Where Are They Now? Andrew Stadler
8/5/2020 11:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer, My GW: Celebrating our Stories
GW men's soccer alumnus is in his 10th pro season in Sweden
Andrew Stadler's Swedish soccer adventure began in the summer of 2011 with a one-way plane ticket and a spot on a squad in the nation's sixth division facing competition he compares to a Sunday pick-up game in your local park.
"Being new to Sweden, I didn't know anything," said Stadler, who was a two-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 forward at GW from 2006-2009. "I just played and trained hard and figured I'd see what happens."
Nine years later, Stadler is still going strong, now as a member of Akropolis IF in Sweden's second division, Superettan.
From those humble beginnings, the Wisconsin native has carved out quite the professional career. Including his start with sixth-tier Färila IF, he has represented seven different clubs across Sweden.
In 2016, Stadler completed his climb through the ranks, reaching the top-flight Allvenskan after helping his Östersunds FK club earn promotion.
At 32, he's living in Stockholm, getting paid to play soccer at a high level and continuing to enjoy the ride.
"I'm glad it's worked out the way it has," Stadler said. "I enjoy life much more in Europe and Sweden than I think I would in the U.S. It suits my personality: laidback, relaxed and calm – no stress."
Stadler's tremendous career in Buff and Blue showed his potential as a top-notch goal scorer. The forward netted 35 goals in 60 career games to rank fourth on GW's all-time list. He remains the only student-athlete in program history to earn First Team All-Region honors twice.
As a senior in 2009, Stadler was named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious Hermann Trophy given to the nation's top player. He missed five games due to injury that season but still managed to score 13 goals in as many contests, finishing with a hat trick in his final game, a 3-0 win over Massachusetts on the Mount Vernon Campus.
Wrapping up his collegiate career, Stadler eyed a pro career with excitement about what was next.
"I knew I was good enough," Stadler said. "I just needed a chance."
It took awhile for Stadler to get his opportunity, but he never gave up the dream.
He returned to GW in the fall of 2010 to finish up work on his Criminal Justice degree, picking up odd jobs to build his savings for a move overseas. He planned to go to Germany or Holland before a friend connected him with a contact in Sweden.
That's how Stadler began his storybook climb. His success with Färila IF led to a trial with another club and eventually a place on the roster of fourth-division Sandvikens IF.
Stadler said his time in the nation's capital playing on a GW squad filled with teammates from all over the globe helped him make the transition to life overseas. At the beginning, he found his college soccer background gave him a leg up on his teammates in the fitness department during preseason training that seemed a breeze compared to his days on the Vern.
"Being used to running and working hard in the gym, it definitely helped me stand out," Stadler said.
Stadler proved himself at every stop.
An early breakthrough came with Sandvikens in 2013, playing alongside former GW teammate Seth Rudolph. In the second round of the Swedish Cup vs. national power AIK, Stadler deftly chipped the keeper from 15 yards out for the game-winning goal in the 108th minute to secure an upset victory.
The next season, he posted a career-high 13 goals for Landskrona BoIS to finish among the top five in the third-tier Ettan Södra.
As he built a new life in Sweden, he found joy in the continued climb.
"I was getting paid to do what I love," Stadler said. "I can't really say I had so much of a social life. I just trained and worked hard, just grinding."
Stadler earned the final step to Allvenskan by helping Östersunds win promotion. In April 2016, he scored a goal in his debut at the top level.
"It's an amazing feeling," said Stadler, who finished that season with three goals and three assists in 21 games. "I can't really explain it so much, but you just work hard for so long and finally things go your way."
Stadler continues to push forward in Sweden, recently securing permanent residency. He's contemplated opportunities to play elsewhere, but the timing has never been right. He earned promotion back to Allvenskan in 2018 with Dalkurd FF before playing the past two seasons in Superettan.
He's older now, his game evolving to rely more on intelligence than speed and athleticism. He'd like to play several more years, and he thinks he can do it with the right approach to maintaining his fitness.
"Everything's a mess now," Stadler said with a laugh. "Bus trips, the artificial turf – I feel everything much more. Recovery is more important now than it ever was before."
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has made this unlike any season before. Stadler was amid his first preseason with Akropolis when training ceased.
The shutdown only lasted a few weeks, and matches resumed in June without fans, returning a shred of normal to the summer.
When his career is finished, Stadler would like to open his own café somewhere in Europe, and he's looking forward to learning more about that industry. For now, he's glad to be back on the pitch, continuing a journey that has been interesting to say the least.
"I still love playing," Stadler said. "I wouldn't say right now I'm as serious as I once was when I first came. I don't think I have that hunger, just because my body is getting a little bit more tired, but I love playing still. It still beats working a regular job."
"Being new to Sweden, I didn't know anything," said Stadler, who was a two-time First Team All-Atlantic 10 forward at GW from 2006-2009. "I just played and trained hard and figured I'd see what happens."
Nine years later, Stadler is still going strong, now as a member of Akropolis IF in Sweden's second division, Superettan.
From those humble beginnings, the Wisconsin native has carved out quite the professional career. Including his start with sixth-tier Färila IF, he has represented seven different clubs across Sweden.
In 2016, Stadler completed his climb through the ranks, reaching the top-flight Allvenskan after helping his Östersunds FK club earn promotion.
At 32, he's living in Stockholm, getting paid to play soccer at a high level and continuing to enjoy the ride.
"I'm glad it's worked out the way it has," Stadler said. "I enjoy life much more in Europe and Sweden than I think I would in the U.S. It suits my personality: laidback, relaxed and calm – no stress."
Stadler's tremendous career in Buff and Blue showed his potential as a top-notch goal scorer. The forward netted 35 goals in 60 career games to rank fourth on GW's all-time list. He remains the only student-athlete in program history to earn First Team All-Region honors twice.
As a senior in 2009, Stadler was named to the preseason watch list for the prestigious Hermann Trophy given to the nation's top player. He missed five games due to injury that season but still managed to score 13 goals in as many contests, finishing with a hat trick in his final game, a 3-0 win over Massachusetts on the Mount Vernon Campus.
Wrapping up his collegiate career, Stadler eyed a pro career with excitement about what was next.
"I knew I was good enough," Stadler said. "I just needed a chance."
It took awhile for Stadler to get his opportunity, but he never gave up the dream.
He returned to GW in the fall of 2010 to finish up work on his Criminal Justice degree, picking up odd jobs to build his savings for a move overseas. He planned to go to Germany or Holland before a friend connected him with a contact in Sweden.
That's how Stadler began his storybook climb. His success with Färila IF led to a trial with another club and eventually a place on the roster of fourth-division Sandvikens IF.
Stadler said his time in the nation's capital playing on a GW squad filled with teammates from all over the globe helped him make the transition to life overseas. At the beginning, he found his college soccer background gave him a leg up on his teammates in the fitness department during preseason training that seemed a breeze compared to his days on the Vern.
"Being used to running and working hard in the gym, it definitely helped me stand out," Stadler said.
Stadler proved himself at every stop.
An early breakthrough came with Sandvikens in 2013, playing alongside former GW teammate Seth Rudolph. In the second round of the Swedish Cup vs. national power AIK, Stadler deftly chipped the keeper from 15 yards out for the game-winning goal in the 108th minute to secure an upset victory.
The next season, he posted a career-high 13 goals for Landskrona BoIS to finish among the top five in the third-tier Ettan Södra.
As he built a new life in Sweden, he found joy in the continued climb.
"I was getting paid to do what I love," Stadler said. "I can't really say I had so much of a social life. I just trained and worked hard, just grinding."
Stadler earned the final step to Allvenskan by helping Östersunds win promotion. In April 2016, he scored a goal in his debut at the top level.
"It's an amazing feeling," said Stadler, who finished that season with three goals and three assists in 21 games. "I can't really explain it so much, but you just work hard for so long and finally things go your way."
Stadler continues to push forward in Sweden, recently securing permanent residency. He's contemplated opportunities to play elsewhere, but the timing has never been right. He earned promotion back to Allvenskan in 2018 with Dalkurd FF before playing the past two seasons in Superettan.
He's older now, his game evolving to rely more on intelligence than speed and athleticism. He'd like to play several more years, and he thinks he can do it with the right approach to maintaining his fitness.
"Everything's a mess now," Stadler said with a laugh. "Bus trips, the artificial turf – I feel everything much more. Recovery is more important now than it ever was before."
Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic has made this unlike any season before. Stadler was amid his first preseason with Akropolis when training ceased.
The shutdown only lasted a few weeks, and matches resumed in June without fans, returning a shred of normal to the summer.
When his career is finished, Stadler would like to open his own café somewhere in Europe, and he's looking forward to learning more about that industry. For now, he's glad to be back on the pitch, continuing a journey that has been interesting to say the least.
"I still love playing," Stadler said. "I wouldn't say right now I'm as serious as I once was when I first came. I don't think I have that hunger, just because my body is getting a little bit more tired, but I love playing still. It still beats working a regular job."
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