
[[Category:National Professional Soccer League (1967) players]]
[[Category:Oakland Clippers players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players]]
[[Category:North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor players]]
[[Category:Dallas Tornado players]]
[[Category:San Jose Earthquakes (1974–1988) players]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in France]]
[[Category:Expatriate men's footballers in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:American men's soccer players]]
[[Category:American expatriate men's soccer players]]
[[Category:American expatriate sportspeople in France]]
[[Category:American expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:SVV Scheveningen players]]
[[Category:Yugoslav expatriate men's footballers]]
[[Category:Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in the United States]]
[[Category:Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in France]]
[[Category:Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in the Netherlands]]
[[Category:American people of Serbian descent]]
[[Category:Naturalized citizens of the United States]]
[[Category:Naturalised association football players]]
[[Category:20th-century American sportsmen]]