Stremlau, John 2005

John Stremlau, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, born on October 23, 1953, emerged as a standout soccer talent at an early age. He attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIU-E), where he played for the men’s soccer team from 1972 to 1975. During his collegiate career, Stremlau became one of SIUE’s most prolific scorers, finishing sixth on the school’s all-time lists for both goals (33) and points (91). His exceptional play earned him induction into the SIUE Athletics Hall of Fame in 2007.

Stremlau began his professional journey in 1976 with the Dallas Tornado of the North American Soccer League (NASL). He later joined the St. Louis Stars for the 1977 season before signing with the Houston Hurricane in 1978. Over three NASL seasons with Houston, he made 66 appearances.

While with the Hurricane, Stremlau also began playing indoor soccer with the Houston Summit of the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL), where he quickly became known for his scoring ability—netting 39 goals in 56 appearances from 1978 to 1980. When the Summit franchise relocated to Baltimore in 1980, Stremlau returned home to St. Louis to join the St. Louis Steamers, where he spent three productive seasons. He later closed his professional career with the Kansas City Comets, playing from 1983 to 1984.

Across his NASL and MISL tenures, Stremlau totaled over 300 professional appearances, leaving a lasting mark on both outdoor and indoor American soccer.

In 1975, Stremlau represented the United States as part of the U.S. Olympic Soccer Team during the qualification campaign for the 1976 Summer Olympics. On April 20, 1975, he scored in a 3–2 loss to Bermuda during the qualifying round.

Following his retirement from professional play, Stremlau turned his passion for the sport toward coaching. He dedicated many years to developing young players in his hometown, coaching with the Busch Soccer Club in St. Louis.

John Stremlau is married to Suzie Stremlau. Together, they have three children—Jay, Sam, and Christina—and remain deeply connected to the St. Louis soccer community.