By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
Earlier this month, high school soccer coach Ajdin Dropic of Union attended World Cup matches in Seattle and Los Angeles with his teenage son, Eli.
They made the long-distance trip to watch the Bosnia and Herzegovina team from a nation in southeastern Europe where 49-year-old Ajdin was born.
“He was a trooper,” Ajdin said of his son. “He came along, wore a Bosnia jersey and cheered for them. It was pretty fun to have him at least see some of my roots and be around folks that I grew up being around.”
The Bosnia team advanced to the World Cup’s knockout round and will play the United States at 8 p.m. local time Wednesday at San Francisco Bay Arena. Ajdin will watch that match at home with divided loyalties.
“I’m excited for the opportunity for one of my teams to come through to the round of 16,” he said. “The U.S. plays a game that’s probably not well suited for Bosnia’s style, so I think the U.S. is a big favorite. But I’m excited about the game. It’ll still be competitive and exciting. It’s time for U.S. folks to see this Bosnia team that’s full of young and good players.”
Ajdin has been an assistant coach for the Villa Madonna Academy boys soccer team the last four years. His son played in all 16 varsity games last season as a sophomore.
They were among thousands of Bosnia fans who turned out to watch the Dragons go 1-1-1 in group stage matches and advance to the 32-team single-elimination bracket for the first time. The lone win came against Qatar, 3-1, with Ajdin and Eli among the raucous blue-clad fans in the stands.
“I kind of warned (Eli) that you’re going to see your dad like you’ve never seen him before,” Ajdin said. “He was laughing at me as I was yelling and screaming in two languages all the way through.”
Ajdin was a teenager when he came to Northern Kentucky in 1995 with a group of students. He had survived a three-year war that brought independence for Bosnia and Herzegovina.
“The city I was in was under siege for three years,” he said. “We had constant shelling and sniper shooting and all that for all those years and, unfortunately, a lot of devastation along the way. At least, our family stayed in the same home, so I wasn’t forced out.”
Ajdin finished his high school education at Covington Catholic and then attended Ohio Wesleyan University. He became a U.S. citizen and is now a financial advisor with Kessling Financial in Cincinnati.
He and his wife, Dr. Amanda Dropic, have four children who played on youth or high school soccer teams coached by their father.
Eli is the only sibling still involved with the sport that his father grew up playing. Ajdin was excited when the team from his native country qualified for this year’s World Cup and has matches in his adopted country.
“I grew up (playing) in the club system in Bosnia,” Ajdin said. “It’s the biggest sport for us. There’s a lot of sports we play and watch, but nothing really comes to the level of excitement that soccer does. It’s the national sport, not only for us but the countries all around us.”
Bosnia’s current lineup is an interesting mix of young stars and proven veterans. The top scorer is 40-year-old Edin Dzeko and 18-year-old Kerim Alajbegovic became the youngest player to score a World Cup goal from outside the box against Qatar.
How the Dragons will do against the U.S. team that won its group is anybody’s guess.
“Either one that comes through, I think they’ll have a reasonably winnable game afterwards against Belgium or Senegal,” Ajdin said. “It would be pretty cool to see either one of them in the top eight. It gets pretty tough once you move up there, but I’ll take that. I’d call that a very successful World Cup for either U.S. or Bosnia.”