Veljko Tukša (known in the United States as Val Tuksa; born 21 November 1950) is a retired Yugoslavian association football player who played professionally in the North American Soccer League and Major Indoor Soccer League. He was the 1982 MISL Defender of the Year. Career In 1979, Tuksa played for Toronto Metros-Croatia of the North American Soccer League. In 1980 and 1981, he played for the Rochester Lancers in the NASL. In 1978, he signed with the New York Arrows of the Major Indoor Soccer League where he would play every winter indoor season until 1984. He was the 1982 MISL Defender of the Year. In 1984, he moved to the Las Vegas Americans. When the Americans folded at the end of the season, the head coach Don Popovic moved to the Pittsburgh Spirit where he signed Tuksa. The Spirit folded at the end of the 1985-1986 season. In November 1986, the Tacoma Stars signed Tuksa. On 5 December 1987, the Stars released Tuksa. The team signed him at a reduced salary in January 1988, but he saw time in only eighteen games before being released. Yearly awards MISL Defender of the Year 1981-82 MISL All-Star Team 1981-82, 1982–83 References External links NASL/MILS stats 1950 births Living people Footballers from Zagreb Association football defenders Association football midfielders Yugoslav footballers NK Zagreb players GNK Dinamo Zagreb players Toronto Blizzard (1971–1984) players New York Arrows players NK Olimpija Ljubljana (1945–2005) players Rochester Lancers (1967–1980) players Las Vegas Americans players Pittsburgh Spirit players Tacoma Stars players Yugoslav First League players Major Indoor Soccer League (1978–1992) players North American Soccer League (1968–1984) players Yugoslav expatriate footballers Expatriate soccer players in Canada Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in Canada Expatriate soccer players in the United States Yugoslav expatriate sportspeople in the United States