I was probably at that game. Sadly, both #12 Micky Cave, and #15 Stevie Buttle, have passed. Both Sounder NASL legends.
NASL Memories: John Best excelled at virtually every role he played in the development of America soccer, and is rightly credited with crafting the Cascadia Derby that thrives today in the Pacific Northwest. Born on 11 July 1940, Best was a rugged defender who struggled for playing time at Liverpool (1958-60) and Tranmere Rovers (1960-61) but finally hit his stride with the NASL, racking up 125 appearances over 6 seasons with the Cleveland Stokers (1968) and Dallas Tornado (1969-73), earning 5 all-NASL honors, winning the 1971 NASL title, and playing for the U.S. National Team. Best then transitioned into coaching and management, leading the expansion Seattle Sounders to the post-season twice in their first 3 years and setting the table for the Soccer Bowl '77 run, then became general manager of the Vancouver Whitecaps in 1978 and built the side that won Soccer Bowl '79. He returned to the Seattle Sounders front office in time to steer that team to the Soccer Bowl '82 final, and ultimately crafted the wildly popular Tacoma Stars franchise that reached the 1987 MISL Championship Series and set the single-game indoor attendance record (21,728) that still stands to this day. Sadly, Best died of a lung infection in 2014 at the age of 74.
I will never forgive Trevor Francis and the Detroit Express for beating the Quakes 10-0 on July 12th, 1978....
This team played well at the Olympic tournament and had the exact record the WC 1994 team had. The only problem was no wild card teams qualified out of the First Round.
45 YEARS AGO TODAY: When Pele and Beckenbauer saw the light during the 1977 NYC blackout - Front Row Soccer
LOL. They probably could simply have driven to Rochester on the Thruway and arrived in time for the game. EDIT: Five hour drive, per internet.
NASL Memories: Paul Crossley was an effective English winger who spent 6 seasons on the books at Tranmere Rovers, but really hit his stride when he joined the NASL. Born on 14 July 1948, Crossley (pictured at right) signed with the Seattle Sounders in 1975 and was a vital cog in the team that reached the Soccer Bowl '77 final, notching 16 goals and 26 assists in 77 games over 5 seasons, helping whip up the region's fan base and create the Cascadia rivalry that exists to this day. He later played for the Baltimore Blast (1980-83) and reached the 1983 MISL finals, then turned to coaching in the Pacific Northwest upon retirement. Sadly, Crossley died of a heart attack in 1996 at the age of 47.
Crossley was another of those hard-working, hard-nosed players from the lower divisions of English soccer who endeared themselves to the NASL Sounder fanbase. And "Crossley", what an appropriate name for a winger!
NASL Dateline: On 15 July 1981, Atlanta Chiefs forward Paul Child scored the 100th gal of his NASL career - making him the 5th player in league history to crack the century mark - in a 4-1 win over the Los Angeles Aztecs before 3,522 at Atlanta - Fulton County Stadium.
NASL Dateline: On 15 July 1981, the New York Cosmos got goals from Vladislav Bogicevic and Julio Cesar Romero and handed Southampton a 2-2 defeat in the 2nd round of the 2nd Trans-Atlantic Challenge Cup before 29,614 at Giants Stadium. NASL Dateline: On 15 July 1981, Johan Cruyff and David Bradford each scored as the Washington Diplomats knocked off the Toronto Blizzard, 2-0, before 10,559 at RFK Stadium. Did You Know? When the Washington Diplomats signed Dutch superstar Johan Cruyff midway through the 1981 NASL season, the team sold captain Peter Baralic to the Tampa Bay Rowdies for $85,000 to help pay for Cruyff's $175,000 salary, while also coming into compliance with NASL rules for foreigners and creating space in the midfield. Said General Manager Duncan Hill: "There's no way we could play Baralic, Cruyff and David Bradford in the midfield together. Somebody had to go, and obviously, it wasn't going to be Cruyff...It came down to who's a better player, Baralic or Cruyff. If Cruyff hadn't come in, this wouldn't have taken place. But we couldn't have a veteran international player like Peter Baralic sitting on the bench." NASL Quotes: “When you saw Johan Cruyff off the pitch he was like a thin boy. But on the pitch he was from another planet.” - Rinus Michels, coach, Los Angeles Aztecs Soccer in the 1970s: New York Cosmos midfielder Franz Beckenbauer takes the field for Pelé's farewell match in 1977 at Giants Stadium NASL Fans: Tom Howe, Sam Bick, Chaka Ngcobo, Peter Brine / Minnesota Kicks NASL National Team: Trevor Francis, England MISL Action: San Diego Sockers forward Steve Zungul peels away from Baltimore Blast defender Bruce Savage at the San Diego Sports Arena. NASL Ticket Stubs: San Diego Sockers at San Jose Earthquakes, 1978
NASL Action: New York Cosmos forward Pelé always drew a crowd, including here as NASL Select stars Leonardo Cuellar, Jan van der Veen and Francisco Marinho keep pace in the Franz Beckenbauer farewell match in 1980 at Giants Stadium.
I also remember his brother Billy Tran I think his name was. I believe he got a scholarship and played at Fresno State. I believe he played with former Santa Teresa & Monte Vista High School ,Blackhawks and Colorado Rapids GK, Mark Dougherty.
Soccer in the 1970s: The New York Cosmos' triumvirate of Franz Beckenbauer, Pelé and Giorgio Chinaglia went 11-7 in the only 18 regular season games in which they ever played together, but that was enough to salvage an NASL playoff spot and keep the team on course for the Soccer Bowl '77 title.
Happy 60th birthday to Edgardo Lopez (number 26), the Uruguyan defender who played for the Golden Bay Earthquakes in 1984, scoring 1 goal in 8 games, then returned with the Chicago Sting for the 1987-88 MISL season.
Happy 57th birthday to Canada international Igor Vrablic, the Czech-born striker who grew up in Kitchener and was taken by the Toronto Blizzard with 13th overall pick of the 1983 NASL Draft, then notched 4 goals and 4 assists in 11 games with the Golden Bay Earthquakes in 1984, later playing overseas in Belgium and Greece and appearing for Canada in both the 1984 Olympic Games and the 1986 FIFA World Cup.
Born in Bratislava, in former Czechoslovakia, so likely Slovak. Would have been 19 when plated for Quakes.
Correct! Igor Vrablic also scored some awesome goals for the Quakes as I recall. He even played for Canada I believe at the 1986 World Cup. Then his international career ended together with three other Canadian players as they were involved in a match fixing betting scandal at the Merlion Cup tournament. I think he made more money for the match fixing than he would have made playing semipro as the NASL had already folded and I don't think he wanted to play indoors.
NASL Action: San Jose Earthquakes forward Leroy DeLeon surges past Team Hawaii defender Charlie Mitchell at Spartan Stadium.