“He was technically talented and tactically extremely aware,” former USMNT head coach Bob Gansler said. “You could tell he was a student of the game. He just had those leadership qualities. He did it by example and did it in a quiet, confident manner. He had a calming influence on the field. I don't think his pulse ever went awfully high. He was confident to say, ‘I can handle this’ without being arrogant. He had those qualities that made sense to put him out front."
That wasn't lost on his teammates.
"He was kind of different from everybody else," midfielder Tab Ramos said. "Even though we were all young, he was mature. He was calm. He had this aura about him like he was the older guy. He was maybe six months older than anyone else. He was a great captain.”
Just how much did Windischmann love performing for the national side?
“You probably could have given me a dollar a year and I still would have played,” he said.
While growing up in Queens, N.Y., Windischmann performed for B.W. Gottschee, Queens United and S.C. Gjoa. His family lived in the Ridgewood section, home of the Metropolitan Oval, a great magnet for soccer - youth, amateur, semi-pro and pro and international matches.
The Oval was a great classroom. Before it was replaced by artificial turf, the venue was more known for its dirt and rocks.
"It's crazy. It’s an advantage," Windischmann said. "People coming from Westchester and out of state, they're not used to dirt. You come there and its rocks and dirt and a railing going around the whole touchline. And the dust flying up and trains flying by [nearby] and the smoke coming to the field. They were probably a little intimidated."
Which gave Windy an appreciation of other fields that were not necessarily in pristine condition.
“It helped my touch; it helped my skill. Playing over there helped those things," he said. "It's funny. When I was with the national team, I remember some of the California guys when we saw the field, it wasn't perfect grass. 'Ah, this field is horrible.' I'm like, 'This is perfect, man. I'm coming from dirt and rocks.’ "
He lived, ate and breathed soccer. As a New York Cosmos fan, Windischmann was at JFK Airport in 1977 to greet legendary German defender Franz Beckenbauer, who signed with the North American Soccer League club.
He held a sign that read: “Herzlich Wilkommen”, (A warm welcome).
