Nick Krat

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Nick Krat is a fomer Ukrainian-U.S. soccer defender. Krat, a native of Ukraine, attended college at Michigan State University where he played on the men’s soccer team. In 1965, he was named the Defensive MVP of the NCAA post-season tournament as the Spartans went to the championship game, only to lose to Saint Louis University. That season, Krat was also named a first team All American.

Krat spent most of his career in Chicago. In 1967, he began the season as a center back with the Chicago Spurs of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) before moving to the St. Louis Stars. In 1968, the NPSL merged with the United Soccer Association to form the North American Soccer League. After the merger, Krat spent one more season, 1968, with the Stars, this time in the NASL. In 1969 he was back in Chicago, this time playing in the National Soccer League of Chicago (NSL). All told, he spent eleven season in the NSL. In 1972 and 1974, he was with the Ukrainian Lions when they won the league championship.

Krat earned fourteen caps with the national team between 1968 and 1972. His first game came on September 15, 1968 in a tie with Israel. At the time, the U.S. was preparing for the 1970 FIFA World Cup qualifying games. Krat started all six of those matches as the U.S. went 3-3, failing to make the tournament. The national team had no games in 1970 and 1971. When it resumed play in 1972, Krat started the first three games, then never played again.