Recall going to Stallions games. Also, playing recreational indoor soccer with my teammates while in high school (which I was attending in 1979). Indoor soccer was a big rage among my friends.
MSL Dateline: On 19 October 1991, the Major Soccer League kicked off its 14th and final season with 7 clubs playing a 40-game schedule, the shortest in 11 years. The San Diego Sockers finished with the MSL's best record (26-14) and won their 5th straight indoor title, while Cleveland Crunch forward Zoran Karic was the league's top scorer (102 points) and San Diego goalkeeper Victor Nogueira won a 2nd straight MVP Award. But despite hopes for a 15th season, the MSL was undone when Tacoma and St. Louis folded after the season and expansion franchises in Buffalo and Pittsburgh failed to materialize. MSL Dateline: On 19 October 1990, the Major Soccer League launched its 13th season of indoor soccer - although dropping "Indoor" from its title in order to leverage burgeoning World Cup interest - with the same eight teams as the previous year for the 1st time in league history. Each team played a 52-game schedule, Tatu claimed the scoring title with 78 goals, the San Diego Sockers won their 4th straight indoor title and goalkeeper Victor Nogueira was named MVP. CISL Dateline: On 19 October 1997, the final match in Continental Indoor Soccer League (CISL) history was played when the Seattle Sea Dogs got 2 goals each from Dick McCormick and Jean Harbor and routed the Houston Hotshots, 7-1, at the Compaq Center to sweep the CISL Championship Series in 2 games. Sadly, the CISL would fold 2 months later when owners of the Dallas, Portland Houston franchises elected to split off in an attempt to form a rival league. NASL Dateline: On 18 October 1977, the Las Vegas Quicksilvers franchise that had relocated from San Diego the year before closed up shop and headed back to San Diego after a disappointing season in Sin City. Despite a formidable line-up that included Eusebio, Wolfgang Suhnholz, Chris Dangerfield, Humberto Coelho, Derek Trevis and Alan Mayer, the Quicksilvers could not sustain a fast start and wound up dead-last with an 11-15 record, mounting legal and financial problems, and $32,000 in unpaid rent at Las Vegas Stadium. NASL Dateline: On 17 October 1980, Tulsa Roughnecks owner Ward Lay sold 51 percent of his stake to a minority ownership group headed by Michael W. Kimberl, Rick Loewenherz and Carl L. Moore, who pledged not to relocate the franchise. 'That's why we bought the team,' Loewenherz said. 'We want to see it stay in Tulsa Happy 69th birthday to André Oostrom (number 6 v.s the indoor SJ Quakes ), the Dutch midfielder who made 145 appearances over 5 Eredivsie seasons with FC Utrecht (1974-77) and VVV-Venlo (1977-79), then signed with the Edmonton Drillers in 1980 and steadied the team's attack for 3 NASL campaigns, notching 3 goals and 11 assists in 62 games and helping Edmonton win the 1981 NASL Indoor title.
@don gagliardi MISL Action: Buffalo Stallions goalkeeper stretches to make a save against the New York Arrows at the Buffalo Memorial Auditorium.
Philadelphia Fever @ Cincinnati Kids December 27, 1978 The first nine minutes of the Philadelphia Fever's first-ever match, in Cincinnati. This was only the third in Major Indoor Soccer League history.
MISL Memories: Tony Betts and Eusebio briefly gave the Buffalo Stallions a potent strike force in the 1979-80 MISL season before injuries forced the Portuguese star to withdraw.
Soccer in the 1970s: San Jose Earthquakes midfielders Davie Kemp (5-foot-5) and Johnny Moore (5-foot-5) struggle to measure up to 6-foot-6 defender David Dufty.
Fixed your post. It turns out that Pelé's father tried naming his newly-born son after Thomas Edison (being so proud of the fact that the town Pelé was born in had just gotten electricity shortly beforehand), but something got lost in the translation and his first name ended up being Edson. GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
NASL Memories: Giuseppe "Pino" Wilson (number 23) was a smooth center-back who anchored the defense of Lazio for a decade and shone for Italy in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, but also played a central role in the New York Cosmos' Soccer Bowl '78 triumph. Born on 27 October 1945 in England - Wilson's father was a British soldier who had met his Italian wife during World War II - Wilson was raised in southern Italy. Wilson made 138 appearances for Internapoli (1965-69) before attracting Lazio's attention, and his 295 appearances there from 1969-80 included the 1974 Serie A title. He played in the FIFA World Cup that same year and later followed his close friend and former teammate Giorgio Chinaglia to the NASL, playing for the New York Cosmos in 1978-79 and winning Soccer Bowl '78. Wilson was awarded the Defensive MVP in the final, but returned to Italy and ultimately came to be named in the Totonero match-fixing scandal in 1980. Wilson received a 3-year ban for his participation, along with Paolo Rossi, Giuseppe Damiani and others. Sadly, Wilson died earlier this year at the age of 76.
Happy 66th birthday to Steve Ryan (number 14), the American midfielder who played at both San Francisco State University and San Jose State University and captained the 1979 World University Games team, then was a 2nd-round pick of the hometown San Jose Earthquakes in the 1979 NASL Draft and fashioned a 3-year career that included 2 goals and 7 assists in 45 games with the Earthquakes and California Surf (1981). NASL National Team: Randy Ragan, Colin Miller and Bruce Wilson, Canada Happy 71st birthday to Nelsi Morais, the Brazilian midfielder who was Pelé's teammate at Santos FC (1970-75) then was signed by the New York Cosmos in late 1975 at Pelé's urging, making 63 appearances over 6 NASL seasons and helping the Cosmos win 3 Soccer Bowl titles. NASL Memories: Kazimierz "Kaz" Deyna was one of the best players of his generation who carried Poland to some of its greatest heights and shone at every level. Born on 23 October 1947, Deyna arrived to the NASL in 1981 after becoming one of the first overseas players to play in England and winning fan-favorite status at Manchester City, and his 6-year run with the San Diego Sockers resulted in 2 all-NASL selections and 2 division titles. Deyna also won 5 straight indoor championships (2 NASL / 3 MISL) and was a 2-time MISL All Star. Earlier, Deyna had captured a gold and silver Olympic medal and led Poland to 3rd place in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, while also winning 2 Polish League titles with Legia Warsaw, capturing 2 Polish Player of the Year awards, and was named in 1994 as the Greatest Polish Player of All Time. Deyna also co-starred with Sylvester Stallone, Michael Caine and Pelé in the World War II film, "Victory." Sadly, Deyna died in a car accident in San Diego in 1989 at the age of 41. NASL Dateline: On 27 October 1982, the NASL Board of Governors voted to create Team America, an NASL franchise that would begin play in 1983 and double as the U.S. National Team-in-training, with either St. Louis or Washington D.C. proposed as the host city. The NASL vote was 10-1 in favor, with the Tulsa Roughnecks voting against and the New York Cosmos abstaining. Happy 72nd birthday to Roger Davies, the mercurial English striker who burst to prominence with Derby County in 1972 and won the league title 3 years later, scoring 31 goals in 114 games from 1972-76, then jumped to Club Brugge in Belgium and captured the league crown and MVP Award in 1977, and ultimately settled in North America, scoring 43 goals in 5 NASL seasons with the Tulsa Roughnecks (1979), Seattle Sounders (1980-81), and Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1983), earning all-NASL honors and the NASL MVP Award in 1980, and finishing 45th among the NASL's all-time leading goalscorers. MISL Merchandise: Buffalo Stallions Happy 75th birthday to Derek Smethurst, the South African striker who regularly hit the target in 7 seasons with English clubs Chelsea (5 goals) -- winning the 1971 European Cup Winners' Cup -- and Milwall (9 goals) but found his stride in the NASL, racking up 73 goals in 118 games with the Tampa Bay Rowdies (1975-78), San Diego Sockers (1978) and Seattle Sounders (1979-80), finishing as the 13th leading goalscorer in NASL history, leading the league with 20 goals in 1976 and twice scoring 4 goals in a single game, earning 3 all-NASL honors, winning Soccer Bowl '75 and the 1976 NASL Indoor championship, helping Seattle to the league's best record in 1980, trying out as an NFL placekicker with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 1977, and ultimately closed out his career indoors, bagging 35 goals in 33 games for the MISL's Memphis Americans. NASL Merchandise: Minnesota Kicks key ring Happy 65th birthday to Canada international Wes McLeod, the fleet midfielder who played in the 1976 Olympic Games, turned pro with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 1977 at the age of 19 and quickly established himself as one of North America's top talents, scoring 34 goals in 188 games and earning 6 straight all-NASL selections while reaching back-to-back Soccer Bowl finals in 1978-79 and winning NASL Indoor championships in 1980 and 1983, then transitioning to an indoor career with the Dallas Sidekicks that included the 1987 MISL title, earning the 1990 MISL Defender of the Year Award and playing in 3 MISL All Star Games, and ultimately gaining election to the Canadian Soccer Hall of Fame in 2005
NASL Merchandise: San Jose Earthquakes bumper sticks NASL Action: Tampa Bay Rowdies forward Roy Wegerle battles to get past Golden Bay Earthquakes midfielder Leonardo Cuella at Tampa Stadium. NASL Memories: Wim Jansen was a 5-foot-5 Dutch defensive midfielder who proved to be a vital cog for club and country. Born on 28 October 1946, Jansen grew up playing for his hometown team, Feyenoord, and made 415 appearances in a 16-year run (1965-80) that included 4 Eredivisie titles and both the European Cup (1970) and the UEFA Cup (1974). Jansen reached similar heights for The Netherlands, playing in the 1974 and 1978 FIFA World Cup finals and placing 3rd in the 1976 European Championship. In 1980, Jansen joined his Dutch teammate Johan Cruyff with the Washington Diplomats and formed part of a "Dream Midfield" that also included Juan Lozano and Sonny Askew, contributing 8 assists in 27 games. Jansen returned to The Netherlands the following season and helped Ajax win the 1982 Dutch title, and later become a top manager who found success at Feyenoord and Glasgow Celtic. Sadly, Jansen died earlier this year at the age of 75. Soccer in the 1970s: San Jose Earthquakes teammates Derek Craig and Jimmy Johnstone relax poolside during the 1975 NASL season. NASL Merchandise: Ricky Davis / Franklin soccer ball Happy 62nd birthday to Nicky Reid (number 13), the English youth international who anchored Manchester City's defense for a decade (1977-87) -- reaching the FA Cup final in 1981 -- and then spent another 5 seasons with Blackburn Rovers (1987-82), but also joining the Seattle Sounders on loan for the 1982 NASL season, contributing 1 goal and 2 assists in 24 games and helping the club reach Soccer Bowl '82. Happy 68th birthday to Peter Nover (number 6), the 6-foot-5 West German defender who made 115 appearances in 5 NASL seasons with the Boston Minutemen (1976), Team Hawaii (1977) and the San Diego Sockers (1978-80), and whose 21 career goals made him an offensive force. NASL Yearbooks: Baltimore Bays Happy 72nd birthday to goalkeeper Mike Mahoney, a product of the Bristol City development system who enjoyed extended playing time with Torquay United (1970-75) and Newcastle United )1975-78), then jumped to North America in 1979 and registered 2 shutouts in 4 NASL seasons with the Chicago Sting (1979) and California Surf (1979-81), but found greater success indoors, making 114 appearances with the Los Angeles Lazers (1982-86) and played in the 1985 MISL All Star Game before becoming the Lazers' interim coach in 1986-87.
(4:23) "there were some great matches, I watched some matches, not on television, that's the reason it didn't take off in America, was because it didn't get the exposure on television, and if you don't get that you're dead, particularly in America. And that's what happened, that's why it failed." -Bill Foulkes "Coverage was non existent, I mean you got a couple of lines if you were lucky, the score and that was about it. Because the kids had been brought up with American football, and baseball, ice hockey, basketball, so football was the minority sport, in a massive country, probably the most sports minded country in the world, but football wasn't their game, so they were never going to take to it, the Americans." -George Best Listening to these guys talk about the demise of the NASL makes me worry a little about MLS moving its coverage to Apple. NBC was doing a pretty good job imo, great even.
Not my experience. Never went to a NASL game live, but as a teen in late 70s I watched Cosmos games from NYC TV stations. My junior high and high school friends all played soccer, as did I since my parents wouldn’t let me play pointy ball.
Cosmos won it all in '72, '77, '78, '80 & '82 (runners up in '81), they were by far the most successful NASL team...plus they had Pele ('75 to '77) and a big, diverse market...those factors may have made it easier for them to get media exposure?
The NASL though wasn’t only the Cosmos and Pele. The quality of play for the time period in the Post-Pele (1978-1984) era was excellent. They prove the league was much more than Pele, Franz Beckenbauer, George Best , Giorgio Chinaglia, and Johan Cruyff. To name a few, players like Vladislav Bogicevic, Francois Van Der Elst, Rodney Marsh, Fran O'Brien, Bruce Wilson, Ace Ntseolengoe, Trevor Francis, Phil Parkes, Karl-Heinz Granitza , Roberto Bettega, Gigi Martini, Julio César Romero, Roberto Cabañas, Gordon Banks, Alan Ball, Jr., Carlos Alberto, Elías Figueroa, Geoff Hurst, Kazimierz Deyna, Eusébio, Johan Neeskens, , Peter Lorimer, Rob Rensenbrink, Teofilio Cubillas, Gerd Mueller , Ruud Krol, Bruce Grobbelaar , Jan Van Bevered, Volkmar Gross, Steve Zungul, Stan Terlecki, Godfrey Ingram , Vince Hillaire , Trevor Francis, Roger Davies, Alan Merrick, Steve Litt, Alan Willey, Hugo Sanchez, John Bain , Bill Irwin, Clyde Best, Leo Cuellar, Geoff Barnett, Mike England , Derek Smethurst, Mike Connel, Steve Wegerel, Jimmy Johnstone, Paul Child, Antonio simoes, Eusebio, Peter Ward , Bruce Rioch and many more could have played anywhere in the world. Many other first division foreign players came over as well and made the league very competitive. Unalike MLS, other than maybe Pele and a few others, very few players over the age of 34-35 came over. Even the North American players were coming into their own. Tino Lettieri, Branko Segota, Wes Mcleod, Steve Moyers, Ricky Davis, Jeff Durgan, Fernando Clavijo, Igor Vrablic, Mike Hunter and so many others could have become great, national team players had the old NASL not folded. The old MISL (indoor) league was a good circuit but, in my opinion, played a hand in killing the outdoor game at the time. The years 1985-1993 was such a sad time for outdoor soccer that we found ourselves getting into high school and college games. Thankfully, WC 1994 and the advent of MLS in 1996 helped bring back the sport's enthusiasm. I think most of us are happy where MLS is today with the exception of the Earthquakes. I just wish something could happened to turn this team around but I am not optimistic.