USIndoor To Offer Commemorative Tatu Cards

Fans can treasure a piece of indoor soccer history, as player card collection honors a legend after a remarkable 18-year career.

The United States Indoor Soccer Association is joining the Dallas Sidekicks and Donruss Trading Card Co. in honoring legendary Sidekick, Tatu, by offering his limited edition player cards via USIndoor.com. Beginning with the ’84-85 season, the series of cards commemorates each of Tatu’s 18 seasons in each of the Sidekicks’ 18 home regular season games.

At every Dallas home game a new card will be given to the first 3,000 fans to enter Reunion Arena, on top of any other promotions that evening. Distribution of the series began on September 28th at the Sidekicks home opener against last season’s MISL Champion Philadelphia KiXX – won a last second goal by none other than the legend himself with 0.8 seconds remaining on the clock.

Each card will depict a photo of Tatu from his next season, along with statistics and a biography of his achievements. A few of the cards in the series will be well worth waiting in line. The 1986-87 Championship Year card, displaying Tatu and his first Dallas Sidekick Championship, is sure to be popular, along with the 2002-03 season card that will be handed out at the last home game versus the Baltimore Blast on Sunday, March 23, 2003,. The 2002-03 card will compile Tatu’s awards and accomplishments in his 18 years as a Dallas Sidekick.

Fans can purchase missed cards in the Sidekicks gift shop or via USIndoor.com after the card has been released. At the end of the season full sets will be for sale, as well as a very limited number of uncut sheets.

Tatu entered the season near the top of the career list in several categories. At that time he was ninth with 600 games played, second for goals with 837 (Hector Marinaro - 1187), second in assists with 699 (Zoran Karic - 821), third in points with 1536 (Marinaro - 1855, Karic - 1573), third in game-winning goals with 75 (Marinaro - 97, Steve Zungul - 77), and first with 109 power play goals. He has been part of all four Sidekicks' championship teams, winning titles in 1987, 1993, 1998, and 2001. Tatu is a six-time MVP, 11-time scoring champion, 10-time all-star, and three-time championship series MVP. He also holds Sidekicks franchise records for games - 524, goals - 716, assists - 643, points - 1359, shots - 4044, power play goals - 94, game-winning goals - 64, and overtime goals - 7.

Not many fans are lucky enough to catch Tatu’s jersey after he makes history, but 3,000 fans are guaranteed to take a piece of history home with them after each game. Now from USIndoor, too!

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