Happy 82nd birthday to U.S. international Ilija Mitić, the Serbian striker and former Yugoslavian youth international who helped Partizan Belgrade win the 1961 league title, then jumped to North America in 1967 and quickly came to dominate the NASL, scoring 101 career goals -- 6th-best all-time -- and becoming the 1st player to top the century mark, helping the Dallas Tornado reach the 1973 NASL final and leading the San Jose Earthquakes to the 1975 NASL Indoor championship, earning 4 all-NASL selections, and making 166 career appearances with the Oakland Clippers (1968), Tornado (1973-75) and Earthquakes (1975-78).
NASL Dateline: On 22 July 1978, the infamous Colorado Caribous recorded the 8th and final victory in franchise history as Greg Makowski and Louie Nanchoff scored to key a 2-1 win over the Tulsa Roughnecks before 5,268 at Mile High Stadium. Colorado went winless over the last 2 weeks of the NASL season and relocated to Atlanta for the 1979 campaign.
What an odd choice for a name, since only on the rarest of occurrences has a caribou wandered into Colorado, it's well out of their normal range. Probably more tigers in Detroit at this time.
MISL Merchandise: San Francisco Fog custom action figure NASL Merchandise: San Jose Earthquakes custom action figure NASL Merchandise: California Surf custom action figure MISL Memories: Juli Veee led the San Diego Sockers in goals (57), assists (53) and points (110) in the 1982-83 MISL season. Did You Know? The Toronto Blizzard won just 3 of their last 9 regular season games in 1983 and finished with a 16-14 record - leaving them 7th among the 8 playoff teams - yet caught fire in the post-season and advanced all the way to Soccer Bowl '83. Happy 63rd birthday to Peter Welsh (number 5), the Scottish defender whose extended spell with Leicester City (1976-82) included a loan season to the Houston Hurricane in 1978, where he scored 4 goals in 15 games.
Looking at some of those mementoes made me think back to the mid-eighties when I worked for a plumbing company in Seattle for a short period of time. I was at a customers house and somehow the conversation went to soccer and the Sounders. This was after the NASL had folded and the homeowner said his daughter had been a huge fan of the Sounders and after college she had moved away, leaving him with boxes of Sounder memorabilia. He said if I wanted it I could take it all, assuming his daughter would not care. I seriously considered it, but, thought maybe she wouldn't be too happy with dad getting rid of her stuff, so I politely declined. I still wonder what, if any, treasures those boxes contained.
Happy 71st birthday to Bill Irwin, the 6-foot-3 Northern Ireland goalkeeper who made 180 appearances for Cardiff City and helped the Bluebirds capture 3 Welsh Cups (1973, 1974, 1976), then signed with the Washington Diplomats in 1978 and embarked on a 10-year North American career, posting 15 shutouts for the Dips (1978-80), Dallas Tornado (1981), Portland Timbers (1982) and Golden Bay Earthquakes (1983-84) -- earning all-NASL honors in 1978 -- while also excelling indoors with the Minnesota Strikers (1985-86) and Wichita Wings (1986-87), ultimately becoming a successful college coach with the University of Portland and leading the U.S. Women's U-23 National Team.
NASL Legends: Johnny Moore (with Tommy Thompson) Soccer in the 1970s: "Krazy George" Henderson holds court at Spartan Stadium.
NASL Awards: Don Popovic won the MISL Coach of the Year Award with the New York Arrows in 1981, then backed it up 2 years later by claiming the 1983 NASL Coach of the Year Award after leading the Golden Bay Earthquakes to a 20-10 record. Soccer in the 1970s: Soccer was so cool in the 1970s that Chuck Barris wore a Tampa Bay Rowdies cap while hosting an episode of "The Gong Show." Soccer in the 1970s: New York Cosmos general manager Peppe Pinton and icon Pelé discuss off-season matters at a summer camp. NASL Programs: The NASL issued league-wide Kick and Stadium Kick game programs for the regular season from 1975 through 1984, but clubs were on their own to produce programs prior to that, or for tournaments or exhibition matches throughout the NASL's lifespan. Miami Toros, 1973 NASL Action: Minnesota Kicks forward Ricardo Alonso flips over Seattle Sounders goalkeeper Mike Ivanow at Metropolitan Stadium. NASL Memories: Toronto Blizzard star Roberto Bettega chats with the media at a training session in 1983. Soccer in the 1970s: New York Cosmos forward Giorgio Chinaglia warms up in Tampa. NASL Action: New York Cosmos midfielder Franz Beckenbauer sets up for a header against the New England Tea Men at Giants Stadium. NASL Dateline: On 24 July 1979, rookie sensation Branko Segota continued his torrid scoring streak by notching 2 goals - giving him 6 in his last 4 games since being inserted into the line-up one month earlier - and the Rochester Lancers pulled to within a game of .500 after 25 games in a 2-1 win over the Tampa Bay Rowdies before 7,837 at Holleder memorial Stadium.
The San Diego Sockers and San Jose Earthquakes warm up before a match at Spartan Stadium. This looks more like 1979 or 80. I'm trying to see who the players were but can't make them out.
Happy 68th birthday to Yugoslavia international Slaviša "Steve" Žungul, the self-styled "Lord of All Indoors" who dominated North American soccer in the 1980s after leading Hadjuk Split to 3 league titles and 4 Yugoslavian Cups, then defected to New York in 1978 and served a 5-year FIFA outdoor ban, but passed the time by making the New York Arrows and MISL a dominant force, winning 4 straight titles and 3 MVP awards, then jumped outdoors with the Golden Bay Earthquakes and led the NASL in scoring in 1984 and added another MVP Award, before finally re-settling in MISL with the San Diego Sockers (1984-86, 1988-90) and Tacoma Stars (1986-88) where he won 4 more MISL championships and finished as the all-time leading scorer in MISL history (652 goals, 471 assists, 1,123 points), earning induction into the inaugural class of the Indoor Soccer Hall of Fame in 2011. NASL Subbuteo: San Jose Earthquakes Happy 70th birthday to Derek Craig (number 16), the 6-foot central defender who spent 6 years trying to crack the Newcastle United line-up, then joined the San Jose Earthquakes in 1975 and scored 2 goals in 15 games before returning to England. Happy 72nd birthday to Mario Garcia (in red), the Argentine-America midfielder who won 2 ASL titles with the New York Apollo (1975, 1978) while also playing NASL Indoor with Rochester (1976) and Tulsa (1978), then jumped to the MISL and won the 1979 MISL championship with the New York Arrows (1979) and added 2 more seasons with the Hartford Hellions (1979-81). Happy 67th birthday to U.S. international Winston DuBose, the 6-foot-2 All American goalkeeper from Florida Technical University who was the 4th overall pick of the 1977 NASL Draft and built a standout 8-year NASL career that included 31 shutouts in 183 games with the Tampa Bay Rowdies (1977-82) and Tulsa Roughnecks (1983-84), highlighted by the Soccer Bowl '83 title and the 1980 NASL Indoor championship and trips to the Soccer Bowl '78 final and 2 other NASL Indoor finals, and drew steady interest throughout his career from clubs in England like Southampton, Ipswich Town and Oldham Athletic. NASL Memories: The Chicago Sting's 1981 roster included 9 North American players who accounted for a combined 23 goals and helped the team win Soccer Bowl '81. (Top row: Steve Long, John Tyma, Paul Coffee, Charlie Fajkus, Rudy Glenn; Bottom row: Bret Hall, Greg Ryan, Tasso Koutsoukos, Mark Simanton) NASL Dateline: On 28 July 1979, Rodney Marsh scored the final 2 goals of his NASL career as the Tampa Bay Rowdies thrashed the Detroit Express, 5-2, before 35,559 at Tampa Stadium. Soccer in the 1970s: English star Trevor Francis meets the media following his loan to the Detroit Express from Birmingham City in 1978. Did You Know? Despite the loss of Johan Cruyff, Thomas Rongen, Hubert Smeets, Vito Dimitrijevic and Bob Rigby from the previous year's 18-12 roster, the 1980 Los Angeles Aztecs re-tooled and were actually better, winning a franchise-best 20 games behind Luis Fernando's club-record 28 goals and advancing all the way to the NASL semifinals before losing to the New York Cosmos MISL Action: San Diego Sockers forward Juli Veee pokes the ball past New York Arrows goalkeeper Shep Messing in a goalmouth scramble at Nassau Coliseum.
I remember attending. It was sad that only 3 months later, the NASL folded. FIFA and the media called the sold-out crowds a fluke! They really screwed up in not awarding the USA the World Cup in 1986. They awarded the Americans WC 1994 only 4 years later but ten years lapsed from this Olympic tournament to the USA 1994. For the games Involving Italy I got to sit with the Italian navy sailors who docked their boat in San Francisco....
Why do you feel FIFA screwed up? I admit that, at the time, I felt the U.S. (and Canada) got a raw deal when FIFA refused to inspect our venues and put all of their focus on Mexico. But looking back, I don't think we deserved to host the sport's grandest event at that time. The NASL continuously thumbed their noses at FIFA by Americanizing the sport to cater to North American tastes: The 35 yard offside line... artificial turf with gridiron lines all over... no aggregate system to determine winners of playoff matches... FIFA never cared for the way we dressed up the game. So why should they have awarded us the tournament at that time? Hindsight also tell me (and this is strictly my opinion) that Mexico '86 was the best tournament ever played. At least, in my footballing lifetime. 1982 was the first I followed and '86 remains my favorite of those I've watched. In the long run, waiting until 1994 worked out well for US Soccer.
Mexico 1986 with Diego Maradona and Argentina winning was a great tournament. That was really my argument. The only reason though that Mexico was awarded the World Cup was because Colombia either pulled out or was not ready to host it. By 1983-84 however, only 13 years had passed since Mexico hosted World Cup 1970 so I don’t see why they deserved to host another one again and so soon. By 1983-84, the NASL had to adhere to FIFA's order's as they did away with the 35-yard line I believe it was. They did keep the OT and shootout and also the 3-substitution rule. Something that years later, FIFA in fact adopted. The NASL crowds from 1975-84 and youth soccer boom was something that was unlike no other for a brand-new league and sport. Many players who came over during that time were top superstars and who's who of world class footballers. Aside from the stars, you also had many top first division players in that league. Many of them made more money than anything they were making in Europe or South America. Also, the 1984 Olympic Football tournament which I believe was run by Alan Rothenberg was completely sold out and a huge success. This is something that FIFA noticed and that is why only 4 years later on July 4th, 1988, the governing body awarded the USA World Cup 1994 using Rothenberg as the CEO. As a matter of fact, all of the stadiums that were used during that 1994 tournament were built and intact in 1986 as well. When it comes to international tournaments, the USA always knows how to put on a great show. Aside from the sold out soccer tournament, the LA Olympic games of 1984 was also a total success. Something Russia couldn’t pull off 4 years earlier. To think or believe a USA wouldn’t have been able to put on a great show at World Cup 1986 is simply ludicrous. I am not discounting the strides MLS or the national team has made but not getting WC 1986 killed the NASL. The folding of the league in my opinion set the game back at least 12-15 years. That wouldn’t have happened had the USA hosted World Cup 1986.
NASL Dateline: On 29 July 1979, Dennis Tueart recorded the only hat trick of his NASL career as the New York Cosmos pounded the San Jose Earthquakes, 5-0, before 35,540 at Giants Stadium. NASL National Team: David D'Errico, USA Happy 68th birthday to John Shields (number 5), the American midfielder who was the 16th overall pick of the 1976 NASL Draft, and spent the 1976 season with the Miami Toros.
The story I've heard is that when Colombia was awarded the tournament in 1974 they expected to host a 16-team field. When it increased to 24 for 1982, Colombia felt they couldn't handle it. I think they pulled out in late -82, possibly early '83. Had FIFA waited until after the '84 Olympics to select the host they might have been convinced. But at short notice they probably wanted to get it over with asap. Mexico had the experience of 1970 and were about to host the '83 World Youth Cup so I felt they were the logical choice. I made a newspaper scrapbook on the 94 tournament and it includes a few editorial cartoons lampooning the U.S. hosting the tournament, cartoons that were probably thought to be the opinions of the general American sports fan at the time. They were all proven wrong but I'll try to find them and post them here.
I remember watching World Cup 1982 and Pele was the one who wanted the USA to be the host. He was saying Colombia still had (at the time) black and white tv and there was no way they can host the games. I believe at that point he was still working with Warner Communications , Steve Ross and the NY Cosmos. They all lobbied FIFA hard using Franz Beckenbauer , Carlos Alberto , Giorgio Chinaglia and others but FIFA still balked. Steve Ross wanted the WC badly but when FIFA refused, he wanted out. That was when I believe shortly after sold the Cosmos to Chinaglia. That spelled the end of the league. By 1988, FIFA knew that a World Cup tournament hosted by the USA would be a huge success and it was as the 1994 games were the highest attended on record.
NASL Dateline: On 31 July 1984, the United States surrendered a 58th minute goal to Pietro Fanna and suffered a 1-0 loss to Italy in 1st-round Olympic soccer play before 63,624 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. USA Line-Up: David Brcic, Bruce Savage, Gregg Thompson, Erhardt Kapp, Kevin Crow, Rick Davis, Angelo DiBernardo, Hugo Perez, Chico Borja (Mike Fox), Steve Moyers, Jean Willrich (Jeff Hooker)
If anyone has one of these they want to offload, I will purchase from you (for my garage man cave). Gave mine to the museum. Please PM me. Thanks.
Happy 74th birthday to U.S. international Manuel "Mani" Hernandez, the Spanish-American forward who won the 1968 Hermann Trophy at San Jose State University who led the Sprtans to the NCAA Final Four and earned All America honors, then signed with the expansion San Jose Earthquakes in 1974 and notched 4 goals in 46 NASL games (1974-76) -- helping the 'Quakes win the 1975 NASL Indoor title -- and later played in the MISL with the Detroit Lightning (1979-80) and the San Francisco Fog (1980-81).
NASL Dateline: On 3 August 1978, Kevin Hector scored a hat trick and Bob Lenarduzzi added 2 goals as the Vancouver Whitecaps downed the San Jose Earthquakes, 6-0, before 24,216 at Empire Stadium.
The 1978 NASL Quakes were the worst ever. Especially when they lost Trevor Francis & the Detroit Express 10-0!