That doesn't look like Beardsley. Maybe Kevin Hector. The face looks familiar, but I can't quite place it.
Steve David and Best were sick when they played for the Aztecs together. In 1977 they scored all of the Aztecs goals that year (David had 26 and Best had 11) at least according to here. http://home.att.net/~nasl/nasl.htm I remember David being one of the studs of the league the year before the Kicks were started up (1976). Strange, I have always thought Best only played a year or two in the NASL, but he was around for 6 seasons. His teams must not have played at the Met very often.
I watched Once in a Lifetime again last night. Good times, good times. Also, some video clips to go with the photos: [youtube]h1l6tzVOYc8[/youtube] [youtube]zsD3gMQZAXw[/youtube]
I saw that before on You Tube.. Steve Wegerle was really a great player. Although his brother Roy had a good career in England before coming here, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJduJWoOsG8 too bad he never did that with the USMNT or with the Rapids. Always loved Sir Trevor! & also Bestie & Julie Vee
Wow, thanks for the Trevor Francis cover Falvo. I spent many games at the Silverdome with my family watching him perform his magic. It was amazing what he could accomplish on the horrid pitch. They let us on the field once to meet the players and it was a thin rug laid over rough cement. The guy became such a cult hero in Detroit, and not only for his world class skills. He was pure class and treated every person he came in contact with like a long lost cousin. When he wasn't allowed to return to the Express for the first half of 1979, crowds dropped off to embarrasing levels in that massive place. As soon as he returned the crowds doubled and hit 30,000 for a playoff game. Alas, he didn't return for 1980, and that was the end of the Express. By that time he was the first 1million pound man in England and there was no way they were going to let him come back. Trevor Francis is the reason this game is my passion. Check these numbers out: NASL games played 33 - Goals 36 - Assists 18.
I remember Trevor when he along with the rest of the Detroit Express beat my San Jose Earthquakes 10-0 in the Silverdome in 1978. I still can't get over it. Coach Terry Fisher (in his madness) subbed out GK Mike Hewitt at halftime with Santa Clara U GK Sean Koheane after they were losing 3-0. The second half proved more fatal as they aded another 7 goals. Sir Trevor scored 5 goasl that night! ARGGHHH! 1981 LA Aztecs Mike Sweeney
Steve was a better player than Roy. And the guy that was mentioned in that first video clip on Wegerle's goal, Oscar Fabbiani, was a hell of a striker.
He was a good one! Oscar Fabiani of the Tampa Bay Rowdies vs defender Dieter Versen of the San Jose Earthquakes (circa 1979)
for you Mike..... Dallas Tornado vs St. Louis Stars 1971 1975-1986 NASL & MISL SOCCER TEAM MEDIA GUIDES
So we haven't answered the question "What happened to the NASL?" but we have answered the question "Does falvo have a buttload of old pictures from the NASL?"
This is the second time you've commented on that. Are you jealous or what? Its an NASL related thread. Get over it!
Sorry, forgot the smiley. I meant it in a good way. However, the thread title is a bit of a misnomer if it's just "post your memories here."
No offense taken I understand. Unfortunately, 23 year after the NASL folded, all we have to go by is the memories of what once was.....These pics hopefully will give everyone (especially the younger fans) a little clue of what we saw and how lucky we all were had....... NASL Soccer Team Button ATLANTA CHIEFS NASL Soccer BOSTON MINUTEMEN NASL SOCCER - kick program CALIFORNIA v SAN JOSE 1981
I think that part is quite implied. In any event, keep the memories coming, in any form. As a child of the NASL, so to say, I'm loving all of this, too...
As has been mentioned before....no NASL no MLS....no USA 2006 1/4 final...soccer still in the wilderness....you seem to forget that some of the best players (and coaches) to ever play/coach in the world came to the NASL....including 3 world cup winning captains and FIFA's coach of the last CENTURY....the NASL was a little ahead of its time (was the first league in the world to put players names on the back of game shirts for example)....made mistakes, no doubt, but deserves the respect of any fan of the game in the USA.