1976 NASL Indoor tournament

Last updated
North American Soccer League
-1976 Indoor Tournament-
NASL Indoor Tournament
Tournament details
DatesMarch 12, 1976 –
March 27, 1976
Teams12
Final positions
Champions Tampa Bay Rowdies (1st title)
Runners-up Rochester Lancers
Tournament statistics
Matches played16
Goals scored175 (10.94 per match)
Top scorer(s) Flag of the United States.svg Juli Veee (8 goals)
Best player(s) Flag of Bermuda.svg Clyde Best (Tampa Bay)
← 1975
1978 →

Over the course of three weekends in March 1976, the North American Soccer League hosted its second league-wide indoor soccer tournament. Twelve of the twenty NASL teams participated.

Contents

Overview

In 1976, instead of playing a full indoor schedule (and despite the hopes of Tampa Bay owner George Strawbridge, Jr.), [1] the North American Soccer League opted to stage a two-tiered indoor tournament for the second consecutive year. Of the league's 20 teams, 12 participated in three regions, which was down from 16 in four regions in the previous year's tournament. The regional winners along with the "best" second-place team would advance to the final four in St. Petersburg, Florida. While the goals remained 4 × 16, the games would be shortened to three 15-minute periods, instead of the 20-minute frames played the previous year. [2] [3] [4] [5] The tournament also saw the first-ever indoor overtime and penalty shootout, as Miami and Boston played to a 6–6 draw in the opening match. After 45 minutes of regulation time and two 5-minute golden goal extra sessions, the match was ultimately decided by spot kicks. [6]

Playing in their home arena, the Bayfront Center, the Tampa Bay Rowdies defeated the Rochester Lancers 6–4 in the Championship Final. Juli Veee of San Jose scored eight goals to lead the tournament, while Clyde Best of Tampa Bay earned the MVP honors.

1976 Indoor Regional tournaments

Eastern Regional

played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida [7] [8] [9]

March 12 Miami Toros 7–6(PK, 4–3) Boston Minutemen Attendance: 4,762
March 12 Tampa Bay Rowdies 9–5 Washington Diplomats
March 13 Washington Diplomats 9–3 Miami Toros Attendance: 5,785
March 13 Tampa Bay Rowdies 5–3 Boston Minutemen
PosTeamGWLGFGAGDPTS
1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 220148+64
2 Washington Diplomats 2111412+22
3 Miami Toros 211915–62
4 Boston Minutemen 202911–20

*Tampa Bay wins region, advances to semifinals

Midwest Regional

played at International Amphitheatre in Chicago, Illinois [10]

March 13 Toronto Metros-Croatia 8–6 St. Louis Stars Attendance: 1,700 (est.) [11]
March 13 Rochester Lancers 5–2 Chicago Sting
March 14 Rochester Lancers 5–4 St. Louis Stars Attendance: 1,700 (est.) [11]
March 14 Chicago Sting 6–2 Toronto Metros-Croatia
PosTeamGWLGFGAGDPTS
1 Rochester Lancers 220106+44
2 Chicago Sting 21187+12
3 Toronto Metros-Croatia 2111012–22
4 St. Louis Stars 2021013–30

*Rochester wins region, advances to semifinals

West Regional

played at the Cow Palace in Daly City, California [15] [16] [17]

March 19 Dallas Tornado 5–2 San Diego Jaws Attendance: 6,671 [18]
March 19 San Jose Earthquakes 18–6 Vancouver Whitecaps
March 21 Dallas Tornado 11–2 Vancouver Whitecaps Attendance: 5,438 [19]
March 21 San Jose Earthquakes 8–4 San Diego Jaws
PosTeamGWLGFGAGDPTS
1 San Jose Earthquakes 2202610+164
2 Dallas Tornado 220164+124
3 San Diego Jaws 202613–70
4 Vancouver Whitecaps 202829–210

*San Jose wins region on goal differential, while Dallas is the top second-place team in any region, so both advance to semifinals

1976 Indoor Final Four

Bracket

SemifinalsChampionship Final
      
M1 Rochester Lancers 6
W1 San Jose Earthquakes 4
M1 Rochester Lancers 4
E1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6
E1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6
W2 Dallas Tornado 2 Third place
W1 San Jose Earthquakes 5
W2 Dallas Tornado 2

Semi-finals

played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida [21]

March 26 Rochester Lancers 6–4 San Jose Earthquakes Attendance: 5,365
March 26 Tampa Bay Rowdies 6–2 Dallas Tornado

Third-place match

played at the Bayfront Center in St. Petersburg, Florida

March 27 San Jose Earthquakes 5–2 Dallas Tornado

Championship final

Tampa Bay Rowdies 6–4 Rochester Lancers
Smethurst Soccerball shade.svg3:37' (Scullion)
Lindsay Soccerball shade.svg12:43'
Best Soccerball shade.svg20:11'
Smethurst Soccerball shade.svg30:26' (Best)
Smethurst Soccerball shade.svg41:42'
Best Soccerball shade.svg44:58' (Scullion)		 Report 1
Report 2 		Garcia Soccerball shade.svg2:31' (Escos)
Escos Soccerball shade.svg9:54'
Silva Soccerball shade.svg
Moia Soccerball shade.svg35:43'
Bayfront Center, St. Petersburg, Florida , St. Petersburg, Florida
Attendance: 5,787 [22]
Referee: Larry King / Gino D'Ippolito / Rene Imar

1975 NASL Indoor Champions: Tampa Bay Rowdies

Final Four awards

Final team rankings

G = Games, W = Wins, L = Losses, GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, GD = Goal Differential

PosTeamGWLGFGAGD
1 Tampa Bay Rowdies 4402614+12
2 Rochester Lancers 4312016+4
3 San Jose Earthquakes 4313518+17
4 Dallas Tornado 4222015+5
5 Washington Diplomats 2111412+2

Non-tournament matches

In addition to the tournament itself, a few teams staged other indoor matches as tune-ups for both the outdoor season and the indoor tournament itself.

Match reports

March 6, 19761 Int'l friendly Tampa Bay Rowdies 11–4 Santos F.C. (Jamaica) St. Petersburg, Florida
7:30 PM (EST) Wark Soccerball shade.svg8:08' (Garber)
Austin Soccerball shade.svg14:11' (Marsh)
Lindsay Soccerball shade.svg17:19' (Marsh)
Best Soccerball shade.svg24:13' (Garber)
Marsh Soccerball shade.svg25:54' (Auguste)
Marsh Soccerball shade.svg26:31' (Bleum)
Best Soccerball shade.svg27:40'
Best Soccerball shade.svg29:23' (Scullion)
Scullion Soccerball shade.svg35:28' (Marsh)
Scullion Soccerball shade.svg51:34' (Marsh)
Best Soccerball shade.svg55:18' (Wark)		 Report 1
Report 2 		P. Marston Soccerball shade.svg13:56' (Taylor)
L. Anderson Soccerball shade.svg30:57' (Taylor)
E. Reid Soccerball shade.svg39:29' (Taylor)
McKenzie Soccerball shade.svg41:46' (Blair)		Stadium: Bayfront Center
Attendance: 5,620
April 8, 19763 Philadelphia Atoms 4–3 Washington Diplomats Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Herrada Soccerball shade.svg7:05' (Camacho)
Navarro Soccerball shade.svg21:53'
Galati Soccerball shade.svg32:05' (Lopez)
López Soccerball shade.svg39:45'		 Report 1
Report 2
Report 3 		Minor Soccerball shade.svg26:52'
Grell Soccerball shade.svg27:04'
Minor Soccerball shade.svg33:40'		Stadium: Spectrum
Attendance: 4,234 [25]

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References

  1. ↑ "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  2. ↑ "History of Indoor Soccer in the USA". RSSSF . Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  3. ↑ "TAMPA BAY ROWDIES APPRECIATION BLOG (1975 to 1993)".
  4. ↑ "The Year in American Soccer - 1976". Archived from the original on 2015-01-07. Retrieved 2013-01-02.
  5. ↑ "TAMPA BAY ROWDIES APPRECIATION BLOG (1975 to 1993)".
  6. ↑ "Sarasota Journal - Google News Archive Search".
  7. ↑ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search".
  8. ↑ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  9. ↑ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search".
  10. ↑ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
  11. 1 2 "The Evening Independent - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  12. ↑ "Chicago Tribune: Chicago news, sports, weather, entertainment".
  13. ↑ "15 Mar 1976, Page 10 - St. Louis Post-Dispatch at". Newspapers.com. 1976-03-15. Retrieved 2022-06-05.
  14. ↑ "Democrat and Chronicle from Rochester, New York on March 15, 1976 · Page 27".
  15. ↑ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search". news.google.com. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  16. ↑ "Sarasota Herald-Tribune - Google News Archive Search".
  17. ↑ "St. Petersburg Times - Google News Archive Search".
  18. ↑ "Quakes Romp". The Petaluma Argus-Courier. March 20, 1976. p. 5A. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  19. ↑ Chittenden, Ed (March 22, 1976). "Quakes Capture Title". The Times (San Mateo, CA). p. 15. Retrieved July 26, 2016.
  20. ↑ Hunt, Tim (March 22, 1976). "Quakes work for 8–4 win". The Argus (Fremont, CA). p. 16. Retrieved July 15, 2017.
  21. ↑ Rowdies win 6-2
  22. ↑ Rowdies whip Rochester to win the indoor title
  23. ↑ "NASL-Clyde Best". www.nasljerseys.com. Retrieved 19 December 2022.
  24. ↑ Faraudo, Jeff (March 18, 1976). "Quakes erupt in first period". The Argus (Fremont, CA). p. 17. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
  25. ↑ McKee, Don (April 9, 1976). "'New' Atoms win, 4-3, in indoor exhibition". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. 2D. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
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