The North American Soccer League (NASL) was the top-level major professional soccer league in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984. It is considered the first soccer league to be successful on a national scale in the United States. The league final was called the Soccer Bowl from 1975 to 1983 and the Soccer Bowl Series in its final year, 1984. The league was headed by Commissioner Phil Woosnam from 1969 to 1983. The NASL laid the foundations for soccer in the United States that helped lead to the country hosting the 1994 FIFA World Cup and setting up Major League Soccer (MLS) in 1996.
The Baltimore Bays were a professional soccer team based in Baltimore, Maryland founded in 1967 as one of the ten charter members of the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL). When the NPSL and the rival United Soccer Association (USA) merged in 1968 to form the North American Soccer League (NASL), the team moved to the new league. The Bays played its home matches at Memorial Stadium during its first two seasons and moved to Kirk Field, a high school football stadium, in 1969. The team folded at the conclusion of the 1969 NASL season.
The Philadelphia Spartans were a soccer team that was a charter member of the non-FIFA sanctioned National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) in 1967. Based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania they played their home games at Temple Stadium in North Philadelphia and were owned by Pittsburgh Steelers owner Art Rooney. Having incurred losses of $500,000, the Spartans folded when the NPSL merged with the rival United Soccer Association to form the North American Soccer League.
Patrick "Pat" McBride is an American retired soccer midfielder and indoor soccer coach. He earned five caps with the U.S. national team and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Willy Roy is a retired American soccer forward and coach. He played for several teams in the National Professional Soccer League and the North American Soccer League in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as the United States national team from 1965 to 1973. He is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Edward John Murphy was a soccer player who played as a forward. He played professionally in the National Soccer League of Chicago and the North American Soccer League. Born in Scotland, he earned seventeen caps and scored five goals for the United States national team from 1955 to 1969.
The National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) was a North American professional soccer league that existed for only the 1967 season before merging with the United Soccer Association (USA) to form the North American Soccer League. It was a "wild league", i.e. unlike its competitor, the US, not associated with FIFA. It had ten charter members, nine from the United States and one from Canada. To encourage attacking play, the NPSL introduced a new standings points system that was later used by the NASL – 6 points for a win, 3 for a draw, 0 for a loss and 1 bonus point for each of the first three goals scored. The circuit's commissioner was Ken Macker, an American publisher of three Philippines-based newspapers. The name National Professional Soccer League was revived in 1990 and used by a United States professional indoor soccer league.
Nick Krat is a retired soccer defender who played professionally in the National Soccer League of Chicago and the North American Soccer League. He earned fourteen caps with the United States men's national soccer team between 1968 and 1972.
Adolph (Adolf) Bachmeier was a U.S.-Romanian soccer player. He spent most of his playing career with various teams in Chicago. He also earned fifteen caps with the U.S. national team between 1959 and 1969. He was inducted into the National Soccer Hall of Fame in 2002.
Rudy Getzinger is a retired soccer player who played as a midfielder. He was raised in Austria before coming to the US. He spent most of his career with Chicago-based teams, earned eight caps with the United States and is a member of the National Soccer Hall of Fame.
Gene Geimer is a former U.S. soccer forward who spent seven seasons in the North American Soccer League and at least one season in Major Indoor Soccer League. Before entering the professional ranks, Geimer won a National Amateur Cup with St. Louis Kutis in 1971. He also earned six caps, scoring two goals, with the United States in 1972 and 1973.
Siegfried Stritzl was an American soccer player who was the 1969 North American Soccer League Rookie of the Year. He also earned eleven caps, scoring two goals, with the U.S. national team between 1968 and 1973.
John Best was a professional soccer player who played as a defender, spending six seasons in the North American Soccer League where he was a five-time first team All Star. He later coached the NASL Seattle Sounders and served as the general manager of the Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps. Born in England, he also earned one cap with the United States national team in 1973.
Carl Gentile is a former U.S. soccer forward. He played one season in the National Professional Soccer League and two in the North American Soccer League, all three with the St. Louis Stars. He also earned six caps with the U.S. national team in 1968.
Hank Liotart is a Dutch-American former soccer player. Liotart played one season in the National Professional Soccer League, eight in the North American Soccer League and at least one in Major Indoor Soccer League. He also played eight years in the Netherlands. Liotart earned four caps with the U.S. national team in 1975.
Orest Banach is a retired German-American soccer goalkeeper of Ukrainian descent who played three seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned four caps with the U.S. national team.
Gary Rensing is a retired American soccer defender who played nine seasons in the North American Soccer League and earned four caps with the U.S. national team.
Joseph "Joey" or "Joe" Speca is a former U.S. soccer player. Speca played a single season in both the National Professional Soccer League (NPSL) and the North American Soccer League (NASL). He also earned three caps with the United States.
Warren "Laga" Archibald is a Trinidadian former soccer player who played as an inside left. He spent one season in the United Soccer Association and nine in the North American Soccer League, earning 1973 MVP honours. He also played professionally in Mexico and Haiti and was a mainstay of the Trinidad and Tobago national team from 1968 to 1976.
Rubén Navarro was an Argentine association football player. He is mainly remembered for winning two consecutive Copa Libertadores titles with Independiente.