Did You Know? Although the NASL's iconic "star" ball that was introduced in 1975 was created by Adidas and manufactured in France, the license was taken over by other manufacturers in subsequent years.
Happy 69th birthday to Mexico international Leonardo Cuéllar, the wild-maned midfielder who dominated Mexican soccer with Pumas in the 1970s and played in the 1978 FIFA World Cup, then joined the World All Stars against the New York Cosmos in 1978 and jumped to the NASL the following year, enjoying extended success with the San Diego Sockers (1979-81) and San Jose / Golden Bay Earthquakes (1982-84), notching 12 goals and 48 assists in 128 games. NASL Dateline: On 13 January 1975, the Hartford Bicentennials were launched as the NASL's 4th expansion franchise heading into the 1975 NASL season. Named in honor of the United States' 200th anniversary -- but quickly dubbed the "Bi's"-- Hartford struggled to compete with the ASL's Connecticut Yankees, relocated to New Haven and re-branded as the Connecticut Bicentennials in 1977, but never evolved into the northeast power the league had hoped and were moved to Oakland in 1978. NASL Dateline: On 14 January 1983, the Jacksonville Tea Men All Stars said "farewell" to their NASL fans in a 4-3 indoor soccer exhibition loss to the Fort Lauderdale Strikers before 5,000 at the Jacksonville Coliseum. Tony Whelan scored 2 goals for Fort Lauderdale -- including the game-winner with just 38 seconds left to play -- as the Tea Men dropped out of the NASL after hastily arriving from Boston in late 1980 and playing 2 NASL and NASL Indoor seasons. MISL Dateline: On 14 January 1982, the New York Arrows signed veteran goalkeeper Shep Messing to a 5-year contract. Soccer in the 1970s: Giorgio Chinaglia, takin' care of business. NASL Action: Los Angeles Aztecs forward Leo Van Veen vies with Edmonton Drillers defender Peter Nogly for a head ball at the Rose Bowl. Happy 68th birthday to Brooks Cryder, the American defender who starred at Philadelphia Textile and was selected with the 8th overall pick of the 1976 NASL Draft by the Philadelphia Atoms, but chose to play 2 ASL seasons instead with the Tacoma Tides (1976) and Los Angeles Skyhawks (1977), then joined the NASL's Philadelphia Fury for 40 games over 2 seasons (1978-79) and closed out his career indoors with the Cleveland Force (1979-80) and Philadelphia Fever (1980-81). NASL Memories: Chile international Eduardo Bonvallet was a talented, troublesome star when he signed with the Fort Lauderdale Strikers in 1980, but his greatest accomplishments came later. Born on 13 January 1955, Bonvallet played for major Chilean clubs like Universidad de Chile (19172-74), Universidad Catolica (1975-77) and O'Higgins (1978-79), and his transfer to Fort Lauderdale seemed the final piece to the Strikers midfield. But despite 2 goals and 6 assists in his first 16 games, Bonvallet was dropped from the line-up at mid-season by Dutch coach Cor van der Hart for reportedly speaking too much Spanish in the lockeroom and and for kicking a ball at the coach, and later re-appeared for 11 games with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in 1983. But Bonvallet played for Chile in the 1982 FIFA World Cup and became a major media celebrity in South America before sadly passing away in 2015 at the age of 60.
NASL Dateline: On 17 January 1974, the NASL admitted the San Jose Earthquakes as its 14th franchise for the upcoming season. Owned by Milan Mandaric, a 35‐year‐old electronics expert from Yugoslavia, the franchise also hired former Stanford quarterback Dick Berg as its general manager and announced that most home games would be played at Spartan Stadium, although some matches would be staged in Oakland and San Francisco as well.
Happy 60th birthday to George Katakalidis (number 19), the Greek-born defender and Canadian youth international who won 6 MISL titles with the New York Arrows (1980-83) and San Diego Sockers (1984-88), while also playing 2 NASL seasons with the Golden Bay Earthquakes (1983-84), notching 9 assists in 41 games. Soccer in the 1970s: Fort Lauderdale Strikers coach Ron Newman welcomes Gerd Müller, the West German scoring sensation who arrived on a free transfer in 1979. NASL Merchandise: Chicago Sting Happy 71st birthday to midfielder Phil Holder (number eight), the England youth international who reached the 1974 UEFA Cup final with Tottenham, then settled in for 4 seasons at Crystal Palace (1975-79) before joining the NASL in 1978, where he contributed 1 goal and 2 assists in 24 games for the Memphis Rogues. MISL Dateline: On 19 January 1986, San Diego Sockers forward Juli Veee racked up 4 assists - including 3 in a 45-second span - to key a 6-4 win over the Baltimore Blast at the San Diego Sports Arena. Happy 66th birthday to Trinidad and Tobago midfielder Richard Chinapoo, the 4-time Long Island University All American who scored 2 goals in 23 games in 2 seasons with the New York Cosmos -- winning Soccer Bowl '82 in the process -- but then becoming an MISL mainstay, scoring 100 goals in 2 stints with the Baltimore Blast, winning the 1984 MISL title, scoring another 59 goals in 2 spells with the Dallas Sidekicks, and making 5 MISL All Star teams. NASL Action: San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Djouro "George" Sorgic is helped up by a Vancouver Whitecaps opponent at Spartan Stadium. Happy 77th birthday to Brazil international Roberto Rivellino, the graceful attacking midfielder who scored 70 goals in a 10-year career with Corinthians and and another 10 goals with Fluminennse (1975-78) while playing in 3 FIFA World Cups - scoring 3 goals to help Brazil win it all in 1970 - and also made 2 guest appearances with the New York Cosmos in 1978.
Such a shame the NASL folded 2 years after Steve Zungul got there..... MISL Dateline: On 19 January 1983, the Golden Bay Earthquakes finalized a deal to acquire Steve Zungul from the New York Arrows for the rights to Gordon Hill and Gary Etherington. The MISL's all-time scoring leader and 3-time MVP, Zungul provoked the trade by asking for a raise on his $150,000 salary, prompting New York to place him on waivers and publicly commit to a program of "Americanization." Although MISL commissioner Earl Foreman initially blocked the trade as not in the league's best interests, Zungul's desire to play outdoor soccer again -- Golden Bay competed in the NASL as well as the MISL -- eventually won out. Arrows owner David Schoenstadt said the trade moved the franchise closer to its desired makeover. "It's all part of the 'Dallasization' of the team," he said. ''I want to be like the Cowboys, grinding out championships year after year.'
San Jose Earthquakes Soccer Camp Every team was named after a pro team. So this group was named Drillers. NASL Head Shots: San Jose Earthquakes, 1976 NASL Memories: Jack Galmiche (pictured 2nd from right) was part of the first wave of St. Louis youth soccer products, a born and bred star who helped Saint Louis University win the 1969 NCAA title. Galmiche. who was born on 3 February 1948, joined the hometown St. Louis Stars and spent 2 seasons in the NASL, then turned his career to business and became a powerful media magnate. Sadly, Galmiche died in 2019 at the age of 71. Happy 69th birthday to Roger Verdi (number 22), the Kenya-born defender who came up through the Wolverhampton and Ipswich Town youth programs, but turned pro with the Montreal Olympique in 1972, and ultimately played in 93 games with Montreal (1972-73), the Miami Toros (1974), St. Louis Stars (1975-77) and San Jose Earthquakes (1978) -- reaching the NASL final with Miami in 1974 -- and later played in the ASL (Cleveland Cobras / Columbus Magic / Cleveland Fire) and MISL (Phoenix Inferno). MISL Action: New York Arrows teammates Juli Veee and Steve Zungul celebrate a goal at Nassau Coliseum. Happy 74th birthday to U.S. international Gene Geimer, the rugged forward who helped Saint Louis University win 2 NCAA titles, then joined the NASL's St. Louis Stars in 1971 and notched 17 goals in 65 games over the next 5 seasons, later played for the Boston Minutemen (1976) and Chicago Sting (1976-77), and closed out his career indoors with the Cincinnati Kids, where he set a then-MISL record with 7 goals in 1 game in the 1978-79 campaign. NASL Memories: Goalkeeper Volkmar Gross was a larger-than-life personality whose 6-foot-3, 215-pound frame only bolstered that image. Born on 31 January 1948, Volkmar was a star with clubs like Hertha BSC (1967-72), FC Twente (1974-76), and FC Schalke 04 (1977-79) -- earning a West German national team call-up in 1970 and and reaching the UEFA Cup final in 1975 -- but also spent 2 years in exile in South Africa due to a Bundesliga match-fixing scandal. Signed by the Minnesota Happy 68th birthday to U.S. international Sam Bick, the St. Louis-born midfielder who earned All American honors leading Quincy University to 3 NAIA titles from 1973 to 1975, then was taken by the Minnesota Kicks with the 6th overall pick in the 1976 NASL Draft and helped the club reach Soccer Bowl '76, made 60 appearances over 5 NASL seasons with Minnesota (1976-78) and the San Jose Earthquakes (1979-80), then added 8 MISL seasons with the hometown St. Louis Steamers, and was named to the 1980-81 MISL All Star team.
RIP, JIM: Pollihan, former USMNT defender, 1st pro player to score an indoor goal in the USA, passes away - Front Row Soccer
NASL Action: San Jose Earthquakes forward Paul Child chases down a ball with Chicago Sting forward Willie Morgan in pursuit at Spartan Stadium. Happy 65th birthday to U.S. international Adolphus "Doc" Lawson, the speedy 6-foot defender who was born in Liberia but immigrated to the USA as a child and was a 2-time All America pick at Southern Connecticut State University, then signed with the Cincinnati Kids of MISL in 1978 - and was later picked by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 3rd round of the 1979 NASL Draft - and crafted an indoor / outdoor career that comprised 42 games with the Earthquakes (1979), San Diego Sockers (1979-80) and New York Cosmos (1984) and a far more successful indoor career with Cincinnati (1978-79), the Philadelphia Fever (1979-82), New York Arrows (1982-84), New York Cosmos (1984-85) and Dallas Sidekicks (1985-91), winning the 1987 MISL Championship, earning 5 MISL All Star nods, and helping the U.S. finish 3rd at the 1989 FIFA Futsal World Championship. Happy 75th birthday to Tony Powell (number 6), the 6-foot-2 English defender who made over 200 appearances each for Bournemouth and Norwich City, then jumped to the NASL in 1981 and made 68 appearances over 3 seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes (1981-82) and Seattle Sounders (1983). Happy 70th birthday to Stuart Lee, the English striker who rang up big numbers for Bolton, Wrexham and Stockport City before being sold by Manchester City to the Portland Timbers in 1980 and embarked upon a 4-year NASL career that comprised 15 goals with Portland (1980-82) and the Tampa Bay Rowdies (1984), then moved to MISL and found success with the St. Louis Steamers (1985-86), Kansas City Comets (1982-83, 1985-86), Los Angeles Lazers (1984-85, 1986-87) and Dallas Sidekicks (1987-88). NASL Action: New York Cosmos forward Giorgio Chinaglia tees up a shot against Minnesota Kicks defender Bjorn Nordqvist at Giants Stadium. Soccer in the 1970s: New York Cosmos coach Eddie Firmani limbers up during training at Giants Stadium. MISL Dateline: On 11 February 1984, Baltimore developer and thoroughbred horse magnate Nathan "Red" Scherr agreed to a record $2.9 million purchase of the Baltimore Blast from franchise founder Bernie Rodin, just 3 months before the Blast claimed the 1st MISL title in club history. NASL Quotes: "I go into a halfway tackle against the Cosmos with Giorgio Chinaglia and Roberto Cabanas, and I let Cabanas win on a give-and-go, and they scored to win. In front of every player, Johan Cruyff really pinned me against the wall. He took me by the throat, he pushed me against the wall, and he said, 'You know what? We're playing for bonuses here. And we just lost $500. You're taking money and food off the plates of our children. Don't let it ever happen again.' And it didn't.” - Thomas Rongen, midfielder, reflecting on his relationship with Washington Diplomats teammate Johan Cruyff Happy 65th birthday to Niels Guldbjerg, the Danish forward who starred at Ulster Community College and was a 2nd-round pick of the Detroit Express in the 1979 NASL Draft, then went on to play 2 seasons with Detroit (1979-80) and another 5 indoors with the Philadelphia Fever (1980-81), New Jersey Rockets (1981-82) and Buffalo Stallions (1982-84). Happy 67th birthday to Guyana international Clyde Watson (number 7), the 5-foot-6 midfielder who starred at Clemson University - and was named to the ACC's 50th Anniversary Team in 2002 - and built a 7-year pro career that toggled between the ASL and the MISL, becoming an ASL All Star with the New York Eagles in 1979 and helping the Detroit Express win the 1982 ASL title, while also scoring 21 career MISL goals with the Philadelphia Fever (1979-82) and Wichita Wings (1983-85).
Soccer in the 1970s: Shep Messing leads the Oakland Stompers out onto the field for a match against the Los Angeles Aztecs at Oakland-Alameda County Stadium.
Soccer in the 1970s: Dutch forward Peter Ressel racked up an incredible 41 assists in 3 NASL seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes (1978) and Chicago Sting (1979-80), good for 38th place all-time. NASL Merchandise: Budwesier NASL Merchandise: Oakland Stompers lamp NASL Merchandise: San Jose Earthquakes megaphone NASL Legends: Milan Mandaric NASL Head Shots: Philadelphia Fury, 1978 NASL Head Shots: Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1977 NASL National Team: USA, 1975 (Mike Ivanow, Buzz Demling, Kyle Rote Jr., Dennis Vaninger, Dan Counce, Bobby Smith, Andy Rymarczak, Paul Scurti, Bob Rigby; Barry Barto, Pat McBride, Alan Hamlyn, Werner Roth, Archie Roboostoff, Tom Galati, David D'Errico) Soccer in the 1970s: The Seattle Sounders defend a free kick from New York Cosmos forward Pele during Soccer Bowl '77 at Civic Stadium. Soccer in the 1970s: New York Cosmos forward Giorgio Chinaglia and Minnesota Kicks forward Ron Futcher mix it up at Giants Stadium in 1978.
nice guy, John. I'll never forget going into Time Deli '06-'07 and talking to him about the Quakes. around '07 he seemed pretty sure we would see a return of the Quakes while I was convinced it would never happen. Turns out he was working behind the scenes with @don gagliardi, @NedZ and others as members of SSV and sure enough...he was right. I'll be forever grateful to those guys.
I've learned the most about soccer while watching games live with two people: (1) Johnny Moore; and (2) John Jussen.
It's great that we get to enjoy the Quakes and all the pictures. I got to center officiate a preseason Quakes 2 v Sonoma County Sol game last week. It's great to be older, but still alive and remember how far we've come.
NASL Head Shots: San Jose Earthquakes, 1975 Happy 66th birthday to Ismael "Easy" Perez (number 15), the Mexican-American forward who starred at San Jose State University and was picked by the San Jose Earthquakes in the 4th round of the 1979 NASL Draft, then spent the next 5 seasons playing outdoors (25 games) and indoors (28 games) for the 'Quakes. MISL Action: Houston Summit defender Nick Megaloudis tracks the play while New York Arrows forward Steve Zungul heads back upfield at the Summit. Happy 73rd birthday to Peter Marinello, the Scottish youth international who developed through the Hibernian system but quickly became Arsenal's first-ever six-figure purchase when he moved to London for £100,000 in 1970, then went on to make over 300 career appearances and score steadily at Portsmouth (1973-75), Motherwell (1975-78), Fulham (1978-80) and Heart of Midlothian (1981-83) over the next 13 seasons, which included a 17-goal stint with the Phoenix Inferno during the 1980-81 MISL season Happy 71st birthday to striker Billy Jennings (number 21), the Watford youth product and England youth international who made 93 appearances for the Hornets as a pro, then transferred to West Ham and won the 1975 FA Cup and reached the final of the 1976 European Cup Winner's Cup, and later spent the 1977 NASL season on loan to the Chicago Sting, where he cracked 6 goals and 4 assists in 19 games. Happy 79th birthday to The Netherlands international Willem Van Hanegem, the playmaking sensation whose style earned him the nickname "De Kromme" ("The Crooked") and who won major hardware in 8 years with Feyenoord -- including 3 Eredivisie titles, 1 KNVB Cup, the 1974 UEFA Cup and both the European Cup and the Intercontinental Cup in 1970 -- in addition to playing in both the 1974 FIFA World Cup and the 1976 European Championship, then joined the NASL in 1979 and contributed 6 goals and 7 assists in 27 games for the Chicago Sting. NASL Dateline: On 20 February 1980, the Washington Diplomats signed Spanish midfielder Juan Jose Lozano to a 3-year, $1.2 million deal that included a $500,000 transfer fee to Belgium's Beerschot and a salary that could top $200,000 each year - making Lozano the most expensive acquisition in club history. Said Washington coach Gordon Bradley: "Juan can play for any major league team in the world. I expect him to be our playmaker, to be our field general out there." NASL Ticket Stubs: San Diego Sockers vs. Tampa Bay Rowdies, 1983-84 NASL National Team: Franz Beckenbauer, West Germany
NASL Dateline: On 22 February 1979, the Edmonton Drillers were launched as Canada's 3rd NASL franchise for the 1979 NASL season. Bought by Canadian real estate mogul and entrepreneur Peter Pocklington from the remains of the Oakland Stompers franchise, the Drillers were coached by Dutchman Hans Kraay Sr. and loaded with Dutch talent and won the 1981 NASL Indoor title before succumbing to poor attendance and uneven results over their 4-year existence. NASL Dateline: On 22 February 1981, the NASL was ordered by FIFA to come into compliance with international rules within six weeks and end the use of the 35-yard line and the 3-subsitution rule or face immediate suspension from world soccer. The 35-yard offside line had made the NASL the highest-scoring league in the world at 3.37 goals per game, while the substitutions were one more than permitted by FIFA. Surprisingly, FIFA did not include the NASL's shootout in its list of problematic regulations. FIFA had warned the NASL as far back as 1978 against deviations from FIFA rules, and made clear that failure to comply would threaten foreign tours with NASL teams, international transfers and signings, and suspension from national team duty by players under NASL contracts. While FIFA's order was regarded seriously by some teams -- "We're concerned about this ultimatum," said New York Cosmos general manager Krikor Yepremian -- other teams waved it off. "If we're not allowed to continue to do this," said Atlanta Chiefs vice- Happy 73rd birthday to U.S. international Juli Veee, the Hungarian-born striker who defected while on tour with the U-21 national team, then became one of the most dominant outdoor and indoor players in North America, notching 34 goals and 68 assists in 7 NASL seasons -- ranking as the league's 38th all-time scoring leaders with 136 points -- while playing with the Los Angeles Aztecs (1975), San Jose Earthquakes (1976) and San Diego Sockers (1978-82) and earning 2 all-NASL honors, then found even greater success indoors, winning 6 MISL titles and 2 NASL Indoor championships and finishing as the 23rd all-time leading scorer (197 goals / 174 assists / 371 points) in MISL history with the New York Arrows (1979-80), San Diego Sockers (1982-83, 1985-88) and Las Vegas Americans (1984-85), while playing in 4 MISL All Star Games and ultimately earning induction to the inaugural class of the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011. NASL Ticket Brochures: The San Jose Earthquakes went all in with the seismic lingo in 1975. MISL Action: Houston Summit defender Stewart Jump pokes the ball away from New York Arrows forward Steve Zungul at the Summit. Happy 74th birthday to Steve Izivkic (number 17), the Yugoslavian defender who made 9 appearances with Toronto Metros-Croatia during the 1977 NASL season. Happy 67th birthday to Warren Green, the Canadian defender who made 46 appearances in 3 MISL seasons with the Chicago Horizons (1980-81), Kansas City Comets (1981-82) and Phoenix Inferno (1982-83). MISL Head Shots: Wichita Wings, 1979-80 MISL Dateline: On 22 February 1985, the New York Cosmos franchise withdrew from the MISL just 33 games into the season and announced it would operate as an independent outdoor team later in the year. Mired in last place in the MISL's Eastern Division and facing mounting debts, the Cosmos recently sold stars Dan Canter, Steve Moyers and Roberto Cabanas and sought unsuccessfully to recover their $200,000 MISL entrance fee. New York also looked into moving to a less-costly venue than Brendan Byrne Arena before opting to fold. Said club president Giorgio Chinaglia: "We are disappointed in our inability to attract enough fan support to continue playing indoor soccer.'
1976 Shakers during a game at Spartan Stadium. 1977 .Shakers San Jose Earthquakes cheerleaders, the Shakers from 1979. Quakes vs. Stompers in Oakland April 1978 Shakers 1982
NASL Dateline: On 28 February 1975, the final regional tournament of the NASL's inaugural indoor competition ended when Paul Child scored a hat trick and Mirko Stojanovic was steadfast in goal as the San Jose Earthquakes defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps, 7-3, at the Cow Palace in San Francisco, thereby advancing to join the Tampa Bay Rowdies, New York Cosmos and Dallas Tornado 2 weeks later in the final round. NASL Memories: Djouro "George" Sorgic was a Serbian striker who played for clubs in Yugoslavia, France and Belgium before settling in the NASL in 1976. Born on 26 February 1948, Sorgic (number 17) initially found fame with Hadjuk Split before playing elsewhere in Europe, then split the 1976 NASL season between the San Jose Earthquakes, scoring 4 goals for each in a combined 23 games, Sadly, Soric passed away in 2012 at the age of 64. NASL Dateline: On 28 February 1981, Detroit Express owner Jimmy Hill won a protracted court battle and abruptly moved his franchise to Washington, even though the Express was on a pre-season tour of England and the NASL regular season was just 4 weeks away. Hill quickly re-christened him team the Washington Diplomats - hoping to capitalize on the popularity of the previous NASL side -- and even brought back Dutch superstar Johan Cruyff. But injuries limited Cruyff to just 5 games, the Express-Dips limped to a 15-17 record and promptly folded after one season in the nation's capital. NASL Action: Chicago Sting goalkeeper Phil Parkes soars over teammate Ingo Peter to deflect a header by Fort Lauderdale Strikers defender Francisco Marinho at Comiskey Park. NASL Merchandise: Vancouver Whitecaps / Vancouver Sun report card Happy 71st birthday to Brazil international Sebastião Miranda da Silva Filho, the speedy striker better known as "Mirandinha," who scored 50 goals for Corinthians (1970-73) and Sao Paulo (1974-78) and played in the 1974 FIFA World Cup, then signed with the Rowdies and helped them reach the Soccer Bowl '78 final -- scoring the Rowdies' lone goal in the 73rd minute -- and ultimately scoring 8 goals in 32 NASL games with Tampa Bay (1978-79) and the Memphis Rogues (1980). NASL Memories: Patrick "Ace" Ntsoelengoe was one of the brightest stars of the NASL heyday, and his broad smile and brilliant play came to define the razzle-dazzle era of the league. Born on 26 February 1952, Ntsoelengoe was a mega-star with Kaizer Chiefs in his native South Africa, but the racist apartheid policies there compelled a move to North America in 1973 in search of greater freedom. Ntsoelengoe played for the Miami Toros (1973), Denver Dynamos (1975), Minnesota Kicks (1976-81) and Toronto Blizzard (1982-84) -- reaching the Soccer Bowl finals in 1976, 1983 and 1984 -- and earned 6 all-NASL selections. He finished among the NASL's all-time leaders in games (244, 2nd), goals (87, 8th), assists (82, 5th) and total points (256, 5th). Ntsoelengoe was inducted into the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003, but died unexpectedly in 2006 at the age of 54. MISL National Team: USA, 1996 FIFA Futsal World Championship (Victor Nogueira, George Fernandez, Oscar Draguicevich, Jon Parry, Goran Hunjak, Sean Bowers, Otto Orf, Jim Gabarra, Frank Klopas, Mark Moser, Franklin McIntosh, Dennis Brose)
NASL Legends: Chris Dangerfield Happy 62nd birthday to Tim Schulz (number 25), the American midfielder who jumped from high school direct to the NASL in 1980, joining the Minnesota Kicks for the 1980-81 NASL Indoor season, then playing for the San Jose / Golden Bay Earthquakes (1981-84), and enjoying MISL success with the Denver Avalanche (1982-83) and St. Louis Steamers (1984-85, 1986-88) before becoming a successful coach for the U.S. men's and women's youth teams. Happy 75th birthday to Brazil international Manoel "Mane" Maria (number 19), the Santos FC midfielder who scored 37 goals in 6 seasons, then moved to the NASL and played with the New York Cosmos in 1975, scoring 1 goal in 12 appearances. Soccer in the 1970s: Franz Beckenbauer, Pelé and New York Cosmos chairman Nesuhi Ertegun during pre-game ceremonies at Giants Stadium. Happy 69th birthday to U.S. international Arnie Mausser, the 6-foot-5 goalkeeper who played for 8 teams in a 10-year NASL career, posting 35 shutouts in 187 games, earning all-NASL honors in 1976, helping the Tampa Bay Rowdies win the 1983 Grand Prix of Indoor Soccer, playing alongside Gerd Mueller, Teofilo Cubillas, Jomo Sono, Rodney Marsh, Salif Keita, Clyde Best and other stars, and earning induction to the U.S. National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2003. NASL National Team: Francisco Marinho, Brazil Happy birthday to Mike Woitalla (pictured at right, with veteran U.S. coach Lothar Osiander), the Northern California soccer journalist who joined Soccer America in 1984 and rose to become Executive Editor, covering all aspects of NASL, MISL, National Team, college, youth and international soccer for nearly 4 decades and helping establish the weekly publication as soccer's journal of record. NASL Memories: Portland Timbers midfielder John Bain confers with assistant coaches Willie Anderson and Pat McMahon at Memorial Coliseum during the 1981-82 NASL Indoor season.