Former Bermudian professional indoor footballer Johnny Nusum paid tribute yesterday to late rival and friend Glenn Myernick.

The 51-year-old assistant US national team coach and former Colorado Rapids head coach died on Sunday in Colorado, 72 hours after suffering a heart attack following a routine morning jog.

Myernick coached the Rapids from 1997-2001, taking them to the Major League Soccer finals in his first year.

He also coached the US Olympic team from 2002-04 and was one of only two men to represent US national and Olympic teams both as a player and a coach.

But it was during his college years at Hartwick where Myernick became close friends with Nusum, father of Bermuda national team and Philadelphia KiXX striker John Barry Nusum.

?We were pretty good friends and I played against him regularly,? recalled Nusum, one of the Island?s most gifted defenders in his heyday.

At the time Nusum attended Philadelphia Textiles along with PHC Zebras? team-mates Dale Russell and Duval Minors.

?Glenn was a very skilled centre-half . . . in the Franz Beckenbauer mode,? Nusum added. ?He was actually one of the first Americans I saw that could control the ball play out of the back as opposed to just banging.

?So he really stood out and over time we guys became pretty good friends.?

It was a friendship that transcended the boundaries of sport.

?Every time we met up with each other we had really good conversations,? Nusum said. ?And whenever we had to go to Hartwick to stay overnight, Myernick basically took really good care of us. That?s the type of relationship we had.?

In his freshman season, Myernick was named a collegiate All-American and led Hartwick to the NCAA Final Four. He missed much of the following season playing with United States national team in qualifying matches for the 1976 Olympics.

Myernick returned to Hartwick College and won the 1976 Hermann Trophy Award the same year, while Nusum opted for a professional indoor career with New York Arrows and Hartford Hellions.

?He is going to be a big miss in American football and also sadly missed by all those who knew him,? Nusum added.

?My condolences go out to his wife (Nancy), daughter (Kelly) and son (Travis).?